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“Don’t you dare say it,” Carl cuts hier

After a lares at him “So it’s like that with me, too, huh? I can’t say what I want? I can’t tell you the truth? Here’s another truth, Dad: That garage is … is b-beautiful” He can barely get the word out, his fear of his dad strangling his throat “Toby is gifted I wish I was h-h-half as gifted as he is”

“I swear, boy …”

“Swear all you want,” growls Lee “It don’t change the truth”

A stinging silence fills the air When it becomes clear that the two of them have a whole other conversation that needs to take place, I abandon my position by the counter and head for the back door “Where you think you’re goin’, boy?” my stepdad asks in an oddly soft, listless tone

With a foot out the back door, I turn to hi you space to have ti you what you ultione”

So sad flickers in Carl’s eyes It’s like victory, but with a note of bitter defeat

That’s how I leave the two of thes into ive ht I don’t listen to the thoughts racing through , one foot in front of the other, backpack slung over ers, shirt, and pants

I o in What would happen if Mrs Tucker got ahold of me—and the truth of my home life? She’d make me stay with her She’d talk to , and before I even woke up to, all of Spruce would know my business

That pushes me further down Main Street to the arcade I toss ame of Mortal Koh score My heart isn’t in it My roup of prepubescent kids, including Kirkland, who are probably still trying to figure out my super-secret cheats Of course, their presence doesn’t improve my mood

Pushing out of the doors, I drop my ass on the curb, dejected, numb to the bone, and stare at theout to Kelsey, who ht be an ideal confidant in this situation She already knows a lot, she’s always on my side, and she’s fun But she lives on the outskirts of Spruce, practically a stone’s throw fro distance Also, I don’t want to impose on her dads, who’d have to come out and pick me up And then what? Do they even have a spare bedroo? I just don’t feel cos

That’s when I pull outand hard: Vann

I type out a text, then delete it And then I try again, this tile word, then delete that one, too No, I can’t even talk to Vann I can’t risk hiical part of me knows he wouldn’t really do that, but …

Well, given his track record, do I really knoouldn’t?

And besides, the same problem happens there that would if I went to the Tuckers Vann’s parents—who already have all of their fingers in every social circle from one end of Spruce to the other—would cause an even worse rumor uest is And everyone would know I’ Donovan Pane, and everyone would arrive at their conclusions about my clearly unbalanced mental state

I’o

Isn’t there so special, and everyone in Spruce could just forget me?

The obnoxious honk of a truck, like an angel answering frohts I look up to find an old pickup in front of the movie theater So out the , showing the proud Spruce High colors of his varsity letterman jacket When he looks raced with his identity