The Ghost of Ben Hargrove by Heather Brewer Page A

that, I suppose?”
    â€œJust the part where she tried to save your soul and you basically told her to pop some pills.” I smiled at her, hoping she’d laugh, hoping she’d get my weirdness and be okay with it. Then I realized how mean what I’d said might have sounded and my smile slipped. I shook my head in apology. “Sorry. I shouldn’t joke about it. Not my business.”
    The corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile. She stepped onto the sidewalk next to me, and the streetlight glinted off the locket around her neck, held tight to her throat by a black satin ribbon. The locket was a silver heart, kept closed by what looked like wings. I tried to keep my gaze at eye level. Cara was about a foot shorter than me. So cute and petite that I easily could have picked her up and carried her around. I didn’t, of course, because how creepy would that have been?
    â€œIt’s okay. And yeah, you got the gist of it. How sad is it that my whole existence can be summed up by a stranger who overheard one argument with my mother?”
    Stranger. For a moment, I’d completely forgotten about the stalker outside my window. But it didn’t matter. This was a far better way to spend my time.
    Stress was coming off Cara in waves, like heat. This wasn’t exactly how I’d pictured meeting her, and I felt a little guilty about how excited I was when she was standing here hurting.
    â€œI’m Stephen. You’re Cara, right? I heard your mom say it.” I gestured to the house with a nod and then smiled at Cara once again. “So now we’re not strangers.”
    â€œWell, I’m definitely stranger than you. Bet on it.” Her small smile spread into a full-on grin, lighting up her whole face. She looked so much prettier when she smiled. She tilted her head at me curiously. “You’re new around here. How new?”
    â€œNew enough. My dad grew up here. He and I moved into my grandmother’s house a block that way yesterday. Last night, really. Late.” I had no idea why I kept adding details to my reply. It wasn’t like she was quizzing me or anything. But the stupid just kept rolling out of my mouth like a red carpet. Inside, I was kicking myself.
    â€œSounds about right. Everybody who leaves comes back in the end. What are your thoughts on Spencer so far?”
    For a moment, she seemed slightly guarded, waiting for my response. I couldn’t tell if she wanted me to say I hated it or I liked it. I decided to be honest. They say the truth will set you free.
    And nothing good had ever come my way on the heels of a lie.
    â€œFrom what I’ve seen so far, it kind of sucks.” She winced and I shrugged. Maybe that wasn’t the right answer. But if she was sacrificing goats in her free time, did I really care about her opinion of me so much? “No offense.”
    She shrugged, too, and then nodded. If anything, she looked a little relieved to hear me say it. “None taken. I’m not the mayor. Hell, Spencer isn’t even big enough to have a mayor. Just some stupid council. Where are you from, anyway? And how did you get stuck here?”
    â€œI’m from Denver. And how I got stuck here is a long story, ending with my dad losing his job and my mom . . . well, staying behind, at least for now.” I wasn’t sure why I was telling her all this, especially outside her house in the dark, when we’d only just met. I just knew that I wanted to tell her whatever she wanted to hear about me. About anything.
    She furrowed her brow sympathetically, and as my attention dropped briefly to her lips, I wondered where her dad was. I didn’t dare ask. It seemed pushy to me, and I didn’t want to push her. I wanted to kiss her. But only once we’d figured out that whole goat-sacrifice thing. “Can I tell your future?” she said.
    â€œWell, I can, but only through the next school year. It involves too