44 Goosebumps School Fails and Mabel Gets Schooled

Daisy exited the bathroom, her face covered in a cream. Mabel said, "Daisy." Daisy stopped. "Daisy, can we talk?"

"Sure Mabel." She put one hand on her hip.

Mabel looked back over her shoulder. Tommy was in the living room reading another book of spooky tales from whatever. She lowered her voice. "I wanted to talk about those books that Mason brought back from the library this morning."

Daisy looked over Mabel's shoulder into the living room where Tommy was sitting on the couch and talking to his imaginary friend. "What's wrong?"

"Well." She looked back. She had gotten more or less used to the imaginary friend, who Tommy seemed to regard as not so much imaginary as a ghost that Mabel couldn't see - a distinction without much difference. "Well, do you think…it's a good idea to encourage his…belief in…that stuff with these kinds of books?"

"What kind of books did Mason bring home?" Mabel could see her brow furrow all the way through the cream. She started to move toward the living room.

Mabel put her hand up. "I'm talking about the spooky ghost story books. I mean. He never stops with this idea of his that there are ghosts here…like his friend…what's his name?"

"Ray. You mean Ray?"

"Yes. He calls him Ray. Mason brought home a stack of these ghost story books."

"Mabel." Daisy walked over to the hall linen closet and pulled out a fresh hand towel. "Mabel." She smiled. "It's OK. I don't think it will hurt him at all. It's a phase that's all. Many boys believe in ghosts. When I was a little girl I believed in ghosts."

She smiled, reentered the bathroom, and closed the door. Mabel knew Daisy might not exit for a while, a long while. She looked back at Tommy. He was watching her now. OK.

.

.

"Mabel. This story is stupid."

Mabel stopped reading and put the book down on her lap. Even though these stories weren't good for Tommy, she often found herself getting into the story. In this story the people in the house were edgy and nervous because the ghosts were moving things around…making ghosts sounds…like shaking chains and knocking things over…and it was a bit predictable, but it was better than some… Anyway. "OK, Tommy, why is this story stupid?"

"Ghosts can't move things like that."

"Well. In this story they can. Sometimes the writer makes up his own ghosts for his story and…"

"Mabel. It's too unreal. Ghosts can't do any of those things."

Let's see where his imagination takes him. "OK, Tommy. If you were writing this story, what would your ghosts do?" She paused. "What does Ray do? Is Ray here now?"

"No. I think he's with Aunt George right now."

"Oh. And what would Aunt George and Ray be off doing together?"

"I'm not sure. But…Aunt George…I heard Mason say something about a bug up her…"

"Tommy. Let's not say bad things."

Tommy started to redden up a bit, but recovered. "Well, Aunt George wants to….wants ghosts to go away." Tommy looked from side to side. Interesting because when Ray was here he consistently looks at one place. Now he seemed to be deflecting. "Let's keep going."

"OK, Tommy. If George wants ghosts to go away, then why would she be with Ray? Isn't he a ghost?"

He seemed a bit exasperated with her. "Mabel. Of course Ray's a ghost but he's on our team now."

"Yes. Yes. I remember you told me that. Ray was on the bad guy team, but now he's on the good guy team."

"Yes. He used to be a bad guy. He was one of the guys that killed my parents."

Mabel had heard this before. She couldn't believe it and found it deeply disturbing. Her uncle was right about getting him away from here. Tommy's imagination had gone off into some seriously unhealthy directions. "And now he stays with you all the time. Except that right now he's off with Aunt George making ghosts go away."

"Yeah. That's right."

"Great. So if Ray were here. What would he do? What does he do with you?"

"Well. He reads that Bible over there on that stand. I turn the pages for him."

"OK. You've said that before. I've seen you turn pages for him. That's something Ray does, but not other ghosts."

"Yeah, Ray wants to find redemption. And then he reads to me and helps me read. Like you do."

"And that's why you've gotten so good at reading?"

"Yeah, I think so. And most fun is when he makes me fly."

"Makes you fly?"

"Yeah, he picks me up and carries me through the air like a plane."

"But…didn't you say ghosts couldn't move things?"

"Mabel. They can't move things, but they can move me."

"Oh. Of course. Can they make me fly?"

"Of course not."

"But they can you. And no one else?"

"Well, they could move Uncle John."

Mabel pondered this and asked, "So…not me, but you….and Uncle John. What about Daisy and Mason?"

Tommy's brow furrowed up. He scratched his head. "I don't know, Mabel. That's a really good question."

He seemed so lost in thought about this. "What about Aunt George?"

"I think ghosts are too afraid."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"I think they would be too afraid, especially of Aunt George."

She considered this. "Are they afraid of me?"

He laughed. "You're not…" He stopped whatever nugget he was about to communicate.

"Go ahead. I'm not…what?"

"Ahhh. Mabel. You're just not scary enough." He smiled. "OK. Let's find out what these pretend ghosts are going to do next."

He was looking at the text ignoring her deliberately. She studied him. He was a smart little kid. He had problems - these ghosts were just the most obvious. Home invasion. His parents murdered. He was shot at and it's a miracle he survived. He felt her watching him and looked up meeting her eyes, and he smiled. "Don't you want to find out what happens?"

She decided to let it go. This kids' ghost story wouldn't keep her up and probably not him either what with all he's been through.