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“Dude!” Emcee exclaimed. “That’s from tonight! I wonder if they’re still here?”

A bunch of others scrambled with him, running up the stairs and outside.

The news then shifted to an image of a giant factory as the news anchor was saying, “The outage also hit the headquarters of a security system known as the⁠—”

They continued to talk as Lee sat beside me, lifting one of my legs and pulling me so I was half on Cassian and half on him. He leaned in close. “That’s the security system that your school uses. That’s in a major city.”

A second later, Cassian jerked upright. “Holy fuck! That’s—” He looked around, lowering his voice. “Noah and Benji.” He looked around to find where Ethan was sitting, who was watching the news with another odd look on his face. Rebecca sat almost primly next to him, smiling at him.

Cassian’s eyes bulged out. “That’s them scrubbing the footage of Eli.” Ethan.

I smothered a sudden laugh because this wasn’t the first time Cassian forgot Ethan’s name.

Lee relaxed against the couch, one of his hands touching my leg as he reached around for some popcorn. “Let’s not let this go to Noah’s head. Please?”

Poof!

“But, no. I think it should because I am the one who saved the day after all.” Noah appeared, bragging, as he walked toward us with his arms spread out. “Please. Tell me how great I am. I know I am.”

Lee fixed him with a scathing look, lowering his voice. “And so humble at the same time.”

Noah snorted. “Says the necromancer who had to ask a ghost and a poltergeist for help. You’re welcome, by the way.”

Cassian’s eyebrows furrowed down. He was observing both Lee and me. “Fucking Noah,” he griped, relaxing back. “I have a thing or two to say to him.”

Noah’s laugh was mocking. “Like he didn’t already try.” He rolled his eyes before looking around with a more genuine smile. “This is nice. They’re throwing you a birthday party?”

“What?” Lee jerked upright, staring right at where Noah was standing.

Where no one was standing that anyone else could see.

Lee didn’t care. He pivoted to me. “It’s your birthday?”

“What?” Cassian snapped too.

Nimrod cried out, “Oh man.” He stood up, looking where Noah was standing and back to Lee and Cassian, and back again to where Noah was standing. “Don’t tell me the little ghost dude is back?”

All three of us looked at him.

No one said a word.

Nimrod turned around again. “He’s totally back, isn’t he?”

“Who are you talking about?” someone asked.

Nimrod announced to the room, “Guys. Not to alarm anyone here, but you all should know. We have a poltergeist at our school.”