Page 55 of Ghost in the Night

“Rehearsal at the museum. Doors open in two hours,” she says, eyes locking on Robby. “I’ll ask again. Where do you think you’re going?”

Robby’s eyes flick from me to Lena and back. “I’m … going out with Harmony.”

“No,” she snaps. “You’re going to the gala. Just like always.Now, go on to my room. I already laid out your suit.”

“But Mama!”

“I said no! Harmony is old enough to make her own choices, I guess,” she says, crossing her arms. “You, boy, cannot. And I don’t want you on any more of them ghost tours. The spirits don’t want to be disturbed. You understand?”

Robby huffs and takes off his book bag, handing it to me. “Here.”

I stare at it, shaking my head. “I can’t work that thing without you,” I whisper.

“You have to,” Robby insists, pushing the bag into my hands. He looks at his mom and runs to the back.

I groan and head out the door.

“Harmony,” Lena calls, following me onto the porch. Her voice is calm, but her face is all business. “I’m not trying to interfere. But this thing with your father … I just feel that—”

“You know,” I say, shouldering the bag. “Robby is much smarter than you give him credit for, even emotionally. Maybe you should start trusting him.”

Lena frowns. “I trust him. I don’t trust the world.”

“Well, how will he ever trust himself if he never experiences the world?”

Lena stares at me, unblinking. And I take that moment to run for the bus.

SEVENTEEN

Myahis waiting at Calhoun Square, holding a can of paint and a brush, her book bag slung over her shoulder.

“What’s that?” I ask, lugging the equipment bag, sweat dripping down my back. The sun has set, but with the humidity, it feels like ninety degrees out.

She shrugs. “Haint blue. Daddy had some in his toolshed. No one’s gonna notice if we paint anything since the place is coming down tomorrow.”

“Okay. And what’s in the bag?”

“Backup,” she says quick. “Where’s Robby?”

“Not coming,” I say. “It’s just us two.”

She nods and heads for the house. “Let’s get inside before all the tours start and someone spots us.”

We’ve been talking about this very moment for almost a week, and now that it’s here, my lungs don’t feel like they’re working right and I have trouble walking.

The place looks as scary as I don’t know what. It almost feels like the house is watching us the way we’ve been watching it. My stomach fills with hot dread, skin growing tight like my muscles are trying to run away.

You can do this, girl. You got this.

Just as we reach the back fence, my phone buzzes in my pocket and I jump with a yelp.

“What? What?” Myah gasps, spinning around.

A FaceTime from Kiki and Truth.

“I have to take this,” I say, rushing away to answer the call. Kiki is in her room, music playing out of an iPad. Truth looks like she’s walking from the corner store. Their faces light up.

“Ayeee, girl, what you doing?” Truth asks.