There was no sound, but instinctively I looked along the road. Pete was coming to meet me, just as he’d promised. I checked on Justin. He was standing a little way away, too far for Pete to identify him, but close enough to weigh in if the dead found us. As he caught sight of Pete, Justin’s fists closed, but he made no further move. He was still looking out for me. I was safe. So instead of seeking ghosts, I was able to watch Pete approach.
He moved with a heavy tread. In the old days he’d walked as if there was a hip-hop tune bouncing around in his head, all energy and jigging rhythm. Now his music had been silenced. I wondered when that had happened, if it was only since he learned of his role in Justin’s death, or if it had been long quieted. I hadn’t been paying attention.
Pete’s head was bowed, but a jerk of his shoulders told me he’d seen me. He shifted his bag higher and his step stuttered in hesitation, then he kept walking.
He didn’t raise his head until he drew level with me. Then he dropped his bag at his feet and looked up. He wore a 5 o’clock shadow that said he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days and his face was drawn and tired. His eyes were red, the skin around them grey from lack of sleep. Even the black stubble on his head had grown out enough to begin to curl once more. The bristles looked soft enough to touch. I tucked my fingers inside my coat.
“Hey, Pete.”
“Taylor.” He swallowed and kicked a stone that lay on the path. It skittered into the bus stop with a bang.
“Are you alright?” My eyes skimmed his face, seeking an answer.
“I-I’m not sure.” Pete licked his lips. “What happened to James and the others, do you know?”
“I know.” I looked up as the sound of an engine warned us the bus was on its way. “Let’s talk on the bus.”
He nodded and avoided my gaze until the behemoth pulled into the stop.
Once on I led him upstairs, giving Justin a chance to get on the bottom deck. I climbed the spiral steps, wobbling awkwardly as the bus moved off, then sat on the back seat, offering Pete plenty of room. He collapsed by the window, putting his bag between us.
“So what happened?” he said, finally.
I took a deep breath. “On my tenth birthday,” I began, “I started to see ghosts.”
“Oh, for the love of…” Pete leaned back. “I thought you were going to be honest.”
“Just hear me out.” I rubbed my hair out of my face. “This is what you always wanted to know, why I started acting strange. It’s my family curse. I see dead people.”
“Like the film?” Pete sneered.
“If you like. If a murder victim touches me they leave a Mark on my skin.”
Pete regarded me carefully. “That glove you wear?”
I waved my unmarked hand. “I don’t want to accidentally transfer the Mark to the wrong person.”
“The wrong person being?”
“An innocent. Someone who didn’t commit murder.”
“And once the ghost touches you?” His voice trembled between mockery and curiosity.
I inhaled again. “I have to track down their murderer and pass the Mark on to them. Then the Darkness comes to take them away.”
Pete’s fingers tightened on his bag until the skin over his knuckles almost cracked. “Something took James, I saw it.”
“It’s why I joined the V club. I had to find out who killed Justin and send them into the Darkness.”
“Are you telling me
I nodded. “He was in school that day the police came in. He put a Mark on my hand before I realised he was dead.”
Pete swallowed. “You’re telling me Justin knows who killed him.”
“He knows about you, yes.”
Pete’s lips whitened and he shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
I glanced out the window. “Justin’s dead, you believe that, don’t you?”
“Of course.” Pete exhaled shakily.
“Alright then, wait here.” I rose from my seat and, as the bus jerked and shook, I headed towards the stairs. Justin stood at the bottom, like a guard, with one hand on the rail.
“Pete doesn’t believe me.” I caught the rail myself as the bus rounded a corner. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but–”
“You want me to go and see him.”
I nodded.
“I’m not ready for that.” Justin swayed in place and I watched the emotions war across his face. “Fine,” he snapped. He edged past me and took the stairs two at a time. I followed more slowly.
When I reached the top I saw Pete lurch to his feet. Justin now stood in the middle of the aisle, holding the chairs on either side of him.
Pete panted frantically, almost choking on his own breath. “You’re dead. I saw you–”
“You helped them kill me, you dick.” Justin’s tone was low and dangerous.
“God.” Pete’s knees hit the chair and he sank down. “How is this possible?”
“It’s a lot to go into.” I slipped under Justin’s arm and placed my hand on his chest, holding him back. “For now, just accept that Justin’s come back a ghost.” I kept my eyes on Pete. His mouth was trembling as if he was going to cry. My own lungs tightened. “Is there anything you want to say to him?”
“God, yes.” Pete raised his head. “I’m
Justin grunted.
“If I could take it back, I would. I’d do anything. When you fell – shit.” Pete was trembling all over now. “I threw up, I’ve never been more scared. And James said this was the thing that would keep us all tied to V. We were lifers. No leaving the club. Ever.” He rubbed a quivering hand over the bristles on his head. “And after that I really wanted to leave.” He glanced at me. “When James disappeared into that darkness, the first thought I had was,
I had to leave Justin, but my fingers were reluctant, I trailed my hand along his arm as I went. Then I sat down next to Pete. “James is gone. I’m going to get this whole thing stopped so it can’t happen to anyone else.”
Pete shook his head. “You can’t stop it, Tay, there’re members everywhere. The head told us there’s an old member in the police…”
“I know.” I touched his hand and he flinched away. “If necessary I’ll go to the papers.”
Pete swallowed and rubbed his stubbled head.
“You don’t believe I can fix this, that’s fine, I don’t need you to. But you do believe me about the ghosts?”
“Yes,” Pete whispered.
“Alright.” I looked at Justin. “The dead are why I behaved so strangely. And I couldn’t hang out all those times because I really was doing family stuff with Mum, curse stuff.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Pete’s eyes skidded over my face. “Don’t answer that, I understand. I wouldn’t have believed you.”
“You had to see Justin with your own eyes.”
The ghost in question was still in the middle of the aisle, but he had turned his back on us and was now guarding the stairs. My shoulders felt lighter than I could remember. I had been carrying the weight of enforced attention for so many years; the relief of letting someone else share the burden literally made me sit up straighter. I felt as though I was breathing for the first time.
I turned back to Pete. “I’m going to tell Hannah.” I fiddled with my blazer. “She has to forgive me.”
“If Justin speaks to her, she will.” Pete stared at him once more. “She loves you, she’ll come round.”
“What about you?” I swallowed nervously. “Will you come round?”
The bus drew to a stop and Pete looked up as Justin stood to attention. “You know what I’ve done. You don’t want to be friends with me anymore.”
