I just lay there on the couch under the blankets, sweating and staring out at the dark room. Then I got scared, thinking about what happened with Chase, thinking about that ghost story Tommy told. I got up and went into Tommy’s room. He was in his bed, with his face turned to the door. I couldn’t tell if his eyes were open or not. I heard him gasp when he saw me standing there. “You thought I was that ghost, huh?” Tommy sat up. “Maybe.” I sat on the small couch against the wall. “I’m sorry, ‘cause I can’t sleep anyway.” He threw a pillow at me. “Neither can I. You can camp out here if you want.” “I got scared just now, Tommy,” I said. “Sometimes I get so scared thinking that everyone around me is gonna die.” “Well, they are, Stotts.” “I know.” “I guess that is pretty scary,” Tommy said. I put my head on the pillow and lay down, staring up at the darkness of the ceiling, knees bent because the couch was so short. “I feel sorry for Rose,”
