in college, I thought about getting a degree in psychology, so I took classes. But, really, down deep inside, I was a fireman.”
“So, was it worth it?” Bradley asked.
“Sure it paid off; you can really pick up chicks when you know this stuff.”
Bradley laughed and it felt good. “Thanks Mike.”
“Hey, no problem,” he replied. “Now let’s get back home to Mary.”
“Yeah, I wonder what she’s been up to all day.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you sure we aren’t going to be arrested for this?” Ian asked as he and Mary cut across the wide lawn of the high school and headed towards the door.
“No, of course not,” she replied quietly, “Especially if we don’t get caught.”
“Oh, well, then, I’m feeling much better about the situation,” he said.
She stopped for a moment and turned to him. “If someone questions us, just tell them you’re from another country and didn’t realize you couldn’t go into a public building in the evening.”
“Mary, I’m from Scotland, we can read English there,” he said. “No one will believe me.”
She shrugged. “Okay, well I guess our only option is to not get caught.”
They pulled open the heavy door and quickly scanned the hallway. There was not a soul in sight. “Come on,” she said. “The staircase is over here.”
They hurried down the hallway and through the double doorway that opened to the stairs. Only the emergency lights glowed in the stairwell, casting shadows all around them.
“It’s pretty creepy in here,” Ian whispered.
Turning to him, Mary rolled her eyes. “What are you afraid of? Ghosts?”
He chuckled softly. “Good point.”
They climbed the stairs to the second floor and peeked out through the doorway into the hall. They could hear voices coming from a well-lit room at one end. “We go this way,” Mary whispered in a bad Vincent Price imitation, motioning in the opposite direction, “Towards the dark end of the hall.”
“Funny, Mary,” Ian whispered back, “Very funny.”
Staying close to the lockers that lined the wall, they were able to stay in the shadows as they made their way to the Chemistry lab. They approached the door and Ian stopped and slapped his forehead. “It’s going to be locked,” he whispered. “The school wouldn’t allow the equipment to be out and about for anyone to take.”
Mary shook her head. “Andy said the ghost unlocks the door because he doesn’t want anyone to get caught in there again,” she whispered. “Come on.”
Sure enough, when Mary turned the knob, the door opened and they let themselves into the large darkened classroom. The window shades were all pulled down and only a few beams of illumination from the street light made their way in. Large dark lab tables flanked the perimeter of the room in two separate rows. Stainless steel shelving held beakers and Bunsen burners. A wall sized large periodic table glimmered in the dark.
The door made a quiet snap when Mary shut it and Ian flinched. Chuckling, Mary came up beside him. “Jumpy professor?”
Her laughter stopped when she heard another voice, a deeper voice, join hers in amusement. “It’s always the muscular types who are the real wimps.”
“Would you like to put your money where your mouth is?” Ian asked, clearly offended.
Coach Thorne moved away from the back of the room, so the shadows only covered the top half of his body. “You can hear me?” he asked, astonished.
“ Aye, and you could do with a lesson on manners,” Ian grumbled.
“But…you can hear me,” he said, wonder filling his voice.
Mary nodded. “Yes, and we can see you too, Coach Thorne.”
“You know me? You know my name?”
“A friend of ours, Rosie Meriwether, sent us to you,” Mary explained. “She told us you were a hero.”
“Either a hero or an idiot,” he said. “I guess the jury’s still out.”
“Aye, it is at that, Coach,” Ian added, his arms folded over his chest.
The coach laughed. “Please,
“So, was it worth it?” Bradley asked.
“Sure it paid off; you can really pick up chicks when you know this stuff.”
Bradley laughed and it felt good. “Thanks Mike.”
“Hey, no problem,” he replied. “Now let’s get back home to Mary.”
“Yeah, I wonder what she’s been up to all day.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you sure we aren’t going to be arrested for this?” Ian asked as he and Mary cut across the wide lawn of the high school and headed towards the door.
“No, of course not,” she replied quietly, “Especially if we don’t get caught.”
“Oh, well, then, I’m feeling much better about the situation,” he said.
She stopped for a moment and turned to him. “If someone questions us, just tell them you’re from another country and didn’t realize you couldn’t go into a public building in the evening.”
“Mary, I’m from Scotland, we can read English there,” he said. “No one will believe me.”
She shrugged. “Okay, well I guess our only option is to not get caught.”
They pulled open the heavy door and quickly scanned the hallway. There was not a soul in sight. “Come on,” she said. “The staircase is over here.”
They hurried down the hallway and through the double doorway that opened to the stairs. Only the emergency lights glowed in the stairwell, casting shadows all around them.
“It’s pretty creepy in here,” Ian whispered.
Turning to him, Mary rolled her eyes. “What are you afraid of? Ghosts?”
He chuckled softly. “Good point.”
They climbed the stairs to the second floor and peeked out through the doorway into the hall. They could hear voices coming from a well-lit room at one end. “We go this way,” Mary whispered in a bad Vincent Price imitation, motioning in the opposite direction, “Towards the dark end of the hall.”
“Funny, Mary,” Ian whispered back, “Very funny.”
Staying close to the lockers that lined the wall, they were able to stay in the shadows as they made their way to the Chemistry lab. They approached the door and Ian stopped and slapped his forehead. “It’s going to be locked,” he whispered. “The school wouldn’t allow the equipment to be out and about for anyone to take.”
Mary shook her head. “Andy said the ghost unlocks the door because he doesn’t want anyone to get caught in there again,” she whispered. “Come on.”
Sure enough, when Mary turned the knob, the door opened and they let themselves into the large darkened classroom. The window shades were all pulled down and only a few beams of illumination from the street light made their way in. Large dark lab tables flanked the perimeter of the room in two separate rows. Stainless steel shelving held beakers and Bunsen burners. A wall sized large periodic table glimmered in the dark.
The door made a quiet snap when Mary shut it and Ian flinched. Chuckling, Mary came up beside him. “Jumpy professor?”
Her laughter stopped when she heard another voice, a deeper voice, join hers in amusement. “It’s always the muscular types who are the real wimps.”
“Would you like to put your money where your mouth is?” Ian asked, clearly offended.
Coach Thorne moved away from the back of the room, so the shadows only covered the top half of his body. “You can hear me?” he asked, astonished.
“ Aye, and you could do with a lesson on manners,” Ian grumbled.
“But…you can hear me,” he said, wonder filling his voice.
Mary nodded. “Yes, and we can see you too, Coach Thorne.”
“You know me? You know my name?”
“A friend of ours, Rosie Meriwether, sent us to you,” Mary explained. “She told us you were a hero.”
“Either a hero or an idiot,” he said. “I guess the jury’s still out.”
“Aye, it is at that, Coach,” Ian added, his arms folded over his chest.
The coach laughed. “Please,
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