"I'm like a duckling. I must've imprinted on him," Lila said.
The bartender wiped down the counter. "Me. You mean me." The girl was the only patron.
"You, I suppose, or something resembling you. How'd you end up here, anyway?"
"Remember when I got accepted into UCLA? Anyway, I drove down, and in the middle of the drive, something must've hit me.."
"Did you see red? I saw red."
"I think the red is just light filtering through shut eyes. At least for me. When I died." he said.
"Yes. When I died," she replied.
Awkward silence. The bartender had nothing to do but wipe down an already-spotless countertop. Wipe clean glasses.
She broke the glass bubble. "You were cute."
He chuckled. "Every kid was."
"I was always jealous of you."
"I could tell."
"I remember when we got married on the play-structure in 5th grade."
"Mostly because Katrina gave us a honey-stick if we would."
"It really wasn't that special. Tasted like honey."
"How can you dare say honey isn't special?"
"And then I never stopped thinking about you."
More silence.
Shattered glass. "You know, you're a lot more awkward when you're dead. I'd intentionally trip on the first letter of Ice Cream Soda, although I knew damn well I could go all the way to Z if I wanted."
The balloon inflated. Inflated. Big-ass balloon.
"I haven't thought about you in ages."
***
Lila woke up. She missed that damn boy.