As a precaution, my P.E. teacher sent me to the nurse’s office, where I milked my “sports injury” for all it was worth. Turned out it wasn’t worth much, and I was sent onto my next class with nothing more than a leaky ice pack to show for it.
The next time I ran into Derek again was at lunch. I was sitting by myself—none of the friends I knew from Townley had the same lunch I did—trying to blend in with a group of older students a few seats away, when out of nowhere, a tray set down on the table across from me. I glanced up and saw Derek slide onto the seat opposite mine.
Hoping I didn’t sound as petulant as I felt, I muttered, “What do you want?”
“Have you ever seen a ghost?” he asked.
As if picking up our conversation right where we’d left it on second base. As if nothing happened, n
