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she’d get back with my dad. Speaking of which, I push my chair back and get ready to stand.
    “Where are you going?” Janet asks before I can make my getaway.
    “Bathroom,” I lie quickly.
    “The proper way is to ask to be excused. You’re old enough that by now you should be using better manners.”
    My eyes cut fast to Gerald. There are so many words rolling through my head that I’d like to say to him. But—unlike what he thinks—I do have manners. I’m not about to cuss out my mother’s new husband, not in a crowded restaurant at least.
    “I need to be excused to go to the restroom. Do you want to risk not giving me permission, Gerald?” My lips squeeze tightly together after I speak. That’s the only way I can hold in the rest of what I want to say.
    “Mr. Gerald,” he reminds me that this is what he’d like to be called.
    I smile sweetly and as phony as Clay Aiken when he first denied being gay. “Mr. Gerald.”
    “Go ahead. Your mother will order something for you. Something much healthier than fried chicken or chicken fingers or whatever the two of you were discussing.”
    My eyes close to tiny slits. I know because my vision is sliced thin. I’m so mad I want to swing on him. Yes, I want to hit my stepfather. I’m sure there are millions of other teens in the world who can relate to that feeling. Unfortunately, none of them are standing here with me to offer moral support, so Janet stands, putting a hand on my arm.
    “Are you okay, baby? Do you need me to go with you?”
    “What?” I frown at her. “No. I don’t need an escort. I’m fine.”
    “Would you like me to order for you?” Janet asks, although Gerald has already spoken.
    I’ve already turned to leave and wave my hand back in her direction. “Fine. Whatever.”
    I should have stayed home, in my room, by myself. This is too much, too soon. I don’t want to be out with them like we are a happy family. Because we aren’t. I’m definitely not. I hate living in Lincoln. I hate that my parents are divorced and with every passing day I hate Gerald.
    While I’m walking checking off my mental list of things I hate about my life I’m reaching into my pocket for my phone. With one hand I hit the buttons that will dial my father’s house. I put the phone to my ear, waiting for him to answer, hoping he’ll pick up and that the answer to my next question will be yes.
    Instead I hear, “You’ve reached Calvin Bentley. I’m not available to take your call right now, so leave your name, number and a brief message and I’ll get back to you. Peace.”
    Peace?
    Since when does Daddy say that? Doesn’t matter, there’s definitely no peace in my life.
    “Hey, Daddy, it’s me, Krystal,” I speak into the phoneafter it beeps for me to leave a message. I don’t know why I’m telling him who I am. He only has one daughter. “Um, can you call me back as soon as you get this message? It’s really important.” I say goodbye and flip the phone shut, then head toward the bathroom.
    I figure I’d better make it look good. Knowing Gerald, he’d probably followed me out here. But just as I’m about to go in the bathroom door I hear voices to my right.
    The restaurant is on an angle, at the end of a long hallway coming from the lobby of the hotel. The restrooms are along the right side at the end of the hall. There’s a T shape at the end so I can either go left or right. Left will lead me into the bathrooms, right will lead down a smaller hall and to the door marked Exit.
    That’s where the voices are coming from.
    Did you tell her everything? This is a female voice, the one that first stopped me.
    I figure it’s none of my business and I move to make the left turn when the next voice halts my steps.
    No. Not yet. She needs time to get used to the idea first.
    Ricky?
    Now I know I haven’t been talking to this guy—no, this ghost—for long. One day to be precise. So I shouldn’t just know his voice even without seeing him. But I