Graveyard Slot by Michelle Schusterman (classic children's novels .TXT) 📕

“Maytrix e-mailed me.” I rubbed my eyes. “Thank you for reporting it and getting them to delete his posts. I mean it,” I added, and Jamie’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

“You’re welcome. Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.” He sounded nervous. “I should’ve, but . . . I don’t know. We were having fun, and I didn’t want to upset you.”

I waved my hand. “It’s fine, really. I’ve gotten used to his stupid comments.” That was a total lie, but hey. Maybe if I faked indifference, I’d feel it eventually.

“Gotten used to them?” Jamie repeated. “I thought you weren’t checking the forums.”

“Oh . . .” I started walking again, mentally cursing myself. “Yeah, the same person left a few comments like that on my blog. It’s no big deal.”

“What?” Jamie’s expression darkened. “Did you tell anyone?”

“No.”

“Maybe we should—”

“It’s fine,” I said firmly. “Don’t worry about it.”

The Elapse bumped against my chest as we walked the rest of the way to the church in silence. Oscar was going to tell the cast about Ana whether I wanted to or not, and I’d told him everything. About the messages in the cave and the bathroom. About my embarrassing video. The one with Ana in the mirror.

He’d tell the others, and then they’d realize Ana was possessing me, and it all would end up on TV. I couldn’t let that happen.

I had to figure out how to exorcise Ana tonight. Alone.

While everyone else was busy running extension cords and setting up equipment, I sneaked off to the sacristy, a small room on the north side of the cathedral. Jess had filmed Dad in here yesterday, since it was one of the places mentioned in Brunilda’s fake journal. The sacristy, I’d learned from Dad’s segment, was where priests prepared for services and rituals. Fitting, since I had a ritual of my own to perform.

“Okay,” I said, walking over to the ornate gold mirror hanging next to a small closet. “Step two: exposure. Come on, Ana. I know it’s you.”

I stared at my reflection, waiting for . . . what? I had no idea. Red Leer had revealed his identity when I asked Lidia, “Who are you?” and she’d spelled his name on the Ouija board.

Well, this was going to feel really stupid. But what did I have to lose? Squaring my shoulders, I looked my reflection in the eyes.

“Who are you?”

My reflection stared back at me. Then each of us looked down at the camera hanging around the other’s neck. Without thinking, I flipped it on and held it up. Now I was watching my reflection through the viewfinder do the same to me.

Only my reflection wasn’t alone anymore.

I stared, transfixed, at the dim shape next to me. It was her: the girl from the waterfall, the girl from the video. My eyes flickered back and forth between the screen and the mirror itself. I could only see her through my camera, and she was nothing more than a faint outline, but she was there. She was definitely there.

“Ana?” I whispered.

Slowly, she shook her head.

Not Ana.

Not.

Ana.

That buzzing noise filled my ears again, like a swarm of bees in my head that drowned out everything but the sound of my heart slamming against my ribs. While I should have been surprised, I wasn’t. I hadn’t been concentrating on Ana when Oscar and I were trying to contact her. And why would she say I want out of her own grave, when she was at rest next to her mother, who’d sacrificed so much for her? Sam and Roland had both pointed out that that didn’t make sense. Even Jamie admitted it was the one part of his and Oscar’s theory that didn’t work. But if this girl wasn’t Ana, then . . .

“Kat?”

Gasping, I nearly dropped my camera. Hailey stood in the doorway, staring at me with wide eyes.

“Hey!” My voice came out extra squeaky. “I was just, uh, taking pictures! Of, um . . .” I glanced nervously at my reflection, which was alone. “This mirror.”

“Oh.” Hailey twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Your dad was looking for you; I think they’re almost ready to start. I told him I saw you come back here.” She paused. “Are you okay? I thought maybe you were crying or something.”

“I’m not crying,” I said in surprise. “Why?”

“Well . . .” Hailey drew a deep breath, and I braced myself for a ramble. “You and Oscar just had a fight in the lobby, obviously, and now he’s acting all weird and you’re hiding back here. I just thought maybe the fight was about Jamie? Because he likes you and he told Oscar the other night? And Oscar seemed fine with it, but I don’t know, then you guys were all yelling at each other in the lobby, and—”

“Hailey,” I interjected. “That’s not why we were fighting at all, I promise.”

“Oh.” She gave me a shrewd look. “So this isn’t one of those stupid love-triangle situations? Where you’re, like, all torn between two boys or whatever? Because I hate when that happens in movies and stuff.”

Despite everything, I couldn’t help giggling. “No. I like your brother.”

Closing her eyes, Hailey tilted her head back and whispered: “Ew.” Then, shaking herself, she smiled at me. “Okay! So what happened with Oscar?”

“He was being a jerk, that’s what. Nothing new.” I felt a flash of guilt for saying it, but I was still too hurt to care.

“You guys argue a lot,” Hailey said thoughtfully. “Usually about little stuff, though. I’ve never seen you look that mad at each other.”

“Yeah.” I adjusted my camera strap, glancing in the mirror one more time before heading to the door. “Maybe we’re just not cut out to be friends.”

Her eyes widened. “Don’t say that!”

I shrugged, my stomach twisting again. “Why not?”

“Because . . .” Hailey scrunched her nose. “Well, because you guys are like me and Jamie.”

“Ha.” I walked past her out of the sacristy, and she hurried to keep up at my side. “Trust me, Hailey. It’s not like that at all.”

“Okay, well . . .” Hailey grabbed my arm, stopping me