The Ghost in Room 11 (5 page)

But Matthew couldn't stop. “I'm telling the truth!” he roared. “I am. And I saw the ghost again! I saw her yesterday afternoon. I thought it was Mrs. Sanders standing next to my desk, but it was Miss Whipple. I saw her, and I
heard
her. She pointed to my paper and she said, ‘Shocking!' She was mad at me.”

“So am I!” Mr. Beasley bellowed. His face was tomato-red. “Matthew Barber, you sit down right now!”

11

Trouble at Home

“You're going to do
what?
” Matt's mother stopped in the middle of the patio and stared at Matt and Merry Monahan. She had come home early and greeted their guest with a big smile. The smile was gone now.

“We're going to have a ghost hunt,” Miss Monahan repeated gaily. “Tonight. At the school.”

“But that's nonsense!” Matt's mother exclaimed.

Matt shrank back in his chair.

“It was just a big fuss-and-feathers.” Miss Monahan giggled. “Matthew said he's seen a ghost in the school, and that upset Mr. Beasley.”

“I should think so!” Matt's mother sat down.

“It was all my fault,” Miss Monahan went on. “I argued with Matthew in front of his classmates, and the children got excited, so I tried to think of something that would satisfy everybody and I suggested—”

“A ghost hunt.” Matt's mother shook her head.

“It'll be an adventure,” Miss Monahan said bravely. “If we don't see a ghost, Matthew and everyone else can forget the whole thing. If we do see a ghost—” she grinned at Matt “—I'll admit that Matthew was right and I was wrong.”

“I can't believe Mr. Beasley would agree to such a thing,” Matt's mother said.

“He didn't have much choice, I guess,” Miss Monahan said. “When I suggested it, the kids started cheering, and the only way to calm them down was to agree. It's just for fun,” she added. “No harm done.”

“But it encourages Matthew to lie,” his mother said.

“I didn't lie,” Matt said softly. He hated grownups' arguments, especially when they were arguing about him. It was a relief to hear footsteps around the side of the house. A moment later, his father came out on the patio.

“Good to have you here,” he said, after he and Merry Monahan had been introduced. “I bet you two have been having a great time talking over your school days.”

Matt's mother stood up. “We've been talking about Matt's school days, not ours,” she said crisply. “And I don't much like what I hear. I think I'll go inside and get dinner on the table.” She hurried away.

“We're in trouble,” Miss Monahan said.

Matt's dad nodded. “I can see that.”

He listened while Merry Monahan explained again about the ghost hunt.

“What do you say, Matt?” his dad asked, when she'd finished. “If you don't see a ghost tonight, will you admit it was a good story and that's all it was?”

Matt twisted a button on the arm of his chair. He wanted to prove he was telling the truth, but maybe Miss Monahan's ghost hunt wasn't the right way to do it. The ghost might not show up, if anyone but Matt was there.

“It wasn't just a good story. It really happened,” Matt said, for what seemed like the millionth time.

His dad sighed.

“Dinner's ready,” his mom called through the kitchen window. “Wash your hands, Matthew.”

Her voice was cheery now, but Matt knew she was still angry. There was only one thing that would make her feel better, and that wasn't likely to happen. She would have to see Miss Whipple herself.

12

The Ghost Hunt

Mr. Beasley was just pulling into his special parking place when Matt and Merry Monahan started across the playground. Miss Monahan carried a flashlight that sent a bobbing yellow light ahead of them.

“There's a whole bunch of kids at the door,” Matt said unhappily. “It was supposed to be just Charlie and Stephanie.”

“They are the only ones who'll go inside with us,” Miss Monahan said. “You can't blame the others for wanting to get in on the fun.”

Matt didn't answer. The ghost hunt was feeling less fun every step he took.

By the time he and Merry Monahan reached the school's door, Mr. Beasley had shooed away everyone but Stephanie and Charlie. He unlocked the door.

“You know I don't approve of this,” he said stiffly. “I hope that after tonight we won't hear any more about this ghost business.”

“I don't think you will.” Miss Monahan smiled at him. “We'll report in the morning.”

Mr. Beasley nodded and left them standing just inside the door. Matt watched him march back to his car and wished he were leaving, too.

“Well, Matthew,” Miss Monahan said in a low voice. “You're the boss. What do you want us to do?”

Matt looked down the hallway. Two dim lights had been left on between the front door and Room 11. The rest of the hall was filled with shadows.

“You'd better stay here,” he said. “Miss Whipple might not come if she sees other people around.”

“Suits me,” Charlie said promptly. Stephanie, standing close to Miss Monahan, looked relieved.

“I'll walk down the hall,” Matt said. “Maybe she'll appear right away, and you'll all see her. If she doesn't—” he had to force himself to say the words “—I'll wait at the end of the hall until I see her.”

Charlie shuddered and Stephanie whispered, “Good luck!” She and Charlie hid just inside a classroom, where they could peek around the door frame. Miss Monahan stood in the entrance to the principal's office.

Matt walked stiffly, his fists clenched. He didn't know what to hope for. He never wanted to see Miss Whipple again. Not ever! But if she didn't show herself tonight, everyone would think he was a liar.

If she comes, I'm going to ask her why she's picking on me
, he told himself. And then he felt dizzy at the thought of talking to a ghost!

Halfway down the hall, he stopped.
Come out now
, he begged silently.
Don't make me get any closer
.

The hall remained empty. He started walking again.
Now
, he thought.
Now. Now. Now
. But the silvery cloud did not appear.

Just before he reached the door to Room 11, Matt stopped once more. He couldn't make himself look through the glass panes in the door. He couldn't bear it if Miss Whipple were waiting again on the other side of the glass. Besides, what good would it do if he were the only one who saw her? She
had
to come out in the hall.

For what seemed a very long time, Matt stood there, close to the door, still as a statue. His chest ached. He felt sweaty and cold at the same time.

“Matthew!”

Matt gave a squeal of terror before he realized it was only Merry Monahan who was calling him.

“Come on back, Matthew. Nothing's going to happen.”

As soon as she said it, Matt knew she was right. Miss Whipple was angry. She wouldn't help him by letting herself be seen for even one second. He turned and walked back to where the other ghost hunters were waiting.

“Don't look like that, Matthew,” Miss Monahan said. “It isn't the end of the world. We all know you
thought
you saw a ghost. And we've had an adventure, haven't we?”

For once, Charlie didn't tease. “I don't think there is a ghost,” he said. “But I wouldn't have walked down there by myself, that's for sure.”

“Let's go home,” Stephanie said.

Charlie pushed open the heavy door and they filed out into the moonlight. Matt didn't know what to say. He wished he'd taken his parents' advice and written a story about what it was like to be the new kid in school.

Angrily, he pushed a swing as he went by, and then almost fell as his jacket sleeve caught on a chain. When he straightened up he was facing the school.

Miss Whipple stood at the front door in a pool of silvery light.

“Look!” Matt shouted. “Hey, look! There she is!”

The other ghost hunters whirled around and stared. The doorway was dark.

“Oh, Matt, stop acting silly!” Stephanie exclaimed. She sounded as if she was tired of him and his ghost.

“She was right there,” Matt insisted. He stared at the empty doorway. Good old Miss Whipple! She'd come back just long enough to help him lose the only friend he had in Healy Elementary!

13

Bad Days Ahead

“Attention! Attention, students!”

Mr. Beasley stood in front of the office loudspeaker with Merry Monahan and Matt behind him.

“Miss Monahan is here to report on last night's so-called ghost hunt here in our school.” Mr. Beasley sounded happier, now that the ghost hunt had failed.

Miss Monahan moved up to the microphone and smiled kindly at Matt.

“Matthew and Stephanie and Charlie and I had an adventure,” she said. “We didn't see the ghost, but we all thought Matt was very brave when he went looking for her. We shivered and shook because his story had made her seem real. I want to congratulate him again on his terrific imagination. I'll see all of you next week, when I come back to sign books at your Book Fair. Bye!”

Matt's face burned. Now all the students thought they knew the truth. Matt Barber made up stories and pretended they were true.

“You may go now, Matthew,” Mr. Beasley said. “I trust we won't hear any more about your ghost.”

“No, sir.” Matt said good-bye to Merry Monahan and walked slowly back to his room. Of course he wouldn't talk about the ghost again. How could he? But he knew his classmates would have plenty to say.

The next few days were as bad as he'd expected. Jason dropped a picture on his desk of a boy with his hair standing up straight as a tall, skinny ghost sneaked up behind him. Kids snickered and shouted “Boo!” at him on the playground. Stephanie said “Hi,” every morning but didn't look at him when she said it.

Only Charlie was a surprise. He didn't talk to Matt, but he didn't make fun of him, either. Matt remembered that Charlie had said he wouldn't have walked down the hall to Room 11 by himself. Maybe that was why he was keeping quiet now.

“Matthew, quit moping,” Mrs. Sanders said one morning in a soft voice. “Forget about your ghost story and work hard. That's what you're in school for.” She must have called his parents again, because that night he got advice from them, too.

“I'm sorry you're having a bad time at school, Matthew,” his mother said. “But you really did bring it on yourself, didn't you? From now on, don't forget what's real and what isn't.”

“Just laugh it off, Matt,” his father said. “A month from now, nobody will remember.”

A month! A month was forever! He told himself there must be a way to prove the ghost was real. If he knew why she haunted him, maybe he could figure out a way to make her show up when other people were around.

He had to talk to her. He thought about that in bed and pulled the covers up over his head. He thought about it at school and got all the words wrong on that day's spelling test.

I'll have to hide in the basement again and wait for everyone to go home
. Just the thought of it gave him goose bumps. But it was the only way.

14

“I'll Haunt You Forever!”

This time there were no gerbils. Matt sat on a box and tried to tell himself he wasn't as frightened as he'd been the first time he hid in the closet. It was no use. The first time he hadn't really believed there was a ghost in Healy Elementary. Now he knew there was.

He opened the door a crack and squinted at his watch in the faint light from the stairwell. Only half an hour had passed since he'd slipped out of line and sneaked down the steps. He made his way back to the box.

He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what he'd be doing if he were back in Milwaukee. Playing ball at the park, probably. He'd told Charlie that he went swimming in the school pool every afternoon, but there was no pool. Matt groaned. He'd told so many stories since he started at Healy Elementary that he couldn't remember them all. It wasn't so surprising that now, when he really
needed
someone to believe him, no one would.

After another long wait, he opened the door again. His watch said five o'clock. He tiptoed to the foot of the stairs and listened. There wasn't a sound.

He started up the stairs on tiptoe. At the top, he looked quickly up and down the hall. Room 11 seemed very far away.

Get going!
he ordered himself. He started down the center of the hall. In his favorite western movie, the hero walked alone like this, down the middle of a street, to meet the killer. But Matt didn't feel like a hero. He was terrified.

When he reached the door to Room 11 he took a deep breath and peeked through the glass. Miss Whipple wasn't there! Matt was relieved and sorry at the same time. If she wasn't in Room 11, he didn't know where else to look.