If you’re thinking that the children of Room 19 in Ferny Creek Elementary knew Eddie, you’d be wrong. Mr. Patullo’s fourth-grade class had not the faintest idea that a small green bug lived behind the old chalkboard on their wall.
But of course, Eddie knew them. Day after day, he had listened to every detail of their lives. And now, hearing their voices as they entered the Library, he could hardly keep from rushing out to greet them.
“Wow, Aunt Min! It’s so weird to have them here!”
“I know what you mean,” said Min. “It discombobulated me too at first.”
Eddie was pleased that there was a wonderful word like discombobulated to describe how he felt. And if you’re not quite sure what it means, imagine this. You are watching a movie in a theater—say, a superhero movie full of thrills and jolts and explosions. Suddenly you look up at that gigantic screen, and you see—your teacher! Yes, it is definitely her wearing that metallic silver suit with the red cape blowing in the wind. And yes, she is flying at the speed of sound! It would not be surprising if you felt a bit discombobulated.
That’s how Eddie felt when he heard the Room 19 children in the Library. Topsy-turvy. Discombobulated. But he also felt delighted. Listening to the familiar voices, he realized how much he had missed fourth grade.
He remembered something else, too—how much the Room 19 children liked to visit the Library. They chattered happily as they wandered in.
It wasn’t long before Sebastian made a discovery.
“Look!” he said from somewhere very near the secret compartment. “A sticky with funny writing on it. Hey everybody, here’s another one of those weird messages!”
“Oh, gosh,” whispered Min. “Let’s get closer.”
After their recent experience with the Grischer’s fingers, Eddie wasn’t sure this was a good idea. But Min was already moving to the front of the drawer.
They peeked out at the fourth graders, who were gathering around the desk.
“What does it say?” asked Josh.
“‘Save,’” read Sebastian. “It says ‘save.’”
“Save what?” asked Kayla.
Suddenly a shadow fell over the drawer opening, plunging Eddie and Min into darkness.
“What are you doing?” demanded the Grischer. “Who said you could snoop at my desk?”
“I was just passing,” said Sebastian. “I just—”
“Ohh!” cried Hazel. “I think I know!”
“Know what?” asked the Grischer.
“Where the stickies are coming from.”
“WHAT?” snapped the Grischer. “You tell me what you mean. Right now!”
Eddie could see the Grischer’s face, splotchy and red as she loomed over Hazel. It felt as though she was looming over him, too. He didn’t like it!
But Hazel didn’t seem bothered at all.
“Wellllllll,” she said slowly and with great drama. “Do you know about . . . Miss Cavendish?”
Now all the children were gasping and exclaiming.
The Grischer blinked. “Who is Miss Cavendish?”
“She was a volunteer. A long time ago. Back when my mother went to school here. Miss Cavendish was very, very old, and she loved the Library.”
Brody interrupted, all excited. “Yeah! My parents talk about her, too. I know about this.”
“About what?” demanded the Grischer.
“Wellllllll . . .” said Hazel again, drawing the word out. “One day Miss Cavendish died. She just up and died—right in the middle of a story! She was sitting right there, in the story-time chair.”
There was a long pause. Eddie knew what the children were doing. Staring at the rocking chair.
“WHAT?” said the Grischer.
“It’s true,” said Hazel in her strong, sweet voice. “She just closed her eyes. Like this! They say she had the most beeeeeautiful smile on her face. She loved the Library sooooooo much. And ever since then, people say . . . well, they say she never left! Not really.”
“WHAT?” cried the Grischer. “You mean . . .”
“Yes,” said Hazel. “A ghost. She’s been haunting the Ferny Creek Library for years.”
“WHAT?”
Eddie heard something behind him. Her turned to see Aunt Min rolling with laughter on the bottom of the drawer. Her chuckles turned into snorts and squeals. Eddie had to tap her antennae.
“Shh!” he hissed.
Other children were talking now. Apparently they all knew about Miss Cavendish.
“She wants us to save something,” said Mateo.
“But what?” asked Lily.
Five or six voices answered at once.
“STOP!” cried the Grischer. “All of you! Stop this nonsense right now. There are no such things as ghosts. This is foolishness. You’re going to frighten . . .” She looked around, trying to find someone who looked frightened.
But there was no one to point to. Everyone was talking at the same time. The fourth graders seemed to be enjoying themselves quite thoroughly.
Aunt Min was having the best time of all. “This is priceless,” she gasped between hiccups.
Eddie didn’t understand. “But it’s not a ghost. It’s just me. And some blueberry juice!”
“Of course,” said Aunt Min. “Hic! That’s what’s so funny.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s funny at all. How will the Grischer get the message if she thinks it comes from Miss Cavendish?”
Min laughed again. “Don’t you see? It’s better if the message comes from Miss Cavendish.”
Eddie frowned. “Really?”
“Yes, really. She might actually listen to a library ghost.”
“Oh,” said Eddie. “Well . . . that would be good . . . I guess?”
Aunt Min nodded. “That would be very good.”
The children meanwhile were still chattering about the famous volunteer. And when they went outside at recess that morning, they talked some more. They must have talked to other children, too. The way Eddie knew was—every class that came into the Library had one thing on their minds. The ghost! Everyone wanted to see the second sticky. Everyone had a story about Miss Cavendish.
The rumors flew like butterflies through Ferny Creek Elementary that day—so many it would be impossible to repeat all of them here. But the following conversation, overheard by Eddie after lunch, will give you some idea of the excitement in the air.
“She died? Here?”
“Yeah! My uncle told me she just dropped forward. Very, very slowly. She didn’t even fall off her chair. She was smiling. Uncle Ben said she died happy.”
“If she was so happy, why is she haunting the Library?”
“She likes it here.”
“Yeah, she must like kids.”
“Yeah! And books, too.”
“Of course she likes books and kids. If she didn’t, she’d have volunteered someplace else. Like the animal shelter.”
“Well, maybe she did. I heard she had a dog.”
“A dog? Really? So do you think there’s a ghost dog, too?”
“Wow!”
“A ghost with a dog!”
“Yeah! Isn’t that awesome?”
“And she’s sending us messages? Wow!”
“STOP!” cried the Grischer. “All of you! Stop it at once. That is quite enough.”
But they didn’t stop. They went on and on. The excitement spread like syrup across a pancake. Eddie got more astonished by the minute.
His new sticky was a sensation!