“I’m a Grant, too,” Luke said. He wasn’t sure whether he was trying to make a joke or trying out the words, trying to make them sound true. His voice came out limp and uncertain, failing on all accounts.
But Mr. Hendricks nodded.
“Good,” he said. “Remember that.”
CHAPTER 3
Luke sat at the top of the steps that led to Hendricks School. Smits Grant was due to arrive any minute, and Luke had already begun his charade.
My brother’s on his way, Luke told himself I’m so excited, I couldn’t wait inside. I couldn’t stand it ~f I weren’t the first one to see him.
Nothing could have been further from the truth. Mr. Hendricks had all but threatened Luke with a firing squad just to get him outside. As far as Luke was concerned, he’d be happy if he never saw Smits.
Could that happen? What if Luke turned around now, hid inside, and somehow managed to stay out of Smits’s way forever? They ought to have different classes. Luke could find out the other boy’s schedule and make sure their paths never crossed. Luke had plenty of experience hiding.
Of course, to avoid Smits he’d also have to go without eating. All the boys always ate together, in the dining hall.
Luke just couldn’t see Mr. Hendricks agreeing to let Luke eat somewhere else.
And he didn’t want to. His friends would all be eating in the dining hall. What he really wanted was for Smits to be the one set apart, hidden. That is, if he had to be at Hendricks at all.
For perhaps the billionth time since he’d learned about Smits, Luke wondered, Why in the world would he want to come here?
Luke kept his eyes on the long, curving driveway A dark car turned in at the Hendricks School gates, disappeared behind a clump of trees, reappeared, and sped on toward the school. Luke’s stomach churned.