Crossing Over by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

understand what they were looking for,” my mother said quietly. “And I also understand why Kat feels uncomfortable
about sharing the details. I can only say they weren’t breaking any school rules—other than simply being on the bus in the
first place.”
    Mrs. Gray glanced in my direction.
    “I appreciate what you… our talk. I do. And I don’t want to make a mountain out of a molehill. I just don’t want to give anyone
special treatment,” Mrs. Gray said. She sounded hesitant—I think she was already off the warpath.
    “You’re quite right,” my mother told her warmly. “But in this instance, it’s more that you know the student in question. I
think Kat’s earned your trust. And I’m sure both these kids can honestly promise you this won’t happen again.”
    “We promise,” I said quickly.
    “We promise,” Ben added, staring at his sneakers.
    Mrs. Gray still looked uncertain.
    “Thank you so much,” I said. Because sometimes it helps to thank somebody for something they haven’t done yet. It worked like
a charm here.
    “Well… you’re welcome,” she said. “But please let us not find ourselves in this situation again.”
    “We won’t,” I assured her. “We’ll get back to the group now.”
    “Come on,” I said to Ben, ignoring Beige Girl and Britches.
    I glanced at my mother, who gave me a smile and a nod. What was going on between her and Jac’s mom?
    We brushed past my mom, past Mrs. Gray, and then past Tim, who was watchingall of us like we were an episode of his favorite
television show, and got off the bus. Mrs. Gray followed us off the bus and stood with her hands on her hips, all Captain
Authority. I realized she intended to stand there and personally watch Ben and me walk back to the Biodome, so we couldn’t
make a mad dash for, oh, I don’t know, Quebec City maybe.
    “Are they friends—your mom and Jac’s mom?” Ben asked.
    “I wouldn’t say that,” I said. “Jac and I are best friends, which sort of makes them friends-in-law whether they like it or
not. And I don’t think they like it.” Or hadn’t until today, when they suddenly became coffee chums. What was up with that?
    But there was no time to think about that now. As we approached the front entrance to the Biodome, I realized we had an audience
of one. Brooklyn was standing under theawning, her cell phone flipped open, staring at us.
    Great. She had obviously seen everything that went down—the parent chaperones getting on the bus, me and Ben being frog-marched
off the bus, and Mrs. Gray standing there like the Enforcer, making sure we committed no additional crimes on her watch.
    Brooklyn looked utterly enraged.
    I kept my mouth shut as the two of us walked past her to the door. There is an old saying about the fury of a woman scorned,
and Brooklyn Bigelow was definitely feeling scorned by Ben Greenblott. There was nothing that needed to be said—the girl looked
like she was already going nuclear.
    Jac was standing right inside the door and practically pounced on me.
    “Perfect timing!” she whispered. “Sid justcalled out his first ‘Okay, guys,’ and he hasn’t even done a head count yet!”
    “Not so perfect,” I whispered back. I drew her to one side and Ben wandered over to the water fountain to give us some space.
“Our mothers happened to get onto the bus while we were there.”
    Jac’s mouth dropped open.
    “Did my mother go postal?” she whispered.
    “She started to,” I said. “My mom talked to her—kind of explained without explaining that we weren’t breaking any of the rules
she thought we might be breaking. Mom could see it was a ghost stuff we were dealing with, not boy-girl stuff.”
    Jac’s face fell.
    “You told me it wasn’t ghost stuff.”
    “I didn’t exactly say—”
    “I asked you if it involved ghosts, and you said no. You lied to me, Kat!”
    Had I?
    “I didn’t… I didn’t mean… There was no time to argue, Jac, and I know how excited you get about