I laughed. “Let’s think of something else—I’d rather keep you all away from creepy old amusement parks and haunted mansions.”

“Speaking of creepy amusement parks,” Gage enthused, “there’s that old one up 84 that shut down a few years ago.”

Roxi perked up even more—if that was possible. “And there’s an old abandoned house across town that everyone says is haunted.”

“Tell me you’re joking,” I demanded, gaping at them. “You’re not serious?”

They all started laughing, and I let out the breath I’d been holding. For once, I didn’t mind being the butt of the joke.

Underneath the table Ben took my hand in his. Around us the others were tossing out different haunted locations all over the state and talking about which ones we should visit first. Their laughter made me smile. Even Wren was laughing.

“You know,” Ben said, his voice low, “my house isn’t haunted at all. I know for a fact that my room is a ghost-free zone. Maybe you’d like to come over later?”

My stomach fluttered. “I’d like that, yeah.”

His fingers tightened around mine.

“Oh, there’s that old boys’ school near Bridgeport,” Roxi said. “We should go there.”

“What’s so special about it?” Gage asked. “People have seen ghosts, but I’ve never heard of anything bad happening there.”

“Exactly,” she said. “There might be a nice boy there for Wren.”

I looked at my sister. She was staring at Roxi, and looking as though she might cry.

“Yeah,” I said, smiling as Wren met my gaze. “The boys’ school sounds good.”

Then we all started making plans for the trip, and for the first time that I could remember, I didn’t mind being a freak.

I didn’t mind at all.