“They do. I’ve seen them. Grandma takes me with her on jobs sometimes.” Shelly knows people don’t always believe they’re being haunted, but it’s the truth. Ghosts are as real as she and Isabel are.

“They don’t,” says a voice behind her, and Shelly turns to see Lucas, the tallest kid in fifth grade, with a book on forensics tucked under his arm. “Ghosts are made up.”

Shelly’s used to people not believing in ghosts, but it’s still frustrating to have people argue with her when she knows they’re real. She shakes her head. “I’ve talked to plenty of ghosts before.”

“You haven’t because they’re not real.” Lucas holds up the book in his hands. “Show me proof of ghosts if you want me to believe you.”

“Did everyone find what they were looking for?” Mrs. Hogan asks, looming out of the stacks. She looks at them like she knows they were arguing.

“Yes,” says Lucas.

“I have a book,” says Isabel.

Shelly wishes she’d picked something up right away, but she’s not sure the library has anything she could use. “I haven’t found one yet.”

Mrs. Hogan turns her attention to Shelly. “Shelly, can I talk to you for a moment? You’ve still got lots of time to find your book.”

Shelly knows where this is going. Mrs. Hogan doesn’t believe in ghosts either. “Yes, Mrs. Hogan.”

Shelly follows her across the library to the small circulation desk. Mrs. Hogan turns to her, expression disapproving. “I know you mean well, and your grandma works as a . . . psychic, Shelly, but you really shouldn’t go around telling your classmates ghost stories,” she says. “You might give them nightmares.”

Adults will sometimes believe Grandma when she talks about ghosts and hauntings, but they never believe Shelly. They’re like her mom—always more worried about bad dreams than the dead. Not everyone can see ghosts, even when they see the evidence of their presence. People look at Shelly and think she must be making up stories, especially adults. Especially teachers.

When Grandma talks about ghosts, people are more likely to listen. They don’t roll their eyes at her or tell her she’s making up stories to give people bad dreams. Grandma’s got age on her side. Even if people decide they don’t believe her after all, they let her finish speaking.

Most people think the dead are just gone, that they vanish with no transition period. Most people don’t ever get a chance to see ghosts the way Shelly and her grandma and mom can—even if her mom just works at the drugstore instead of busting ghosts with Grandma.