Ghosts of Coronado Bay (4 page)

Incorporeal...

The moment he thought of it, his memory of Maya, and what she’d done to him, returned. She’d made him solid again. Would her power work on any ghost? If it did, and Gavin found out, he would find a way to keep her near so he’d be able to touch things. To move things.

To find the key and open the box, and the terrible book concealed inside it.

I’ve got to keep those two as far apart as possible.

Now that he had positive confirmation as to what Gavin had stored inside the box, he had to do whatever he could to make sure Gavin didn’t open it.

He couldn’t let Gavin get the book.

The world depended on it.

Every Friday and Saturday night, Coronado Lanes rocked to the sounds of the latest dance tunes as teens of all ages bowled, mingled at the snack bar, or shot pool. The Lanes, as the locals called it, was the only place on the island where kids could hang out after 9 p.m. without getting in trouble for loitering. Psychedelic lights flashed like alien lightning, and the crash of pins mixed with the music to create a solid wall of sound that made it impossible to converse without shouting. Yet, despite the sensory onslaught, the hundred or so teenagers managed to gossip, talk on their cell phones, and send out text messages - often all at the same time.

At the far end from the entrance on Lane Number One, Maya, Lucy, Fiona O’Malley, and Fiona’s longtime boyfriend Curtis Devoy sipped sodas and watched as Lucy’s current crush, Gary Wallace, reared back and flung his ball down the alley.

*  *  *

“All I caught was a glimpse of him,” Lucy said, referring to Blake Hennessy. “He looked cute, in a Leo DeCaprio kind of way. What was he like?”

“He seemed nice enough,” Maya said. “Shy. Kinda lonely, I think. He’s new in town.”

“So, how come we haven’t seen him at school? Or here?” Fiona O’Malley asked. “Or anywhere, for that matter.”

Maya shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe he hasn’t enrolled yet. Maybe he already graduated. He looked a little older than we are.”

“Or maybe,” Lucy said, leaning forward in conspiratorial fashion, “he’s a millionaire’s son, and goes to a private school. Better grab him quick, Maya. He could be your ticket out of this one-fish town.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ll throw my body at him, and he’ll be so taken with me that he’ll lead me to his Ferrari and whisk me away to a life of luxury.”

“Give him a little pleasure ride of his own, and he just might do that.”

Fiona and Lucy laughed and even Maya managed a smile as she shook her head. “With my luck he’s a serial killer, and he’ll end up driving me to the woods where he’ll chop me to pieces.”

“Uh, oh.” Fiona pointed towards the main doors. “Speaking of bad luck, look who just walked in.”

Everyone turned, just in time to see Stuart Newman heading for the snack bar.

“Crap. I can’t go anywhere without him showing up. All right, I’m outta here.” Maya kicked off her bowling shoes, slid into her sandals, and stood.

“Maya, you can’t leave every time Stu’s around.” Lucy indicated their little group. “He’s not gonna do anything with all of us here.”

“I know. I’m just not in the mood to deal with him. It’s gonna be the same old thing. He’ll come over, act nice at first, then get all pissed when I refuse to get back together with him. I just need a few days to clear my head and, hopefully, for him to get over me.” Maya tossed ten dollars on the table. “Here, that should cover my shoes and my game, okay? I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Taking advantage of Stuart’s back being turned to them as he ordered food, Maya sprinted for the doors and didn’t stop running until she reached the far end of the parking lot.

Then, she paused as she realized she didn’t want to go home yet.

It’s eleven o’clock on a Friday night. My parents aren’t expecting me home for another hour. What am I gonna do?

After a moment’s consideration, she decided to walk to the end of Main Street and then wander along the beach. The night was warm, and the gentle shushing of the waves always had a calming effect on her nerves.

*  *  *

As she passed the museum, a ghostly figure called to her from the shadows wrapping the side of the building.

“Maya. Hello.”

“Blake.” Maya’s heart jumped, and she wasn’t sure if it was from being startled or from being happy to see him. “What are you doing out here?”

He moved forward, his body appearing to grow more solid as he emerged from the darkness and stepped into the light of the street lamps lining the sidewalk.

“Actually, I was looking for you.”

The rapid beat of her pulse turned into a delightful shiver that ran from Maya’s head to her toes. “You were looking for me?”

He nodded. “I went by the diner, but it was closed. I didn’t know where else you might be, so I’ve been walking up and down the streets, hoping I’d see you.”

“I was with some friends, and I decided to take a walk by the water. Want to join me?” Oh my God, did I really just say that? What if he says no? What if--

“I’d love to.” He held out his hand, and after a slight hesitation, she took it. The shock of his chilly flesh on hers made her shiver. If anything, his skin felt colder than it had in the museum, as if he’d been holding an icy drink.

Maybe he had a beer, and that’s why he was hiding behind the building.

Remembering the conversation with the girls about Blake’s age, Maya decided to ask him. “Blake, how old are you?”

“I’m seventeen. I’ll be eighteen...I mean, my birthday’s in October. The eleventh.”

“So how come you don’t go to school? Did you graduate early?”

He kept his gaze on his feet as they walked down the hill towards the waterfront. “No. I...dropped out. My family needed the money, so I took a job.”

That explains the clothes, and why he was at the museum. He must be a custodian there or something and was too embarrassed to tell me.

“That sucks.” New in town, with a crappy job and probably no money to go anywhere or do any of the things the other kids did. No wonder she’d never seen him around.

“That sucks what?”

Maya snorted laughter, “You’re weird, but funny.”

They reached the end of Main Street and turned right, following the wooden walkway that angled down to the small beach, which hugged the curve of the town’s namesake bay. Out on the water a few lights twinkled, red and blue and white, the only parts of the private and commercial boats visible in the dark. A long pier led out to the docking areas, but they bypassed it and instead took the stairs to the beach itself. At the bottom of the steps, Maya paused and took off her sandals.

“I love the way the sand feels on my feet. Especially at night, when it’s cool.”

Blake bent down and picked up a handful of the rough sand, let it slowly slide through his fingers. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt sand against my skin.”

“Dude, you need to get out more.” Maya gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. “I come down here whenever I want to get away from my family, just be alone and think, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“I know it’s hard to find the time. When I’m home, there’s all sorts of distractions, like the computer, and the phone, and the TV. Actually, if you add in school, work, and spending time with my friends, it’s a wonder I get any thinking done at all.”

They stopped by the water, just out of reach from the tiny waves that stroked the sand in soft whispers.

“I spend a lot of time thinking,” he said. “Too much.”

“See? You need to get out more. You should come by the Lanes tomorrow night. We’ll all be hanging out. We don’t even have to bowl, if you don’t want to,” she added, remembering he might not have any money.

“The Lanes? What’s that?”

Maya pointed back towards Main Street. “The bowling alley down past all the stores. It’s like, the only place to go in town, unless you count Rollo’s Pizza, and they close at ten.”

“Will you be there tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, after I get off work. Nowhere else to go, right? We could meet at, like, nine-thirty?”

Blake smiled, an amazing transformation that turned his normally solemn face into something approaching handsome. Maya’s stomach did another of those tiny, pleasurable flips.

“I’ll be there,” he said.

“Great.” Before she could say anything else, her cell phone alarm beeped. “Damn. Time to go. If I’m late again, I’ll get grounded. I’ll see you tomorrow!” Impulsively, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and then hurried away, purposely not giving him the chance to try anything else.

Anything else like what? Kissing you back? That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?

Yeah, she argued with herself, but not tonight. I want tonight to end perfectly; and if he’d been a bad kisser or tried to grab a boob or something, it would have ruined everything. For once in my life I want to be the one having the magical night with a boy.

When she reached the nearest stairs, she stopped. Oh my god, I’m such an idiot. I never gave him my phone number or email or anything. What if he wants to call me? She looked back, but the beach was empty. She’d half-hoped he’d still be standing there, like the guys in chick flicks did, watching her walk away.

Get real, Maya. This isn’t a movie. He probably had to get home, too. At least I know I’ll see him tomorrow. Assuming he doesn’t blow me off.

*  *  *

She started to turn around, then paused. Something seemed...wrong. She stared at the place where they’d been standing when they said goodnight, and that’s when she noticed it. Two pairs of footprints led down to the water’s edge.

Only hers led away.

For a moment, she thought she might be losing it. Then the answer came to her.

He must have walked back at the water line, and the waves are covering his footprints. That has to be it. Not like he dove into the water or teleported.

Her thoughts returned to Blake’s smile and his look of happy surprise when she kissed him.

Another tingle ran through her. Gotta get home. For once I have a lot to write in my blog, and it’s all good!

Saturday morning started off badly for Maya, and then grew steadily worse. Her mother woke her up at nine, at least two hours earlier than she’d normally get up, with the news that the upstairs shower had a leak, and she’d have to use the downstairs bathroom.

“You could have left me a note, Mom.” Maya buried her head in her pillows in an attempt to block out the bright September sunshine.

“You never see any of my notes,” Emily Blair said. “I also need you to run to the store today and pick up a few things. I left the list on the kitchen table. I’d do it, but I have to be at the diner early, thanks to Tessa calling in sick again.”

Maya groaned, “I don’t have to come in early too, do I?”

Emily laughed. “No, you can go back to sleep. We’ll see you at five for the dinner shift.”

Except Maya couldn’t get back to sleep after her mother left. It seemed as if every resident of Coronado Bay had decided to take advantage of the unseasonably warm, dry weather and torture her. The strident roars and whines of lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, and even boat horns kept intruding, no matter how tightly Maya held her pillows over her ears. After a half-hour of futility, she gave up and accepted her fate.

I’ll just get everything done early and then take a nap later, she decided. Otherwise, I’ll be dead on my feet tonight.

After slipping into a pair of comfortable shorts and a Boston Red Sox T-shirt, tying her sleep-mussed hair into a quick ponytail, and dabbing on just enough lipstick and makeup so she could go out in public without looking like the walking dead, Maya scarfed a breakfast bar and a glass of juice and headed into town.

As she walked past the museum, she saw a sign on the front door. ”Closed Sat/Sun for repairs. Reopening Monday.“

“That’s weird. I wonder what happened.”

“Some of the shelving in the new exhibit fell down and caused a big mess.”

Maya’s heart jumped into her throat, and she inadvertently performed a clumsy pirouette, turning around and stepping backwards at the same time. Her foot slipped off the curb, and before she realized what was happening, she fell into the road. A car horn blared and she instinctively raised her arms as she saw the oncoming vehicle approaching too fast for her to get out of the way.

As the car bore down on her, a strong hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the sidewalk. The car sped past, a blur of metal and chrome.

“Are you okay?”

Hazel eyes stared at her. She took a deep breath as she recognized the owner of those eyes. It took two more breaths before she found her voice.

“Blake. Oh my God, you saved my life.”

He let go of her arm. “I almost killed you, too. I didn’t mean to startle you like that.”

“It’s not your fault I’ve got two left feet.” Maya rubbed her arm. There’d be bruises there by the afternoon, but at the same time she was sorry he’d let go. “So, what are you up to this morning besides being a hero?”

“I saw you walking up the street and thought I’d come out and say hello. I, um, didn’t have a chance last night to say I enjoyed walking with you.”

The memory of the previous night’s kiss came rushing back, and Maya felt her face grow warm. “I, um, I did, too.” Dumb! Of course you did! You kissed him!

“Good.” He looked down at his feet, then across the street, and anywhere except her face. “Well, I, uh, guess I’ll get let you be on your way.”

He’s going shy on me again. Maya reached out, touched his hand. “I have some errands to run for my mom. If you want, you can tag along. That is, if you’ve got nothing to do,” she added, thinking he might have to help clean up in the museum.

His smile made it seem as if he’d just won the lottery. “Sure. I’ve got all the time in the world.”

“Great.” She slid her hand into his. His fingers curled around hers, his cool flesh the perfect counterpart to the hot sun. “Let’s go shopping.”

*  *  *

An hour later, they stepped out of the Coronado Pharmacy. Maya had everything on her list, but the prospect of returning home and crawling back into bed no longer seemed so important. For the first time in she couldn’t remember how long, she was with a guy she liked, who seemed to like her, and having a good time. She didn’t want it to end.

“Hey, do you want to grab a soda or a slice of pizza?” Knowing Blake’s financial situation, she knew she’d have to pay, but that didn’t matter.

He frowned. “I don’t know. Do you need them?”

She slapped his arm. “You really do have a weird sense of humor. Yes, I feel the need for pizza. At least, my stomach does. C’mon, my treat.”

Blake came to a stop. “You want to get something to eat?”

“Hello? That’s what I’ve been saying.”

A strange look came over Blake’s face. He started to say something, then stopped, and then started again. “Before we spend any more time together, I have to tell you something important.”

Maya felt like groaning, but kept a neutral look on her face. Oh, great. He’s gonna tell me he has a girlfriend. Or he’s gay. I knew this was too good to be true.

“Sure. Let’s sit down over there.” She pointed to a nearby bench beneath a wide, shady oak tree. Once they were seated, he took her hands in his, but couldn’t meet her eyes as he spoke.

“Maya, the truth is, I am not the person you think I am. I’m...I was born in 1891.”

A giggle took shape in Maya’s chest but never made it out, as random puzzle pieces came together in her head.

“You’re not joking, are you?”

He shook his head. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but, well, at first I thought you knew, since you could see me when no one else could, and then, when I realized you didn’t know, I...I didn’t know how to say it.”

“Oh, my God.” Maya’s stomach felt like it might fall right to the sidewalk. She stood up and took a step away from the bench, her body reacting while her brain was still trying to process the idea that Blake was...

“You’re a ghost?” The words came out on their own. Just speaking them sent a shiver through her body.

He nodded, his face as sad as she’d ever seen it. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I should have. It’s just...” he let the words trail off, unable to finish his sentence.

“A ghost. You’re a ghost.” She didn’t know whether to run away or to sit down again.

Blake stared at her, and she wondered how she could have not noticed he wasn’t a real person.

“It all makes sense now. The appearing and vanishing. The way your footprints disappeared on the beach after I walked away. Unreal. I can’t believe my bad luck.”

Blake chewed his lip and looked at the ground, reminding her of a frightened puppy who’s afraid of being punished. She immediately wished she’d kept her thoughts to herself. He obviously felt bad already, and she’d gone and made it worse.

Okay, so he’s a ghost. You already know one ghost, and how many times have you wondered why you hadn’t seen others? Well, now you have. So stop acting like a jerk.

The whole idea of his being part of the spirit world still had her a bit freaked, but she felt like she might be able to handle it.

Maya placed a hand on his arm, aware now of why he felt so cold. Once she thought about it, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t figured it out on her own.

Way to go, Captain Oblivious.

“Blake, it’s okay. I didn’t mean it was bad luck to meet you. It’s just that...you’re so nice, it sucks that you’re not alive. I wanted to introduce you to my friends. But they won’t able to see you.”

He looked up, the puppy-dog expression lessened but not gone. “But somehow you can see me.”

“Yeah. I’ve been able to see ghosts since I was a little girl. I can hear them and feel them, too.”

“That’s not all you can do,” Blake said. “Even when I’m standing near you, my form becomes solid. The closer we are, the more real I become. When I met you in the museum, it was the first time in over a hundred years I was able to touch, to feel.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s part of my ability, or whatever you want to call it.”

“So you have communicated with other spirits?”

Maya gave a wry smile. “Until now, only one. My grandmother. She died when I was little and started visiting me not long after that. It scared me at first, but I got used to it real quick.”

Another thought came to her. “Grandma Elsa told me ghosts usually manifest close to where they died. But I’ve never seen you around, not until that day at the museum. Where did you come from?”

“I died on the Black Lady when she went down in Coronado Bay. We were on our way to Boston.”

“But that was over a hundred years ago. You mean...you were down in the ocean all that time, until they salvaged the ship?” Maya shuddered. She had a touch of claustrophobia, and the thought of being trapped in darkness for an eternity...

“Yes. But time passes differently when you...when you’re dead. It’s only been since they brought the ship up and took the pieces to the museum that I’ve begun to notice the days and nights again.”

“That’s so awful. I can’t even stand being stuck in an elevator for very long. I’d have probably gone crazy decades ago.”

A strange look passed across Blake’s face, something darker than his usual brooding stare. “Some did, I’m afraid.”

She wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but just then her stomach gave a loud growl.

“You’re very hungry.”

“Yeah. C’mon, I still want that pizza. Let’s go. We can talk and eat at the same time.”

As they headed down the sidewalk, Blake suddenly pointed ahead.

“What’s going on over there?”

Diagonally across Main Street from the Pharmacy, where Rollo’s Pizza shared a parking lot with a bank, the Grocery Mart, a video store, and Coronado Bay’s only Chinese take-out, a group of teenagers stood in front of the Grocery Mart, holding signs and passing out pamphlets to shoppers.

“Those are kids from my school,” Maya said, recognizing both the signs and most of the faces. “They’re part of Virgin-a-Teens.”

“What’s that?” he asked, as they crossed over to the parking lot.

“It’s a nationwide group of teenagers who are, well, they promote...” Maya paused, feeling an uncomfortable heat rising up her neck and into her cheeks. How was she supposed to bring up sex with a boy she hardly knew, but who triggered the same urges in her the Virgin-a-Teens advocated against.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.” Get your act together, girl! You’re not asking him to jump your bones. That image didn’t help, and Maya rushed through the rest of her explanation as fast as she could.

“They try to convince teenagers to wait until marriage before having sex.”

“Oh. Isn’t that what a good girl should do anyhow? Why do they need to be told?”

Maya stopped walking. “A good girl? Wow, you really are from a different century, aren’t you?”

He tilted his head and frowned. “Are things really so dissimilar now? Do most girls give up their virginity easily in this time? Are you still a virgin?”

“That’s none of your business!” Seeing the hurt look on Blake’s face, Maya softened her tone. “Look, it’s not polite to ask someone, especially a girl, a question like that. I--”

“Hey, Blair! You gonna go hand out flyers with the other prudes?”

“Yeah, where’s your sign?”

Maya gave a soft groan. Walking towards them were Mary Ellen Gordon and another cheerleader, Kelli Pasternak. Maya hadn’t noticed them approaching, or she’d have guided Blake down another row. Now it was too late to avoid a confrontation.

“Who’s the new guy, Maya? Does Stuart know about him?”

Before Maya could respond, the two cheerleaders slid into Mary Ellen’s sporty new convertible and pulled out of the parking spot with a squeal of tires that made Blake jump. As they drove past, Mary Ellen flipped up her middle finger and shouted, “Smell ya later, loser!”

Staring after the receding car, Blake said, “I would guess those girls are not friends of yours.”

“No, they’re not.” Maya shook her head. “And you can probably guess from their big mouths that the answer to your other question is yes, I’m a virgin. But I’m not all hung up about it or anything. I mean, if the right guy came along, someone I loved, I wouldn’t wait for marriage, you know?”

Blake took her hand and smiled. “Don’t let it upset you, Maya. I think it’s a good thing.”

“You do?”

“Yes. A girl’s virtue is her most important asset.”

Maya let out a burst of surprised laughter. “Wow, that’s a classic. You’ll have to tell my friend Lucy that one. She’ll argue all night with you that a woman deserves to have the same fun as a man.”

“In my time, we had a name for girls like that. We called them whores.”

“Whoa! Don’t say that to Lucy or you might find a size six shoe in your butt.”

“I’ll try to remember that. Tell me, are those the pizzas you spoke of?” He pointed at the window of Rollo’s Pizza, where several varieties of pizza and calzones sat in the display case.

“Sure are. Best pizza in town. The only pizza in town, too. C’mon, you’ll love it.”

“Wait.” He placed a hand on her arm. “It’s food.”

“Of course it is. What did you think it was?”

His eyes took on a sad cast. “Maya, I can’t eat, remember? I’m a spirit.”

“Yeah, but when you’re with me, you’re solid. So you should be able to eat.”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way. I’m solid now, but as soon as you move away from me, my body...transforms back to its natural state. And anything inside me...”

It took her a moment to catch on. “Oh. It’ll like, fall out, right?”

“Yes. When I’m with you, I can feel and smell, perhaps even taste, but I cannot eat or drink.”

For several seconds, neither of them spoke. The early afternoon sun beat down, the last vestige of a summer too stubborn to say goodbye. The sounds of the seagulls overhead, the chanting of the students, the roar of cars passing on Main Street all seemed suddenly too normal to Maya, as if they were the things out of place, not the ghost standing next to her.

Determined not to let a small detail ruin their day, she took him by the hand and led him away from the restaurant. “Well, then we don’t have to eat pizza. How about if you walk me home instead?”