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heard.”
    He took the tissue and looked at me. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t be seeing me like this. It’s just a bit overwhelming.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” I said. “It’s pretty overwhelming for me, too.”
    â€œTell him he’s a jerk for not keeping the band together.”
    I relayed the message.
    â€œCan she hear me?” he asked me.
    I nodded.
    â€œSerena, there was no moving on after you… were gone. I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.”
    I was beginning to think they were more than just bandmates, but kept my mouth shut.
    â€œTell him to get the band back together.”
    â€œShe wants you to get the band back together.”
    â€œOh, Serena, I can’t do that.”
    â€œTell him he has to. Tell him that Phil Rivers is working at Sony now and he’ll remember us.”
    I relayed the message.
    â€œPhil Rivers,” Mr. Robertson said.
    I shrugged.
    â€œHe was the guy at the label that was going to sign us. But Serena, he was just at an indie label. If he’s at Sony now, he’ll never want to sign a garage band like us.”
    Serena seemed to not want to take no for an answer. “Frankie, you have to. Period.”
    I told him what she’d said. I also told him if he didn’t, Serena promised to haunt me until he complied.
    â€œNice tactic,” Serena said. “You’re a sassy one, aren’t you?”
    â€œFine then,” Mr. Robertson said finally. “I guess I’ve been thinking about it lately, anyway, how it would be cool to try again. Okay, fine. I’ll call the guys and see about getting the band back together.”
    â€œGood. Mission accomplished,” Serena said, her voice softer now.
    Then she surprised me by talking
to
me and not just
through
me. “Lilah, If you’d heard the band, you’d understand how important it is that they get back together. We were going places. They
will
go places, even with another singer. Thank you for your help. I’ve been waiting a decade for this opportunity.”
    â€œYou’re welcome.”
    â€œAnd I’m sorry if this is kind of weird for you,” she continued. “But can you please tell him I love him?”
    It
was
weird, but how could I not? So I did, which just made Mr. Robertson cry more (which just made it weirder for me, of course).
    â€œI love you, too, Serena, and still miss you so much.”
    Serena was quiet for a long time. But just as I was about to ask her if she was still there, she spoke up. “Enough for now. Lilah, tell him I’m leaving. And that I look forward to seeing him onstage with the guys.”
    I told him what she’d said and that she was gone.
    Mr. Robertson wiped at his eyes with the now tattered tissue. After several weird minutes, he finally spoke. “Are you okay with all this, Lilah? Thissudden gift you have seems like a real double-edged sword.”
    I thought about how I’d silenced the spirits at the door that morning and straightened my spine, determined. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. Just don’t go advertising this around. I don’t need Ms. Francutti breathing down my neck thinking I’m a psycho.” I had little reason to think Mr. Robertson would rat me out to the school social worker, but still, you gotta make sure.
    He nodded and put his hand on my arm. “I won’t say anything to anyone. And Lilah, thank you. I can’t say thank you enough.”
    â€œYou’re welcome. I’ll just take some free passes to
your
show as payment, okay?”
    He grinned. “Deal. Now I’d better get back out there and do some actual teaching.”
    The bell rang, signaling the end of class.
    We both laughed. I grabbed my bag while he stood up and reached for the door. My stomach growled. Seems this psychic work makes one very hungry.
    So as if I wasn’t frazzled enough after that, I was walking down the hall toward my math class