Ways to See a Ghost

She was always full of surprises. I don’t think I could’ve stayed so cool.
    A blush rose up Cally’s neck, and her eyes flashed dark. “Isis Dunbar, you’re in serious trouble!”
    And that’s when I said it. Because I had to help Isis;Dad and Cally didn’t even know what was going on.
    “It’s true,” I said to Cally. “Dad
doesn’t
like your psychic club.” Dad widened his eyes at me, but I took no notice. Anyway, I’ve covered up for him loads of times, and I was sick of it. “He said so, just today. That it’s all a load of rubbish. I heard him say it to Stu.”
    “What?” Cally pulled away from Dad.
    “That’s not true!” lied dad, trying to catch her hand back, but she wouldn’t let him have it.
    Dad looked daggers at me, but Isis smiled a thank you.
    “I knew it!” Cally shouted at Dad. “You
are
jealous! Of my interests, of Philip.” She put her hand to her head. “I don’t know what to think!”
    “Don’t listen to Gray!” said Dad. “He’s lying!”
    Cally turned furious. “That’s the third person you’ve accused of lying about you! I wonder if I know you at all!” She pulled herself up, took a shuddering breath. “Maybe we aren’t right for each other. Maybe we should stop seeing each other…”
    Isis gasped. I went still, wondering what’d happen if they split up.
    But Dad… he turned pale, then red, then he sort of sagged.
    “Cally, no!” he croaked out. “I’m sorry if I said the wrong things. I’ll do anything to make it up. I couldn’t bear to lose you.” He held his arms out towards her. “Because I do… love you.”
    I never heard him say that before. Not to any of them.
    Cally burst into tears and flung herself at him.
    “I won’t go to the Welkin Society again,” she sobbed. “Not if you don’t want me to.”
    Isis grinned at me.
    “No!” said Dad. “I want you to carry on. It’s important to you.”
    Isis stopped smiling.
    “I’ll prove I’m not jealous,” Dad said, looking all gooey at Cally. “You know my next chasing trip, this Friday?” Cally nodded. “Well I want you to invite your Welkin Society. They can investigate the spiritual energy you felt last time.”
    “Oh, Gil!” Cally kissed him.
    “Dad, no!” I cried. “They’re dangerous! Nutters, like you said.”
    “Shut up, Gray!” snapped Dad. He looked so angry with me, it felt like getting slapped. He turned back to Cally. “I never said that,” he lied again. “But since Gray is so disapproving of them, he can miss out on this trip.”
    So me and Isis were both in trouble. Not long after, Cally took Isis home. It was only later I remembered that I hadn’t even told Isis what I’d realised about the UFOs… I mean the ghosts in the sky.
    I wish I could turn back time, and do everything another way.
    Even we can’t do that, Gray, and we can do a lot of things. If turning back time were possible, I would have done so already, believe me. Gone back to the field, back to the house, back to the roadside.
    We’ve made our mistakes, and they can’t be undone. That’s why Isis is lying in the mortuary.

“I don’t want to go!” shouted Isis. It must’ve been the twentieth time she’d yelled it. They’d argued round in circles, grinding down to a stony stalemate. Cally wouldn’t budge about going on Gil’s UFO hunt, Isis hadn’t been able to convince her not to. The only way would be to tell her the truth, all of it. But that was impossible.
    She couldn’t even speak to Gray and get his ideas on what to do. Cally had banned her from talking to him. Isis had heard her on the phone to Grandma Janet, saying he was a bad influence.
    Cally stood by the front door. Coat and car keys in her hands, their blankets and chairs bundled up on the floor.
    “You are coming with us,” Cally said coldly. “If there was any other way, I’d happily leave you at home.”
    “Do that then!”
    “I’m not leaving you by yourself for a whole night. Who knows what might happen?” Cally’s phone rang and she answered it, the anger clearing out of her voice. “Yes, of course. We’ll be down in a minute.”
    She looked at Isis. “It’s time to go, and I expect you to be civil to Philip. It was incredibly kind of him to forgive you, after the way you behaved.” She opened the front door, waving Isis through, and they heard footsteps in the stairwell. Philip Syndal coming up to meet them.
    “Everyone set?” he called, jovial and merry. “Shall I follow your car,