“Yes, of course.” Is that it? I tentatively stand up.
“One thing, though. This Better Bets is during school?”
“Yeah. It’s a different period every week.”
“I don’t want you missing calculus.”
I look back at the schedule. “It’s going to fall during calculus at least twice.”
“I don’t want you missing calculus. You can’t understand the new concepts presented if you’re not there.”
“Dad, um, you want me toskipbehavior code class?” It seems crazy to break the rules of a class about breaking rules. “It doesn’t seem like that will go over very well.”
My dad sets his jaw. “Well, if anyone gives you a hard time about it, tell them they can give me a call. I’ll handle it.”
“Okay, Dad.” I let out a little cough. “Thanks.”
“Our word is our bond, Hattie. Try to remember that in future. It’s all we have.”
I wander up to my room, befuddled. He almost seemed more irritated with the school than with me. I can’t explain that, but it’s a relief to be on the same team for a change. If he wants to have my back, I’ll take it.
When Asha answers the door, I can only see her face. She’s dressed all in black and it’s pitch-dark behind her.
“Good, you’re here, you’re here!” She air-kisses me on both sides. “We’ve been waiting for you to start.”
“Start what?” I step into the hall. “Why is it so dark in here?”
“Here, take my arm.” Asha doesn’t know my official diagnosis, but she’s so freaking perceptive that she’s been clued in to my sucky night vision for a while now. Sometimes she seems to anticipate how well I’m going to be able to see in a situation better than I do. “Two steps down here.”
“Is the power out or something?”
“I’m just creating a mood.” We turn the corner into the den and my stomach drops. There are tea lights on every surface, and cushions set up around the coffee table. In the center of the table sits a Ouija board, the glass orb of the pointer thingy flashing the reflection of wavering candlelight. “Ta-da!”
“Asha, I thought we talked about this. How we weren’t going to do it.” My armpits have started sweating like I’ve sprung a leak or something, so I strip my sweater off over my head before my T-shirt underneath gets visibly wet.
“I know, you said, but everyone else was into it. Come on, I promise it’s not going to be creepy. We’re going to do good vibesonly. I think it’ll be cathartic for everybody.” She leaves me standing by the cushions, and opens one of the French doors to the backyard. The rest of the group’s voices come streaming in with the cold air.
“Guys! Come in! Hatts is here and I want to get started.”
Lucia appears in the room almost immediately, pausing on the mat by the door to pluck at her shirt. “My gem of a boyfriend just stuffed half a snowman down my back,” she says. “I swear, he’s lucky he’s so cute.”
“Aw, thanks, babe,” Jeff says, coming in behind her. “I think you’re cute, too, even when you’re a little moist.” He grins, kicks off his hiking boots, and plops down on a cushion. “Now come be cute over here.”
“Hey, Hatts,” says Nolan, coming up and giving me a lazy side hug. “How goes it? Where do you want to sit?”
“I don’t. I don’t want to sit.” My voice sounds a little panicky. How do I stop them from taking Mason and changing him into some character from a cheesy horror movie? “Asha, can’t we just hang out? We can make popcorn, find something bingeworthy—”
“Sure. After. Let’s do this first.”
“But we agreed—”
“Actually, just you agreed. With yourself. The rest of us voted after you left and it was a unanimous yes for séance. We’ve got a lot of questions that only Mason can answer.” Her voice is breezy, but her words cut through me.
“Don’t you want to at least try it?” asks Lucia, with so muchhope in her eyes I hesitate. Am I being selfish, just trying to keep him all to myself? No, he’s not some generic ghost of the occult, he’s our friend.
“I’m sorry, L, but I don’t. It seems, I don’t know, disrespectful,” I say. Then I try another tack. “Besides, I doubt it’ll work.”
Asha takes a deep breath. She’s looking at me like she can’t decide whether to forget the whole thing or tie me to a chair and stuff a sock in my mouth. She settles on a third option. “Look, Hatts, if you don’t want to join us, you don’t have to. It’s probably only going to take like fifteen minutes anyway. So make yourself a snack, hang in my room, whatever you want. But I did some research today, and there’s supposed to be only positive energy when you start so you don’t bring in negative spirits. I already burned all the incense. Therefore, anyone staying in this room has to be all in.”
