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ghost anyone has ever seen? Yeah, your heart is broken, but when you get hit, you’re the girl who gets back up again.”
    We were both silent a moment as I digested this. I grumbled at her, but took a quick shower and got dressed. Natalie helped me accessorize—a major art form at Thatcher—and we headed outside in record time to walk the three blocks to school.
    I bit into the toast with peanut butter that Anatole had handed me on the way out the door.
    â€œOne hundred sixty calories,” Natalie said.
    â€œWhat? My toast?” I shook my head. “Don’t do that. You’re going to give me a complex.”
    â€œI can’t help it—I was a fat twelve-year-old. The Kingdomers frowned on gluttony, and I was a rebel.”
    The Kingdomers were a religious sect that Natalie’s parents belonged to. They hated ghostkeepers—her mother had been one—and basically tried to waterboard Natalie’s summoning abilities out of her. I hated to think what kind of diet they’d put her on.
    â€œWell, it’s safe to eat now,” I said, handing her half my toast. She could stand to gain a few pounds.
    She looked at me hesitantly, then bit into the toast. “Yummy,” she said, through a mouthful of peanut butter.
    â€œThe devil’s work always tastes delicious,” I said.
    As we approached the gates to Thatcher, my trepidation returned. There was Coby, sitting on the surrounding stone wall, staring morosely at the other kids as they passed by. Coby was the first person I’d met when I transferred here, and had quickly become the one friend I could always rely on. Whenever I needed him, he’d been there. We always met at these gates in the morning and walked in together. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get through school without him. Yeah, he was still here for me. But as a ghost. And no matter how much I wanted things to be the same, they weren’t.
    Natalie noticed him and smiled.
    How come she can see me? he asked.
    She’s a ghostkeeper.
    But he wasn’t paying attention. His eyes were on Sara, who was walking with Harry from the parking lot. Harry staggered on the flagstone path and Sara caught his arm. They both looked worn and tired, as though all the life had gone out of them.
    Look at Harry , Coby said. Drunk already. And Sara’s not much better. They need your help, Emma.
    â€œLet’s go,” I said to Natalie, ignoring Coby. I dragged her through the gates.
    â€œDid you talk to him?” she asked. She couldn’t hear me communicate with Coby. “Stop yanking me.”
    â€œYes, I talked to him.”
    â€œWhat’d he say?”
    â€œNot much,” I answered.
    Emma , Coby scolded from behind me.
    They don’t want my help , I said. And I wasn’t ready to talk to them. I couldn’t be brave all the time. Hey, at least I’d shown up at school. I couldn’t confront Harry about his drinking or beg Sara for forgiveness—it was too soon; the wounds were still raw. So I turned my back to them and kept walking.
    I tried to avoid Harry, but he cornered me and Natalie in a crowd of other girls in the hallway outside of Latin.
    â€œGood morning, ladies,” he said, with a vulpine smile. Then added, “And Emma.”
    â€œHa-ha,” Natalie said.
    â€œOh, I’m extremely witty,” Harry said. “And quite the charmer.” His voice was low and measured, and not even slightly slurred—but somehow he still seemed drunk. “However, I seem to have misplaced my ability to give a crap. Perhaps you’ve seen it, Emma. I called it Coby.”
    â€œYou’re not the only one who misses him,” Natalie said.
    â€œBut Emma is the only one who misplaced him.” He tsked at me. “Very clumsy.”
    â€œI didn’t—” I felt my face redden. “I loved him, too, Harry. I wish—I wish none of this ever happened.”
    â€œIf wishes