Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Author:Kate Milford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

twenty-one

Talking To Girls

MILO TOOK THE SOLITAIRE’S RING from his finger and shoved it in his pocket. He couldn’t decide whether to be delighted for his own sake—​Owen was the only other Chinese adoptee he knew—​or apprehensive for Clem’s.

“Want to show Owen up?” Mr. Pine asked.

“Sure thing,” Milo said, trying to sound as if he was in no way involved in Clem’s lies, which Owen had apparently not been remotely fooled by. “Let’s go.”

Mr. Pine stood aside and Owen trotted up the stairs. He had a backpack over one shoulder, and he put his other arm around Milo in a hurried hug. “Can’t wait to chat,” he said. “Gotta check in with the ladies first, though.”

His tone was light and friendly, but since the one thing Milo understood about the idea of a “bachelorette weekend” was that the groom wasn’t supposed to be there, he figured Owen couldn’t possibly be feeling as lighthearted as he sounded.

“I totally get it,” Milo said as the two of them continued on together.

Owen shot him a dark look. “Do you?” he asked.

“Um.” Milo put on some speed, taking the stairs two at a time so he reached the fourth floor a few steps ahead of Owen and with just enough time to wave frantically at Georgie, who had stopped searching and was standing in her own doorway, waiting to see what this new arrival signified. She took the hint and slipped into her room.

Clem was technically staying on four, of course, but she was more likely still searching on five. Milo hesitated, then decided the problem was best solved by shouting. “Hey, Clem!” he yelled, trying and failing to make it sound casual. “I think she’s in four W,” he added to Owen as the young man arrived on the landing behind him.

“Let’s not pretend we don’t know what’s going on here,” Owen said drily as he headed for the door Milo indicated.

Buddy, Milo thought sympathetically, you don’t know the half of it.

As Owen raised his fist to knock, Milo felt a hand on his shoulder. Clem moved him gently aside. “I’m right here.”

Owen turned to look at her, and Milo was surprised by his expression. He’d expected that Owen would be angry. And he was, or at least frustrated. You could tell from the set of his mouth, somehow. But the rest of his face was relieved.

“Clem,” he said. His voice matched his face.

Before anybody could reply, the door of 4W flew open. Georgie burst out, already protesting. “Don’t be mad at her! It was my fault. It was all my fault.”

Owen held up one finger in warning, but Clem put a hand on his wrist. “Georgie,” she said tiredly, “please, not this time.” She opened the door to her room and pushed Owen inside. “I’m telling him everything,” she said to Milo and Georgie. “If you could keep watch and warn me if any of the others come up, but . . . you know. Give us what privacy you can.” Translated: You’re going to hear everything we say, and we all know it.

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