Free Ghost House Revenge by Clare McNally

Melanie said, not really wanting to talk about it, but
     there was no way out. “He was a captain in the British navy during the 1790s.”
    “How interesting,” Sarah said.
    “Yes, it is,” Melanie said, taking a sip of coffee. “But that’s all I know about him.
     Say, these roses are lovely. Do you have a garden?”
    “I sure do,” Sarah said eagerly. “Would you like to see it?”
    They wandered in the garden, then sat outside talking, until Melanie realized her
     children would be home from school. But before she left Melanie invited Sarah and
     the mayor for dinner the following week. She liked Sarah, and it wouldn’t hurt her
     career to have the mayor and his wife known as her patrons.
    Melanie left the house in a happy mood, whistling as she drove home. All of a sudden,
     she spotted Alicen Miller trudging down the street. Wondering why she wasn’t on theschool bus, Melanie honked the horn. Alicen turned and squinted at her. Melanie pulled
     the car over to the curb and let her in.
    “What happened?”
    “I missed the bus,” Alicen said, wriggling in the seat to get comfortable.
    “Wasn’t Gina with you?”
    “No, she must be home by now,” said Alicen. She clicked her tongue and sighed. “Oh!
     I had to stay after school because I got into trouble today. That’s the real reason
     I missed the bus.”
    “You?” Melanie asked. “How on earth did you get in trouble?”
    “That dumb old Mr. Percy—that’s my teacher—sent me to the principal’s office. He said
     I never pay attention to him. I tried really hard, but I kept thinking about that
     dream I had.”
    Melanie took the girl’s hand and squeezed it.
    “Is that still bothering you?” she asked. “I know it was horrible, but it was just
     a dream. Keep telling yourself that, and you’ll feel better.”
    “That’s what I was doing this afternoon,” Alicen said. “And I got into trouble ’cause
     of it.”
    “Did you explain the situation to the principal?”
    “She didn’t want to hear it,” Alicen said. She stared down at the books on her lap.
     “No one wants to listen to me.”
    “And they call themselves teachers,” Melanie grumbled. Louder, she said, “They should
     at least have driven you home. Your father must be frantic!”
    “My father never worries about me,” Alicen said. “He probably doesn’t know I’m not
     home yet.”
    That evening when Derek left for the health club, he packed his jacket and a good
     shirt in his duffel bag. As he drove to the club, his thoughts were on Liza. He hoped
     she would accept an invitation to go out for a midnight snack. He was trying to decide
     where they should go when something made him look in his rear-view mirror. A few hundred
     yards behind, he saw the blond hitchhiker again. Sighing, he pushed his foot down
     on the gas pedal. At least he knew she was alive, he thought. But she’d never get
     in his car again.
    He sped down the road a few more miles, putting a distance between himself and the
     girl before easing the pressure of his foot.
    I don’t know why I let that girl upset me
, he thought as he entered the “safety” of the club.
    One look at Liza made him forget the hitchhiker completely. She was sitting in the
     waiting room, dressed in white terry, racket in hand. She smiled at Derek and stood
     up.
    “Am I late?” he asked.
    “Not at all,” Liza said. “Go put your things in a locker, and I’ll meet you on the
     court.”
    Much to Derek’s surprise, Liza turned out to be a terrific racquet ball player. She
     explained that the Z-shot he’d helped her with a week ago was her only problem and
     that she’d been playing the game for years. She beat him two out of three.
    “I probably shouldn’t admit this,” Derek said as they walked off the court, “but my
     ego’s been shattered.”
    “It’d be wrong to say I’m sorry,” Liza teased. “I played fair and square.”
    “You play like a man,” Derek said. “Just watch out next