The stage at Saint Augustine’s was large, but the backstage area was tight and crowded with props. “Where are we supposed to hang out till our entrance?” Derek asked.

“Downstairs in the cafeteria,” said Vijay. “But I wanted to make sure our set was ready.”

“Our set? What set?”

“See this door?” Vijay showed Derek a freestanding doorframe. “When we open this door, Sam will be standing there, in full costume!”

“Great!” Derek said. “Where’d you manage to get this?”

“Sally Spitzer is the stage manager for the drama club—she hooked me up with it.”

Sally lived in Mount Royal Townhouses, right next door to Vijay. She made her own go-karts and could fix anything broken.

“Nice!” Derek said.

“She’s going to run our spotlight, too!” Vijay said. “I told her to keep it on Sam once he comes out.”

“Speaking of Sam… where is he?” Derek asked.

Vijay frowned. “I haven’t seen him… but I’m sure he’ll be here.… You don’t think he would—”

“Drop out on us? Not a chance,” Derek said. “I did him a solid last month, helping him out on those tests. He won’t let us down, don’t worry.”

Derek tried the doorknob. “Cool. Who’s going to open it—me or you?”

“I think you should do it,” Vijay said. “I’m supposed to be the timid one, remember?” It was the way they’d laid out the story—Derek convincing Vijay to make a bad choice, daring him to enter the haunted house.

“Well, hello there, suckers!”

“Gary!” Derek said. “What are you doing back here?”

“Just wanted to wish you two the best of luck—you’re totally going to need it! Ha!”

“I’m surprised you didn’t just stay home,” Derek said. “Since you think talent shows are such a waste of time.”

“He thinks everything is a waste of time,” Vijay said with a touch of bitterness.

“Not everything,” Gary said. “Just everything you two clowns are into.”

“I think he just dropped out because he was too chicken,” Derek told Vijay.

“Chicken? Well, I call it smart,” said Gary, unconvinced. “And the only reason I bothered to brave the rainstorm to come here is that I wanted to see for myself just how big a disaster I got myself out of!”

“You got yourself out of it by breaking your word,” Derek reminded him. “You’re going to have to live with that, one way or the other.”

“No problem,” said Gary. “I can live with being a cop-out—it beats making a fool out of myself in front of everyone I know.” He sniggered. “Well, I’d better go find myself a front row seat.”

He laughed—the same laugh he’d used as the monster—and left the two of them there, alone in the semidarkness.

“I can’t stand that guy,” Vijay said.

“Ah, he’s not all bad.”

“No?”