My phone started ringing, Skylar’s picture on the screen, and I immediately perked up. Hell yeah, let’s go play with friends, that’d be so much better than sitting around the house today. I accepted the call immediately. “Hi, friend.”
“Hi!Listen, are you busy today?”
“I am so anti-busy it’s driving me insane, actually. You got something fun up your sleeve?”
“How about something cray cray?I’m calling for help.”
A little thread of worry started tickling the back of my head. “Are you in trouble?”
“Not that kind of insanity. Here’s the thing, Abby and I were doing a sleepover with a friend, and while we were here, I watched full on handprints appearing all over her windows. Like,bam bam bam,like it’s a fucking copy-paste. And Abby said she definitely saw a ghost presence, so I’m going on a limb here and thinking, hey, maybe the ghost is trying to get someone’s attention?”
“Wow, yeah, that’s a pretty good indication alright. Did your friend have any recent deaths in the family?”
I heard Skylar repeat the question for her friend. “She said yeah, her grandfather died about six months ago, you think it’s him?”
“Odds are super good. Normally, if a ghost is trying that hard to get someone’s attention, then there’s something they need to tell the family. Something that wasn’t passed on. Tell you what, if you’ll come get me, I can talk to her grandfather and relay whatever he’s trying to say.”
“Bet. Be there in twenty.”
“Cool.”
I immediately got off my bed, hustling into clothes. I also hunted for Mack and Brandon. It was early enough in the morning, I had no idea what they’d be doing or if were even up. After some searching, I found Brandon in the laundry room starting a load. “Hey, Brandon?”
He paused and turned, head cocked. “What’s up?”
“So, Skye called. She’s got a friend who has a ghost putting handprints all over the windows; I’m thinking there’s a last message he’s trying to pass on. I’m going to pop over and help.”
“Oh, sure, that sounds like a good idea. Think the situation is dangerous?”
“No, no, I’m pretty sure it’s her grandfather. He passed about six months ago.”
“Ah, I bet you’re right.” He held up a cautionary finger. “If that assumption is wrong and it gets crazy, you are to call me.”
I gave him a salute, back mock-straight. “Yes, sir!”
“Good. Take your messenger bag.”
“Planning on it.”
I found shoes, bag, and was hanging out on the front porch when Skylar showed up. She was in Abby’s Jeep Wrangler, actually, which didn’t surprise me. Both of them drove that Wrangler about equally from what I’ve seen. I found it cool they could so easily drive a stick shift. Kind of made me want one myself.
Hopping in, I buckled up as she put the Wrangler in reverse. “So your friend lives close?”
“Yeah, off South Rutherford. She used to go to school with me, but when she started high school, her family moved to Murfreesboro. We stayed friends ’cause she’s super chill.”
I knew Skylar had trouble with a lot of former friends because they hadn’t liked she was a lesbian or was very committed to Abby. Which was a load of horseshit to me. I did not like bigots. I was, pretty sure, straight as a fucking telephone pole and itdidn’t matter to me who was in bed with who. I didn’t see why anyone would care, really.
“Thanks for this, seriously. Harper’s coming unglued. She was super scared when the handprints started popping up, and she only started to calm down when I promised her I knew three different Mediums, all of who could exorcise, and that I would get someone in pronto.”
“Ouch, good to know. How’s the rest of her family taking it?”
“Also pretty damn nervous. They calmed a little when I said it’s likely their grandfather trying to get their attention. So I hope it actually is him.”
Me too.
Skylar looked like she’d been startled awake. Her red hair was in a sort of free flowing tangle down her back, and I think she was in yesterday’s shirt. Made me think she’d called me, thrown on clothes, and then raced over. Poor Harper was that scared, eh? Props to Skylar, though, for just rolling with it to help her friend.
Truly, more I got to know her, the more envious I became of Abby. Like damn, I wanted a Skylar.
