Kindred Spirits (3 page)

Good question,
I thought. But I didn't have a good answer.

“I'm baking double-double-chocolate cookies.” I held up the wooden spoon dripping with dark chocolate. I'd just finished melting chocolate and butter in a double boiler.

I didn't say that while I was stirring, two ghosts had pulled out every pot, pan, and utensil in the kitchen in a frantic search. I didn't say that these same ghosts opened drawers and cabinets but had never closed them. I didn't say they'd even dug their hands into the bags of flour and sugar.

“It's a mess in here.” Lily frowned and tugged Buddy's leash to keep him from cleaning the floor with his tongue. “Do you know what you're doing?”

“I totally know how to bake these. I didn't . . . I mean it wasn't me who . . .” I stopped. What was I going to say? My imaginary friends made the mess? “I like to be creative when I cook. Free-form. Experiment.”

Lily leaned against the counter, eyeing me uncertainly.

“These are going to be great,” I insisted. I stirred the thick chocolate until it turned smooth. “What's up?”

“I'm bored. Joey, Sammy, and Jake are at baseball practice, and Mom took Cammie food shopping. I was supposed to stay home and clean my room for the company that's coming, but Buddy and I went for a walk. Whose car is out front?”

“Repeat client for Lady Azura. The same woman
who was here yesterday.” When Mrs. Merberg arrived, Eleanor and Dwight had followed her into the fortune-telling room. I was glad they were gone from the kitchen. “What company?”

“That's what I came to tell you. No, Buddy, don't lick that.” She pulled Buddy away from a sprinkling of cocoa powder on the floor. “The Meyer family. They're coming tomorrow to see Buddy.” She squatted next to her dog. “Aren't they, Budsters?”

“Mason, too?” I asked, hoping my question sounded casual.

Lily studied me a moment, then grinned. “You like him.”

“Like who?” I measured a teaspoon of baking soda, and added it to the bowl of flour. I'd lined up all the ingredients before I'd started.

“Him. Mason. You have a crush on him!”

“Maybe. I don't know. I mean, his picture is cute, right?”

Lily jumped up. “Totally cute. You two would be so good together!”

“How do you know?” I wanted it to be true. I'd been thinking about him so much. Ever since—

“You'll look good together. You both have blond hair, and you both look sporty, even though you are kind of a spaz. It's important to look good with your boyfriend.”

“We don't even know each other,” I protested. “He's not my boyfriend.”

“Yet.” Lily clapped her hands together. “Ooh, I am totally into this. This is the first boy since Jayden that you've liked!”

I'd been crushing on Jayden Mendes all last year. Just when it seemed he liked me back and I was going to have my first real boyfriend, his parents moved his family to Atlanta. What Lily said was true. Since Jayden, I hadn't been interested in any other boys. Until Mason.

“I don't even know him,” I reminded Lily. Except I did. Kind of.

I'd had visions of Mason when Buddy first showed up. I'd seen him when he couldn't see me. I'd felt something.

A connection.

The same thing had happened with Jayden—I'd had visions of him, too, before I actually met him. But
my visions of Mason were different. They were somehow . . . stranger.

Lily paced the kitchen. Buddy followed. “Okay, here's the plan. When Mason and his family get to my house, I'll talk you up. You know, ‘My best friend Sara is so pretty, and Sara is so creative, and Sara makes the best chocolate cookies ever and—' ”

“Don't go overboard,” I warned. “He'll be bummed when he meets the real me.”

“I'll lose the stuff about the cookies,” she joked. “Anyway, I'll build you up but not too much. Then I'll text you without him knowing. When you get it, you'll casually wander down the street. Out taking a stroll. You'll stop by my yard, and I'll introduce you, and there'll be fireworks—”

“Fireworks?”

“Like in cartoons! He'll gaze into your blue eyes and fall madly in love.” Lily sighed. “It's perfect. What are you going to wear?”

“I have no idea. My red skirt? Or the striped tank dress?”

“A dress says you're trying too hard. I think you should do jean shorts and a cute top.”

“What cute top? Do I have a cute top?”

Lily reviewed every top I owned. That's how close we'd become this year. She knew every piece of clothing in my closet without having to open the door.

I leaned my elbows on the counter and listened to her rank my tops from cute to not so much. My gaze settled on the big five-pound bag of sugar and its blue and yellow design.

Blue looks nice with bright yellow,
I thought, staring at the bag. I wished I owned a yellow top. Yellow says sunny, happy, and fun. Mason would like a sunny girl.

All of a sudden, the heavy bag of sugar flopped onto its side. Sugar crystals cascaded onto the floor.

“Whoa!” Lily cried. She grabbed for the bag at the same time as I did. We flipped it upright. “How'd that happen?”

I glanced nervously around the room. No Eleanor. No Dwight. “No idea. It's weird.”

“Buddy, no!” Lily pulled the panting dog away from the mound of sugar. Quickly I knelt down to scoop up the mess. Lily helped.

“Remind me not to have you bake my birthday
cake,” Lily kidded. “You're kind of a disaster in the kitchen.”

“Have you finally decided what you're doing for your birthday?” I asked. For weeks, Lily had been coming up with party ideas, loving them, then rejecting them. Indoor rock climbing. A beading workshop. A spa party. A 3-D movie.

“Not yet. What do you think about the frozen yogurt place by the lighthouse?”

“I like it, but after we eat yogurt, then what? I mean, yogurt eating doesn't take all that long.” I went to the sink to get a sponge. “How about the mall?”

Lily joined me and poured water into a bowl for Buddy. “I want boys at my party too. They won't shop. All they'll do is hang at the food court.”

“Tick-tock, tick-tock,” I sang.

“What's that mean?”

“Your birthday is next week,” I reminded Lily. “You're running out of time.”

“I don't want just any party.” Lily twirled a strand of her hair. It fell in waves way past the middle of her back.

“Maybe I should send out an e-mail invite today.”

“An invite to what?”

“To my party at a surprise location.” Lily grinned. “I like it. Kind of reverse surprise party!”

“Except even you don't know what the surprise is.”

“I will. Soon—” Lily gasped. “Sara, quick, the milk!”

I whirled around. The carton of milk had fallen over. Milk spilled across the counter, waterfalling onto the floor. Buddy's nails clacked against the linoleum in his dash to lap up the white pool. Lunging forward, I grabbed the carton, stopping the flow of milk.

“How'd that spill?” Lily asked. Her brows knit together in confusion. “You and I weren't anywhere near it.”

My heart thumped loudly in my chest. I searched the kitchen. Where were Eleanor and Dwight? Why couldn't I see them?

“Who are you looking for?” Lily demanded. She'd brought over a dish towel.

“No one.” What could I say? “A ghost?” I offered, trying to make it sound like a joke.

“You think?” Lily's voice turned hopeful. “That would be so cool if Lady Azura called in a ghost.”

“Yeah, it would.”
No, it wouldn't,
I thought.

“Maybe this house is haunted. Did you ever think of that?” Lily asked.

“All the time,” I admitted.

Should I tell her? Was now the time to tell her? I didn't know.

I hurried to the sink to get the sponge again. Buddy slurped the milk on the floor, but the counter was a swimming pool.

Lily's eyes shone with excitement. “It could be a ghost, or it could be some sort of other paranormal phenomena. Maybe there's some weird energy in the room that made the milk carton spill over. Stuff like that definitely happens.”

I knew all about weird energy—I'd had to deal with that, too—but I was sure that the chaos in my kitchen was being caused by a spirit. It just hadn't shown itself to me. Yet.

“Actually, Lily—” A stream of icy water sprayed me in the face! I shielded my eyes with my hands. Water spurted as if by magic from the faucet. I hadn't even touched the knobs. Then I saw the hand.

A thumb covered the faucet just enough so the cold
water sprayed me. In slow motion, a body materialized. A small eight-year-old boy. Short hair tucked into a wool cap. Dark eyes filled with mischievous glee. Old-fashioned clothes.

I reached around him and turned the water off.

“Gotcha!” the boy cried. He jumped in delight. Sparks of pent-up energy prickled around his body.

Henry. The boy's name was Henry. He was one of the spirits who lived in the house. Henry was kept locked in a closet way up on the third floor, because he was trouble.

Big trouble.

What was he doing down here? I wondered.

I knew the answer immediately. Eleanor and Dwight had let him out. They'd probably opened every closet in the house by now.

There are secrets behind those doors,
I thought, annoyed.
Things that need to stay hidden.

Suddenly I sensed Lily watching me. No longer laughing. Just watching from across the kitchen.

I bit my lip and tried to think. Henry caused destruction wherever he went.

He broke things. He tore things. He'd knocked
over the sugar and spilled the milk.

Henry eyed the kitchen, plotting his next trick, unable to stay still.

Lily eyed me.

I closed my eyes. Water dripped down my face.
Think, think.
I had to get Henry out of here. But how? I couldn't talk to him. Not in front of Lily.

“Sara, what just happened with the sink? We should go get Lady Azura. I'm telling you, stuff like this happens in the movies sometimes. It's almost always something paranormal that caused it. Like a ghost, or—”

No, no, I couldn't talk about this with her right now. Not with Henry running rampant. I'd learned firsthand that he could be dangerous if he wasn't dealt with.

Henry darted across the kitchen.

What's he doing? Where's he going?

Nothing stood in his way. No pans, no pots, no spilled sugar. His feet never touched the ground.

He was heading right for Lily!

I had to stop Henry!

“No!” I cried. Henry was inches away from Lily.

Suddenly he dropped to his knees. His small, shimmering hands reached out. Then he turned to me. “It's a doggie,” he said, his voice a breathless whisper.

“What?” Lily asked me. “Why'd you yell?”

Buddy sprawled contentedly by Lily's feet. Henry pointed to him. His mouth formed an O of surprise. His outstretched arms twitched.

“I thought I saw a bee,” I told Lily, swatting at the air. “It's gone.” I hated lying. My stomach was on fire.

“May I pet the doggie?” Henry asked. He leaned closer to Buddy.

Neither Lily nor Buddy seemed to sense Henry. Buddy stayed fast asleep.

Would it be okay? I wasn't sure. I nodded ever so slightly at Henry.

He scooted even closer to Buddy. His small hand, visible only to me, tentatively touched Buddy's back. He gently rubbed the dog's brown fur. Slowly at first, then faster. Long, loving strokes. Henry's body relaxed with each stroke. The electric current around him dimmed.

Eyes closed, Buddy rolled onto his back. Henry rubbed his belly. Buddy's hind legs fluttered with delight. His stubby tail wagged furiously.

“Check out Buddy.” Lily tipped her chin toward her dog. “He's awfully happy.”

“What do you think he's dreaming about?” I asked nervously.

Lily's eyes gleamed. “I totally know.”

“What?” Could she sense Henry?

“Mason. He's excited to see Mason tomorrow, and he's excited because he knows you're going to get together with Mason!”

“Oh, please!” Relief, fear, and my guilt snowballed together in a laugh.

“The perfect couple!” Lily singsonged. “You and Mason!”

“Stop it.” I gave her a playful shove, even though I liked the thought of us together. Lily's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen. “Mom's home already and needs me.” She looked at the kitchen floor smeared with milk and sugar, the bowls of chocolate now hardening, and the open cabinets. “I'd stay and help, but I have to clean my own room. That's looking a lot easier now that I've seen your mess.” She toed Buddy with the tip of her sneaker. “Time to go!”

Henry gazed up in horror as Lily clipped Buddy's leash to his collar. He wrapped his arms tightly around Buddy's neck.

Lily tugged the leash. Buddy opened his eyes but didn't move. Lily tugged again. Buddy stayed rooted to the spot. How could he move? He had a determined eight-year-old ghost holding him down.

“Buddy! Come!” Lily called. “Come!”

I bent down and pried Henry off Buddy. I tried to make it look as if I was nudging the dog. “Time to go home,” I said, then pushed Buddy toward Lily and out the back door.

I shut the door before Henry could follow.

“Doggie!” Henry wailed.

“The dog will be back, but you cannot be down here,” I said sternly.

I spent the next two hours dragging Henry up two flights of stairs and safely into his closet and then cleaning the kitchen. Lady Azura stayed in her room with Mrs. Merberg, Eleanor, Dwight, and who knew how many other spirits. Their session was taking way longer than usual. I stood outside the purple curtain but could only hear the murmur of Lady Azura's voice.