Yasmine’s dreams were peaceful and mostly uneventful. She did have another flashback that revealed something rather interesting. It was when she was eleven and had just really started to notice things about the opposite sex.

“Helllooo, earth to Yazzie, anyone home?” Monty called out to her with a chuckle. Yasmine had gotten caught staring at him, just sort of spacing out, his eyes tracing each line of his face and body. Though it was mostly see through, the ghost was fully dressed in clothes that looked nothing like the ones she saw in modern everyday life.

Monty wore a collared shirt with a sweater vest over it. He wasn’t big or bulky, so he cut a rather trim figure along with the neat, pleated slacks that stopped at his ankles, where his shoes looked like they were made of some shiny leather material.

But it was his face and hair that had young Yasmine distracted. His solid jawline and high cheekbones accented kind eyes. His nose was sharp, and his lips had the slightest pout to them. His slick-looking hair, combed to the side and styled into a curly pile of dark strands, all came together to make one rather handsome ghost.

“Uhh Yaz? you alright there?” Monty asked again, waving a hand in front of her face. Yasmine quickly snapped out of her trance, and a bright red flush coated her cheeks and ears.

“S-sorry!” She said quickly, tearing her eyes away from her friend. Placing a hand on her chest, she felt her heart beating like mad. At school this year, she had some random boy come up and give her a flower and ask if she wanted to be his girlfriend. She had been so stunned that she was at a loss for words at first. Not even knowing what it meant to be boyfriend and girlfriend. She wasn’t a very outgoing person, so she didn’t really have a lot of friends, boy or girl, or any really.

Eventually, she told the boy that she already had a boyfriend. When asked who it was, she had just blurted out the first name that came to her mind. She said that his name was Monty and he didn’t go to school. It hadn’t been the most tactful response, but it had gotten the boy to leave her alone. It didn’t have the unintended consequence of other girls coming up and asking about Monty. That had been one of the most awkward and unpleasant weeks of her life. After she silently apologized to Monty for using his name for a fib.

“It's your turn, silly,” Monty said with a bright smile, gesturing towards the game of checkers they were playing. Yasmine looked at the game and then back at him. She really didn’t feel like playing anymore. She was too distracted by all these questions in her head.

“I don’t wanna play anymore.” She said with a heavy sigh.

“That’s just because you are losing.” He teased her with a chuckle.

“Nu uh! I’m just tired of kicking your butt all the time!” Yasmine shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Oh yeah? Well, maybe I should stop letting you win then,” teasing her a bit more before he started to clean up the pieces to put them back in the box. She stared at him a bit more before finally speaking up again.

“Umm, Monty. Can I ask you a question?” Her voice was timid and quiet.

“Hmm, of course, feel free.” His smile was soft and comforting.

“Umm, well, can you tell me what it means to be someone’s girlfriend?” Yasmine’s question was certainly not one that Monty had been expecting. He floundered for a moment, trying to think of how to answer that particular question.

“Oh, well, you are a bit young to be thinking about that now, Yasmine, don’t you think?” He said in an attempt to deflect the awkward situation.

“I am? This boy I didn’t know at my school asked me to be his girlfriend. I didn’t really know what that meant, so I told him I…” Almost letting it slip that she used his name, she stopped herself just in time.

“I-I told him I didn’t want to. All I know is that you hold hands and w-well…” Her already red face flushed another level of red before eventually she spit it out. “And k-k-kiss each other.” She learned more from the girls who had interrogated her than from the boy who asked her out. But now she was so embarrassed she felt like she wanted to hide under her cover.

Monty, on the other hand, was a bit mortified. Someone had asked his little Yazzie to be their girlfriend…How dare they. He felt an intense protective surge rush through him at the thought. His lips curled into a scowl, and his fists clenched tight. It looked like he was suddenly angry at something.

“Umm, Monty?” She spoke up as she watched him get all riled up for some reason. In the blink of an eye, he wiped off all emotion on his face and relaxed.

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“Are you… angry about something I said?” Yasmine said with a worried look, making Monty feel a bit guilty.

“No, no, no. Of course not. I was just a little surprised, that was all… Ahem, about your question. Well, I think you were right to tell him no. Going steady with someone is not something to be taken lightly.” Folding his arms, he nodded in agreement with himself.

“Steady?” she asked, a little confused.” Realizing his mistake, he corrected himself.

“Ah, sorry. That's what we called dating back then. But it's the same principle. You should only agree to be someone’s girlfriend if you are serious about them. It should be someone you have known for a long time and love very much already. And you need to make sure they are just as serious about you! It's the step before getting married, after all.” He said sagely, nodding his head.

Yasmine looked on in wonder at this information. She was super glad that she didn’t accept the offer now. She didn’t want to get stuck marrying that random boy after all. But that also meant that she had said she was going to marry Monty one day. This made her feel another wave of embarrassment wash over her.

“Wow, that does sound important. Do you have someone you want to go steady with, Monty?” She asked with a curious smile. He just laughed softly and shook his head.

“Haha, no, dear. It's a little late for someone like me to think about romance.”

“Oh…” Yasmine seemed a little sad at this information for some reason.

“Did you ever have someone like that?” It was his turn to feel a little sad now. He shook his head but kept his smile on his face.

“I don’t think so, at least, I don’t remember any.” Yasmine's mouth opened slightly in shock, wondering how someone as handsome as him could never have a girlfriend.

“Not even one person? You never got married or anything?” Monty laughed a little at how into it she was getting.

“No, can’t say there was.” A determined look suddenly crossed Yasmine’s face as she stood up from sitting on the floor. His small hands balled into fists and perched on her hips.

“Then, when I get older, I will be your steady Monty, " she declared confidently. Monty stared at her for a few moments before suddenly starting to laugh a little.

“What's so funny!” She growled in indignation, stomping her foot once.

“Haha, it's nothing. It's just how you said it. I appreciate the thought Yazzie, but you really should find a boy that is more your type. You know, not a ghost.” He teased her a little, but she shook her head quickly from side to side.

“I’m serious! I don't care if you are a ghost. I already love you, Monty, so when I am older, I promise to be your steady!” She was so passionate that he just couldn’t bring himself to deny the small girl.

“Okay, okay, I get it. I love you too, Yazzie. Thank you.” Opening his arms to her, she smiled brightly at him. She rushed forward and lept into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his ghostly form. He was always so nice and chilly in the oppressive summer heat. The best thing to do to cool off was to get a big hug.

As Monty held the child in his arms, his smile took a more somber shift. He knew that one day, he would have to say goodbye to Yasmine so she could live a normal life. But for now he gave her a soft squeeze, enjoying the moment for as long as he could.

Yasmine’s eyes slowly started to flutter open with the rise of the early morning sun. A stray beam of light cut through the darkness of the room. Slowly, she pushed herself up to sit against the headboard of the bed, peeking at her phone, she saw that she had woken up about ten minutes before her alarm was supposed to go off. There was no way she was going back to sleep now.

With the dream of her past now fresh in her mind, she couldn’t help but think about it. The things she had promised the ghost. She pulled her knees up to her chest, rested her arms atop them, and then laid her head down on her arms.

Yasmine frowned deeply, knowing she had forgotten all the wonderful moments the two shared. She felt so much guilt flooding through her. From what she could tell, she was pretty sure Monty remembered everything. He had been alone all this time, for so, so long. With a sniff, she quickly wiped her eyes against her arm to get rid of the tear that had escaped.

“I’m so sorry, Monty… you didn’t deserve to suffer.” She mumbled to herself, sitting there, wallowing in her shame till her phone alarm went off. She had an incredibly busy day ahead, and she couldn’t let herself get lost in sadness. What was done was done, and all she could do now was try and make up for it.

There was one other thing that was bothering her as she got up and started to get dressed. Not sure how she hadn’t realized it before, but back when she was a kid, Monty had been completely visible. But now she could only hear and feel him when he allowed it, or she asked, at least. She would have to ask why he didn’t show himself anymore. She vividly remembered how he looked, from the pattern on his vest to the curls in his hair. The strong jawline and piercing eyes…

“Shit… I think Monty was… maybe is still friggin’ hot?!” She thought aloud, her cheeks warming up at the thought of actually being attracted to a ghost, of all things.

“I heard my name. Did you need something-” Monty’s voice called out in the room but quickly stopped as Yasmine had just finished putting on her bra and was standing there in just her underwear. Though she couldn’t see him, she definitely felt his eyes on her for a moment.

The dark complexion of her cheeks went a deep crimson as everything bubbled up inside her. Her lips became a crooked scowl before finally screaming out.

“Monty! Get out!”

“I’m so sorry!” He yelled back, quickly phasing through the walls and out of the room, leaving her alone again. She covered her face and let out a whine of pure embarrassment. As bad as it was, it wasn’t even close to the sudden fantasies that now started invading her head of a visible Monty catching her getting dressed. And the shame she felt when, deep down, she couldn’t hide that she didn’t hate the idea of him seeing her like this.

“I’m becoming a pervert.” She whimpered, feeling like she should just go back to bed and start the day over.