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“I will, I promise,” Barrie said, relieved that his dad was softening. “I know you’re right.”
“Come on,” Dad said. “Everyone’s waiting for us by the gangplank. Let’s inform them that you didn’t fall overboard.”
He chuckled at his own bad dad joke. Even though Barrie still felt jittery, he forced out a laugh. As they headed through the ship, Barrie could feel the hook weighing down his backpack.
He glanced back at the stairs that led to the captain’s cabin. He still wanted to put the hook back, but he couldn’t risk letting his dad or anyone else find out that he stole an artifact from the museum. Especially when his father was already angry with him. Not to mention it was probably, like, a major crime. What had he been thinking?
There was no way he could fix it right now without getting caught. He’d have to put the hook back another time. With a sigh, he pulled his eyes off the stairs and followed his dad.
“Go apologize to your mother,” Dad suggested as they headed back toward the tour group. “You really scared her. Even Rita was worried about you.”
They approached Mom and Rita, who pulled a fake concerned face.
“Yeah, you shouldn’t scare us like that,” Rita said. “It’s very uncool.”
Barrie scowled. He highly doubted that Rita was worried about him. She loved putting on an act for their parents like she cared and was the perfect daughter when really, she’d probably be thrilled if he disappeared at sea.
Mom looked relieved. She hugged him fiercely, but then she went rigid. She stood up and crossed her arms, staring down at him. “You need to act more like your sister,” she said, shuffling her purse to the other shoulder. “She knows better than to disappear like that.”
Rita flashed a smug grin. She loved anything that made her look better than Barrie.
“Does that mean I get a later curfew?” Rita asked, trying to take advantage of the situation.
“We’ll discuss it later,” Dad said. “Now, let’s hit the gift shop before they close. Barrie has taken a special liking to the pirate captain. Maybe I’ll get him a little something extra for his birthday.”
The last thing Barrie wanted was anything to do with pirates after the whole escapade on the ship, but he couldn’t exactly say that, so he forced a smile. “Thanks, Dad. Sounds great.”
Dad clapped his shoulder. “Bud, I knew you’d come around and like history, too. I’m so proud of you.”
As they headed down the gangplank, Rita smirked and whispered, “Too bad you didn’t really fall overboard, Goober, so I could get out of driving carpool.”
That confirmed it. Rita was evil.
But before he could respond, the gangplank shuddered under his feet, jostled by a big wave. Barrie grasped at the rope railing, feeling his stomach flip. He glanced back at the ship. He could see the windows in the bow, and through them, the captain’s cabin.
Suddenly, a shadow flashed past the window.
“Hey, did you see that?” Barrie gasped, pointing.
Rita rolled her eyes. “See what, Goober? The museum is closing. There’s nobody on the ship.”
“Over there…in the cabin,” he said, pointing, but then he lowered his hand.
Whatever he saw—if he really did see something—was gone.
“I swear, there was something in the captain’s cabin.” Barrie squinted at the ship. But the sun had almost set, and it was growing darker. “Like a ghost…”
He trailed off, realizing how lame that sounded.
“Jeez, you really are a child!” Rita said with an exasperated sigh. “Stop making up stupid stories and trying to scare me. That might work on your lame friends, but it won’t work on me.”
She tramped off, leaving him clinging to the railing with his heart thumping heavily in his chest.
Though he hated to admit it, his sister was right. He was acting super lame right now. Everyone knew there were no such things as ghosts. His eyes were playing tricks on him again.
What is wrong with me?
He had to get it together. He straightened up and sidled down the gangplank, trying to ignore the strange noise that now seemed to be following him. It was faint but unmistakable during the lulls when the waves receded, sucked back out to sea.
