Ways to See a Ghost

‘old friend’. She warned me, but I ignored her.”
    “Anna?” said Dad. “Don’t believe anything she says.”
    “I don’t believe anything
you
say!” wailed Cally, tears running down her face.
    Stu lifted up his bag, and shuffled for the front door.
    “Right then, I’ll be going,” he said, pushing past me and Isis to get out. “We can do the interview another time.” And he was off down the road, only his smoke stink left behind.
    “Who was that?” whispered Isis.
    “One of Dad’s UFO mates.” We climbed up the stairs a few steps. Isis had her jumper sleeves scrunched up in her hands.
    “Philip Syndal knows about me,” she whispered.
    “What?” I mouthed, my eyes wide.
    “He saw Angel, one time at his house, but he pretended not to. And he…” she was shaking, white as anything, “he says it’s going to leave him, and go into me.”
    “The ghost-eater?” I asked, not quite believing.
    She nodded.
    “No.” I shook my head. “No way. He’s trying to scare you or something, that’s all. I saw you fight it! You’d never let it in.”
    She looked away, at Cally, then spoke so quietly I could hardly hear her. “He said if I didn’t, he’d…”
    “CALLY, just CALM DOWN!” shouted Dad, drowning out Isis. “I don’t even know what this is ABOUT!”
    “It’s about you trying to stop me going to the Welkin Society!” screamed Cally. “Because you’re jealous of my friendship with Phil!” She whipped her hands through her hair, messing it up, going crazy-looking. “I was a doormat once!” she yelled. “But I won’t let you control me! I won’t go through that kind of thing again!”
    “I’m NOT trying to control you!” shouted Dad. “I’ve never tried to stop you seeing Philip Syndal or his club of nutters!”
    “Nutters?”
shrieked Cally. “Am I a nutter too? Is that what you think of me?”
    “No! That’s not what I meant!”
    They carried on like that. The front door was wide open, I bet the whole street was listening in. Me and Isis went further up the stairs, but I wished we could just leg it like Stu had.
    “You
have
to tell your mum about him,” I said to Isis, when we got to the top step. “If Philip Syndal’s trying to set that monster on you, then he’s…” Dangerous, I should’ve said. A murderer.
    “I can’t tell her,” she said, “I’d have to tell her so much to explain it properly. I’d have to tell her
everything.”
    “So?”
    She sat down on the landing, pulling her knees up.
    “I keep thinking, about all that darkness just pouring inside him.” She looked scared. “I don’t want it inside me.”
    Her knees were poking out from her skirt. They were grass and mud stained.
    “You have to tell your mum, even some of it!” I said. “You have to get as far away from Philip as possible!”
    She only shook her head, not looking at me.
    Dad and Cally were still fighting. Cally yelled out, “Yes, you are!” and whacked Dad in the chest with a flat hand. It didn’t look like it hurt much.
    “You’re crazy if you don’t say something!” I snapped at Isis. I was getting angry with her by then; I thought she was just being stupid, you know?
    “I did!” snapped back Isis. “I told Cally she should leave the Welkin Society. That’s what all this is about!”
    I frowned, I didn’t get it.
    “I said your dad wants her to leave too,” she said guiltily.
    “Oh.” That explained all the freaking out – it was exactly the kind of over-the-top reaction you’d expect from Cally.
    “I didn’t say your dad was jealous, that’s her own stuff.”
    We realised at the same time they’d gone quiet downstairs. Cally and Dad were looking up at us.
    “Isis,” said Dad, “could you come down here please?”
    Isis looked at me, then got up slowly and started down the stairs. Dad had his arm around Cally, and she was leaning into him. United.
    I followed Isis, two steps behind.
    Cally ran her hand through her hair. “Isis, why did you lie to me?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Isis, calm as anything.
    Cally huffed. “You know perfectly well. Why did you say Gil doesn’t want me to stay in the Welkin Society? Why did you say he’s jealous of Phil?”
    Isis didn’t answer.
    “Isis,” said Dad, “are you unhappy that I’m dating your mum?”
    Isis shrugged. “I don’t mind.”
    Cally glared at her. “Isis,” she said, “you can’t drive Gil away by lying.”
    “I didn’t lie,” said Isis.