of the scene, including what he read from the ghost, and asked if it might have been sent by the demon. As soon as he hit send, he dialed up Whisper. She answered on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Hi. It's Josh. Has anything weird happened to you since you got home?"
"What? No. I've just been doing homework. Why? What happened?"
He went over it again, and by the time he finished, Mr. Baxter had replied. "Mr. B got back to me. Listen to this. 'Josh, I can't really help you tonight except to tell you to be vigilant. I know that won't make you feel better, but I'll bring you something tomorrow that'll keep the uninvited supernatural beings out of your house. Tell Whisper I'll have one for her, too. Honestly, I don't know if the demon can send one of her minions after you. I'd say no, but maybe she's found a weakness in her prison. Sleep with one eye open tonight, but I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow.'"
"That wasn't very reassuring," Whisper said.
He barked a humorless laugh. "Yeah. It sounds fine for tomorrow, but I guess I won't be getting any sleep tonight."
"I won't be, either. If it is the demon, she might send one my way. Make sure you keep your phone by you all night. If anything happens, call me. I'll do the same."
"Yeah, sounds good. Have you done your math homework yet?"
"No. I had Language Arts to tackle first."
"Maybe we could work on math together again. It's not as good as being together, but at least we could check our answers."
"You just don't want to get rid of me." He could hear the smile in her voice, and imagined she was biting her lower lip.
"Guilty, but at least it'll help our grades."
"Deal," she said with a giggle. "But how about after dinner? I want to finish this assignment first."
"Sounds good. I'll call you in a couple of hours."
"Perfect. I'll talk to you then."
They said goodbye, and he hung up, happy for the first time since he got home. Until he remembered he had to go down for dinner soon.
*****
"Just in time. Dinner's ready."
Josh stepped into the kitchen, ready for more fireworks, but instead Mom smiled at him. "You all washed up?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Sit down. I made Grandma's special meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes. How does that sound?"
"Excellent. Any bread?"
"Of course. You know I wouldn't leave out the sourdough." She set a full plate in front of him. "Listen, sweetie, I don't know what came over me earlier. I'm sorry I blew up like that. I had a real tough day at work, but that's no excuse."
"I'll look for a job soon, Mom. I'm just sort of weighing my options right now."
She bent down and gave him a hug. "I know you will, sweetie." She paused. "What are these bruises on you neck? Did you get into a fight?"
Bruises on his neck? Had to be from the ghost. So not only could they physically hurt him, they could leave marks? Good thing they hadn't caught him or Whisper at the farm in any of their visits. This would be a real good reason to stay invisible.
"I don't know. I didn't realize I had any bruises."
She looked like she was going to explode at him again, but without the ghost here pushing her bad mood, she managed to swallow it down. Instead she put a hand on his shoulder and said, "You know if you're having any problems with anyone at school, you can talk to me, right? I won't go charging in, embarrassing you, but I'd like to know if you're in trouble."
"It's nothing. We were messing around in sixth period. I probably got the bruises there. I didn't even know I had them."
She nodded, but he could tell she didn't buy his story. She let it drop. "Dig in. We don't get many of these dinners together, so let's enjoy it."
He smiled and nodded. Everything tasted fantastic.
Chapter 17
Sweat trickled down Josh's back as he sat waiting for Whisper. It was too hot a day for a turtleneck, but he couldn't show up for school with two big handprints on his neck. He'd have to gut it out. There were no designated spots to eat on campus; as long as they stayed
"Hello?"
"Hi. It's Josh. Has anything weird happened to you since you got home?"
"What? No. I've just been doing homework. Why? What happened?"
He went over it again, and by the time he finished, Mr. Baxter had replied. "Mr. B got back to me. Listen to this. 'Josh, I can't really help you tonight except to tell you to be vigilant. I know that won't make you feel better, but I'll bring you something tomorrow that'll keep the uninvited supernatural beings out of your house. Tell Whisper I'll have one for her, too. Honestly, I don't know if the demon can send one of her minions after you. I'd say no, but maybe she's found a weakness in her prison. Sleep with one eye open tonight, but I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow.'"
"That wasn't very reassuring," Whisper said.
He barked a humorless laugh. "Yeah. It sounds fine for tomorrow, but I guess I won't be getting any sleep tonight."
"I won't be, either. If it is the demon, she might send one my way. Make sure you keep your phone by you all night. If anything happens, call me. I'll do the same."
"Yeah, sounds good. Have you done your math homework yet?"
"No. I had Language Arts to tackle first."
"Maybe we could work on math together again. It's not as good as being together, but at least we could check our answers."
"You just don't want to get rid of me." He could hear the smile in her voice, and imagined she was biting her lower lip.
"Guilty, but at least it'll help our grades."
"Deal," she said with a giggle. "But how about after dinner? I want to finish this assignment first."
"Sounds good. I'll call you in a couple of hours."
"Perfect. I'll talk to you then."
They said goodbye, and he hung up, happy for the first time since he got home. Until he remembered he had to go down for dinner soon.
*****
"Just in time. Dinner's ready."
Josh stepped into the kitchen, ready for more fireworks, but instead Mom smiled at him. "You all washed up?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Sit down. I made Grandma's special meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes. How does that sound?"
"Excellent. Any bread?"
"Of course. You know I wouldn't leave out the sourdough." She set a full plate in front of him. "Listen, sweetie, I don't know what came over me earlier. I'm sorry I blew up like that. I had a real tough day at work, but that's no excuse."
"I'll look for a job soon, Mom. I'm just sort of weighing my options right now."
She bent down and gave him a hug. "I know you will, sweetie." She paused. "What are these bruises on you neck? Did you get into a fight?"
Bruises on his neck? Had to be from the ghost. So not only could they physically hurt him, they could leave marks? Good thing they hadn't caught him or Whisper at the farm in any of their visits. This would be a real good reason to stay invisible.
"I don't know. I didn't realize I had any bruises."
She looked like she was going to explode at him again, but without the ghost here pushing her bad mood, she managed to swallow it down. Instead she put a hand on his shoulder and said, "You know if you're having any problems with anyone at school, you can talk to me, right? I won't go charging in, embarrassing you, but I'd like to know if you're in trouble."
"It's nothing. We were messing around in sixth period. I probably got the bruises there. I didn't even know I had them."
She nodded, but he could tell she didn't buy his story. She let it drop. "Dig in. We don't get many of these dinners together, so let's enjoy it."
He smiled and nodded. Everything tasted fantastic.
Chapter 17
Sweat trickled down Josh's back as he sat waiting for Whisper. It was too hot a day for a turtleneck, but he couldn't show up for school with two big handprints on his neck. He'd have to gut it out. There were no designated spots to eat on campus; as long as they stayed
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