Back in 1981, a passionate teenage girl sacrificed her life to protect a friend from death. She was quite popular at her school. Everyone leaked tears down their cheeks and noses as she got buried. The girl was only 15 years old.

But a surprise came as the girl’s ghost burst out of the dirt and into the sparkling night. She flew between all her friends, teachers, and parents. At first, everyone seemed to have leapt with joy. But at a second glance, they saw that she was transparent and as pale as can be. The bystanders grew very quite and scared. But then the girl stretched out her wings and put out her hand as if to say that everything is okay. Everyone looked to one another and back to the girl. She was an angel, watching over them.

The girl went to the school to watch over her friends. She could not be seen in the light; perhaps a shimmer but nothing more. She hung out in the theatre, where it was usually so dark. The children in the theatre would often see her and wave. She was happy that the students weren’t afraid of her. She waved back.

Over the next few years, she watched all her friends grow and then eventually graduate. Then the next year, watch the other students graduate. She watched every class graduate until all the friends she had went out the world. She remained at the school as if she was trapped. Eventually some teachers who knew her retired. The girl stayed there for 50 years past. Everyone forgot her name. But the kids never stopped talking about her.

“Yeah! I hear that there is a ghost here in this building. They say that you can see her in the dark! How cool is that?”

“I heard that over in the fine arts section, sometimes you can hear a violin playing because of the school’s ghost!”

“Do you think it’s true that the ghost that haunts this school is real?”

One time, the school’s electricity went out while the girl lurked a classroom. All the kids and the teacher gasped at the sight of her. Some terrified, some interested, most of them surprised. She waved at them and giggled. The students at the school didn’t know her name and just decided to call her Angel. The name quickly spread throughout the whole school. The upperclassmen told all the freshmen about Angel every year. Sometimes the kids would turn out the light just to see her. Angel was actually quite beautiful. She had long flowing hair and dashing pale eyes. Her wings made her look as if she was a goddess.

Back when she was alive, she would play violin. If you listened closely, she would still play it in the hallways. Her music was as smooth as water flowing in a river and very lively and jazzy. Every year, she watched all the students graduate and go out to college. Each year she grew very sad at the thought that she would never graduate. Sometimes she was sad because she liked some of the students and hated to see them go. Just like her friends. One student saw her looking very depressed in the theatre and decided to try and cheer her up.

The student looked through all the past year books the school had until she found Angel. Her real name was Toni McDonald. The student did all kinds of research about Toni and told her friends about it. The students talked to the teachers and the teachers talked to the principle. Toni floated around to see what was going on. She began to realize that the students were acting very strange. Too giggly and very excited about something.

One day, there was a surprise assembly at the big old gym. All the students were extra happy that day and talkative. The lights went out in the gym after all the classes were in it. Toni realized that they must’ve wanted to see her in the gym. She flew to the gym and looked around inside. There was a small platform in the middle of the floor and the students were all in the bleachers. On the platform stood the principle with a wide grin on his face. All the students were staring at Toni. She looked over to the principle, who motioned for her. She flew over to him. He beckoned her to sit in a chair behind him and she did so. The principle went up to a mike standing at the edge of the platform.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the graduation of 1983! When I call the graduates’ names I would like them to come up here to receive their diploma!” the principle said happily. He read off all the names of the graduates of 1983.

“Toni McDonald!” he finally said. Toni looked at the principle confused.
Toni got up and went over to the principle; who carefully shook her hand and handed her a diploma and a yearbook of her class. Toni couldn’t believe it. She was finally graduating! She took the diploma and the yearbook and flipped through it. Toni seemed to have become solid again. Everyone cheered and gasped at her sudden appearance of flesh. After about 78 years, she was able to talk again.

“Thank you!” she said in an echoing soft toned voice. Toni stretched out her wings and started giggling.

“Thank you!” she said again, flying toward the ceiling still giggling. She began to dissolve. All eyes on Toni, she said, “Goodbye!” and dissolved completely. Toni McDonald was now in heaven as she was supposed to be. Toni could now rest in peace. Everyone then looked at the platform. The yearbook was opened to the page where the graduates’ names were. Toni’s name was now there, for she had finally graduated.