"How- How do you know that the d- dead can talk?"

A puff of white escaped Liam’s chattering teeth as he rubbed his arms.

They were sat on a bench facing a graveyard on the other side of the road.

Iron fence surrounded the entrance, it’s sharp tips reminding Hunter of spears in Natt’s video game.

A stone arc stood as an entrance. The sky was so grey, the entrance seemed indistinguishable from the sky.

Two dried trees stood at either sides. The last pale yellow leaf quivered on the branch with every gust of wind.

"I…" Hunter hesitated.

A school bus sputtered past. Children spilled on the sidewalks. Laughter danced through the air.

He looked down at his undone shoelaces. His mom would scold for getting them dirty again.

"I can hear them." He finally said.

Liam’s eyes widened. "No way!"

"Lies!" Natalie Vaughn stood in front of them.

Her pink bomber jacket made her look like a bubble gum.

"You can’t hear the dead." She declared, crossing her arms.

"I can! I can hear thoughts!" Hunter protested.

"You can’t even prove it."

"But—"

"He’s lying Liam." Natt scoffed.

"I’m not!"

"Prove it!" She pushed her lips in a pout.

Hunter hesitated. What if they laughed at him. Or call him weird? Or be afraid?

Liam stared at him through his round glasses expectantly.

A crow flapped overhead.

Hunter’s fingers fumbled around the lace of his black hoodie.

"Pfft— see?" She set her pink school bag beside Liam. "He can’t read thoughts."

"Oh…" Liam looked down disappointedly at his dangling feet.

"You’re thinking of eating your Strawberry flavor JollyRanchers put in your front pocket and Liam got a C on his test paper!" Hunter blurted.

Natt froze.

"That… that is…" she stammered. "Correct…"

"How did you know!?" Liam squeaked, hugging his backpack.

Hunter nearly pulled out the lace.

They looked at him like he was a ghost who just rose from his coffin.

"S- Sorry." His throat squeezed shut.

A crumpled newspaper scraped the tiles along his ankles and hurtled along the wind.

"That was AWESOME!" Natt jumped.

"Me! Me! Read my thoughts again!" Liam scooted towards him.

"Okay! Okay!" Natt bounced on her toes, "What’s my deepest secret?"

"What am I thinking right now!"

Liam leaned so close, Hunter could see his own face in his glasses.

He blinked.

They found it… cool?

The thoughts were louder now. Like waves. One upon the other. Crashing.

Sharp pain spiked his temples. He winced.

"We should tell it to the world!"

"NO!" Liam cried, gripping Hunter’s sleeve.

The two turned at him.

His face turned the shade of a Raspberry Jolly Rancher’s.

"It’s cause… I once heard my dad tell mom that we should keep the good things hidden."He muttered. "If people know… they‘ll ruin it."

"Ru- Ruin it?!" Hunter’s breathing hitched.

Natt tilted her head, her Amber eyes dancing between the two boys.

"Okay." She clapped her hands. "Promise we’ll never talk about this to anyone."

She raised her pinkie.

"Swear on it!"

Hunter stared at her pinkie.

Liam raised his— shaking and pink from cold.

"Promise." Liam whispered.

Hunter hooked his pinkie with theirs.

Their thoughts still buzzed in his head. He wasn’t sure which thoughts were Natt’s or Liam’s or his. They all squeezed against each other. Like how you squish different Play-Doh’s and can’t separate them.

"That’s the coolest secret I’ve ever kept." Liam leaned back, kicking his legs.

"Didn’t your mom say she’d make Hot chocolate today?" Hunter asked Natt.

"With Marshmallows!"

Her eyes lit up.

Mrs. Vaughn voice echoed in Hunter’s head from Natt’s thoughts.

Liam snatched his bag and darted down the street.

"Last one to reach home gets no Marshmellow!" His voice trailed behind.

"Not fair!" Natt chased after him, her jacket flapping behind like a cape.

Hunter got up, adjusting the bag on his shoulders.

Natt’s bag laid forgotten on the bench.

He sighed and lifted it like a sack of potatoes.

What did she keep in there? More Jolly Rancher’s? More video games? A whole brick?

He shook his head.

Carrying a bag and a newfound secret, he walked down the street, hoping he wouldn’t be last.

He really really wanted those marshmallows.

———————————————————-

I misread the prompt at the beginning and noticed only after I was almost done.

This may not be very prompt-accurate but I’ve tried to include all three words.

😓😓