School for Ghost Girls Read online

  Next to them, Lucinda asked Ms. Finley if she would be playing in the student-faculty basketball game.

  “Most definitely, Lucinda,” Ms. Finley said. “My hook shot may not be too accurate, but I’m very enthusiastic!”

  “We’re going to win this year, I know it!” Tiny whispered. “But not because Ms. Finley is playing for the other team,” she added hastily.

  “Oh, girls, you’re all winners!” said Ms. Finley, overhearing Tiny. Tiny grinned back at her.

  After they’d passed Ms. Finley, Lucinda snuck up behind Tiny and hissed, “I wouldn’t be so sure of winning, if I were you.”

  “Yeah,” chimed in Helen. “You’re not nearly as good as you think you are!”

  Tiny just rolled her eyes, but secretly felt a pang of nerves in her tummy.

  “Come on, CJ and Tiny,” Maude said. “Let’s get out our school supplies. I think my dad bought me a new shrieking book!”

  With that, they turned their backs on Lucinda’s smirk.

  The sun shone brightly on Boo Academy, so, naturally, the ghosts had morning recess inside where it was nice and gloomy. CJ, Maude, and Tiny were sitting together in a cobwebby corner.

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about Ms. Finley,” Maude announced to her friends.

  “I think she’s super!” CJ said.

  “I agree,” Maude said. “She’s very nice, and I certainly appreciate her fashionable eyewear. But she couldn’t smell the horrible burned porridge—and she wears shoes!”

  “It’s very weird,” Tiny said.

  “I’ve never, ever met—or even heard of—a shoe-wearing ghost,” Maude added. “Something just doesn’t add up.”

  “Don’t look at me.” Tiny laughed. “Math is not my strong subject!”

  “What are you saying, Maude?” CJ asked nervously. “She seems really nice and friendly and helpful! She learned all of our names before we even got here. Didn’t you say she’s a Boo Academy graduate? She also seems to know that Lucinda is nothing but trouble, and did you see the way she—”

  “CJ, you’re doing it again!” Tiny said gently.

  “Oops! Sorry,” CJ answered. “But Maude is making me nervous now.”

  “I don’t mean to scare you, CJ,” Maude said. “But this could be very serious. Ghosts have an excellent sense of smell, and Ms. Finley does not. Ghosts don’t wear shoes, and Ms. Finley does.”

  Maude took a deep breath and looked at her friends.

  “What if she’s not a ghost after all?” she asked. “What if she’s a … human?”

  CJ gasped.

  Tiny turned even more translucent than usual.

  The friends were silent as each thought about the consequences of a human knowing about Boo Academy. For thousands of years, humans and ghosts had existed side by side. Ghosts were taught, from their earliest years, to protect the divide between the human world and their own. The job of a ghost was simple: provide humans with occasional gentle scares, remind them of someone they knew who had died, or, in some cases, frighten a human out of bad behavior. That’s what all their haunting classes taught them. That’s what their training prepared them for. Humans were not supposed to know much about ghosts, and definitely nothing about Boo Academy.

  Finally, Maude said what they were all thinking—the phrase they’d been taught since they were baby ghosts: “Doubt is good.”

  Tiny said, “Remember Mr. Vex’s lecture last year? We all know how humans are. If they’re not sure that we exist, we can haunt all we want. If they can prove that we exist, they’ll find a way to get rid of us.”

  “Humans don’t like mysteries!” CJ agreed. “I think they’re afraid of a little doubt!”

  “We need to test Ms. Finley,” Maude said. “For the sake of Boo La La, we need to prove that she’s one of us.”

  When recess ended, the ghost girls turned their thoughts back to class. “I’m so excited for Supernatural Science!” Tiny cried.

  “Me too!” Maude agreed.

  “Not me,” CJ said glumly. “But I guess it’s good to get it over with in the morning. I have a hard time memorizing all those charts and tables. Does ghostly mist rise half an hour before or after sunset? What’s the difference between an aura and an emanation? Why do we need to know all that stuff? We won’t really start haunting until we graduate. Oh, and, what if Ms. Finley is a human and ruins everything?”

  “Don’t worry, CJ,” Tiny consoled her friend. “To answer your science questions, ghostly mist rises a half hour after sunset. And an aura is an atmosphere or mood, while an emanation is something emitted. Supernatural Science is my favorite class, and I’m pretty good at it.”

  “Pretty good?” asked Maude. “You’re not pretty good; you’re fantastic. You’re the only one in our grade who received a one hundred on the final last year.”

  Maude always knew that type of information. Her friends agreed that she could probably accurately calculate any of their classmates’ averages within two percent. Maude just liked to know things.

  “And don’t worry about Ms. Finley, either,” she whispered to CJ. “I’ll figure out something!”

  “Well,” CJ said, trying to smile as they floated into class, “at least we have Undead Language Arts to look forward to next period.”

  “Ugh!” Tiny said. “Please don’t get me started on that class!”

  The three friends looked at one another and even CJ had to giggle. Part of the reason why they got along so well was that each ghost girl had different strengths and weaknesses. Maude was the undisputed leader of the trio. She tried hard not to be bossy, but she was bright and friendly, and the best student shrieker at Boo La La! CJ could be a little bit shy, but she talked nonstop when she was nervous or upset, and she was amazing at levitation. Tiny had always been the tallest girl at Boo La La by more than a head (one that’s still attached to a body, that is!). And while most ghosts have no sense of the passage of time, Tiny can tell you, at any moment, exactly what time it is.

  “We’re going to have a great year together, no matter what!” Maude said as she opened the classroom door.

  They were surprised to see Mr. Vex’s huge old desk covered in balloons.

  “Good morning, class!” he greeted them.

  “Good morning, Mr. Vex,” they answered.

  “I’ve got a really fun experiment planned for us today,” Mr. Vex continued. “It is designed to help you better understand correct haunting practices and how to harness static electricity to your benefit.”

  “I know this experiment,” Lucinda announced. “We did it at my summer enrichment camp. Do I have to do it again?”

  “That’s great to know, Lucinda!” Mr. Vex told her. “Perhaps you’d be willing to help me instead? You could start by giving each student a balloon and a piece of tissue.”

  Lucinda puffed up with pride. She walked around the classroom, dispensing the tissues and balloons.

  “Everyone got their materials?” Mr. Vex did a quick check of the classroom. “Perfect! Now, who can tell me the most prevalent image humans have for ghosts?”

  Maude raised her hand. “They think we look like floating bedsheets with eyeholes cut out!” she said.

  “Correct,” Mr. Vex told her. “You and I know that we look perfectly normal, but for some reason, humans have a strange idea about our appearance. We will just accept that for the sake of this experiment.”

  Following his instructions, the students penciled in eyeholes on their tissues. Maude added a smiling mouth and earrings to hers. The girls placed their tissue “ghosts” flat on their desks. They then vigorously rubbed their balloons on their hair to build up a strong charge. When they held the balloons over the thin tissue, each rose up and seemed to dance.

  “This is awesome!” Tiny cried.

  Mr. Vex allowed the girls about fifteen minutes to play with their “ghosts.” Despite the obvious fun her classmates were having, Lucinda decided not to participate. She sat at her desk and looked bored.

  “This
was actually a twofold lesson,” Mr. Vex said as he called their attention back to him. “We’ve learned about electricity and how it acts on objects, and we’ve learned a little bit about the difference between our reality and the way humans often perceive us. You may well use this information for your future hauntings!”

  “I can feel myself getting smarter!” Tiny whispered to her friends.

  “I got a real charge out of that experiment!” CJ joked.

  Maude groaned, but in the back of her mind, she was thinking about Ms. Finley. Was she an imposter, a human among ghosts, trying to learn all the secrets of the ghost world?

  By the time Undead Language Arts and gym class were over, the ghost girls were ready for lunch.

  “Wow!” Tiny said as she placed her tray of food on the dining room table. “The day is flying by!”

  “You were awesome in gym class, Tiny!” Amy said as she passed behind them. “I wish I was on your Field Day team.” She lowered her voice. “Lucinda and Helen are on my team.”

  “Oooh, sorry to hear that, Amy,” Tiny said as Amy took her seat at the next table. She turned to Maude and CJ. “Field Day is just for fun, anyway, right?”

  “Correct,” Maude said. “But sometimes I think that Lucinda’s idea of fun is very different from ours!”

  CJ and Tiny nodded, and they all began eating their lunches.

  Tiny closed her eyes as she chewed. When she’d finished her mouthful, she grinned at her friends. “I’ve been dreaming of Cook Eerie’s lasagna all summer long!”

  “Happy lunching, ladies!” Ms. Finley’s cheerful voice came from the end of their table. “After you’ve eaten, I’ll see you outside for recess. It’s turned into a lovely gray day and you need to glide around and let off some mist!” She bustled off to get her own lunch. Her skirt was so long that it dragged on the floor, hiding any evidence of shoes.

  “She’s so nice! She just can’t be human!” CJ moaned.

  Through narrowed eyes, Maude watched her make her way across the room. CJ and Tiny exchanged glances. They knew that look very well. Maude was thinking seriously and deeply about something.

  “She seems like a ghost …” Maude murmured. She had decided: Operation Test Finley would begin that very night!

  After a brisk game of White Ghost/Gray Ghost, the girls headed to their afternoon classes.

  “I’m so glad we have Unnatural Numbers after lunch,” Maude said. “I’m all fueled up and ready to learn!”

  “Maude,” Tiny said. “You know I love you, but your insistence on learning all the time may make me lose my appetite!”

  The three friends laughed. They knew very well that absolutely nothing could make Tiny miss a meal!

  Ms. Raven started speaking as soon as the girls found their seats. “As you know, ladies, third grade is a huge year in Unnatural Numbers. And the first topic we’ll be exploring is telling time!”

  The whole class groaned, except Tiny.

  Ms. Raven just smiled at them. “No worries,” she said. “Telling time is extremely difficult for ghosts—”

  “Not for Tiny,” Maude announced to the class.

  Tiny blushed.

  “Excellent,” Ms. Raven answered. “I’ll look forward to your help, Tiny.” She beamed at Tiny and continued, “The passage of time is something that doesn’t impact our daily lives, but effective haunters must master this skill. Please turn to page 2,406 in your textbook. We’re going to pick up right where we left off last year. Let’s get right to it!”

  The ghost girls were back in their rooms after dinner. Unnatural Numbers class had been followed by Intermediate Haunting.

  “I’m so happy that Mr. Clank is teaching Haunting class,” CJ said.

  “Me too,” Tiny said. “He already knows what a great levitator you are, CJ. It was fun when he asked you to demonstrate for the rest of us.”

  “I think it bothered Lucinda, but it serves her right!” Maude added.

  “Thanks, guys,” CJ answered. “That’s one test I know I’ll do well on!”

  “Speaking of tests …” Maude said.

  “We know you love them, Maude!” CJ teased.

  “Yes, I do,” Maude agreed. “But what I’m thinking is that we need to do some tests to determine if Ms. Finley is really one of us.”

  Tiny nodded. “That’s a good idea. What should the tests be?”

  “To create an effective test, we need to think about the differences between ghosts and humans,” Maude said.

  “We’ve already talked about our superior sense of smell,” CJ said.

  “And the fact that we don’t wear shoes,” Tiny said.

  “And, except for Tiny, most ghosts can’t gauge the passage of time,” CJ said.

  “We don’t like very bright lights,” Tiny offered.

  “We can glide right through humans, but not other ghosts,” CJ added.

  “We don’t like dogs,” Maude continued. “Well, except for CJ! For the rest of us, they’re much too barky and they try to point us out to humans.”

  “I like all animals,” CJ said.

  “We have to knock three times before we enter a room where there are other ghosts,” Tiny said. “Oh, and we can pass through walls, but we never do that when we’re not haunting. Remember last year, when Lucinda glided through the wall into gym class instead of coming through the door?”

  “I do,” Maude said. “Mrs. Von Howl was so angry.”

  “I remember her lecture,” CJ said. She mimicked Mrs. Von Howl’s voice, “ ‘Girls, gliding through walls when you’re not haunting is just not done!’ ”

  Maude giggled, then got serious again. “We’ll do some simple tests. If she is truly a ghost, then no harm done. If she’s human, on the other hand …” Maude hesitated.

  “Who knows what might happen?” CJ jumped in. “I mean, humans don’t belong at Boo La La. Humans belong on the outside. That’s why Boo Academy is camouflaged to them. That’s why humans see a grassy park instead of our beautiful school. That’s—”

  “Exactly, CJ!” Maude said to stop her friend’s nervous babbling.

  “Sorry,” CJ said.

  The room was quiet for a few minutes as each girl was lost in thought.

  Then Maude snapped her fingers. “I’ve got one!” she announced. “Let’s call Ms. Finley into our room. We’ll pretend that we need help with something. If she knocks before she comes in, she’s a ghost!”

  “That’s so simple,” CJ said. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “I’ll call her,” Tiny said. “I’ll pretend I have a question about the dining hall.”

  “Excellent!” Maude cheered. “Go for it!”

  “Ms. Finley!” Tiny bellowed. “Ms. Finleeeey!”

  A few moments later, they heard Ms. Finley’s voice.

  “Is someone calling me?” she asked.

  “It’s me, Tiny,” she yelled.

  “I’ll be right there, dearie,” Ms. Finley answered.

  The girls were silent as they waited. And then Ms. Finley opened the door and was bustling into their room, wearing a floor-length, shapeless white gown with her hair trailing over one shoulder in a long braid. There was no sign of her glasses.

  “What’s up, Tiny?” she asked cheerfully.

  “Um, I was wondering …” Tiny thought quickly. “Do you think Cook Eerie will make pancakes for breakfast again tomorrow?”

  Ms. Finley looked surprised, but just nodded. “Yes, I think she will. Is that all?”

  “Yes, thank you, Ms. Finley,” Tiny answered.

  “Okay, then, good night girls,” Ms. Finley said, and she headed back to her room.

  “Oh, no!” Maude cried when Ms. Finley was gone.

  “She didn’t knock!” CJ wailed.

  “I can’t believe this!” Tiny added. “But maybe she just forgot to?”

  “Maybe,” Maude said.

  “I really, really don’t want her to be human!” CJ said. “Can’t we try again?”

  “Should we?”
Maude asked.

  CJ and Tiny both nodded.

  Maude agreed, so they decided that she would call for Ms. Finley. As Tiny had done, she called out loudly. This time, they could hear Ms. Finley’s soft footsteps in the hallway.

  Knock, knock, knock.

  “Come in, please,” Maude said.

  “Yes, Maude?” Ms. Finley asked.

  “Do you know what color our Field Day T-shirts will be?” Maude asked.

  “No, I don’t,” Ms. Finley answered. “But Mrs. Von Howl will tell us soon.”

  “Okay, thanks, Ms. Finley,” Maude said. “Good night.”

  “Good night, ladies,” she answered. “Sweet dreams!”

  When she had gone, Tiny looked at Maude. “That was good, right?” she asked. “She knocked, just as a ghost should.”

  “Hooray for Ms. Finley!” said CJ.

  “Guys, I hate to tell you, but we still haven’t proven anything,” Maude told them. “Ms. Finley knocked one time but didn’t knock the other.”

  “So?” Tiny asked.

  “So,” Maude said. “That means we still don’t know for sure that she’s a ghost.”

  “Now what do we do?” CJ asked.

  “Come up with another test, I guess,” Maude answered. “Let’s sleep on it and talk again tomorrow.”

  “Attention, everyone!” Principal Von Howl was making an announcement at breakfast the next morning.

  It took several minutes and several more “Attention, everyones!” before the room quieted down.

  “Thank you, ladies,” Principal Von Howl said. “As you may have heard, Field Day is tomorrow! So after breakfast tomorrow, no regular classes will be held.”

  The dining room erupted with cheers and clapping. Principal Von Howl gave them a few moments, and then continued.

  “I trust you’ve each had a chance to check out your team assignments … and maybe even done a little strategizing with your teammates,” he said.

  “I think he takes this way too seriously,” Maude whispered to Tiny and CJ.

  “Are you kidding?” Tiny asked her friend incredulously. “I don’t think he is serious enough!”