The Healing Power of Sugar: The Ghost Bird Series: #9 (The Academy Ghost Bird Series) by C. L. Stone Page B

used-up sandpaper. “You know him. He wants to go nonstop for two days and then chill for a week to do Academy stuff. He works in stages. Some of this is probably Uncle. He’s the one that leaves a mess after he works. He doesn’t clean up until the job is done.”
    I walked around them, tidying up a bit. I couldn’t help but smile to myself at hearing their talk about wanting to help North. It’s not like we’d had loads of time lately.
    I wandered through a downstairs hallway, feeling small as the rooms were large with high-ceilings, our footsteps echoing off the bare walls. One was lined with a bunch of empty bookshelves. Another was a bathroom with really old black and white tile and a claw-foot tub but was missing a toilet and a sink.
    When I circled back, the boys were in the kitchen, looking around at the work that had been done. I left them and climbed the stairs quietly. Luke wasn’t here if we were making this much noise and he hadn’t come down to see what was going on.
    The stairs were solid and I could sneak up them very quietly without much effort. Either they were original and built well, or North had fixed or replaced them and had done an amazing job.
    Once I was up the stairs, I was faced with a lot of closed doors. I opened the first one to the right and found a large bedroom. There was a lower level toward the front of the house, and then two steps that went to an upper room.
    On the upper level there was a white metal-framed bed covered with light blue blankets. On the white painted nightstand sat a soda can and an empty candy bar wrapper.
    This had to be Luke’s bedroom.
    I stepped in quietly, closing the door behind me. I stood just inside the door, surveying the room.
    It was strange to be in the room without permission, and yet at the same time, I felt comfortable being there.
    I noticed the lower level had a couch and an entertainment center with various game systems. His 3DS was on the couch and I went to it, opening it to find a paused game: Animal Crossing. He was still playing? I’d almost forgotten about my little town.
    I put the DS back where I’d found it. Boxes were lined up against the wall, some filled with wallpaper and tiles, and others holding personal objects, stacks of books, collectables.
    I tried not to be too nosy, but I couldn’t help wanting to poke around. I did a circle of the lower level, peeking inside the boxes, but not reaching in for anything. I spotted a box filled with very random items: a black-handled hammer, a blue Frisbee, a worn and faded leather wallet, a couple of old day planners.
    Several had names that weren’t his. Did he…steal these? And kept them?
    I went to the second level and sat on the bed. The mattress was firm and felt new, even if the frame seemed to be an antique. There were posters on the walls, mostly of faraway places like exotic beaches and waterfalls.
    Did he want to travel? Or did he just like the look of the places?
    The smell of the bedroom was like a lot of the rest of the house, musty and of wood and paint, but there was a layer of sugar and vanilla the deeper I got into Luke’s bedroom.
    I noticed a closet and got up to look inside. Clothes, many sorted by—I assumed—Gabriel. There was a lot of blue, white T-shirts, and jeans. There were a few nicer clothes, and several sets of the faux uniform they wore at school. There was a small bucket for dirty clothes.
    The smell of vanilla was the strongest in here.
    I was about to leave when I spotted some pink. It was hanging behind a lot of his other clothes. It was just a small little bit of cloth that poked out.
    What would Luke wear that was pink?
    I leaned in, pushing the other hanging clothes out of the way for a look.
    It was a pink tank top, very girly, and familiar. Was it mine?
    I tried to recall how Luke would have it.
    Then I spotted another shirt, a lightweight yellow hoodie.
    There was a skirt, too, blue, older. One I hadn’t worn in a while.
    I froze then, seeing