CHAPTER 23

That night in the library, while Ripley and Maggie danced, and Deborah and April sought out owls, Mal did her best to change the subject.

While Claudia floated in the candlelight, Mal tap-danced around the stack of books she was hoping Claudia would find infinitely more interesting than the books on New York the librarian had pulled for them that morning.

“You know, I just thought maybe we could do something else,” Mal said in a slightly abnormally high pitch, like the voice a salesperson uses to sell perfume no one wants. She picked up some of the other books she’d pulled. “I found a book on Norse mythology, which I thought could be interesting. And this one on card tricks, which, I don’t know, don’t ghosts like card tricks?”

“Why can’t we read about New York?” Molly raised an eyebrow.

“I mean . . .” Mal looked up at the ceiling, like the answer was written there. “You know, New York is FINE, I just don’t know how useful . . . it is for a GHOST! Right? Like, Claudia is a ghost here, so . . .”

It is difficult to give an answer when you are making up the answer while it’s coming out of your mouth. Which Mal was, because why NOT New York? Because Mal was afraid if they talked about New York any more, then Molly would be sad and Molly being sad was like the worst stomachache ever.

Claudia looked at the stack of books. Touched it with her translucent fingers. She looked up.

“Because. Because . . . I can never go to New York.” Claudia was suddenly as close to Mal as she had ever been. So close Mal could both see her and see through her. “Is that what you’re saying? That’s why I shouldn’t read about it?”

“Oh! No!” Mal leaned back, her stomach dropping. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that, Claudia.”

“She didn’t mean . . .” Molly stopped. “She’s just. I mean . . . Actually, I’m not sure wha—”

Claudia sunk down, like she was melting into the floor. “It’s fine.”

Obviously it wasn’t.

“Wait. Do you . . .” Molly stepped forward. “Do you want to . . . go?”

“To New York?” Mal asked.

“Yes,” Claudia said in a bare whisper.

“Okay, well, I mean.” Mal looked at Claudia. “Can you?”

Claudia stared at her hands, her eyes sparkling lightning bug green. “Do you know how long I’ve been here?”

Mal looked at Molly. Maybe they should have asked. “No, we don’t.”

“I’ve been here for longer than I can even remember now,” Claudia said, drifting up. “I’ve been here for so many summers and winters. For so long I don’t even know how to put it into words. I’ve been here . . . forever.”

There was something in Claudia’s voice, Molly thought, like a reed, a trembling of such sadness.

“I made a choice,” Claudia said. “WE did, a long long time ago. A choice I didn’t understand. A choice I couldn’t have understood then. But now, now I am trapped in that choice for eternity.

“Mal, Molly.” Claudia pulled on her braid. “I came to you because I need your help.”

“How can we help?” Molly asked.

Claudia dropped down so she was eye level with Mal and Molly, standing in between them like a bridge. “Only you can help me leave. And they’re not going to want you to. But you have to, Mal, Molly, you have to.

“Please.”