Ghostcoming!

by Orli Zuravicky

  “So, listen,” he says, “I’m really glad everything worked out with you and Cecily. I can’t believe Georgia actually did that.”

  “Why exactly can’t you believe it? I mean, she’s done worse before and I’m sure she will again.”

  “Yeah, I guess. It’s just, I’ve seen her when she’s not being this way. She can be sweet, you know. I don’t know why she does these things. I’m really sorry that she did what she did to you and Cecily. And I just told her it was officially over between us.”

  “Okay, well, that’s good I guess, if that’s what you want,” I say, trying not to sound too excited. I mean, on the one hand, this is what I’ve been wanting since I got here. On the other, he’s still kind of saying she’s not as bad as I think she is. Dude?

  Pick a side already.

  “It is … what I want. And, I want something else, too,” he says. “I want to be your partner for the dance-a-thon, if you’ll have me?”

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  Colin is standing there, staring at me, waiting for my answer to his question—his totally amazing question that three days ago would have made me swoon so much that my knees would’ve buckled and I’d have probably started drooling.

  But right now? I’m having a moment.

  I like Colin and all, but why am I supposed to up and ditch Cecily just because he’s decided to dump Georgia at the last second and needs a replacement partner for the dance-a-thon? I mean, I’m not saying Colin isn’t nice—and I’m not saying I don’t still like him. It’s just … well, don’t I deserve way more than this? If he wanted to go with me, he should have never said yes to Georgia and he should have accepted my invitation days ago.

  Fine, he accepted Georgia supposedly so she would stop ganging up on me, which yes, is very nice. But also, that’s just another way to give in to her. I mean, it’s basically like blackmail. I’m a big girl—I can handle Georgia on my own. I don’t need him fighting my battles for me. And besides all of that, he thinks I’m supposed to walk away from Cecily after everything that she’s been through and leave her without a partner for the dance? That’s, like, well …

  Something Georgia would do.

  “Uhm, Lucy?” Colin says, after what’s probably been a whole five minutes of me staring up at the ceiling having an internal monologue.

  “What?” I say, looking back at him.

  “Look down,” he says.

  I look down and see that my dance-a-thon number tag, which used to be a nice crisp, white, has turned bright red and now has the words So Georgia! scrawled across it.

  “Again?” I squeal.

  Stupid ghost powers. Stupid emotions.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell Colin. “Under other circumstances, I would have loved to come to the dance with you. But I came here as Cecily’s partner and I’m going to dance with her. Next time, if you want to go to a dance with me, ask me first. Or at least say yes when I ask you.”

  His face droops noticeably, like he just found out he didn’t make the team. Kind of cute … but I’m staying strong!

  After a few seconds of silent staring, he perks up a bit. “Deal. Okay, time to scrounge up a new partner—fast. I’ll be back!” he says, and runs off.

  “Okay, I missed all the rules talking to Colin,” I whisper to Cecily. “Anything important I need to know?”

  “Just don’t stop dancing is pretty much the only main rule. You have to keep moving at all times.”

  “Got it.”

  “Oh, and Lou? Thanks for not ditching me.”

  “Me ditch you? Never.”

  The dance-a-thon finally begins, and everyone is out on the floor. I spy Georgia and her new partner, some beefy football player, who’s now wearing the same outfit Colin was wearing but is clearly unhappy about it. I look for Chloe and Jonah—I assume they are near Georgia somewhere—but I don’t see them. When I turn back toward Cecily and the rest of the group, Chloe and Jonah are right next to us.

  “Thanks,” Chloe says to me, “for what you said before.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I’d like another chance to be your friend, if you’ll give me one.”

  “Aren’t second and third and fourth chances what Limbo is all about?” I say, smiling at her.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she says. “After all, we do have forever to get it right.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long.”

  Just as I take a bite into a second granola bar, Colin reappears in a brand-new get-up with Miles, one of Jessie and Marcus’s bandmates, by his side. Colin is Batman and Miles is the Joker.

  “That was a quick change,” I say.

  “Batman always saves the day,” Colin replies.

  “And where are James and Trevor?” Cecily asks.

  “They run the Limbo Central radio station so they’re tonight’s DJs. They’re over there onstage, behind the spinning table.”

  “I had no idea they ran the station!” I say. “So they’re the ones doing the morning announcements and stuff?”

  “Yup,” Colin says.

  “Well, the music is awesome,” Cecily chimes in.

  That’s when I get an idea.

  “I’ll be right back,” I tell them.

  Then I dance my way over to the front of the room and up the steps to the stage. I know the perfect way to win this dance-a-thon and take home those Ghostcoming crowns.

  For the first forty-five minutes, everyone is on the dance floor and the energy is high. But after an hour or so, couples start losing steam and dropping out. Of course Georgia and her beefcake are still on the floor, but it’s significantly less full now. By the beginning of hour three, there are ten couples left out of the fifty or so who entered. But I’ve already inhaled two sticks of string cheese and a bag of Cheetos, so I’m good to go.

  Then I hear it. Our song.

  Last year for our end of the City Steps summer camp recital, we got to choose a song to choreograph a dance to and we chose Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” It was like a ballet/hip-hop hybrid dance, and it was the most fun we’ve ever had in our lives.

  I look over at Cecily. “You ready to show these ghosts what we can really do?”

  “For real?” she says.

  “For real.”

  We start the routine and Chloe, Colin, and Mia help clear the floor for us. Within seconds, everyone else has stopped dancing and they are just watching us. But we don’t even care, because we’re having so much fun. We’re twirling and doing splits and showing off our extensions and pointe work. There’s this one part of the dance that Cecily does with a chair that I’m pretty sure blows everyone’s mind. And then I finish it with a leap-pirouette combination across the floor, and the crowd erupts with applause.

  Georgia storms off the floor.

  Nailed it! (Again.)

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Ms. Tilly says from the stage. “I believe we have our winning dance-a-thon couple! Ms. Chadwick and Ms. Vanderberg, please come up and claim your crowns.”

  Everyone is hooting and clapping as we ascend the stairs.

  Since Georgia has up and vanished, Trevor has been given the honor of bestowing our crowns upon us. “Okay, so, who’s the king and who’s the queen?”

  We all start laughing.

  “Let’s give it up for our Ghostcoming Dancing Queens!” James screams into the microphone, and we leave the stage and go back to join our friends.

  The music starts up again and everyone comes back on the dance floor. I notice Marcus—sans his date—heading over toward Cecily. This gives me butterflies. While they talk, I go over to Mia and Trey.

  “So, how does it feel to be, like, the cutest couple at the dance?” I ask them. “I mean, Trey, you’re even holding her oxygen tank for her!! How did you get to be such a good boyfriend?”

  “Lots and lots of mistakes,” he jokes. “That’s the cool thing about afterlife, man. You get a lot of—”

  “Do-overs,” I complete his sentenc
e. “I’ve picked up on that.”

  “Your dance was wicked good,” Mia says. “You and Cecily should start a dance club at Limbo for your required activity.”

  “You think we could?” I say. “I mean, I’d still like to do photography, but a dance club would be awesome. And it would be WAY better than cheerleading, that’s for sure.”

  “There are a bunch of rules about how to start a new club, but it’s doable.”

  “Ha!” I laugh. “Of course there are. Would you join?”

  “Please, with my two left feet? You’re better off without me, I promise.”

  “Yeah, she can’t dance,” Trey chimes in. “The main reason I’m holding her oxygen tank is so she won’t swing around and smack people with it.”

  “But I’ll totally help you get it started.”

  “Thanks! I’m gonna go tell Cecily.”

  On my way over to her I bump into Colin.

  “Congratulations!” he says, giving me a hug.

  Just then Trevor switches the track to a slow song. I wonder if they planned it this way, but it’s probably just a coincidence. Or maybe …

  It’s fate.

  Either way? I’m happy to oblige.

  Colin takes hold of my hand and we begin to dance together. I’ve never slow danced with a boy before, and I hope I’m doing it right. I know that sounds so ridiculous because, hello? I’m a dancer and all.

  But this is different. Isn’t it?

  “I can’t believe you two have only been here a little over a week,” he says, as we sway back and forth. “I mean, you’ve already basically taken over the school.”

  “What?” I say. “That’s crazy.”

  “You took on Georgia, you won Ghostcoming king and queen, and you’re like the strongest, fastest-learning ghosts in the whole school.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” I reply, because I don’t. “It’s been a rough beginning, but I can’t say I’m not feeling supremely proud of myself right now.”

  “Hey, can I ask you something, just between you and me?” he says.

  I nod.

  “Did Cecily really change her outfit all by herself before you got to the dance? I won’t tell anyone either way, but you did seem pretty tired and you sure are eating a lot.”

  I want to tell him. After all, it was Colin’s excellent tutoring that made this all possible. But I think of Cecily and decide to keep it to myself. At least, I decide not to say anything outright, that is.

  I smile at him, raise my eyebrows, and tilt my head in that way that says, “I know but I’m not going to tell you.”

  “Wow,” he says, “‘the force is strong with you, young Skywalker.’”

  “The what is what with me?” I ask.

  “Dude, it’s like the most famous line from Star Wars. You have to know this one. Darth Vader says it to Luke?”

  “Is this before or after Boba Fett talks about the galaxy far, far away?”

  “That’s it, you’re watching Star Wars with me,” Colin says.

  “It’s a date,” I say, but this time Georgia isn’t anywhere in sight to object.

  “Promise?” he asks.

  “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

  Or whatever.

  I leave Colin and continue my quest for Cecily, who I find over by the refreshments table.

  “Marcus is getting me some punch.”

  “So, you two are getting along, huh?” I ask.

  “Swimmingly!” she sings.

  “That’s awesome. I have more great news!” I say, excitedly. “Mia said that for our required activity thing we should start our own Dance Club! Wouldn’t that be the best?”

  “Oh my god, I had no idea we could just start our own club!”

  “Well, Mia said there are a lot of rules.”

  “What else is new?”

  “I know, but I’m sure we can handle it. And after our show tonight, I think we’re going to have a lot of people who will want to join, don’t you?”

  “Definitely. So, what are the rules? Do we have to, like, write up something about why we think the club is important? Because there are like a million reasons why dance is important. Is there a deadline for when the forms are due? We only have like three weeks before we have to choose something, so we better get going on this, like, now!”

  For a moment I thought she was just going to run out of breath and fall down dead.

  Ha-ha.

  “Cece! Take a break. We’re not dealing with any of this tonight. Tonight, we are the queen and queen of Ghostcoming!” I say. “And we’re going to fully enjoy it!”

  “So … first thing tomorrow, then?” she asks.

  “Marcus, take this dancing queen out on the floor, please,” I say, jokingly.

  There’s nothing quite like dancing the night away with your friends. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great if there are cute boys at your side, too, but none of that is worth anything without a group of good girlfriends who’ve got your back.

  Always.

  Standing here watching Cecily, Mia, and Chloe smiling together, making jokes and letting loose, I can finally see my happily ever afterlife … and it looks, well, like the perfect do-over.

  Thank you to my parents for supporting me and believing in me—but mostly for simply being there, always.

  Thank you to Kirsten Hall for making this magic possible, to Abby McAden and Jenne Abramowitz for believing in the paranormal, and to Amanda Maciel for spot-on editorial instincts and making my happily ever afterlife a reality.

  Keep reading for a sneak peek at

  “Okay, settle down,” Coach Trellis says, and when I look up I notice Georgia is standing up in front of all of us next to Coach. “I’ve asked Georgia to help me teach the routine, since she has the most gymnastics experience from her cheerleading.”

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  Grrr.

  I wish Coach had asked me to help. I mean, I did just win a dance-a-thon.

  Whatever.

  It’s just a gym class. Besides, maybe this is a good thing? This way I can see what Georgia is like as a teacher, and what she’ll be like as a captain. If she’s as bad as I think she’ll be, I can take that back to Cecily and use it to convince her to not join the Cheerleading squad.

  “Okay, the first thing we’re going to do is some floor poses,” Georgia says. “Watch me and repeat what I do.”

  She gets down on her right knee and pulls her right foot toward the back of her hip, twisting her body all the way to the right.

  Easy breezy.

  Then she slowly lifts herself off the floor in the same exact position. For a few seconds, she just hovers there over the mat. Then she slowly drifts back down.

  Ghost powers be darned.

  “Okay,” she says. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  The class gets down on the floor and tries to mimic her, but most of them can’t even get close.

  “Ouch, this hurts!” cries one girl.

  “Is it supposed to look all twisted like this?” asks another.

  Georgia makes her way around the room, helping to pose the rest of the class.

  After a few minutes, she comes up behind me. My pose is perfect, and I’m not just saying that. I do this stretch about twenty times a week before ballet class because it hits your quad muscles and your back at the same time.

  Bring it, girl.

  “Ladies,” she calls out, “look at Lucy’s positioning. She’s doing this move perfectly. Try to copy her.”

  I’m in shock. There’s no way Georgia’s saying something nice just because. With this girl? There’s always something. Unless … by some crazy chance, everything that happened at the dance made her rethink how she treats people?

  Then she crouches down low behind me and whispers in my ear, “This thing between you and me? It isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

  Yeah.

  And if Cecily joins the cheerleading squad, I can tell you exactly what Georgia is going to do:
<
br />   Shower Cecily with fake attention

  Weasel her way into becoming Cecily’s BFF

  Enact some other kind of revenge that I can’t think of right now but I know will be THE WORST

  Georgia’s words keep echoing in my head, and the more I think about her, the more frustrated I get. What should be a gentle hover a few inches above the ground turns into me shooting myself up in the air like a cannonball and hitting my head on the ceiling.

  Ouch.

  “Lucy, please be careful,” Georgia reprimands, as if I did it on purpose. “As you can see, integrating your ghost skills with your former life skills isn’t quite as easy as some might think.”

  I can’t believe I’m actually about to say this, but … Georgia is (GASP!) right.

  By the time class ends, I’m so amped up about our dance club idea—not to mention bruised—that I can barely think straight.

  “Oh ladies!” Georgia calls out as class ends. “I have one small announcement, please, before you go. I just wanted to remind you that tryouts for the Limbo Central Cheerleading Squad are taking place outside on the football field on Wednesday evening at five o’clock! It’s going to be a great year, and we’re looking to fill a few spots on the squad. I noticed a lot of promise out there today—so please come and try out!”

  I don’t know what hits me, but suddenly I open my mouth and say: “And, if you’re looking to be a part of something even cooler than cheerleading—to be part of a creative group that listens to one another and works together as a team—come join our brand-new Limbo Central Dance Club! Oh, and you don’t need to try out for our club, because we’re inclusive, not exclusive. If you sign up, you’re in!”

  If we were playing volleyball now? That serve would have gone straight to her head!

  Guess I need to figure out this whole starting-your-own-supernatural-club thing.

  Like, now.

  Orli Zuravicky is a writer, an editor, and an amateur interior designer, which basically means she likes to paint stuff in her apartment. She has been in children’s publishing for fifteen years and has written over sixty-five books for children. She hopes to write sixty-five more. She lives her happily ever after (life) in Brooklyn, New York.