Moving On

"Yeah, probably," Mina said thoughtfully. To my surprise, she was actually examining the flyer with interest. I was excited thinking that I had finally found something she would agree to.

"You should go. I bet you would have a great time," I said.

She continued to think about it for a few moments before she formed a familiar sad frown and looked defeated. "No. It wouldn't go well, I'm sure."

With that, she turned and resumed her walk towards her room. She had definitely seemed interested, but for some reason she came to the conclusion that she shouldn't go. There had to be something there that I wasn't seeing. As we got to her room and she got settled in, I decided it was time to figure out what the deal was.

"Mina, why don't you want to go to that party?" I asked.

"Because I know they wouldn't want me to be there," she said.

"Why do you think that? You are nice and smart and fun and pretty. Anyone would be lucky to have you at their party."

She blushed at my compliments, but still looked like she didn't believe me. "I'm sure you have seen how everyone looks at me. Everyone thinks I'm crazy."

"How come? I know you aren't crazy Mina, so why does everyone else think you are?"

She sat still on her bed quietly thinking. Finally after a long stretch of silence she began to talk.

"I was in grade school when I saw my first ghost," she said. "I had no idea that most people couldn't see them, so I was really confused when I pointed it out to my parents and they couldn't see it. Luckily my mom had a suspicion about what was going on and she had my grandma talk to me. That was when I learned I was psychic."

"I was really excited about it. I felt like I had magical powers," she continued. "So, despite my grandmother's warnings, I told my friends at school the next day. Of course they didn't believe me. I kept insisting that I was telling the truth for long enough that instead of laughing they started to think I was weird. All of them stopped wanting to be my friend after that."

Little kids could be surprisingly cruel, so it didn't surprise me that they would turn on her so quickly. I'm sure that was devastating for a little girl to go through, especially since she was only telling the truth. Mina sighed before resuming her tale.

"They never stopped making fun of me about it. Even all the way through high school they joked with one another about the crazy ghost girl. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake my reputation as a lying whacko. I thought that graduation was finally my chance to escape it all," she said. "But I was wrong. It turns out a few of the people from my high school also chose to come to college here. As soon as they learned I was here too they started to tell all of their new friends about me. Within the first couple weeks everyone had heard the story. I was back in high school all over again."

I guess some little kids never grew up. That certainly explained some of the behavior of the other kids around campus. It was stupid and unfair, but people were like that. I felt really bad for her.

"I'm sorry, Mina," I said.

"It's alright. It's not your fault," she said with a small smile. "Anyways, that is why I don't think the party is a great idea. I'm sure everyone there would just make fun of me all night. I wish I could go, though. I really need to..."

"Need to what?"

Her blush returned to her cheeks. "Need to get laid!"

"Really!?" I asked surprised.

"Yes! Do you know how many college students are horny? All of them!" Mina said. "All day long I'm surrounded by people lusting after one another and I feel it all. In class I can feel dozens of people getting turned on and it drives me nuts. And no guys will come near me. Nobody wants to be associated with me and kill their social lives."

I was dumbfounded. I guess I underestimated how much of a problem it was for her. But I suppose it did make sense. Just being around me when I had a sexy daydream was enough to set her off. If she was really feeling the lust of everyone on campus, it must be torture.

"Well, if the guys won't come to you," I said. "You could always approach them. Most guys would be thrilled to have a pretty girl come on to them. It doesn't happen often for us."

"I can't do that," she said.

"Why not?"

"Because I can't! I'd have no idea what to say. I'm not good with people, but especially not guys. I'm not very... experienced."

"Are you a virgin?" I asked.

"No. I had sex once in high school. It wasn't very good, and the boy wasn't interested in doing it again."

I remembered what I was like before I started having sex. The whole idea of approaching a girl seemed like the most complicated thing in the world. What to say, what to wear, how to act. Do I tell a joke or do I try out a pickup line? It was easy to overthink it so much that you would be paralyzed into inaction. I imagined Mina felt something like that herself.

"So you haven't had a boyfriend before?"

"I wish," she said. "I don't even have any regular friends. I get too worried about people making fun of me any time I meet someone new that I freak out. I'm just not good with people."

"You don't have any problems talking to me," I said.

"Yeah, but you are different. I just feel comfortable around you. Probably because you know I'm not lying about seeing ghosts."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

It was hard for me to believe that people wouldn't like her since I personally thought Mina was pretty great. I really wanted to help her out, but there was only so much I could do as a ghost. I suppose I could coach her. Maybe feed her some lines to say? But that would probably be too awkward. She couldn't just pause in the middle of a conversation repeatedly to get her next line.

"What's it like?" Mina asked.

"What?"

"What is it like being in a relationship?"

"Oh. Well, I guess it depends on who you are in a relationship with really," I told her. "For me, I loved my girlfriend completely, so it was amazing. We listened to each other and supported each other. It was probably the best thing about my life."

"I'm jealous," Mina said. "Did you guys have a lot of sex?"

I laughed. "Yeah, I think so. We usually had sex at least a few times a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. But it was enough for me."

Mina let out a loud groan. "I need that so bad! It sounds so great."

"It was. Sex is actually a whole lot better when it is with someone that you care about. Maybe if you go to that party you can meet your perfect man that cares about you," I said, again trying to push her to give the party a chance.

"It's useless. Even if nobody at the party made fun of me, I still would be too afraid to actually talk to any cute guys. I just have no clue what I'm doing. Any time I try to talk to boys I get so embarrassed that my brain just shuts off. It's because I have no experience. If only I was more like you, then I could..."

Mina's sentenced trailed off into silence. Her eyes got real big and she suddenly sprung up to her feet.

"Oh my gosh," she nearly shouted. "I just had a great idea!"

"What is it?"

"I CAN be more like you. You can possess me and go to the party!"

"What? No. I don't think—"

"It's perfect!" she said while bouncing around. "You have tons of experience with relationships. You can definitely get me laid."

"Mina, I have experience with girls," I said. "I have never picked up a guy before."

"But you are a guy! You know better than any girl what a guy wants to hear," she reasoned. "I know you can do it. Please Brad? I really need this."

"Would you really want it like that though? You would enjoy it more if you just did it without me."

"No! I'd mess it up somehow, I know it. I just really need some relief. If I keep getting so horny without ever getting sex I'm going to lose my mind."

"Mina, I don't know if I can have sex with another man. It would feel too weird."

"But you wouldn't be you, you would be me! Just think of it like roleplaying."

"I don't think so, Mina."

"Brad, you have no idea how badly I need this," she whined. Tears were filling up her eyes and I felt my resolve start to waver a little. "I just need to experience what it is like so I know what to do. You're the only one who can help. You're all I have."

Shit. This was nuts. I wasn't sure I was capable of flirting with a man, let alone having sex with one. Possession wasn't as big a deal anymore since we had both gotten comfortable with it recently, but this was taking it to a whole new level.

She spent the rest of the night pleading her case and wearing me down. I tried to change the subject or suggest other ways I could help. I said I could just go with her and give her advice, but she wasn't hearing it. She was positive that possession was the only way she would be able to go to the party and get the sex she desperately needed.

If it wasn't for her persistent begging, I would have never actually considered it. But I really did want to help her, and this was the only way she would let me apparently. The way she had been treated by her peers most of her life was terrible. She was my friend, and she deserved much better than that. When it got down to it at the end of the night, I just didn't have the heart to deny her any longer.

"Alright," I muttered. "We can try."

*****

The night before Halloween, Mina and I went shopping for a costume to wear to the party. She was in high spirits. She had been since I agreed to her plan. She got so excited every time she talked about it that I knew there was no backing out of it. The costume shop we went to had a large selection to choose from. Mina was busy picking out a few to try on while I offered my opinion on them.

"Here, how about this one," I said pointing to a scary clown mask.

"Be serious," she huffed.

"What? You said you wanted something with a mask."

"Yeah, but it has to be sexy. That is kind of the point, remember? To have sex?"

"Yeah, Yeah. I know." I didn't need to be reminded. I just liked messing with her.

"Which of these do you like best?" she asked. "Witch, cat, or vampire?"

She held up the three costumes for me to see. The witch costume looked to have a very short skirt, a small revealing shirt, a small cape, and a typical witch's hat. The cat costume reminded me of a one piece swimsuit. It came with a tail and a mask that covered the upper part of the face and had cat ears on top. The vampire costume simply had a long cape, plastic fangs, and some fake blood.

"The vampire costume isn't very sexy. The witch costume is, but it doesn't have a mask with it. The cat one has both," I said, offering my blunt assessment.

"Yeah but girls always dress up as cats," she whined. "I thought maybe I could just grab a separate mask to wear with the witch costume."

"That could work," I agreed. "But I don't think you should get any of them honestly."

"Why not?"

"Because they are all so black. You wear black all of the time. You should get a brighter costume."

"There is nothing wrong with the way I dress," Mina said defensively.

"I know that. I actually think your gothic style looks really good on you," I assured her. "But this is Halloween! The fun is in wearing something new and different. If you wear something close to what you always wear, it'll be boring."

"Maybe you're right," she conceded. "Why don't you pick something out for me then? And be serious about it this time!"

I floated around the store looking for the ideal costume. All the classics were there. A bunny costume would be sexy, but she already said she didn't want to be a cat and they were too similar. Nurses were always hot, but it wasn't a costume that went well with a mask. I continued on like that until I found one that I thought was perfect. The package said it was a Sacagawea costume. It was a sexy two piece costume, top and short skirt combo, which was decorated in the style of Native Americans back in the day. It came with a red headband with feathers and some cheap brown sandals. I had a feeling it would look amazing on Mina.

"This is the one," I said while pointing out my selection to Mina.

"Sacagawea?"

"Yeah, try it on. It looks like they have it in your size."

"Alright, give me a minute." Mina grabbed the costume in her size and headed towards the changing room. A short time later she emerged holding the costume and dressed in her normal clothes.

"It's pretty good, but it doesn't have a mask."

"True, but you can get some face paints and easily paint something on your face that will fit well with the costume."

She considered that for a moment before reaching her conclusion. "Ok. I'll get this one," she announced.

"How come I didn't get to see it on you?"

"You will get to see it tomorrow," she said before sticking her tongue out at me.

She paid for the costume and we headed home. The rest of the night went along normally. The next morning it was Halloween and the party was only half the day away. Mina got more and more nervous as each hour passed away. When the sun set and it got time to get ready, she was a wreck. I did my best to calm her down and eventually got her to start dressing up and putting on her makeup. It took her over an hour to get everything perfect. I waited patiently outside her room for her to finish. When she finally called for me and told me she was ready, I was stunned by what I saw when I reentered the room.

The costume fit perfectly. Mina's breasts were beautifully on display in the top. Her toned flat stomach was left uncovered. The skirt was short, barely reaching mid-thigh. Her flawless skin was exposed for all to see and it was incredibly sexy. She had the headband with feathers on with her long bangs laying over the top of it in the front. Her eyes were covered with light blue and black stripes that ran the width of her face. The face painting was spot on and really completed the look.

"Damn," I said while admiring her. She smiled and blushed, pleased at my reaction.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah. I think so," I said. "But are you still sure about this? You could still just go as yourself. You wouldn't have any trouble getting male attention looking like you do now."

"I'm sure. I need your help."

"Ok then. Here I come."

I reached out and made contact with Mina's shoulder. I felt that familiar warmth from her body and allowed my being to completely slip into it. After a few moments I opened my eyes and found myself in control of Mina. I took a quick look in the mirror to inspect the sexy costume once more. It looked great, but definitely left me very exposed. I was lucky it wasn't that cold outside. I concentrated and reached into the back of my mind to contact Mina.

"Mina? Are you there?"

Yes, I'm here. Her small voice answered back without missing a beat.

"Ok. Time to go," I said.

Together like that we left her dorm room and started the walk to the party. The frat house was only a few blocks away, so it didn't take long to get there. While we were approaching the house, I noticed that other people were arriving as well. They were entering the house in groups of three or more. It seemed some people must have gotten ready together so they could show up at the same time. I made nothing of it, but Mina started to get worried.

Everyone else is here with friends. Am I going to look pathetic since I'm alone? Was it supposed to be a group thing? It didn't say that on the flyer, but maybe it was just something you were supposed to know. Will we even get in?

Her thoughts were growing more and more frantic as her social anxiety kicked in. Already I could feel that she was having second thoughts about our plan. I wasn't thrilled with the plan myself, but I knew it was the only way to get her to the party. And I knew she would feel terrible later if she didn't go through with it.

"Mina, calm down," I thought. "It will be ok."

But what if they don't let me in because I'm a freak? Or because I'm alone?

"They will, trust me," I assured her. "And besides, you aren't alone, remember? I'm here with you no matter what happens."

I could feel her slowly settle down until finally she was once again calm.

Ok. Let's do this.

I walked up to the door just behind a large group of girls with their boyfriends. One of the members of the fraternity was manning the door. He welcomed everyone to the party and opened the door to let us in. I easily walked inside along with the others without problem. I suspected the guard at the door was mainly for show, or maybe to stop anyone without a costume. It was easy to see just from the entrance that the party was already well underway.

The house was filled with college kids dressed up in all sorts of Halloween costumes. Pirates and superheroes were dancing with fairies and devils. Cups of alcohol were being passed around from the kitchen and loud music pumped throughout the house. It was a scene I had witnessed before. It looked like a good turnout, and it was sure to be a fun night for everyone. Mina began to get uncomfortable again as she took it all in for the first time.

"Don't worry," I told her. "I've got this."

I took a breath and started making my way to the kitchen to get a beer. Mina settled down once again and put her faith in me to guide her. I better understood now why she needed me to do this. She was so excited about being able to go to this party earlier, but now she seemed terrified. All those years of abuse must have left a very deep scar on her psyche that was hard to overcome. There was no way I was going to let her down now. I was going to do my best to help my friend. Even if it meant making myself very uncomfortable. I could take it.

I got my first cup of beer courtesy of a young man in the kitchen who seemed happy to serve me. Mina didn't understand why he was so nice, but I did. She was hot dressed up like she was. I knew he wouldn't be the only guy that night to like what he saw. I quickly downed the beer as I walked around the rest of the house and scoped out the party. One room had some party games going on, and I joined in on a game of peer pong. Mina told me she had never played before, but I had. I teamed up with another attractive girl dressed up like Wonder Woman and together we beat a couple of frat boys. They begged for a rematch, but I left them alone with their loss.

Mina had been mostly focused on hooking up with a guy when she thought of the party, but I wanted her to experience more than that. I wanted her to have fun and make some friends. Because of that, I was in no rush to throw myself at a boy and have sex. I mingled throughout the crowd, complimenting people on their costumes and receiving compliments in return. Eventually I made my way to the dance floor and started busting a few moves. I was never a great dancer, but I could manage. Besides, with Mina's body I knew whatever I did would look good. I started out dancing with a group of other girls, but before long some of the boys joined in as well.

Mina panicked and got embarrassed less and less as the night went on. I could tell she was enjoying herself. I have to admit, I was having fun too. I had grown more comfortable being in her female body. After a few beers, I fully embraced it. I started to grind her tight little ass into the crotch of the guys around me on the dance floor, testing out how I felt about it. I discovered that it felt good. I thought it was probably because Mina's body relished the contact with men and her body along with its desires were now acting as my own. I prayed that when I left her body those desires wouldn't remain. That would be too weird.

Before long it had gotten late into the night and many people were visibly drunk. People on the dance floor began to pair off and make out in front of everyone. I knew it had gotten to the point in the night when a lot of people would be looking for a private room alone to fool around. It had been fun dancing and playing beer games, but I decided it was finally time to get Mina what she was really after. I was about to go walk around and look for a suitable mark when someone wrapped their arms around me from behind and made me start dancing again.