Three years after my death

Three years after my death, my nemesis, Luke Chambers, visited my grave every year.

The first year, he had a rave on top of it.

The second year, he threw a barbecue party in front of it.

The third year, he didn't show up.

I heard he’d dropped his phone in the river and jumped in after it. Didn't make it back up.

He was dying.

01

Luke Chambers was dying.

He'd jumped into the river to retrieve his phone and hadn't resurfaced. He was pulled out and rushed to the ER, but he was in a deep coma.

When I heard about it, I laughed for a solid three minutes.

Ha! Serves him right! Karma’s a bitch, ain't it?

He’d pulled so much crap in his life. Finally, he got what was coming to him.

Hee hee.

But after my laughing fit, I remembered something. He'd dug a plot right next to my grave. Even had a headstone made.

If he died, would he really be buried there?

Would I have to deal with him as my neighbor for eternity?

Oh, hell no. So much for peace and quiet.

No more hee hee.

02

To make sure Luke was actually kicking the bucket, I floated over to the city hospital.

The place was swarming with reporters and paparazzi. They were all there for Luke.

Two years ago, Luke had gone viral because of a photo. In it, he stood at a crosswalk, dressed in black, clutching a bunch of white lilies. His expression was desolate, his eyes filled with a haunting loneliness.

Shortly after, he was picked up by a director and cast as the brooding, quiet second lead in a teen drama. He didn't have many lines, but one scene where he cried silently stole the show and made him an overnight sensation. Now, he was a hotshot actor.

Of course, all the commotion was for the press, not for Luke.

Inside the ICU, one Luke lay unconscious on the bed, hooked up to machines, looking like a sleeping prince. By the window stood another Luke. This one was translucent, with an empty, vacant stare.

Holy crap. Looks like he really was dying. His soul had already left his body.

I so badly wanted to go over there and rub it in his face.

But before I could take two steps, the Luke by the window turned around as if he had eyes on the back of his head.

He saw me, and his expression morphed into a mixture of shock and… joy?

"Nora?"

Before I could respond, he rushed over, his voice thick with emotion, and pulled me into a hug.

"Nora! I missed you so much…"

Me: ?

Hold on a second. What the hell was this thing hugging me? Was this really Luke Chambers, the same jerk who never missed a chance to give me a hard time?

03

Luke and I had been sworn enemies since we were seven. That was the year my mom divorced my dad, and we moved to Seattle. On the first day, our new neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Chambers, nudged eight-year-old Luke towards me and joked, "Luke, go hold the little lady’s hand. Maybe you two will be family someday."

We were supposed to be childhood sweethearts, but we couldn't stand each other.

In elementary school, he teased me relentlessly for my quiet voice, calling it a ...