“And finally, Josh Ealy. His attentiveness warned us of the Xer infiltration and protected the entire school. All of Locklear will remember him.”
I frowned. Not only the omission of his family, but the look on Kaz’s face. It came and went quickly, barely a flash of a feeling. How different would things have been if this kid hadn’t caught sight of him? Would Mr. Qureshi have had the opportunity to talk to Kaz? Would Locklear now be a mansion haunted by Twisted Ghosts? I shutter at the thought.
When Josh joins the others, Mr. Qureshi turns back to us. “If everyone would please stand in honor of those passing on.”
We all rise from our seats as Kaz, Mr. Clingler, and Ms. Troges step forward. Together they lift their hands toward the three students near the edge of the stage, then start to sing. At the mournful minor key, the tears in my eyes spill over, running down my cheeks and off the end of my chin. Rafe slides his arm around my shoulders and I lean into him.
All the gold lights in the room swirl toward the trio of graduates. Their forms glow and sparkle and each one of them lets out a sigh so heavy I almost feel the tension release from the room. They’re so bright I have to look away, and then, surrounded by what I can only describe as the sound of tinkling bells, they burst and dissipate like sparks from a fire.
Almost automatically, I reach out to try and catch one, but they fade quickly and I let out a little sob. Rafe pulls me in closer, his own eyes shining with tears. I know right then that I have to do everything in my power to give him the opportunity to be on that stage. Even if it means breaking up with him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Though the right thing to do would be to cool it with Rafe before we get in any deeper, I can’t bring myself to do it right away. Every time I open my mouth, I argue myself out of it. As I sit across from him at lunch, staring at his sweet face, Landon’s words loop through my head. A classic people pleaser, Rafe would definitely stay in this plane for someone he’d fallen for.
In the grand scheme of things, agonizing over the idea of a breakup feels small, silly even. We’re searching for our graves, fighting Xers, and attempting to keep our sanity. But this could possibly mean the difference between someone I care for finding peace or staying on this side as a restless ghost. Just because I’m feeling drawn to stay here doesn’t mean Rafe is.
I need to talk to him about it, but first I want to question Kaz. He has to know more than Landon. Sitting up a little straighter in my seat, I look around the dining hall at dinner that night to find our friendly neighborhood Ghost Guide sitting in his usual spot, alone.
“I’ll be right back.” I pop to my feet and trot over to Kaz’s table, plopping down in front of him. “Hey guy.”
Kaz nearly snorts up his soup. He coughs a little, wiping his mouth on a napkin. “Billie. What’s going on?”
“I have a question. Unless I’m interrupting your evening meditation or something.”
Kaz smirks. “Just finished with my daily affirmation. Shoot.”
Running a pointer finger along the scar on my upper lip, I lean forward a little. “Is it true that ghosts who’ve finished all their business and aren’t called to be Guides will get messed up if they stick around?” It’s not well put, but hopefully he’ll understand my meaning.
With a frown, Kaz crosses his arms and rocks back a little in his chair. “You mean like if a romantic partner chooses to stay behind when really they should be passing on.”
His eyes flick to Rafe and I nod. “Landon says it screws them up. But Landon says a lot of things, so I thought I’d ask someone who isn’t belligerent.”
Kaz smiles, but the corners of his eyes droop. “He can be that. Unfortunately, he’s also not totally wrong.”
I slump, fighting off a pout.
“People are meant to pass on in the same way we’re all meant to sleep,” Kaz says. “When ghosts who aren’t called to guide other ghosts stay on this plane, it’s a little like going for too long without sleep. They’re still themselves, just worn out, stretched thin. Some of them become bitter and depressed. Others get sick and can even slip into a coma like state. In very rare cases, some lose their sanity, developing conditions like schizophrenia. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but I know you’re sick of people telling pretty lies to save your feelings.”
Blowing a raspberry to try and lift my own spirits, I force on a smile. “It’s not, but thanks for being honest.” I look back at my table. “Sucks though.”
“You think you might be called to be a Ghost Guide?”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t make that decision on a maybe, Billie. Or, you know, before you get your memories back.”
Turning back to Kaz, I rest my chin in my palm. “Yeah, worry about one thing at a time, right? If either of us gets Twisted it won’t matter one way or another.” I wince. “Speaking of, are Rafe and I going to be sent to find his body any time soon? That seems like priority number one. Especially after those Xers found us near his house.”
“I’ll have to speak with Mr. Qureshi about that,” Kaz says. “After what happened, I know he’s nervous about sending the two of you back there. I’m planning to scout out Blacksburg today to see if I can’t get more information about the area, see whether or not there’s a heavy concentration of Xers there. If
