I'm Loi, Loi Usage, 17 years of age... I live in a very cheap rented house, but it's actually haunted...I was forced to live here due to a financial problem. If it's haunted, there should be a ghost...this ghost is a girl named Maya. She lived here before I did, so I guess we live together...sort of. She's main focus of everything. Anyway, Maya likes food...a lot. She's cuter than I give her credit for, but she's also a hassle sometimes. Anyway, my life with a ghost continues.

***

Maya turned over slightly. "Mmm...yummy. Cake..." she whispered sleepily. Loi caught himself staring at her again. 'She never thinks about anything other than food, does she...' he mused to himself, sighing gently. It was another day of living with a ghost, or more correctly, alongside one. Loi dressed himself and patted Maya on the head gingerly. "Ahm ahm..." she continued, still enjoying that cake she was dreaming of.

Loi walked downstairs and froze. "Good morning, Loi!" Jaja called over to him sweetly, a multi-lumped Kenta frantically waving his arms behind her. "Good morning my ass...what are you doing here, why are you on my couch and just how did you get in?" Loi grumbled. Jaja smirked. "Come on...we're just looking for some fun...right Kenta?" Kenta held up an S.O.S. signal with as much severity as he could manage.

"Yeah! Ahaha, just here looking for some fun..." he chattered nervously, many lumps atop his head. Loi gave him a hard stare. 'I see...Jaja has made you a part of this plan by force...' Just then, the doorbell rang. "This is odd...do I have another visitor apart from you two?" he turned to the smirking pair. "Coming!" he called back to the door as he stepped forward and opened it.

Loi recoiled back suddenly, beads of cool moisture on his brow. His mother stood in the doorway wearing a casual pink and grey t-shirt and cargo shorts. She waved slightly and shot him a half smile. "Long time, no see, Loi." He couldn't believe it. Jaja panicked and hurriedly looked around for a potential exit. "Shit! It's his evil wrestler mom!" she shrieked, as Loi's mother caught sight of the pair.

She narrowed her eyes as she stared them down. "Great, you're here...let's all have a little fun, shall we?" Kenta and Jaja stood up and moved for the back door post haste. "Ahaha, sorry Loi, we've got to get going." Loi marched over to them and firmly placed his hands on both of their shoulders in a vice grip."Oh no, I don't think so...I won't be suffering alone today, you're coming with me!" he hissed at them, a dark look across his face. 

Loi cackled gently, a craven look burning in his eyes. "You were looking for fun, right? Well, you've certainly got it now!" Jaja pleaded with Kenta. "Do something!" In response Kenta just dropped his head back with closed eyes bursting from tears of defeat. Loi's mother cracked her knuckles and leapt at them. "Ready or not, here I come!" she yelled, lunging into a wrestling grapple. "KIIYAAAAAAAAAA!!!" 

Maya overheard a commotion down the hall and floated over to the toppled Kenta and Loi. She shuddered as the shadowy face of Loi's mother stared at her with glowing red eyes. "Maya! Run for it, while you still can!" Jaja screamed. Loi's mother reached out her hand to Maya instead. "Hi Maya, I'm Loi's mom! Nice to meet you." She tilted her head and smiled sweetly. Maya grasped her hand with a surprised look on her face, the pallor of the ghostly complexion in stark contrast.

"Uhm, nice to meet you too, I'm Maya..." she whimpered. Loi's mother grinned mischievously. 'Kukukuku...she fell for it! Now I'm going to grip her hand and...kukukuku...' Maya simply gripped her hand in response and smiled warmly. 'What?! Impossible! That was my 100% strength, full power grip!' Loi's mother turned toward her son. "Loi...is this your girlfriend?! I think I kinda like her!" Loi frowned, "She's not my girlfriend..."

His mother shook her head. "You're not fooling me, boy! I've already heard from your Auntie Gina and Shunta already told me...besides - I grant my approval to this lovely lady! Just look at her! She's strong, tough, cute, beautiful, sexy...just like me!" Maya just sat there repeating the term "Girlfriend..." with whited out orbits. She blushed flagrantly. Loi closed his eyes.

"Look mom, I told you! She's not my girlfriend, Maya is the owner of this house. That's it..." Kenta and Jaja shook their heads knowingly. "Loi, be a man." Kenta offered. Jaja furrowed her brow. "Just admit it, already..." The pair began chanting a single word as if entranced by something. "Ship...Ship...Ship..." Loi cleared his throat. 'Stupid friends, thanks for making this situation more complicated than it ever needed to be...' Loi's mother became ecstatic.

"Kiyaaaaa! I'm so proud of you, my son!" she congratulated. Maya couldn't speak. " ... " Steam vented from her head as she continued processing what just happened, small puffs and billows steadily streaming out. Loi scratched the back of his head with a single hand. "So anyway...what are you doing here, mom?" She smiled. "It's because I want to celebrate... You see, your dear mommy got herself the World Championship Title Belt!" She held it out with a goofy look painted across her face.

Loi scowled. "Mom! You're returning that from wherever you stole it!" Loi's mother cracked. "No, you idiot! I'm actually the new World Championship wrestler, hehehe..." She held up a peace sign. Jaja and Kenta jumped for joy. "That means you're rich now! Hurray!" She sat down on the floor and hung her head. "No...I used all of the money to pay off all of the debts and loans...but anyway! Let's have a celebration!"

Cheap styrofoam cups squeaked as they toasted one another. "Cheers!" Maya and Jaja took a large gulp from their glasses and stopped cold. "Why does it taste bitter...?" Kenta looked at their frozen faces. "Bitter? It tastes like regular orange juice to me..." Loi snatched one of the cups suspiciously. "Theirs smell like alcohol..." he said with concern in his voice. "What?!" Kenta turned to Jaja. "I said, it's bitter...hik!" she slurred in frustration.

Jaja's eyes were dizzy and her face flush with the effects of inebriation, the drink must have been very strong. "Oops! I thought it was orange soda, but it was actually rum! My bad!" Loi's mother chuckled with a matching flushing. "Are you okay, Maya?" Loi asked her with rising worry. "...HIK! I'm okay...hik!" she mumbled out. "Just feeling kinda dizzy..." Maya leaned on Loi affectionately. "I like your fluffy hair!" she huffed, playing with it, leaning in closer.

Her eyes met Loi's, sparkling. "Maya! You're just drunk..." he sighed. Maya placed her face right in front of his. "You know, Nena didn't have a clue how lucky she was... What a waste. You're so smart, and nice, and kind...and nice, and smart...hik! Hahaha..." Loi swallowed hard. Maya pulled away, held her hands into her robes, self-signifying. "Hey Loi..."

"Why don't you try me instead? I want to know what it's like..." She shifted her eyes to the side before moving in close again. "To be loved...to be hugged...to be kissed for real...by you. Hik!" She gazed deeper into Loi's eyes, stitching longingness into the held contact. Loi swallowed harder this time, eyes wide. SMACK! His back began to sting. "Just kidding!" Maya laughed.

She threw her arm around him and laughed continuously. 'I envy you, Loi...' Kenta's thoughts carried. 'Meanwhile, I'm over here being used as a punching bag by Jaja...' Jaja wound up and smacked Kenta across the back several times, and pulled him by the shoulder. "Hik!" she squeaked. 

---

"Loi, do you want to know the history of this house?" his Mother asked. "Yeah, I've been curious about it." he replied gently. Maya was nestled in comfortably resting on his shoulder with a very pleased expression. 'It might help me get some clues about Maya's past...' Loi's mother took a large drink from her glass.

"There was a girl who was very in love with a guy...obsessed with him. When she found out that he was married to another woman, she was filled with anger and hatred. She offered her soul to the devil in order to enact a curse upon him. She became a restless spirit, a ghost who is still wandering and haunting this place..." she wove, with grimness.

Her face lightened and she laughed slowly. "Ah well, it's just some rumour...this place looks perfectly normal to me! Ahaha!" Loi just looked at her a moment. "Yeah, you're right mom, there's nothing going on here at all." Maya was dreaming and dozing yet, still leaning on him. "Mmm...cake...yummy..." More dreams about food, her thoughts seemed to be driven solely by the pursuit and consumption of sustenance. 'Well, I guess I'm too far from knowing Maya's past right now...perhaps soon I'll know more.' Loi mused. 

---

As morning broke over the home, Maya stirred first. She opened her eyes slowly and noticed she was huddled next to Loi, his arm around her shoulder. His mother looked over to her and exchanged a warm greeting. "Good morning, Maya! I'm loving the view by the way. Teehee!" she chuckled, covering her mouth lightly with a single hand. She nudged her head toward the pair. "Maya, how is my son doing?" she asked, studying him carefully in his sleep.

Maya got up, taking care to not wake him. "He's doing just fine. Though he always has such a grumpy face. I rarely see him smiling." His mother paused. "Ahah, that's so like him...stubborn and moody. Loi is a very nice kid. He's always trying to appear strong despite being a big softie on the inside. Well, I should be going. It's been a real treat getting to meet you and seeing him all flustered like that. It's refreshing to see he's got people who care about him." she said wistfully.

"Maya, do take care of my son, make sure he learns to appreciate what a wonderful life he has now. Can you say good bye to him for me? I'm afraid I'll try to cling to him if I hang around too long, he doesn't need that." She turned to the door and waved behind her. "Bye Bye...I'll be sure to!" Maya replied happily, waving back. Everything was going to be okay.