I Came Home as a Ghost

I lowered my head, embarrassed.

"I-I'm just a student. Studying is the only thing I'm good at."

Ryan Chambers and his friends froze, then stared at me like I was an idiot.

"The job's easy. All you have to do is drink."

The idea that I could earn enough for a ticket home just by drinking was hard to resist.

I wanted to go home more than anything.

The week before, Grandpa had walked all the way to the convenience store on the edge of town just to call me. He said he already put fresh stuffing in my comforter so it would be warm and soft when I got back.

He also made several jars of the homemade pickles I loved. He told me to take them back to school and share them with my classmates and professors.

Grandpa raised me by himself, and he was already 78.

The year before, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Every visit could be our last.

He was a thousand miles away, but home was wherever he was. I had to get back to him.

I gripped the few hundred dollars in my pocket, then made up my mind and nodded at Ryan. They drove me to a house in a remote part of town.

Ryan pointed to six bottles of beer on the table and slapped three hundred dollars down beside them.

"Fifty bucks a bottle. Finish all six, and you'll have enough for your ticket home."

As I stared at the 300 dollars, Grandpa's face came to mind. He was sitting in the yard, reaching out with one wrinkled hand to touch my cheek.

"You've lost weight. Have you been skipping meals at school? I'll make all your favorite foods later."

Tears filled my eyes again. I wiped them away and tried to steady myself.

Dad had always taught me that kids from small rural towns had to work twice as hard to get what they wanted.

All I had to do was finish six beers, and then I could see Grandpa. I could handle that.

I picked up a bottle, popped the cap off, and started chugging.

I had never had alcohol before. It went down the wrong way, sending me into a violent coughing fit.

Ryan's friends looked at me like I was a piece of merchandise. Their eyes moved over me as they laughed and exchanged crude comments I didn't understand.

A sudden sense of danger washed over me.

I told them I needed to use the bathroom, locked the door behind me, and immediately called Dad for help.

When he finally answered, I blurted out, "Dad, help…"

He cut me off before I could finish.

"Logan, I'm incredibly disappointed in you. You always think you're clever enough to get around the rules. The truth is, you just want everything handed to you. This time, I'm going to put a stop to that attitude once and for all!"

He hung up on me.

I called back over and over, but he refused to answer.

A hard kick sent the bathroom door crashing open.

Ryan stood in the doorway, his face twisted with rage. He grabbed me and dragged me out.