trying to find a place to read my note? Luke wondered. But Luke had been too terrified back then to think like that. He wouldn’t have dared leave his bed. He had actually blended in quite well. And if I’d read the note right away, I wouldn’t have discovered the door to outdoors or the woods. I wouldn’t have had those few days of setting up my garden. He still missed his garden. He tried not to think about it. And I never would have gotten to know anybody.
But how well did he know his new friends? The only
friend he’d ever had before was Jen, and that friendship had been entirely different.
It wasn’t fair to compare.
He sneaked quietly down the hall, feeling foolish. Of course Jason would be in the bathroom, and he’d only have rude comments and mockery for Luke when he saw him. “Can’t even pee without your books, huh?” maybe, or even, “Hey, lecker, we’ve got toilet paper here and everything. You won’t need to use that.”
The bathroom was empty.
Luke backtracked, and glanced in his room again. Jason’s bed was still empty. Luke went the opposite direction from the bathroom. All that lay down this hallway was the back stairs.
Maybe Luke wouldn’t look for Jason anymore. What did he think he was going to do when he found him? But Luke was so thoroughly awake now that he decided he might as well study. The details of the Trojan War and the Peloponnesian War were blurring in his mind.
He went over to the stairwell and sat down on the top step. He leaned against the wall, opened his book, and began reading. “The Greeks fought battles for—”
Far below Luke, someone was murmuring.
Luke sat still for a minute, tempted to ignore it. It probably was Jason, but so what? If he was having a secret meeting without Luke, why should Luke care? It wasn’t Like Jason’s gang ever planned anything real, anyway.
But Luke did care. If Jason’s gang was going to help
third children, Luke owed it to himself—to his family, to Jen, to Jen’s dad—to take part.
Luke eased down to the next step. And the next. And the next. He kept clutching his book because he didn’t want to make any noise putting it down. Yet he wondered if he should be making noise, acting normal, so he could come upon the secret meeting casually, “Oh, hi, guys— didn’t know you were down here. Can I help?”
There was nothing normal about walking around Hendricks in the middle of the night Luke stayed quiet
When he rounded the corner of the second flight of stairs, he could begin to distinguish words. The only person who seemed to be talking was Jason. Nothing new about that. Luke crouched behind the half-wall that surrounded the stairs. He listened closely
“But it’s too soon!” Jason was pleading.
Luke risked a peek over the banister. Maybe Trey was there, and would call out, “Hey, Lee! Glad you’re here! I was hoping you would come!”
But Jason appeared to be alone.
He was talking into a small portable phone. At least, that’s what Luke thought it was. He’d never seen one before, except in sketches. in his science textbook.
Jason was facing the other way, so Luke kept watching and listening.
“I told you. There’s no danger in waiting!” he exclaimed. “They’re just sitting ducks!”
Jason was silent, listening. He turned slightly and Luke
caught a glimpse of the side of his face. Jason’s expression was set, dead serious. Luke thought about all the times he’d seen Jason joking, joshing, prodding, mocking. Luke wouldn’t have thought Jason could be 100 percent serious about anything. He seemed like a different boy.
Frightened, Luke ducked out of sight
“I’ve got four and she’s got two,” Jason said. “But I could have more by the end of the week.”
Four and two and more of what? Luke wondered.
‘Well, I don’t know about Nina,” Jason said. “You’d have to ask her. But she says girls are harder to recruit.”
Girls? Luke thought he’d
But how well did he know his new friends? The only
friend he’d ever had before was Jen, and that friendship had been entirely different.
It wasn’t fair to compare.
He sneaked quietly down the hall, feeling foolish. Of course Jason would be in the bathroom, and he’d only have rude comments and mockery for Luke when he saw him. “Can’t even pee without your books, huh?” maybe, or even, “Hey, lecker, we’ve got toilet paper here and everything. You won’t need to use that.”
The bathroom was empty.
Luke backtracked, and glanced in his room again. Jason’s bed was still empty. Luke went the opposite direction from the bathroom. All that lay down this hallway was the back stairs.
Maybe Luke wouldn’t look for Jason anymore. What did he think he was going to do when he found him? But Luke was so thoroughly awake now that he decided he might as well study. The details of the Trojan War and the Peloponnesian War were blurring in his mind.
He went over to the stairwell and sat down on the top step. He leaned against the wall, opened his book, and began reading. “The Greeks fought battles for—”
Far below Luke, someone was murmuring.
Luke sat still for a minute, tempted to ignore it. It probably was Jason, but so what? If he was having a secret meeting without Luke, why should Luke care? It wasn’t Like Jason’s gang ever planned anything real, anyway.
But Luke did care. If Jason’s gang was going to help
third children, Luke owed it to himself—to his family, to Jen, to Jen’s dad—to take part.
Luke eased down to the next step. And the next. And the next. He kept clutching his book because he didn’t want to make any noise putting it down. Yet he wondered if he should be making noise, acting normal, so he could come upon the secret meeting casually, “Oh, hi, guys— didn’t know you were down here. Can I help?”
There was nothing normal about walking around Hendricks in the middle of the night Luke stayed quiet
When he rounded the corner of the second flight of stairs, he could begin to distinguish words. The only person who seemed to be talking was Jason. Nothing new about that. Luke crouched behind the half-wall that surrounded the stairs. He listened closely
“But it’s too soon!” Jason was pleading.
Luke risked a peek over the banister. Maybe Trey was there, and would call out, “Hey, Lee! Glad you’re here! I was hoping you would come!”
But Jason appeared to be alone.
He was talking into a small portable phone. At least, that’s what Luke thought it was. He’d never seen one before, except in sketches. in his science textbook.
Jason was facing the other way, so Luke kept watching and listening.
“I told you. There’s no danger in waiting!” he exclaimed. “They’re just sitting ducks!”
Jason was silent, listening. He turned slightly and Luke
caught a glimpse of the side of his face. Jason’s expression was set, dead serious. Luke thought about all the times he’d seen Jason joking, joshing, prodding, mocking. Luke wouldn’t have thought Jason could be 100 percent serious about anything. He seemed like a different boy.
Frightened, Luke ducked out of sight
“I’ve got four and she’s got two,” Jason said. “But I could have more by the end of the week.”
Four and two and more of what? Luke wondered.
‘Well, I don’t know about Nina,” Jason said. “You’d have to ask her. But she says girls are harder to recruit.”
Girls? Luke thought he’d
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