Ghost Girl by Ally Malinenko

Author:Ally Malinenko
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Published: 2021-05-22T00:00:00+00:00

12

AT LUNCH OUTSIDE, ON THEIR BENCH, SHE FINALLY HAD A CHANCE TO talk to Elijah after a hectic day of mandatory testing. She filled him in on the conversation she had with Deanna the previous night as they watched a pack of eighth graders play a game of touch football.

“And then this morning I saw this,” Zee said, unrolling the newspaper. Elijah looked from it to Zee and back again.

“And?” he asked.

“This,” Zee said, tapping the image of Deanna, “is my ghost.”

“Wait, the kindergarten teacher is your GHOST?”

“Shush! Could you be a little less loud, please? I’ve got enough problems at this school.”

“Sorry,” Elijah said. “It’s just crazy. Should we tell the police?”

Zee scoffed. “Yeah, let’s go waltz up there and tell the police that the kindergarten teacher is dead and I know this because she’s a muddy ghost that creeps around my house.”

“Yeah, I can see how that might sound weird.”

“We have to find her.”

“What do you mean find her?” Elijah said, lifting an eyebrow. “You don’t mean like . . . find her, find her?”

“No, but we have to help her. She said something about her bracelet. And needing it. Maybe we can find that.”

“How? We can’t break into her apartment,” Elijah said, looking completely freaked out, and honestly Zee didn’t blame him. Last night it seemed so much easier, so much more necessary. When Deanna was in front of her, needing her help, there was nothing that she wanted more than to help this poor woman. Now, removed from that situation, in the cold light of day, it seemed harder.

Frankly, it seemed terrifying.

“But she also said she was cold and wet. If we can find the bracelet, maybe we can give it to the police and they can find her . . .” Zee didn’t even want to say the next word. “It’s the only way she’ll rest. She’ll never be at peace. She wants to get out of the water, Elijah. I’m the only one who can help her. Besides, it’s . . . it’s my job.”

“Zee, are you sure about this?” Elijah said, balling up the tinfoil from his sandwich.

“Yes,” she said with more confidence than she had. “But I don’t want . . .”

“What?”

“I mean, I would rather if you . . . but if you don’t want to . . .”

“Zee,” he said with a laugh, “of course I’m coming with you. I mean who wouldn’t want to? It’s the stuff of Hollywood dreams.”

Zee smiled and realized the only way she could feel brave about this was if she were with Elijah. “Thanks, man.”

He held out a fist, and she bumped it with her own. She might not have much, but she had Elijah, and today that felt like enough.

They agreed to meet at Elijah’s house after school, and they would take it from there. As she bound up the steps to his house, she felt hopeful. Hopeful that she could at least do something to help her. She wondered briefly if this was how her mother felt.

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