“You couldn’t have come out of your office five minutes ago?” I muttered.
Mr Barnes looked seriously at each group of students then shook his head sadly. “The bell’s about to go, you can start making your way to your classrooms.” He turned and left. I waited for a moment to make sure he was gone and then marched to the door.
Justin fell into step with me and I grit my teeth. Once in daylight, I hesitated.
“Where’re we going?” Justin’s voice in my ear left no impression on the air, no breath on my skin. Still I jerked back, not wanting to be in the same airspace.
I held my hand over my mouth. “Somewhere private so we can talk.”
“You don’t want to be seen talking to me? It can only improve your reputation.”
I whirled on him and one of the younger kids who took my bus stumbled over the step in his hurry to get away.
“Shut up if you aren’t going to help.”
He shrugged and gestured. “Bike sheds?”
I glanced contemptuously in the direction of his pointing hand. “Full of losers getting a smoke before class.”
My rucksack started to slide down my shoulder and I nudged it into a more comfortable position. As I did so I remembered my mobile. We weren’t supposed to use them, but if I stood at the bus stop people would probably leave me alone and I could talk to Justin without looking like a nutcase.
I set off towards the gates and pulled the phone free.
With the scratched bus shelter propping me up, I squinted into the reflection of the sun as it glared from a multi-storey office block. Rather than look at Justin, I lowered my gaze to watch the cars and taxis belch past.
A few late students were sprinting from the tube. As they passed, each looked at me curiously, wondering why I wasn’t running with them, trying to get into class before registration.
The number ten rounded the corner and I felt in my pocket for my pass. I hadn’t intended to bunk off school, but I couldn’t stay now.
As the bus pulled up I looked around. There was no one to stop me getting on.
The doors opened with a mechanical hiss. I gestured at Justin to follow and climbed on board.
As I swiped my Oyster card the driver glared disapproval. Almost too late I remembered the school speaking to the bus company about truancy. Quickly I groaned and clutched my stomach. With a shake of her head she waved me past.
The bus was practically empty, the work rush ended. Holding the phone to my ear I dropped onto the back seat. Justin sat in the seat behind.
“You’re skiving,” he muttered delightedly.
Hannah was going to kill me. She hated it when I left her alone at school. I glared out the window as the distinctive mix of architecture zipped by in jerks and starts. Finally I gave up and looked at Justin. He was slouched along his own seat, one arm draped over the back.
“So, what happened to you?”
He tensed. The humour left his eyes and he sat up. He knitted his lean fingers. “Would you believe I was starting to think no one could see me?” He stopped. “It’s stupid.”
“Why do you care what I think?”
He stayed quiet.
“So, what do you think now?”
He swallowed. “I… I don’t know. It’s some sort of trick, right? Everyone’s pretending not to see me and those policemen have to be in on it.” He thumped the seat and raised his voice. “This isn’t funny, guys.” He turned around. “I’m on YouTube, right?”
“You’re dead.”
He blinked. “You’re crazy.”
“Then why am I the only one who can see you?”
“You’re the only one not in on the joke. No offence, but it’s not like you’re part of the in-crowd, Oh.”
“Right… and Mr Barnes is?”
“Shut up.” He clenched his fists on his knees.
“You came with me. You’d never do that if you didn’t know I was your only hope.”
“Only hope for what?” He sneered, but his voice was hoarse.
“It’s your lucky day, Justin. I’m your only hope for vengeance and you can’t move on without it.”
9
YOU DON’T BELIEVE YOU’RE A GHOST?
“Right.” Justin regarded me from under raised eyebrows. “You’ll ‘avenge’ my ‘death’ so I can ‘move on’.” He used his fingers to create quotation marks. “You are in on it, aren’t you? This is your dare. See how far you can make Justin go? They don’t usually go all in like this, but I guess they have been spicing things up lately. Go on then, what do you have to get me to do?”
I exhaled noisily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, dipwad. I don’t want you to do anything. Just tell me what happened.”
“What happened when?”
“When you died. Tell me who killed you.”
He crossed his arms. “You do what you have to, but I’m not going along with this.” He glowered around the bus. “C’mon you guys. Haven’t you had enough?” His voice had a quaver in it, so slight I could barely hear it.
Anger made me hiss. “How can you not believe this?” I pressed the heel of my hand against my forehead. The longer I carried the Mark, the more likely it was that the Darkness would come for me. I’d never had to deal with the newly dead before. I should be gentle with him…
My memory flashed up a scene. It was well-worn, but bright, like a silver locket often taken out of its box, rubbed and replaced.
“Dad! Are you alright?”
He looks like hell; his face so bruised and swollen that the only way I know it’s him is the wedding ring chained over his collar bone. It catches the light as he twists towards me. His arms are in bandages and he’s in plaster up to the waist.
He looks around anxiously. “Where’s your aunt?”
“She brought me in, I wanted to see you.”
He shakes his head and wheezes with the pain of movement. “I told her to keep you at home.”
My eyes fill with tears. He doesn’t want me here.
“She wanted to see Mum too, you know.”
He gives a little jerk, as if he wants to hold my hand, but he can't get to me. Suddenly the curtain around his bed twitches open. A nurse picks up his chart, checks it and gives me a smile.
“Here to see your dad, love? He looks scary at the moment, doesn’t he? Like a mummy. But he’s going to be alright.” As she says it, her eyes darken. “Do you have any sensation in your feet yet, Mr Oh?”
Dad shakes his head and beneath the swelling his jaw tightens. There is silence for a moment as she updates his chart.
“I’m just going to check your temperature and give you a dose of morphine.” She smiles down at me. “Your dad’s going to be a bit out of it for a while, love. Who are you here with?”
“My aunt.” I find that, nice as the nurse is, I can’t speak above a whisper. My whole body is prickling, as if something’s coming: a monster I can’t quite see. “She went to see how my mum’s doing. She’s still in s-surgery.” The word feels foreign on my tongue.
The nurse nods. “Let me go and find her for you.” She finishes taking Dad’s temperature just as the curtain moves behind her. I hold my breath and a doctor steps in. He looks exhausted.
“Have you given him morphine yet, Andi?”
The nurse’s smile freezes. “I was about to.” She hesitates with her hand in the air. “Will I need…?”
“Something stronger, a sedative, yes please.” The doctor comes to sit on the end of the bed. “And who’s this?”
“The daughter.” The nurse is pressing her lips together. They are white as her shoes.