“He’s recording this terrible show called Times of Our Seasons, ” Zach said, “and he’s got Jeremy and me hooked on it. Tell me again how this girl got buried alive?”
“Well,” I said, “she fell in love with Rowan. That’s the guy that her archenemy, Celeste, is also in love with. Celeste wanted Harley gone. First Celeste tried to get Harley a job in a different state so that she’d move. Then Celeste hired a handsome man to try to get Harley to fall in love with him instead, and what ended up happening was that the guy fell for Harley and Harley remained faithful and committed to Rowan and the other guy gave all the money back to Celeste and said he couldn’t be a part of this anymore and that Harley and Rowan had a love that only death could divide. And, you know, things kind of went from there.”
“As they do,” Zach said.
“Yeah.”
Neither of us said anything. Now I could make out the voice of the bad twin in the background. I wondered if Leo knew Zach was talking to me.
“I can’t let you talk to Leo,” Zach said, “but I could give him a message.”
“Um,” I said.
“I can be trusted,” Zach said. “I’m no Celeste.”
“Okay.” I didn’t know what else to do. “Could you tell Leo to meet me tonight at midnight at the corner by my house and to bring his bike and a flashlight and wear all black?”
“I could,” Zach said. “But what are you doing?”
“I can’t tell you that,” I said, “but it’s safe. I swear.”
“It sounded cool until you told me it was safe.”
“Zach, come on,” I said. “Please.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“This might be my last chance to see Leo before I leave for the summer.”
“It’s like Romeo and Juliet,” he said. Why did everyone keep saying that?
“It’s actually not,” I said.
“Okay,” Zach said. “Harley’s coming back onscreen now. I’ve got to go. How does she go to the bathroom in that thing, anyway?”
“It’s one of the great mysteries of our time,” I said, but he had already hung up.
6.
Midnight felt late, impossibly late, and strange. The houses were dark and the streetlamps not bright enough for you to be sure what street you stood on, what year you lived in. I stood to the side of the lamppost, in the shadows. The sound of sprinklers coming on made me jump and turn at the whispers of water.
Leo’s house looked dark.
What would I do if Leo didn’t come? Would I go see the tunnels by myself? Walk through them alone?
But then I saw him, a dark shape moving on his bike. I breathed in the smell of summer, the grass, the wind, the world warm and wide and tall and, in this moment at least, not coming down in pieces the way it did in fall and winter, leaves and snow.
“You’re here,” I said. “Zach gave you the message.”
Leo hopped off his bike. He’d followed instructions. He’d worn all black. He stood right under the streetlamp and I could see him grin at me and his eyebrows go up.
“So where are we going?” he asked.
“To the festival,” I said. “Where else?”
“We’re going to get in trouble,” he said. “Our parents are going to kill us.”
“They might. But at least we’ll die having seen the tunnels under the theater.”
“What?” Leo asked. “We can’t do that.”
“We’re not breaking in,” I said. “That’s the best part. Meg is going to let us in.”
“I don’t believe it,” Leo said, but I could hear in his voice how much he wanted to believe me. “Meg’s going to let us in? How did you talk her into that?”
“I have ways,” I said.
“Wow,” Leo said, and then he hugged me, fast. He felt warm and smelled good like laundry and for a second I wanted to put my head on his shoulder and stand there for a minute. We take care of each other, I thought. I knew.
Then it was over. Leo stepped back and I shifted my backpack straps over both shoulders. The flashlight inside felt heavy.
“So Zach knows you’re with me,” I said. “And I left a note on my pillow for my mom saying that we went to the festival to meet with Meg.” Our parents were going to lose it if they woke up and found us gone, but at least this way they’d know where we were. “Do you think anyone heard you leave?”
“No,” he said. “What about you?”
“I’m good too.” I’d taken the stairs so slowly I thought I’d scream, but I hadn’t made any noise. Miles and my mom both seemed fast asleep.
“All right.” Leo swung his leg over his bike. “Let’s go see a ghost.”
7.
The fountain still shone with light, but the theater and the administration building were dark.
We went to the side of the main building, and when we got close enough, we could see a faint slice of light under one of the doors. When I tried the door, it was unlocked. Once we took a few steps inside, I saw another sliver of light at the bottom of the stairs, this time in the costume shop.