She thought about it. Well, that certainly makes intercourse easier.
I stared at her. Gaped, actually. What?
Wren looked at me like I was slow. Intercourse. You know, interaction between two people.
I think you mean discourse. Intercourse means sex.
Oh. A look of understanding took over her face. It really would make that easier, then, wouldnt it? Then, she burst out laughing and so did I.
Our grandmother wasnt home when we went downstairs. Sometimes Nan and a couple of her girlfriends went shopping on Saturday mornings and then went for tea afterward. I didnt expect to see her anytime soon.
The coffee was still hot. I filled the biggest mug I could find and dumped in some flavored sweetener until it was the perfect color. I drank it while waiting for my bagel to pop.
Thats a lot of cream cheese, Wren remarked when I sat down at the table, breakfast in hand.
I picked up half the bagel and took a big bite. I could feel cream cheese smear against the outside edges of my mouth. I had been a little heavy-handed. Its the best part.
She shrugged. If you say so. Wren had experienced food before. Sometimes Id let her possess me so she could experience things, but while she enjoyed the taste of cookies or chocolate, or even hot wings, she didnt understand eating for pleasure. To her a little cream cheese was the same as a lot.
I actually felt sorry for her when it came to that.
Hey, can ghosts have intercourse? I asked as the coffee kicked in. The sex kind, not the conversational type.
She stuck her tongue out at me. We have all the same parts the living have, so I have to say yes.
But she didnt know for certain. My sister was still a virgin. The idea that she might remain that way forever was a little...depressing. It wasnt any of my business, but sometimes... Sometimes it was upsetting thinking of all the things I could experience that she never would.
Then again, Id never know the sublime pleasure of being able to scare someone so effectively their bladder never worked properly again.
Mostly ghosts merge their energy, she continued. Its more of a literal becoming one with one another.
What if everything gets all mixed and you, like, leave part of yourself in the other ghost?
She frowned. I dont know.
Yup, virgin. I finished the first half of my bagel. Hey, I want you to practice with my phone a bit.
Wren rolled her eyes. Do we have to?
Yes. If Kevin hadnt been at the dance last night you wouldnt have been able to lead them to Mr. Fisher. I didnt add that the less time she had to spend around Kevin, the better. The message you sent me was wrong. You need to be able to communicate with people, and electronics have always been a popular medium of supernatural communication.
Red brows shot up. Youve been watching those ghost hunting shows again.
Yes, I admitted. Theyre ninety percent crap, but they get the electronic stuff right. Most of the time. Look, Im not expecting you to download any apps. I just need to know that if something took me out, that you could talk to someone. I held her gaze, even though it was uncomfortable.
When Id cut my wrists in a much-regretted suicide attempt, Wren had had to find a medium in order to get help. That medium had been Kevin. If she hadnt found himand if he hadnt called my neighbor, MaceI would have died for sure. As it was I had been technically dead for a few seconds.
It had felt much, much longer.
I wasnt in any hurry to die now, and I needed to make sure she could get help if it was needed.
I set my phone on the table. Okay, go.
Wren sighed, but she didnt put up a fight. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. A few seconds later my phone vibrated, and the text notification came up. I swiped my finger over the screen and brought up my new messages. One was from Ben, but the other had no name attached. Even though I was pretty confident it had worked, I held my breath as I opened the text.
BOO!
I looked up. My sister sat there grinning like a freaking idiot. Really? I said. Thats the best you can do?
She shrugged. Youre sitting right next to me. What was I supposed to say?
I dont know. Something a little less stereotypical?
My phone vibrated again. I looked down. A new message.
BOOBOOBOOBOOBOOBOOBOOBOOBOO.
Ass, I said. Wren laughed. Fine, you can use a phone right in front of you. Now I want you to send a message to Benand try to put a little more thought into it, please.
Fine. She closed her eyes again, and I started in on the second half of my cream-cheese-laden bagel. I checked my email as I chewed.
I was scoping out the latest designs on the Fluevog websiteI loved me some shoeswhen my phone buzzed yet again.
It was Ben. His first text said that hed dreamed about me last night, followed by a bunch of winky faces. The second read, How is Wren able to text me? And why did she ask me if you and I have ever had intercourt?
Intercourt? I started laughing. Auto-correct spared no one, not even the dead.
Wren smiled. Is that from Ben?
I set my phone aside. He said to tell you that hes saving himself for marriage.
Saving himself from what? she asked. I didnt know if she was serious or not.
Forget it. I took another bite of bagel. Youre good with text. Next we work on actually making a phone call.
My phone rang almost immediately. I glanced down at the display and sighed. Wren started laughing.
Cow, I muttered.
On the screen, underneath Calling, it simply said: BOO.
My twin was still chuckling to herself when my phone buzzed again. I looked down expecting to see another message from Wren the comedian, but the name that came up was Emily, and the message read: Darkness is coming. You must save her.
My heart skipped a beat. I only knew one Emilywe were related, and shed been a twin, as well. She was also dead.
Save who? I typed, then hit Send.
No reply. Awesome. Who the hell was this mysterious her? But more importantly, what did she mean by darkness is coming? That wasnt cryptic or anything.
God. Ghosts were such douche bags.
LARK
We met at the local Goodwill later that day to shop for Halloween stuff. The dance the night before had just been the beginning of what Roxi was calling The Halloween Season. There was a party tonight at Kevins because his parents were on a cruisehis parents were away a lotand then there were a couple of ghost walks through the week that Id probably bow out of, leading up to thte Dead Babies concert at Haven Crest on Halloween.
Id already let everyone know what a bad idea attending the concert was, and we had all agreed to go anyway, despite the fact that ghosts from the hospital had tried to kill us. Were we mentally deranged? Probably, but Dead Babies were awesome. One of my favorite bands. Yes, enough that Id risk going to see them at the most haunted place Id ever visited, on the night the barrier between the realms of the living and dead was at its thinnest.
I justified it like so: I had to be there in case anything happened. It was my duty as someone who could combat ghosts to protect the concertgoersand the bandfrom spectral harm. I had told my friendsand myselfso many times I almost believed it.
Bottom lineI wanted to go more than I was afraid of the ghosts. And that was stupid. No getting around it. I was the chick who went into the dark basement to find out what had made that scraping sound, armed with nothing but a pair of nail scissors. The idiot who decided to help the creepy little bare-footed, black-eyed kid who wore a tattered nightgown and stank of stale well water.
Hey, at least I owned it.
So, we were at Goodwill getting last-minute items for tonight, and also for Halloween night.
I think you should go as Daenerys Targaryen, Roxi remarked, holding up a pink stuffed dragon.
Ugh, I said, digging through a rack of dresses. Do you know how many times Ive been called Khaleesi since that show started? Too many.
But your hair is perfect for it. She looked genuinely upset that I didnt jump on the idea. And I found a dragon.
I sighed as she wagged the toy. Throw it over.
She grinned and tossed it over the racks. I caught it with one hand. It smells like puke.
It will wash, she chirped.
Roxi was one of those people who were almost always happy. I could hate her for it, but I think she kept me from being too emo. She was a little shorter than me, with long dark hair, a tan complexion and big brown eyes. She said her mother was Romanian and her dad was half-black. It didnt matter much to me, but she was gorgeous all the same. My mother was a bitch, and my father was a half-ball-less wonder. I was jealous that her parents even liked her, let alone loved her.
I think Im going to go as Cleopatra on actual Halloween night, she announced, holding up a long white dress that might have been fashionable in the late 70s. It was hideous by way of fabulous.
Her boyfriend, Gagecute, dark-eyed, needed a haircutbounded up beside her. Does that mean I can be a gladiator?
The way they smiled at each other made me turn away. PDAs were not a spectator sport as far as I was concerned.
Ben walked over. Wed been dating for almost two months, and I saw him almost every day, but I still smiled whenever I saw his face. Call me biased, but hes one of the hottest guys in school. Funny, smartand he knows how to kick ghost-butt. His grandmother was Korean, and shed taught me how to make pujokbasically a protection sigil against ghosts and evil spirits. I thought she liked me, but sometimes she looked at me like she wasnt quite sure what I was.
I got that a lot. Im a teenage girl with stark-white hair whose mental state had been seriously questioned, and who could interact with ghosts the same as the living. I probably wouldnt like Bens granny nearly as much if she just welcomed me with open arms.
What are you wearing? I asked, trying not to laugh.
Ben grinned and did a little twirl in front of me. Do you like it? I might get it.
It was a full-length silver fur coat that was too big for him and too short in the arms. My guy was tall and lanky, and for a former chubby kid, he seemed to have no issues with self-confidence. One of the things I liked about him was that he was comfortable in his own skin and rarely worried about what other people thought of him.
Its a little big, I said. But its a good look.
I feel sexy.
You smell like mothballs.
He sniffed his shoulder and made a face. Yeah. Who even uses those things anymore?
I shrugged. People against moths, I guess. I have no idea what to wear to the party.
You could go as Elsa, he suggested, slipping the coat off his shoulders. Youve got the hair for it.
I rolled my eyes. Me and my damn hair.
He hung the fur up and stepped closer. He took a piece of my hair and wrapped it around his finger. I like your damn hair.
Oh. When he lowered his voice like that and smiled that little smile...
Get a room, Mace growled.
I turned around and shot him a grin. Mace was tall with light brown hair and hazel eyes. He was gorgeous, and someone I never thought Id be friends with, especially after he found me bleeding to death and called 911. But we were friends. In fact, he was one of my best friends, though I doubted he knew it.
He had a fedora on his head. It actually didnt look too bad. Who are you supposed to be? I asked.
He made a facelike hed bit into something sour. Sarah wants us to be Bonnie and Clyde.
Well look fabulicious, his girlfriend called from four aisles away. Stop making that face.
Mace made the face again and went back to pawing through the racks.
Suddenly, Wren popped out from between two dresses in front of me. It was so weird seeing her do that and the clothing not move. She was so real to me that it was easy to forget she was no more substantial than breath in this world.
Havent you figured out what youre going to be yet? she demanded. Ive had my costume sorted out for weeks.
I wasnt feeling quite snarky enough to inform her that no one but meand possibly Kevinwould be able to see it. Yay, you.
Ben glanced at me. You talking to me?
I shook my head, glancing around to make sure no one else was paying attention.
He smiled. Hey, Wren.
She waved, even though he couldnt see her. Hi!
You could help me look for a costume, I told her.
Her eyes lit up. If she clapped her hands I was going to slap her. Instead, she turned around and whipped down the aisle toward evening wear. Mace shivered as she flew by. He turned to me. Was that...?
I nodded. Yup.
He grinned. I knew it.
My chest tightened. I looked from Mace to Ben, to Roxi and Gage, and even to Sarah. Kevin hadnt come because he was prepping for the party, which was just as well. Each of these living, breathing people made an effort to acknowledge or be kind to Wren. They were thoughtful of her, and that meant more to me than any of them could ever know. After years of being told my sister wasnt real, that she was only in my mind, it was so freaking good to know that not only were they wrong, but that Wren had become realin her own wayto others.
I blinked back tears.
Lark! Wren cried a few seconds later. I found it!
Had she ever. It was a vintage pink slip-dress from the 70s. Normally such a piece would be fairly expensive, but this one had slight stains on the front and was only five bucks.
I knew exactly what to do with it.
Half an hour later we left the store. Everyone but Ben had a plastic bag full of items. Hed bought a pair of sunglasses and that was it. He still hadnt told me what he was going as that night, so I decided to keep my costume secret, as well.
I crossed the parking lot, swinging my plastic bag, as I laughed at a joke Gage had made. I turned to say something to him, but he was gone. They were all gone. The cars and the parking lotthe box stores that made up the rest of the plazaeverything was gone, and I was standing on cobblestones in a world where everything was muted and soft. The street I stood on seemed taken right from the pages of a BBC historical production, with gas lamps and horse-drawn carriages rattling along.