Reed was stunned. He realized his mouth had sagged open, and he shut it quickly. But I can’t tell anybody yet. It’s just a suspicion. Still, he could keep his eyes and ears open. Things might begin to make a lot more sense now.
The night wore on. The sudden fury of the shakedown subsided as midnight approached, and the officers returned to the Square. Only later did Reed find out they carried with them several pounds of illegal drugs, confiscated from the room near the end of his hall. They also arrested several teens connected with it, both boys and girls.
Once the officers departed, the RDs announced that everyone could return to their rooms. The crowd dispersed, grumbling and still not sure what had started all the hubbub. As everyone broke up, Alec turned to Reed. “I haven’t said this yet, but thanks, Reed. Thanks a lot. You saved me and all of us from goodness knows what. That was quick thinking. I’ll get your clothes back to you tomorrow.”
“Sure, whatever.” Reed shrugged. “I’ll find a way to give yours back, too. They’re hanging out my window right now. But, really, it was nothing. I was glad to help.”
“Well, I’m grateful to you, and I’ll always remember this.” Alec’s blue-green eyes had never been more sincere. “If you ever need anything, you can come to me anytime.”
“Thanks. Oh, and I’ll figure out some way to get the backpack to you. We’ll have to be really careful, though. They’re going to be watching everything for a while.”
“Yeah, they will, but you’re a smart dude. You’ll be just fine.”
“Good night.”
“G’night, bro.”
Chapter 19
Spring had finally come. Buds burst open in a spray of color that settled across the countryside. Flowering trees tinged the greening woods with white and pink, and warm breezes played among their bright, fresh leaves. A shade of green crept over last year’s dead sod, sweeping around the Dorms’ sidewalks and trees. Wildflowers burst out of the hillsides and laughed up at the returning songbirds. The whole world was coming back to life, and it lifted Reed’s heart toward the blue sky and dazzling sunshine overhead.
This place wasn’t so bad, he decided as he strolled the country road. Things had drastically improved since he formed his first impression months before. He sucked in a deep breath. As he walked, every fiber in his body soaked up the beauty, the warmth, and the bright sunshine. An early afternoon on a perfect Saturday… Why on earth did I let myself get talked into spending it at the Shellys’?
Everybody else on the Hill would probably be out tanning and sharing the latest gossip. Things had slowed down after the shakedown, almost two weeks earlier. It was remarkable how quickly the event had faded into the past. Most of the teens seemed to have forgotten about it as soon as their clothes dried.
Reed shrugged off his thoughts and glanced over at his companions. Sarah, making some sort of daisy chain out of wildflowers she’d gathered along the road, was chatting with Cody. The two of them had offered to guide Reed out to the Shellys’ farm for the afternoon. Though he probably could have found the place on his own, he was grateful for their company and continued offers of friendship. That was the only reason he agreed to come out here and work—a friendship.
An amiable silence lapsed between the other two. Sarah had been doing most of the talking and stopped to gather a few extra flowers from the roadside. Reed took advantage of the moment to ask a question that hung at the back of his mind. “So are we going to be the only ones there today?” He picked up a pebble and tossed it from hand to hand. “I mean, I know Lucy and Alec are coming, but is that all?”
“Oh, no,” Sarah replied, adding an aster to her growing chain as she resumed her walk. “I think everybody’s supposed to come help with the annual spring chores. I think even Gabe is going to be there.”
Reed caught the rock in his right hand. Silence.
She cocked her head at him. “Oh, come on, Reed! Gabe is fine. Surely you’ve noticed how he’s softened up toward you over the past week or two!”
Reed had to admit there had been a change in Gabe’s attitude. Still, he had his suspicions.
Sarah wound a Black-Eyed Susan into her garland. “He was a little touchy at first, but he’s suspicious of everybody. He just has to warm up. After what you did during the shakedown, I think he’s starting to accept you. Alec told him about it. He really was grateful and, I think, kind of impressed.”
Reed tossed the rock away and changed the subject. “Is Elijah supposed to be there?”
Sarah laughed, and Cody grinned. “Are you kidding?” he said. “I don’t think Ethan could survive a Saturday without him.”
They found the farm already bustling with activity. Every door and window of the little house was thrown open to catch the spring breezes that ruffled the spreads of sweet-smelling clover. Half a dozen girls flitted in and out of doors, shaking rugs, hanging out curtains, and emptying mop buckets in the grass. Two boys were working on the roof while others moved furniture and mattresses out into the yard. Little Shellys were everywhere.
“Sarah, honey!” Lucy flourished a dust-cloth from a window as the three approached the house. “It’s spring cleaning! Mrs. Shelly isn’t feeling well, so we put her to bed and told her we’d do it!”
“Of course,” Sarah called back, quickening her pace. “Anybody got an apron?” She vanished inside, draping her daisy chain over the doorknob.
“Hey, guys!” Alec popped a sweaty face over the edge of the roof. “You look fresh.”
Cody squinted up at him. “Thank you. I’m afraid you don’t.”
Elijah appeared next to Alec, silhouetted against the bright spring sky. “He isn’t, poor Alec. It’s been quite a day so far, and he’s always gotten the worst end of the deal.”
Alec nodded agreeably.
Elijah rested a hammer on his thigh and wiped the sleeve of his white t-shirt across his forehead. “Maybe now that Reed’s here, they can swap out. If he doesn’t mind, he could help me on the roof for a while. We’re almost done.” As no one objected to this plan, they made the switch with the help of a ladder. When Alec was safely on the ground and Reed perched on the roof, Elijah leaned over the edge once more.
“Oh, and Cody, there was a heavy box or something in the bedroom that Gabe and Wilson left. Could you take care of it?”
Cody waved. “You got it, bro.”
“Thanks, dude! You’re the best.”
As the other two disappeared into the house, Reed chuckled. “So is Cody, like, freaky strong or something?”
“Something like that.” Elijah smiled as he moved back up the roof. “Or maybe we just live together, so we boss each other around all the time.”
After a brief seminar on the art of roofing, they settled into the work of replacing worn-out shingles. It wasn’t a hard job, but it was hot and dirty. Reed began to sympathize with Alec.
After a few minutes, Cody reappeared below. Reed glanced down and paused, hammer mid-air. Cody carried on his shoulder an old fireproof safe the size of a large microwave. It looked heavy. What caught Reed’s attention was Cody himself. His muscles were enormous under the weight, swelling to a size Reed wouldn’t have believed if he weren’t seeing it. Katy fluttered behind him, kneading her hands and asking continually if he was sure he didn’t want any help.
Elijah glanced down and smiled. “Ah, Katy! She’s always worried he’ll hurt himself. She shouldn’t, though; he’ll be fine.”
Reed said nothing, but gaped in silence until Cody had safely set his burden on the grass. Even then, he had to assure Katy several times he was fine. The sight of the two together amused Reed. Katy, all of four-foot eight-inches high, seemed to have shrunk next to Cody, who had never looked so massive. Reed looked up at Elijah and grinned. “They make quite a pair.”
Elijah straightened and smiled again. “Yeah, they do.”
Reed ventured another glance down as the two disappeared back into the house. He chuckled. “I’m not sure which one sets the other off more. They’
d make a cute couple.”
“Cody wouldn’t mind if Katy’s agreeable.”
Reed’s grin faded, and he glanced at Elijah. “Wait, really? Cody has a crush on Katy? I never would have guessed!”
“You weren’t supposed to.” Elijah returned to his work. “Cody’s going about it the right way. Don’t say anything to anybody yet; it’s not public knowledge. Me and Lucy know, but nobody else is supposed to yet.”
Reed sat back on his heels, pondering the news. “But she’s so small, and he’s so… so…”
“Freaky strong?” Elijah looked up with twinkling eyes. “Toss me that nail, would you?”
Reed handed it to him. “Well, yeah. Why the heck did he pick little-bitty Katy of all people? With a bod like that, he could have bagged any girl he wanted, maybe a model or something.”
Elijah paused his work and rested on his hammer. “There’s more to this than looks, Reed. If you just go for size or appearance, you’re bound to be disappointed. There’s always somebody bigger or prettier, and you’ve gotta go deeper and look for things that matter. Looks are just on the surface; they’re not the most important thing.” He picked up his hammer again and slid a new shingle off the pile.
Reed stared at him for a minute and then mechanically did the same, blinking down at his hands. Looks weren’t important? His view on the subject couldn’t be any more different, but he held his peace. He hadn’t done well last time he tried to argue with Elijah.
They worked in silence. Reed pounded a nail into the roof and reached for another. Where did Elijah get these ideas of his? Nobody thinks that way anymore. How can he say stuff like that? He shot a glance in Elijah’s direction. Duh, look who’s talking. Here was the young man who had literally been too hot to live in the Dorms. Of course he could say looks weren’t a big deal; he already had all the looks he needed and didn’t have to worry.
Then again, Reed pondered as he added a second nail next to the first, he was the best-looking kid on the Hill. Why would he want to say something like that? Shouldn’t he be saying looks are everything? He could get anywhere or anything he wanted.
Reed put down his hammer and scratched the back of his neck. He didn’t understand this guy. He glanced in Elijah’s direction again. Stranger still, the heartthrob of the Hill was spending his leisure after-noon working on a random widow’s roof, sweat dripping off his perfect face and nails sticking out of his mouth. Why?
Ever since he had met these people, Reed had been asking that question, hunting for what made them so different. Here it was again, and yet, it still eluded him. They had told him time and again their explanation—God, Jesus, salvation—but he still couldn’t—wouldn’t—believe it.
Fortunately, most of the roof work had been taken care of before Reed arrived. The little that remained went quickly. When it was done, he straightened and surveyed their handiwork with pride, forgetting he hadn’t done most of it.
Elijah brushed off the hopelessly blackened knees of his jeans and gathered up the tools. “We’re finished here. Let’s go down and see what we can help everybody else with.”
Reed squinted up at the sun and sighed. He should have known they weren’t done. Picking up a load of tools, he backed down the ladder. Elijah took the quicker route and dropped straight from the roof to the yard below, landing easily on his feet in the new grass. At the impact, however, his silver chain jolted out of his collar. The arcane pendant slipped out of his t-shirt and dangled down onto his chest.
It caught Reed’s eye with a flash of afternoon sun. He’d almost forgotten about the strange object in the weeks since he’d first seen it. Now, the flash brought everything back in an instant—the memory, the mystery, the curiosity. But, in half a second, the flash was gone again. Elijah’s fist closed over the bright glitter and dropped it back inside his shirt.
Reed turned his head away and kept climbing down the ladder. He suddenly felt an astronomical distance from Elijah, now gathering tools on the grass. Before, there had been a growing friendship, a mutual liking and friendly camaraderie. But this secret—this thing—was between them, pushing them worlds apart. Reed prided himself on having keen perception, but this situation baffled his senses. Elijah seemed so pure and clear, but this object—whatever it was—seemed to represent a different side Reed had not seen, something completely foreign.
What is that thing? he wondered, dusting off his jeans at the bottom of the ladder. He guards it like the Hope Diamond. I’m not supposed to ask, he won’t tell, and I can’t even get a good look at it. How the heck will I ever find out?
Chapter 20
Reed didn’t have much time to wonder about the pendant the rest of the afternoon. Most of his will and energy was focused on surviving each task that loomed up before him. Though the roof had been taken care of, Patton’s corral required repair, several door hinges wanted replacing, the windows needed work, and the yard cried for attention. After all that, there was still the garden. This was a large, tilled plot behind the barn that Reed had visited on his last trip to the farm. Planting new seeds, thinning young shoots, weeding around the growing plants—the garden promised to be a black hole of work, sweat, and back pain.
After several hours of chores, the teens took a break under the spreading branches of a great oak behind the house, overlooking the pond. Reed stretched out on the thick carpet of shady grass and closed his eyes, wondering again how he’d gotten talked into this. Every disgruntled muscle in his back and knees complained from the hours of bending.
The other teens, scattered around the dappled shade, seemed unaffected by the fatigue. They acted more pleased than exhausted.
“Well, we knocked out all the inside cleaning, the outside repair work, the yard, and a good bit of the garden,” Sarah listed, counting on her earth-stained fingers with each accomplishment. “That’s awesome, guys!”
“Don’t forget the barn work,” added Gabe, lying on his stomach in the grass with his head pillowed on his arms. Alec had been giving him a backrub until the twins, Luke and Lizzy, began dropping leaves down the back of Alec’s collar from the branches above. He had been forced to mount the tree to bring an end to it, and he had not returned. Hushed whispers and muffled giggles from above suggested an armistice had been reached on the terms of a story. Gabe would have to do without his backrub.
“Yes, and the barn,” amended Sarah, adding to the tally on her fingers. “Did I forget anything else?”
“Marielle and I took care of the laundry,” Lucy put in. She, Katy, and Krista had formed a massage train near the edge of the shade. Gabe looked slightly jealous.
“Cody fixed the light switch in the hall, too,” added Wilson, staring into the sky with his hands clasped behind his head.
“And Wilson got the lawnmower up and running,” Kara finished from across the circle where she was braiding Courtney’s hair. Nathan was asleep and didn’t say anything.
Sarah gave up counting. “Well, I’d say that was an incredible day’s work.”
“And I learned how to caulk awound windows!” exclaimed Ethan, bouncing up and down in the excitement of the moment. This was not a kind or wise thing to do, since he was using Elijah, propped up against the tree trunk next to Cody, as a recliner. But Elijah took it well and never even opened his eyes. His eyebrows did go up and down with each bounce, however.
“Did you?” said Lucy, smiling at the little boy’s enthusiasm. “Then I’m sure you’re practically a professional.” Elijah’s eyebrows skyrocketed. “That is definitely worth adding to the list.”
Sarah smiled and clasped her hands around her knees. “Can you count, Ethan, and tell us how many things that was?”
Ethan studied his fingers deliberately, his tongue sticking out in concentration as he lifted them one by one.
“Nine!” he announced suddenly.
“Very good!” Lucy exchanged surprised looks with Sarah. “You can count fast!”
The little boy grinned, looked down, and then added shyly, “Than
ks, Cody.”
“What? Cody!” Lucy gasped. “That’s cheating! You can’t tell him the—ouch!”
She broke off in surprise as a large piece of bark thumped on top of her head. There were giggles in the tree.
“Hey, you up there!” she called into the branches, rising to her knees. “What are you doing?”
“Who says it’s us?” replied Alec’s merry voice. “It might be the squirrels.”
A young acorn bounced off her upturned face. More giggles erupted, accompanied by a muffled snicker that definitely did not come from any squirrel.
“Squirrels, my eye!” she retorted. “Alec, am I going to have to come up there and get you?”
“You might,” the voice replied. “But I’d like to see you try to climb a tree.”
Lucy considered that. “Then I’ll send Cody up! Or Gabe! Or I’ll…”
Her voice trailed off, and a twinkle stole into her eyes. Slyly, she reached back and took out the rubber band holding her ponytail, shaking her golden hair loose. Squinting one eye, she aimed her metal-banded weapon along her fingers deliberately. “Or I could try… THIS!” She let fly her pink-and-silver missile with a snap. There was an echoing pop in the tree, and a satisfying “ouch” rewarded her aim.
That started a war. The opposing sides recruited allies and began an all-out campaign. Reed remained neutral on his back in the grass. He was tired, and this wasn’t his kind of fun. It would take a lot more than acorns to bring back his sapped energy. Sure, it wasn’t too bad now, sprawled in the shade playing games, but that was nothing compared to the hours of work they’d all put in. A twig hurtled dangerously close to his nose. He couldn’t comprehend what these people were thinking. The Dorms offered so much more. Why come all the way out here just to work their fingers to the bone? To build muscle? Heck, thought Reed, I’ll take the Hill any day and go to the gym later.
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