How’s that?
Lucy goes to the pool every Saturday. It’ll give you a chance to talk to her. Find out what’s going on between her and Dowell.
Ken sighed. Well, if he was going to help Jack he’d have to talk to Lucy sooner or later, and he might as well get it over with. The pool was as good a place as any.
When he arrived, he saw that the pool wasn’t as crowded as he’d expected. He didn’t see Lucy around so he decided to make the most of it. He dived in.
The thing he liked best about swimming was that he could put his mind on automatic pilot and let his thoughts wander. And his thoughts went back to Amanda. He hoped she didn’t go to the pool on Saturdays. Nah, the public swimming pool was probably beneath her.
She’d really been a major disappointment, he thought as he swam his lengths. He’d been feeling positive about her at the seance and when the seance was over he’d looked forward to discussing what they’d just observed, and comparing their reactions.
But Amanda had been totally uninterested in having any kind of conversation. When he tried to talk to her, she acted like the whole thing had been boring. She just kept shrugging her shoulders and saying, ‘Whatever’. He’d asked her if she was worrying about her operation, and all she said was that she hoped she could get a manicure at the hospital! She was like a different person from the one he’d gone to the seance with. Maybe Jack was right, and she just wasn’t into him. Maybe she’d decided his ‘gift’ really did make him a freak.
When he emerged from the pool, he saw that Lucy had arrived. She was setting down her bag beside a table and chairs, and she was alone. He ambled over to her.
‘Hi.’
She looked up. ‘Oh, hi, Ken. How’s Jack?’
‘Fine,’ he murmured, hoping no one he knew could overhear their conversation.
She pulled out a chair for herself and one for Ken. ‘Sit down.’
He did.
‘I was just wondering, what’s it like, talking to a dead person?’
Ken couldn’t meet her eyes. ‘It’s hard to describe.’
‘Did you contact more dead people at the seance?’ she asked.
‘Some people did. Not me.’
‘Do you ever talk to dead people besides Jack? Anyone famous?’
‘No, nobody famous. Listen, Lucy, I really don’t like talking about this, OK?’
She nodded. ‘I can understand that. Because most people aren’t as open-minded as I am. They’d think you were nuts.’
He couldn’t argue with that. Just then, Lucy’s handbag started to beep.
‘Ooh, I’ve got a text message,’ she said. She fumbled in her bag and pulled out her phone. She punched some buttons and looked at the screen. ‘Yay!’ she exclaimed.
‘Good news?’ Ken enquired politely.
‘Simon Dowell wants to know if I’ll go to the basketball game with him on Tuesday evening.’
‘Oh.’ He scratched his head. ‘Are you going to go?’
‘Sure. Why not?’
‘Um, well. you know, Simon has a reputation. I’ve heard he’s kind of a player, if you know what I mean. Do you really like him?’
Lucy shrugged. ‘He’s OK. But if you don’t think I should go out with him, I won’t.’
He wished he could tell her it was Jack who was concerned, not him. ‘Well, I can’t tell you what to do. I just wanted to warn you.’
‘Thank you, Ken. Listen. what are you doing later?’
‘Later?’
‘Mm. Like, tonight.’
‘Tonight?’ he repeated stupidly.
‘I thought maybe you’d like to come over to my place.’ She lowered her eyes demurely. ‘My parents are going out.’
Ken swallowed. ‘Uh, thanks, but, no, um, I have to do something. See ya, Lucy.’ He jumped up and hurried to the boys’ locker room. Once he was safe in all-male territory, he leaned against the wall and let out the breath he’d been holding. Oh, great. She thought he was interested in her — and not in a big brother way. What had Jack got him into? Man, if his best friend wasn’t already dead, Ken would have killed him.
Maybe Jack heard his thoughts, because he didn’t try to contact Ken the rest of the weekend, and Ken could think about more important subjects. Like the next seance on Monday.
He’d decided he was definitely going back. That Cassandra, the medium — Ken didn’t have any experience with mediums, but she seemed like the real thing. Her voice, when she related the messages from Margaret’s mother, sounded sincere to him. Like she was really listening to another voice, and like she really cared.
That poor Margaret! He hoped the medium would be able to help her. Maybe if she knew her mother was OK, in heaven or whatever, she’d feel better and be able to get on with her life. The older woman, Dahlia — she seemed a little nuts, but it was possible she actually had experienced other live s. Lots of intelligent people believed in reincarnation.
But the one who had really touched him was Stevie. The boy really cared about his family, and he was desperate to help them.
Ken was dying to talk about this, to share the experience. But he couldn’t tell his friends — they’d just laugh. And how could he explain his own interest without revealing his gift? Lucy knew about it, but he was afraid to talk to her about anything. She’d only think he was coming on to her. So for once he was really looking forward to the gifted class. His classmates were the only people he could tell.
He arrived early at class that Monday. Emily was the only other student already there.
‘I bought a Get Well Soon card for Amanda,’ she told Ken. ‘Will you sign it?’
Ken grimaced. Of course he’d have to sign it — it would be childish and mean to refuse. And it wasn’t as if he wanted her to die, or suffer terribly. But what would he write?
Emily had already contributed her message. ‘Hi, Amanda, we miss you!!! Get well quickly!!! Love, Emily.’
After thinking a moment, he scrawled,‘I hope you feel better soon. Best wishes, Ken Preston.’ It was the kind of thing you’d write on a card that was going to someone you barely knew. But that was how he felt about her now.
He sat at his desk and waited impatiently for the others to arrive. Emily made each of them sign the card, and when Madame arrived she had to sign it too.
As soon as the bell rang, his hand flew up. So did Tracey’s. Madame called on her first.
‘Madame, could we take up a collection to send Amanda some flowers?’
‘That’s a nice idea, Tracey,’ Madame said.
Charles didn’t think so. ‘Her family’s rich. They can afford to buy her plenty of flowers.’
Madame frowned. ‘That’s not the point, Charles. We want Amanda to know we’re thinking about her.’
Martin raised his hand. ‘I’m not thinking about her.’
Jenna turned to him. ‘Just fake it, Martin. It’s the right thing to do.’
‘I think she likes roses,’ Tracey said. ‘Yellow ones would be nice.’
‘Roses are really expensive,’ Emily said. ‘I don’t know if we’ll be able to collect that much money. Are tulips in season now?’
Ken slumped in his seat. Personally, he felt like agreeing with Charles and Martin. But mainly he wanted this discussion of flowers to end so he could bring up his news.
Finally the money was collected and Emily said she’d go to the florist and see what kind of flowers they could buy. The second she finished speaking, Ken put his hand up, and Madame nodded to him.
‘There’s something I want to tell the class about,’ he said. ‘Last Friday night I went to a seance.’
‘What’s a seance?’ Martin asked.