Free Kindred Spirits by Phoebe Rivers

bottle moved.
    All by itself.
    Centimeters only.
    Barely anything.
    But it moved right into Mason’s hand.
    By itself.
    I glanced around the table. Had anyone else seen? Everyone was digging into their ice cream. No one cared about a bottle of caramel sauce.
    Mason poured the caramel onto his vanilla ice cream. He didn’t seem aware of what had just happened.
    I had seen it move. I knew I had. But I couldn’t explain how.
    The room began to sway, and a wave of dizziness rolled over me. I stared at my melting ice cream, trying to push back the sudden nausea. My arms prickled with unseen heat rash. Was I sick? Was that why I was seeing things?
    â€œYou okay?” Mason asked, leaning toward me. Was he actually concerned? He sounded concerned.
    I raised my eyes. At the end of the table, the shimmery figure of a boy in short pants and a cap came into view. He raised up on his toes and waved at me.
    â€œHenry!” I cried, attempting to stand to see him better. The tabletop of the booth stopped me.
    I couldn’t believe it. Henry was here. Out of my crafts room. Out of the house. On the boardwalk.
    In Scoops.
    â€œWho’s Henry?” Mason asked.
    My brain did backflips. Had Henry moved the bottle? How long had he been here?
    â€œThe doggie!” Henry cried. His voice was thin, barely audible above the clatter of spoons and laughter.
    Dog? Oh no! Where was Buddy?
    â€œThe doggie . . . he went bye-bye,” Henry said. He waved his sticklike arms. He was clearly upset.
    â€œHenry!” I didn’t know what else to say. Had he let Buddy out onto the crowded boardwalk too?
    â€œWho is Henry?” Mason asked again.
    â€œYeah, Sara, who are you talking to?” Miranda added.
    â€œI need to go. Now.” I gave Lily a nudge to move her and Miranda and Nate out of our side of the booth.“Henry is, uh—” I stood in the aisle now, inches away from the ghost boy. “He’s a family friend.”
    â€œReally? Here in Stellamar?” Lily asked. She prided herself on knowing almost everyone in our town. “I never heard you mention him before.”
    â€œHe’s Lady Azura’s friend.” That was true. Sort of. Henry certainly wasn’t my friend. Not now, at least. “I just saw him outside. I need to say hi, help him find his way back to our house. He gets lost easily.” I was rambling and I knew it, but I had to get out of there. And bring Henry with me.
    Henry tried to scoot around me, but I blocked his path.
    â€œWhat about your ice cream?” Avery asked.
    The last thing I wanted was the thick scoop of Bear Paws. I pulled a five-dollar bill from my pocket and pushed it onto the table. “I’m full. I need to go home. See everyone later. Got to catch up with Henry!” I waved, then tried to discreetly push Henry out onto the boardwalk with me.
    Henry flailed his arms. He didn’t want to be pushed. And there was nothing solid for me to hold on to. He flung over a bowl of gummy worms on onetable, then knocked a container of chocolate crunchies on another. Candy scattered to the floor. Even though my back was turned, I felt Lily giving me a weird look. There was nothing to do but keep walking. I certainly wasn’t going to confess that I was trying to corral a runaway ghost.
    Out on the boardwalk, I cornered Henry near the funnel-cake stand. Bubbly grease mixed with the sweet smell of powdered sugar. Only three people stood on line. I tried not to move my lips as I spoke to Henry.
    â€œWhere’s Buddy? Is he lost?” I couldn’t imagine how I would explain losing Buddy to Lily. Or her family. Or Mason.
    Henry took a step forward, his eyes finding the swirling lights of the rotating Ferris wheel down the pier. I blocked his path. “Where is Buddy?” I repeated.
    â€œDoggie went with your daddy . . . out . . . they went out.” Henry reached sideways and swiped a hunk of