CHAPTER 10

The Ghost

Video games were Dev’s life. He devoted every minute that he could to them. He often forgot important things like brushing his teeth, eating three meals a day, bathing, and, yes, sometimes even flushing the toilet. Gross, right? This is why he forgot to buy a Halloween costume.

You might ask yourself how a kid forgets about the best holiday ever. What could be more important than watching scary movies, or dressing up like a monster, or getting loads of candy for free?

Apparently, Dev’s favorite video game franchise’s newest release, Teddy Bear Bashers 3: Zom-Bears, that’s how. It was about an army of brain-hungry teddy bear zombies, and Dev couldn’t stop playing.

Luckily, his mom didn’t forget, though. She ordered him a shark costume online. Unluckily (for Dev), it got lost in the mail. (Lucky for Olivia, though.)

Dev shrugged. He didn’t care that much about Halloween. Until he remembered all the candy and fun he’d miss out on. He shouted, “I need a costume!”

Dev had to get creative. He grabbed a pair of scissors, stole his sister’s white sheets, and cut two holes out of them. He threw on the sheet. “That was easy,” he said. “Now I’m a ghost.”

But he wasn’t in class long before he realized he couldn’t pick up anything. In fact, he could see right through his own body. “What is happening?!”

Mason accidentally walked through Dev.

Ghost Dev yelled, “Mason! Don’t do that! It feels weird.”

“Whoa, what happened to you?”

“I… I think I’ve turned into my costume!” Dev shrieked.

“I think being a cloud is cool,” Mason said.

Dev shook his head. “I’m not a cloud; I’m a ghost.”

Mason screamed and ran away.

Dev rolled his ghost eyes—then realized he could see through the top of his ghost head. He tried to get his classmates to help, but they were all too busy dealing with their own troubles. He tried to get Ms. Linda to help, but she was still looking for the way to her grandmama’s house.

Things in Classroom 13 usually sorted themselves out. He just needed to wait. So Dev decided he’d pass the time by playing some video games. He floated to his desk and reached for his portable gaming device. His hand passed through his backpack like air.

“No, this can’t be happening!” Dev cried. “What kind of a life is a life without video games?”

“The afterlife?” Olivia asked.

“AAAAHHHHHH!!!!” Ghost Dev screamed. “My life is over!”

“Well, yeah,” Olivia said. “You’re a ghost.”