The Haunted - Jessica Verday [83]
“You’re starting to haunt my bedroom,” I teased.
“All I did was leave the note,” he said. “I swear. That’s it.” I raised my eyebrow.
“Maybe I stopped for a second to check out the stars,” he admitted. “On my way out, of course.”
I grinned at him, then looked around me. “Why are we here so early? And what are you holding?”
Caspian glanced down and held out a piece of cake wrapped in saran wrap, with a twenty-five-cent sticker on it. He pulled up a corner of the plastic, and a nutty smell wafted out. The cake was an orange, crumbly mess. “Sorry. It’s carrot. I know, not the best, but it’s all they had.”
He produced two candles from his pocket and stuck them in the cake. “We’ll have to pretend they’re lit; I forgot my lighter. But, ta-da!”
I was still lost. “Seven a.m. with carrot cake and candles… And this means what?”
“I picked seven a.m. because I figured there would be less people around,” he said. “And the cake is for Kristen and Thomas. We’re going to celebrate their birthdays.” Surprise hit me first, and then an aching sweetness. This was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me. But how… ? “Where did you get the cake? And the candles?”
“I nicked the candles from a kid’s birthday party yesterday. They’d already blown out the ones on the cake,” he said. “These were just extra.” He ducked his head and looked up at me like he was waiting for me to criticize him.
Maybe I should have, but personally, I thought it was a really sweet gesture.
I smiled and he continued. “The cake I got at a yard sale. Found a quarter on the ground and did a switch.”
“You could have taken a quarter from Washington Irving’s grave,” I suggested. “I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded.”
Caspian looked affronted. “But they’re his. That would be stealing from the dead.” Well, when he put it that way…
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re the best? Because you are.” My eyes grew misty, and it was hard to see, but I didn’t cry.
Caspian started to sing softly. “Happy birthday to you…” I joined him with a shaky voice, and we sang together. “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Thomas and Kristen…
Happy birthday to you.”
“Blow out the candles,” Caspian whispered to me. I peeked over at him, feeling a little silly, but blew anyway.
I closed my eyes, a sense of calm coming over me. “You just won so many brownie points,” I said, opening my eyes and looking straight at him. “More than you’ll ever know.” His eyes were shining, and his face looked happy. “It’s not over yet. Bring the cake and follow me.”
“What?”
But he didn’t answer. Just gestured for me to go with him. I started to follow, and then stopped. Breaking off two small pieces of cake, I left them near the tombstone. “Happy belated birthday, Kristen and Thomas,” I said. “Enjoy.” Then I turned back and followed him to his mausoleum. He made me close my eyes as soon as we entered and directed me with his voice so that I wouldn’t fall. I bumped into something hard, and I put out a hand, feeling smooth marble under my fingertips.
“Okay,” Caspian said. “Now on the count of three, open. One… Two… Three!” I steadied myself and opened my eyes. The sight that greeted me was magnificent. And hysterical.
Rows of pink curly streamers crisscrossed the open room, hanging from unlit candles. A SpongeBob SquarePants “Happy Birthday” banner covered one wall, and Caspian was wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles party hat tilted at an angle.
My jaw dropped open. “You decorated, too?”
He looked pleased. “Did a little shopping at the Salvation Army yesterday. I took back my suit and left it there in exchange for a couple of items. How soon am I going to need it again?” He handed me a party hat. “I saved Spider-Man for you. Sorry there wasn’t more girly stuff.” I put the hat on and looked around me. “This is unreal, Caspian.” He shrugged. “Dead guys have to work harder to impress girls.”
“You certainly impressed this girl.”
Caspian grinned wickedly. “Hmm, so if the cake and candles got me brownie points, what does this earn me?”
“Stick around until your death day, and you