Ghostwriter

Hello, Ruben.

Hi, Lydia. Thanks for coming. Everyone's in the back.

Then let's go.

I had a feeling you would call me today.

Oh, right, because you're psychic.

Well, actually, yes.

I'm glad you came. We have some big questions for you.

My word. What happened in here?

We're in the middle of, um...

renovations.

Huh.

So, you had some questions for me?

Yes. When you spoke to Ruben's grandma about the bookstore being haunted,

-did she ever say who the ghost might be? - No, I'm afraid not.

Well, can you help us try to figure it out?

Maybe talk to it?

I could listen.

If a spirit chooses to speak to me, I could attempt a conversation.

Uh, you might wanna open your eyes 'cause our ghost usually writes.

Oh.

Okay.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I can feel its presence.

But it doesn't wanna speak to me. It chooses to speak through you.

What do we do?

It was cool when I thought we were being haunted by my grandma...

but this ghost is basically a stranger.

Well, unfortunately, I can't help you.

If your ghost has unfinished business, it won't rest until it's finished.

Nine more books, the next one's free.

Oh, I may take you up on that. I love your bookstore.

Make that eight more books.

-Enjoy the folktales. -I will.

Thank you. Have a nice day.

Come in.

Hey.

You should clean your room.

Did you come all the way up here just to tell me that?

Your grandpa and I have been talking,

and since we've got our hands full with the renovation,

we thought it might be a good idea for you to start helping out at the store.

I help.

Well, more like how I did as a kid.

Maybe you could learn to work the register.

That might be a pretty cool experience.

But you told me you hated it as a kid.

Yeah, but now as an adult, I'm better for it.

Seriously, it taught me work ethic,

time management, accounting, how to talk to people--

Mom, stop. I'll do it.

It'll be cool to hang out with Grandpa.

Plus, I'm guessing you can't afford someone who makes more than my allowance.

Kid...

I can't even afford your allowance.

Hey, Chevon, you home?

Hi, Mom.

Everything okay, sweetie? We tried texting.

Sorry. I was working on my history paper.

I was thinking we could all go out to sushi tonight.

Can we do takeout?

Sorry, it's just, I have this paper, and I have to prep for debate.

Plus, I need to practice my Schubert for the piano recital.

And I need to e-mail Principal Fong about Model UN.

Is that all?

Maybe you should drop an activity.

-No, I'll figure it out. -Look, hon,

we're very proud of how hard you're working,

but you've got too much on your plate. You're only one person.

I can handle it. Trust me.

Okay, but I hope you're right.

And can we have something else for dinner? Take-out sushi just isn't the same.

Curtis, close the window. It's freezing!

No. It's too hot!

At least turn your game down.

I need it this loud to cover your snoring.

I don't snore!

How would you know if you're asleep?

That's it. I'm closing the window.

No, you better not--

Hey!

What's all the racket?

Donna's snoring and it's too hot with the window closed!

Look, I'm sorry that you don't have your own rooms like at your mom's house,

but this can't keep happening.

One of you take the couch. Figure it out.

I can't sleep on the couch. I have basketball tomorrow.

I'm already going to tutoring and putting in all this extra time on homework.

Your brother's right. You okay to take the couch?

It's cool.

Now I can watch TV.

-No, you can't. It's bedtime. - Ha!

Ugh. This is so unfair!

Turn off the game.

- Any word from Ghost Writer? -Nope, no sign of her.

Or him. Or, you know, whomever.

The stranger ghost.

How is this not fixed? It's been leaking for a month.

Someone's gonna trip over that bucket.

If you don't like it, you should run for student council president.

I'd love to. But no way, not with my schedule.

My parents already think I'm doing too much.

Plus, they don't even know--

Ghost Writer's back.

Really?

-Whoa. Wonder what book she's from. -

Hey, little dragon. What's your name?

Maybe we should leave it alone.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.

Can I pet you?

It tickles.

Ugh. Gross.

-What? She's cute. -

She's a dragon.

I'm not sure I want her licking my face.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I keep missing.

You're just a little rusty. Try again.

It's cool. You'll find your groove.

- -Don't sweat it.

It's because I lost my lucky shooting sleeve

in the laundry at my dad's place.

-Just shoot. -

This new one's junk. I need my old one.

You're getting in your head. It's not the sleeve.

But I wore it every game for the last three seasons.

Yeah, and it was kinda gross.

Oh. Hey, Jake. We'll take over from here.

Curtis, elbow in.

She's right.

I wasn't in position yet.

Don't let him stay too late.

I'll see you tomorrow.

-Stoked to have you back. -

From the look on your faces,

I'm pretty sure our ghost writer released another character.

Hope this one's from a short book.

Hey, Dad, what do you think of this?

What is it?

It's an espresso machine for when we renovate the back room.

There is a doughnut shop across the street that sells coffee.

Yeah, and that money goes to the doughnut shop instead of to our bookstore.

We can't afford it.

I've been working on that. Come see.

I want you to take a look at...

our new website.

Why do we need a website?

Because no one uses the phone book anymore.

And so that we can announce events, like the pet adoption that we did.

I really think it'll help bring people into the store.

You need to start seeing this place differently.

You're a good artist.

Huh?

Oh, thanks.

Can I help you find something?

Nah, just browsing. Sweet place you got here.

It's my grandpa's.

I like your sneakers.

Thanks. They're Fei Shen.

-What's that? -It's a brand.

It means "Flying God."

Cool.

Maybe I'll see you around.

- -

Ruben, your grandma--

I mean, stranger ghost, released another character.

All right, people. We know what to do.

Let's figure out what book she's from.

How about Dragons Love Tacos? Remember that one?

I doubt Ghost Writer's unfinished business is taco-related.

You never know.

Ruben, you okay?

This is gonna sound weird,

but that dragon looks a lot like the dragon I painted last night.

I knew it.

Last night, I painted the dragon on here, and now she's right there.

Ghost Writer must've released her from the painting.

But up until now, Ghost Writer's only released characters from books.

Up until now, we thought Ruben's grandma was Ghost Writer.

At this point, anything's possible.

Did you paint anything else?

Yeah.

-Oh, no. -What was it?

Chevon, listen, I'm supposed to do a painting a day for art class.

Like a journal. It's not for anyone to see but me.

Why are you telling me this?

Well, remember that day where you kept correcting

how I was saying that word, "mis-cheev-i-ous."

It's "mischievous."

She's a clone of Chevon.