Finders Keepers

secretive and mysterious — but he couldn’t talk about Jack in front of Simon.

Lucy looked surprised and Simon was clearly annoyed. Ken realized Simon must have been flirting with Lucy, and he groaned inwardly. Now Simon would think Ken was trying to make a play for her.

‘It’s about a class,’ he added quickly, which was another stupid thing to say since he had no classes with Lucy. But Lucy actually smiled.

‘Excuse me, Simon,’ she said, and moved away. Ken followed her to a relatively private corner of the gym.

Lucy smiled prettily. ‘What’s up, Ken?’

Ken took the crumpled paper from his pocket, and unfolded it. ‘I was wondering if you know anything about this.’

Lucy took the paper. ‘Seance,’ she read out loud.

‘Shh!’ Ken hissed. He glanced around nervously. ‘Just read it to yourself, OK?’

She did. From the way her brow furrowed as she read, Ken knew this was the first time she’d seen the announcement.

‘I don’t get it,’ she said. ‘Why are you showing me this?’

‘Well, you’re the only one I ever told about Jack talking to me. So I thought, maybe, well. you might have put this in my locker. Because you thought I’d be interested.’

She looked at him blankly for a second, and then her expression cleared. ‘Oh, right. You told me Jack talked to you after he died, didn’t you?’

‘He told me to give you the bracelet, remember?’

‘I remember. Do you still talk to Jack?’

‘Once in a while.’

‘How’ she doing?’

‘He’s all right. I mean, considering the fact that he’s dead.’

Lucy nodded. ‘It’s funny — back when you first told me about that, I thought you’d just imagined Jack talking to you. I mean, you’d had a concussion, hadn’t you?’

‘Yeah.’

‘But it’s for real,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘What do you and Jack talk about?’

He was beginning to feel even more uncomfortable. ‘Stuff. So, you didn’t give me this announcement about the seance?’

She shook her head. ‘Sounds cool though. Can I come?’

‘Um, I don’t even know if I’m going.’ He crumpled the paper and stuck it back in his pocket. ‘See ya, Lucy.’

‘Wait!’ Lucy called.

‘What?’

‘Tell Jack I said “hi”, OK?’

‘Yeah, sure.’

Ken hurried off, feeling frustrated. So Lucy hadn’t slipped this note in his locker. Then who? At home in his room, he put the crumpled paper on his desk and smoothed it out.

SEANCE.

Could someone from his gifted class have put it in his locker? But why wouldn’t that person just tell him?

Ken, are you one of us? Would you like to meet others who have your gift?

Madame was always saying there were other people who knew about them. Bad people. But maybe they weren’t all bad. And maybe, just maybe, there really were other people out there who had this ability to communicate with the dead.

He had to wonder — did it bother them as much as it bothered him? How did they deal with it? Could they offer any advice on how to control it? He was pretty sure by now that he’d never be able to get rid of it, but maybe there was a way to turn it on and off.

He wouldn’t have any problem getting out of the house tonight. It was a Friday, and it wasn’t unusual for him to go out, joining some friends who went to the bowling alley practically every Friday night. He glanced at the address on the announcement. This place wasn’t far from the bowling alley. He wouldn’t even have to lie to his parents really — he could stop by the alley on his way back from the seance.

His mobile phone rang. ‘Hello?’

‘Hi Ken, this is Amanda.’

For reasons of safety, in case they got into trouble, Madame had insisted that all members of the gifted class exchange phone numbers. But he’d never had a call from Amanda before.

‘Ken, are you there?’

‘Oh sure. I’m sorry, I guess I was daydreaming.’

‘The voices?’ Amanda asked sympathetically.

‘You know how it is,’ he mumbled. She really did too, because of that brief period when she’d taken over his body. He still felt a little embarrassed when he thought about it.

‘What’s up?’

‘I was just wondering. are you going to that seance tonight?’

‘I’m kind of thinking about it,’ Ken admitted.

‘Would you like some company?’

He was surprised. ‘You?’

‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘And you’d be doing me a favour. I’m a little nervous about going into the hospital on Sunday. I ’m trying to keep busy so I won’t think about it.’

Ken considered it. He’d actually been feeling a little warmer towards Amanda lately. She seemed less snobby than she used to be, more interesting. And earlier today, when they’d talked about their gifts, he almost felt like they understood each other.

Hey man, what’s going on?

It was Jack. Hang on a sec, Ken told him, and spoke into the phone.

‘OK. I’ll come to your house and collect you at seven thirty.’

After he hung up, he wondered if maybe he should have told her to meet him somewhere. Picking her up at her house made this seem almost like a date.

You’ve got a date? Who with?

He’d forgotten Jack was there.

Amanda Beeson, he replied. Only it’s not really a date. We’re just going to the same place.

But I heard you — you said you’d pick her up at home. That makes it a date.

Ken grinned.

Well, maybe that’s not so terrible.

I had a feeling you guys would hook up eventually. Where are ya going?

To a seance. Where people try to make contact with the dead.

He could hear Jack chortle. You’re kidding. You believe in that garbage?

I just thought it might be interesting.

Yeah, OK. Hey, you seen Lucy lately?

Yes, today. In the gym.

Even from beyond the grave, he could hear the wistfulness in Jack’s tone.

Is she hanging out with anyone?

I’m not sure. I think maybe Simon Dowell is into her.

Simon Dowell? That scumbag?

Why do you call him a scumbag?

Don’t you know his reputation? I used to think he was making up the stories he used to tell about all the girls he’s been with, but maybe it’s true. Anyway, I don’t want him messing around Lucy — he’s bad news.

There’s not much you can do about it, Ken pointed out.