The air is totally still. The smell of honey + dirty socks has disappeared. The ghost is gone.
We rush over to Claire. She pushes her bike off her chest and sits up.
I kneel. “You okay?”
She rubs her forehead, right next to a smear of dirt. She glares at me. “What are you doing here?”
“Long story, but nothing to do with robotics.” While I’m answering her, all kinds of mystery pieces are slotting into place. She saw the ghost. She named the ghost. What is the connection between Claire and the stalker? I need to talk with her alone.
I gesture with my arm to Josh, Junie and Amber. “Maybe you should go check on Zane?”
“What’s up, Claire?” I ask. “How come you’re riding your bike in the middle of the night?”
She stands and brushes bits of grass and dirt off her sweatpants. “Get lost, Sherry.”
Obviously not a girl known for her manners. “Look, when I snuck into your robotics club meeting, it wasn’t to spy on your program,” I say.
Claire rubs her forehead again, still missing the dirt.
Voices float through the dark toward us. Josh, Junie, Amber and Zane are approaching the parking lot. I need info from Claire. Fast.
“So did you see anything weird before you crashed into the post?” I’m watching Claire closely.
She swings a leg over her bike. She avoids my eyes. “Nope.”
“You did so. We both did,” I say. “A blurry outline of a ghost.”
She spins a pedal with her foot, then jerks it to a stop. “I’m going home.” She mutters under her breath, “Like I can even concentrate now.”
“Claire, you saw a ghost.”
She’s on her bike and getting her balance.
“Who’s Dylan, Claire?”
Without even a wave goodbye, she rides off.
Josh, Junie, Amber and Zane show up. We help Zane pack his ghost-hunting stuff. He’s strangely quiet, perhaps plotting a return trip with his ghost-hunter buddies. In other words, without us. Which is okeydokey by me. My next meeting with the stalker will be in a cemetery at midnight. Way frightening.
We wave goodbye as he drives into the night.
“Where’s your friend on the bike?” Amber asks.
“Gone home,” I say. “But she’s not really a friend.”
“I guess that’s why she got Josh’s name wrong.” Amber unlocks the car doors.
“I’ve never seen her before.” Josh shakes his head.
“I thought maybe she had you mixed up with another polo player.” Junie opens the passenger door.
They all think Claire was referring to Josh when she said “Dylan.” They don’t realize she was talking to the ghost. Only Claire and I saw the ghost-stalker!
When Amber’s backing out, Josh says, “You know, I came tonight for laughs. I never believed in ghosts before. But I sure do now.”
Amber nods. “And I am so done with all this. That kind of wind is not good for my skin type.”
“What about Zane?” Junie asks. “He’s not giving up ghosts any time soon.”
“I am so done with him too. That guy is not my type.”
Can’t argue there. Amber’s more into guys with motorcycles and reputations for breaking curfew. Not guys who mumble in a foreign language and who’ll always rate a ghost higher than her.
We drive in silence. Because we’re totally exhausted. And more than a little freaked. I pat the seat until my fist closes around my necklace.
Tomorrow will bring a big whopping powwow with my mom and grandfather.