Krysta's Curse Read Free Page A

like Bryon
to like a short, frizzy-haired girl was a long shot, but I had a
right to dream. Besides, we had a lot in common. He had good taste
in clothes, and I heard he lived with his dad, just like me.
    “What if your friends show up while you’re
studying?”
    AJ’s question brought me back to reality.
What if they did show up? If I told them to go away, Bryon would
think I was insane for talking to myself. So what if I told him the
truth? He’d think I was insane for having ghost friends. Either
way, I was screwed.

Chapter Three
    “Holy crap!”
Nearly jumping off the toilet, I threw down my Cosmo at the sight of the two
dead people hovering above me. “Can’t a girl get a little
privacy?”
    Ed nudged Gertrude before pointing at me.
“This one’s got a mouth on her.”
    Gertrude planted hands on her hips, her eyes
taking on a supernatural glow. “Nothin’ a good bar of lye soap
won’t fix.”
    “It’s not my fault you scared me.” Hastily
wiping, I jerked up my pants.
    Snickering, Ed shook his head. “You said
youz used ta dead folk.”
    Feeling the heat rising in my cheeks, I
flipped my hair behind my shoulder, trying to forget my total
embarrassment. “Not when I’m on the toilet.”
    “Sorry, miss.” Ed’s smile quickly faded.
“But this couldn’t wait.”
    “Yep.” Gertrude moaned. “We got some
terrible news.”
    “Look.” I blew out a breath, mentally
counting to three. How could I put it nicely that I really didn’t
care? I had my own problems. “Tonight’s kind of bad. You see, I’ve
got this hot guy coming over and—”
    “A parking lot.” Ed’s deep voice bellowed,
rattling the cosmetics I’d laid out on the sink. Creepy. The action
reminded me of how ghosts could make things fly across the room,
even though their spirits weren’t solid.
    An eerie tremor shot through my insides and
that familiar chill raced up my spine. “What?” I choked out through
a shiver.
    “You know.” Ed threw up his arms. “Where you
pen those motor cars.”
    How could I be creeped out by this guy? He
was too dorky. “Look,” I sighed, “I know what a parking lot
is.”
    “Did ya know that’s what they’re puttin’ on
us?” He shot his fist in the air. “Right next ta that big tradin’
post.”
    I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “It’s
called a mall.”
    “I don’t give a damn what you call it.” Ed
fumed. “They got no right tearin’ up my tombstone.”
    Once again, his voice shook the room. Only
this time, my eye shadow shattered on the floor.
    “Now, Ed, don’t go breakin’ all her face
paints.” Gertrude scolded.
    I bent over, scraping up what was left of
the makeup that cost me two weeks babysitting money. My turn to get
mad! “I’m really sorry, but this isn’t my problem,” I spat.
    “Ain’t your problem!” Ed’s scream rattled
the walls so hard the medicine cabinet on the wall flew open,
spilling the contents into the sink.
    “I can’t stop that mall. I’m only fourteen,”
I raged. Was this lunatic determined to break everything in my
bathroom?
    “Hogwash!” Ed thrust a fist into the
air.
    “I was already married when I was your age.”
Gertrude laughed.
    “Well, things have changed, thank God, so
could you please leave? My study partner is coming over and I
really don’t want him to know I talk to dead people.”
    Grabbing a grocery bag from under the sink,
I quickly scooped in the contents from the medicine cabinet.
    Totally absorbed in getting my bathroom
clean before Bryon came over, I had momentarily forgotten the
annoying dead people behind me.
    Then Ed loudly cleared his throat, although
what he was clearing I didn’t know. After all, he didn’t have real
lungs anymore.
    “S’pose we don’t leave.” Ed clung to each
word slowly, as if he enjoyed the flavor of each syllable.
    He couldn’t be serious! Turning to the
ghosts, I felt my jaw twitch in annoyance at their silly grins.
“Excuse me?”
    “Seein’ how we got booted from