Page 36 of Cemetery Boys

Yadriel panicked. “Hold on!” he called, grabbing the sleeping bag and tossing it over Julian, but it fell right through him, landing in a heap on the chair.

Julian arched an eyebrow and pointed at himself. “Ghost, remember?” he whispered.

“Shh!” Yadriel hissed, flapping his hands at Julian uselessly. “Hide in the—”

The bedroom door swung open.

Maritza leaned against the doorjamb.

Yadriel let out a breath and clutched his chest. “Jesus, Maritza!”

“Good morning!” she greeted cheerily. Her eyes swept back and forth between the two of them—Julian lying on the bed, Yadriel clutching his jeans. Her dusty-rose-painted lips curled into a smirk. “How was the sleepover?”

Yadriel dragged her into the room and slammed the door closed behind her. “You’re going to get us caught!”

“Chill, Yads!” She laughed, crossing the room to sit on the dresser.

Julian was on his feet. “Going to school is a waste of time!” he repeated, as if Yadriel had forgotten.

“No, it’s not,” Yadriel said as he snatched a clean pair of underwear and a fresh binder from the dresser. “I’ve got a math test—”

Julian scoffed.

“And unlike you and your friends, I actually care about my grades.” Yadriel closed the drawer with a snap and spun to face Julian.

“Then you gotta take me with you!”

“No way, we are not taking you to school with us.”

“You can’t just ditch me here!” Julian whined.

Yadriel clenched his jaw, his patience wearing thin. “Look—” he said, rounding on Maritza for some backup. There was a highly amused look on her face. “We’ll take a vote!”

“That’s not fair!” Julian scowled.

Yadriel ignored him. “Maritza.”

She arched an eyebrow in response.

“Do you think that Julian should stay here while we go to school?” he asked, sounding perfectly logical and even-tempered.

“Of course she’s gonna side with you!” Julian objected, gesturing wildly. “No voting!”

“Actually.” Maritza thoughtfully twisted a pink curl around her finger. “I think he should come with us.”

Julian blinked, arms still aloft. A satisfied smile broke across his face. “Well, you heard the bruja!” He sat down in the desk chair and locked his hands behind his head. “I’m going!”

It was Yadriel’s turn to splutter. “What?!” He shook his head at Maritza. He must not have understood her correctly. “You’re not serious.”

She shrugged. “I mean, it makes the most sense, Yads—”

“Traitor,” he hissed.

Maritza looked like she was trying not to laugh. “Mira! We’ve got to take him with us.”

Julian grinned.

“If we leave him here, he’s going to get caught,” Maritza reasoned. “He’s too loud and can’t be trusted not to get in trouble while we’re gone.”