Read The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw Online
Authors: Suzy Turner
The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw (31 page)
Nobody said anything for a while but they were all thinking the same thing. Scott was being left behind and they were really going to miss each other.
'S...so,' he stuttered, 'Just one day left.' His voice cracked slightly and he looked away from them, embarrassed.
'Will you come and visit, Scott?' Emma asked quietly, picking up a stone and flicking it over the edge.
Lana sniffed loudly.
'If I can get time off, I will. I promise.'
'I still can't believe you're going to be working full time on the Nutters farm,' Lana said, sniffing again.
'I never was cut out for college. I much prefer to be outdoors working, always have. You know that.'
'But on a farm?' she almost shrieked, shuddering at the thought, making him laugh.
'I really enjoyed doing the work experience there... it's hard to believe they actually offered me a job.'
Emma turned to face him, 'It's not hard to believe at all, Scott. You've always been a really hard worker. You could get a job anywhere... anywhere you wanted. And you're just so... you know... likeable,' she said, blushing as Lana agreed, nodding avidly.
'You think?' he asked, his cheeks turning pink. 'Thanks.'
After they were silent for a few more minutes, he opened his mouth to say something but then shut it again. He tried again but then stopped and sighed.
'What?' Lana asked.
'I've been trying to work out what happened before you left, you know? The...the... ghost? And you... jumping off the cliff. I know you've been avoiding my questions. I just want the truth.'
Lana was reminded of Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, 'The Truth? You want the truth? You can't handle the truth.' But she kept her mouth shut and looked at Emma whose pink cheeks burned as she gulped.
'There's nothing to tell,' Lana said totally unconvincingly.
'Really? You expect me to believe that? You're my best friends, we've never kept secrets before. Why start now?'
Lana let her head fall backwards, and she looked up at the intense blue of the sky, sighing loudly, not knowing what to do.
'Scott, we can't tell you,' Emma whispered. 'I'm sorry.'
He shook his head, looking out at the sea, before biting his bottom lip. 'Can't or won't?'
'Both, Scott. Look, it's for your own good. Honestly.'
'I don't believe this,' he said scrambling to his feet, stumbling backwards. 'Look, I'm going home. Tell your Mum I'm sorry I can't stay for dinner after all. Good luck in London.'
The girls sat still, Lana putting her head on her knees while Emma lay back onto the dirt, looking up at the sky.
'Well, that went well,' Lana sighed. 'Now what are we supposed to do?'
'Nothing we can do. We promised we wouldn't tell a soul and that includes Scott.'
'But he's our best friend. It hurts to keep secrets from him,' she said, wiping her eyes.
'Are you crying, Lana?' asked Emma who sat up and searched her sister's face.
'No,' she croaked.
Emma put her arm across her shoulders, 'Well I never,' she said, smiling slightly. 'I never thought I'd see the day.'
Lana shook her head and smiled at her, 'Oh shut up.'
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Through the fog, Declan stood waiting patiently as the family said their goodbyes. Patrick, Audrey, Lucy Joe and Greg stood around the girls, all were sobbing slightly. Even little Greg pretended to have something in his eye.
Lana and Emma kept scanning the harbour, hoping that their best friend would have had a change of heart and would turn up to say goodbye, but there was no sign of him.
Reluctantly, they boarded the vessel after giving their family members one last hug, promising to call regularly. As it chugged into motion, Lana and Emma held hands, tears free falling down their cheeks. Shivering, they turned to go inside when a voice pierced through the foggy air.
'Lana... Emma...'
'Scott!' yelled Lana as she released her sister's hand and ran right to the back of the ferry, Emma following behind.
'I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, I didn't mean it,' he cried as he threw his bicycle to the floor and ran as close as he could to the edge of the water without falling in. 'I'm going to miss you! Call me, text me, email me, okay?' he shouted.
'We will. We're sorry too, Scott! Come visit us,' Lana shouted at the top of her voice, 'We're going to miss you so much!'
Both girls stood waving frantically until both he and their family disappeared, enveloped within the misty air.
'He came,' sighed Lana as they turned and headed back indoors into the warmth, where they sat beside Declan smiling, knowing that everything was going to be okay. Knowing that they hadn't lost their best friend. They just wouldn't see him for a while, that's all.
Sitting down beside Declan, he turned to look at them with the biggest, cheesiest grin in the world, 'So girls... are you ready for the Academy?'
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Book II in The Morgan Sisters Series
May 2013
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