The Ghost of Shirley Simpson

The Ghost of Shirley Simpson is a short, student-made novel. The author of this novel is Maria Martinez-Lopez, a 7th grade student. 

Chapter 1

I see dead people. 

Last week, Shirley Simpson was found dead in the locker room. We walked in after an excruciating gym class. There she was. Shirley had a stab wound in her stomach. The school freaked out and a trauma program started. Her boyfriend, Tom, was found without an alibi. Tom was my best friend, at least he was before he got taken away. I really liked Shirley. Tom would tell me how much he loved her. She seemed like a great girl. I find it hard to believe that Tom would kill her. Shirley was kind of popular and had many friends, so I am not sure who else would. I step out of my car, awaiting my bed after a long assembly at school. “Hey sweetie-pie!” my mom yells from the kitchen. “Is everything alright?” “As good as it could be.” 

I walk up the stairs, dragging my backpack. “Emmie! Wait up!” I turn around and look at my mom. Marge Siller, the #1 real estate agent in Somerville, just happened to be my mother. “Was the assembly nice?” She says. I shrug and keep walking. “If you want to talk, I’m here.” I can hear her say as I walk into my bedroom. My bedroom is big and very modern. My mother likes my room clean and themed. I’ve been trying to make the room look less like a model, and more like a living space. I drop my measly backpack on my glass desk and sit down. I grab a pen and paper and start drafting my letter to Tom. My friend, Kaylee, encouraged me to reach out to Tom. She’s the only friend I have now, so I guess I might as well talk to the one that got taken away.  

“Hey Tom, 

It’s Emma. How have you been? I wanted to tell you that I believe you. I don’t think you killed Shirley. I also wanted to say that I miss you. I wish you were out of this prison and at school instead.” 

I reread the paper and crumple it up. I grab a new one and begin to write again. 

Bump.

I can hear a loud bump coming from outside my window. I put down my pen and slowly stand up. 

Bump. 

I begin to walk towards the mysterious noise, calmly. I open my window and a black cat jumps into my bedroom. I fall back into my beanbag chair as the cat looks around. Then, the cat turns around and looks me in the eyes. Its green eyes shift from me to the window, and it jumps into the tree outside. I crawl out the window and reach for the tree. I hop into the tree and begin to follow the cat to the roof. I launch myself from the tallest branch to the roof and bang! I land on the roof, harshly and look around. The cat strolls to the other side of the roof and I get up to follow it. On the south side of the roof, I can see a girl my age sitting on the edge and humming softly. “Hello?” I say, terrified.  “Hello, Emma. I’ve been waiting for you.” The girl says softly. She turns around and I almost fall off the roof. 

Shirley was standing right in front of me. 

Chapter 2

I step back and feel the roof come to an end. "Shi- Shirley!" Shirley was in her gym clothes. A stab wound in her side caught my attention. "Am I dreaming? Wake up! Wake up!" I begin to pinch my arm, hoping that I'm in a horrible nightmare. 

"Emma, I need you." 

"No! You're dead! I must be dreaming! Wake UP!" 

Shirley sighs and looks at her injury. "I'm afraid this is not a dream. We both know that Tom couldn't of killed me. We need to find out who did." 

I stop pinching myself and nod. "I knew he couldn't have done it. He loved you too much." 

This makes Shirley smile. "Thank you, Emma." 

Then, Shirley began to glow. "What's happening?" I say. 

Shirley stops glowing and looks up at me. "Just getting dressed." She was now wearing a blue hoodie and white jeans. "The bloody gym clothes looked a bit depressing, don't you think?"

The black cat walks towards Shirley. "Salem? Salem!" Shirley gets up and runs to the small cat. 

"I followed that cat to get here." I say, concerningly. 

"You knew!" She says to the cat. "Emma, this is my pet cat, Salem. I guess she knew I was here." 

I walk to Shirley and try to hug her. Then, 

BOOM!

I fall through Shirley and land roughly on the grey roof. "Ouch!" I say. "Why can't I hug you?" Shirley picks up a frightened Salem and thinks about it. "Maybe it's because...

I'M A GHOST!" she yells. 

"Well clearly you have a favorite." I look up at Salem and scowl. "Obviously." Shirley says with a grin. She puts down Salem and begins to descend through the roof. "You coming?" she says.

I hop on the tree and climb down. Salem jumps into the window and I look in. Shirley was sitting on my bed, looking at my room. "Being a ghost is cool!"

Chapter 3

"Who do you think murdered you?" I say. 

There is no real way to sugarcoat it. Shirley was dead and we need to figure out why. 

"I mean, there were a few people who hated me. For example, my sister or Tom's ex-girlfriend."

 I write down the suspects quickly. "I don't think your sister killed you, but the ex-girlfriend is a good start." 

Suddenly, Salem knocks over a box full of papers. Then, my door swings open. 

"Emma Rose! Why are you making so much noise?" 

I freeze, hoping that my mother doesn't look a bit to the left and spot Shirley on my bed. 

"You need to go to sleep." She looks over at my bed. 

Shirley turns a pale and looks at me. I close my eyes and prepare for the yells. 

"Please fix your bed, I've been asking you for weeks." 

She leaves and I breathe a sigh of relief. I turn around and see Shirley.

The gears are turning in her head. She's clearly thinking. I wish I could know what. Then, my wish was granted.

"Emma." Shirley says.

"Yeah?" I respond.

"Nobody else can see me."

"Yeah." I respond

"I could go to school with you."

Shirley turns around to look at me with a smile. She's glowing and not in a ghostly way!