The engine on the Pig rattled and coughed in protest at being forced to drive in such heat, but Gansey effortless ignored it, used to the temper of the car. He had sunglasses on, obnoxiously expensive ones, although the well-used marks on them stopped Blue from making a comment. Instead, she lounged in the passenger seat. Although her toes were being fried to a crisp, she felt smug that she had called shotgun.

Ronan wasn't so smug. Even so, he stretched out on the back seat, staring outside at the too-bright scenery. It was becoming clear that they weren't near their usually side of town. The streets were dirtier and the scenery was dustier. Ronan couldn't imagine the people who lived here sitting at Nino's, laughing under too-bright lights. They'd be washed out until they were merely ghosts. A woman was walking along the path beside them, and Blue started slightly at the sight of her. She placed a startled hand on Gansey's, which clutched the gearstick, and he caused the car to come to a jittery halt. The Pig didn't like it much, not that Blue noticed as she lept out.

"Persephone?" She almost sounded confused as she approached the woman. Ronan studied her catiously, taking in... all of her. She was a lot to take in, with her cloud of hair and frothy dress (which was a beautifully hideous neon green with bees on), dark eyes mirroring the world around her. Her head turned to see Blue, a hardly-there smile forming as she saw her friend's daughter.

" Blue! Oh, hello, whatever are you doing here?" Persephone blinked at Blue in shock.

"I'm helping Gansey ghost-hunt. I left a note."

"Oh. So you did," came the faint reply. It was like the woman wasn't actually there. Gansey smiled a little at how casual Blue was in leaving a note about something so not casual, having to catch himself before he looked too dopey.

" You never answered me," Blue said after a short, awkward pause. Persephone lit up at that, smiling.

"I didn't? Oh! I'm following the Ley Line! Maura said I had to take a break from my thesis so... this seemed fun!" Her hair was easily swung about by the vague wind, her dress following too. It was like she was from another planet, where everything was windier.

Blue took this explanation, though, nodding with a sigh. She bid Persephone goodbye- after making sure her phone was charged, just in case- and got back in the Pig. They drove again, the silence markedly tense until Blue broke it all of a sudden.

"I don't know why she was... something's happening. Is it the ghost?" She spoke suddenly, her words tumbling out with the force of a hard gust of wind.

"Maybe... look, we can do this, Jane. It's okay," Gansey reassured her. Despite her proclaimed hatred of the nickname, Blue found herself smiling slightly, feeling better than before.

Ronan wanted to barf. He thought ghost hunting would involve more blood and less... romance.

Ironic.

Soon, the faded shops were left behind as the Pig rattled along the dusty roads. Gansey slowly came to a stop alongside the road. In the distance, there was a hint of a trailer park. Just ahead of the car, bright yellow tape was strung up, a tent on top of the ground, presumingly to stop anyone seeing. Thanks to the lack of interest and shits given- so different to the diligence from where Gansey grew up- the body was simply covered as a 'temporary option'. It worked out well for the newby ghost-hunters though.

As soon as the Pig reluctantly fell silent, the trio climbed out, Ronan pressing his knees into the drivers seat until Gansey got out so Ronan could. The car was locked and they all walked over to where the tent was hastily pegged to the dry grass. A gust of sharp, cold wind stabbed into their skins like daggers, unusual in the sweltering summer day. Looks were exchanged, before they, one by one, ducked under the tape. Gansey held it up for Blue. Ronan didn't get such a courtesy, and he was tempted to rip it down. Once in the little area, Gansey intook a deep breath for courage, and pulled the tent flap open.

The first thing they noticed was the cold. It was like winter again, the ice invading them, crawling under their skins.

The second thing they noticed was the body. It looked asleep almost, curled up in a shabby school jacket, legs stuck in a bicycle position. He had dusty hair that matched the ground he lay on, and long eyelashes that spread across his peachy skin. He seemed far too alive for a corpse. It was as if he would awaken any moment, limbs stretching, climb on the cycle that lay a few feet away, and leave. Yet, he didn't, he lay there with his pink skin and no heartbeat and impossibly laid there, dead.

Gansey let out a long, low whistle. " He looks... alive," he said what was on everyones minds without even thinking. Part of him wanted to touch him, but it felt wrong. So, Ronan did it. He knelt beside the body, and carefully moved his hand so it was palm-up. Gansey was almost shocked with how respectful Ronan was acting as he pressed two fingers against his milky wrist. Nothing.

"Definitely dead," Ronan said as he stood back up. He wanted to do something, it felt wrong letting the boy lay there like that.

"So, his ghost, how would we..." Blue hesitated, looking at the body. She decided to not count that as her first dead body as he looked too asleep.

"We... we ask?" Gansey suggested shakily, but Ronan set a hand on his elbow.

"We don't fuck about with spirits. Demons. Whatever. We do it properly, yeah? Maybe we should... practise on a less mysterious ghost before trying this one?" However much Ronan hated putting stuff like this off- stuff that ate at his mind- he knew how easily this could go wrong.

Blue already was leaving.

"We gotta get out of here. It's creeping me out. Look, I found another lead, a more docile ghost. We can get his advice?" She suggested to placate the slightly upset Ronan, hopping from one foot to the other. Gansey nodded in agreement with her, hurrying back to the car. Death had interested him, especially death so close to sleep, but he knew that advice was certainly the logical way to go about it.

Ronan peeled his jacket off, a rough black one, and oh-so-gently laid it over Adam, just under his neck. Although it was hot, he looked so cold, he felt it was right to do something. He almost covered his face but every instinct in his body screamed against it.

He went back out to get in the car with the pair in the front. Ronan found himself thinking about that sleeping corpse the entire ride back, not even realising when Blue did a less than flattering impression of him. Gansey was worried, never having seen his friend so undone, not since Niall.

Ronan's thoughts were just thoughts, until he fell asleep that night.