“You’re not from around here, Sarah,” Jennifer said. “You don’t understand how things are. You should keep quiet, not tell us what we should do.”
“You’re right,” Sarah said. “I’m not from here. Maybe because I’m not, I understand things better than you do.”
“You have some nerve,” Amber said. “Thinking you’re smarter than we are because you’re from back east.”
“It’s not hard to be smarter than you,” Sarah muttered.
Jon willed her to shut up. But he never could make Sarah do what he wanted.
“Let me explain something,” Sarah said. “There is nobody, nobody, important living in Sexton. Not a senator or a judge or a governor. You think you’re important because you have more than everyone else around here. But you have nothing compared to other enclaves. You know what those clavers think of you, those senators and judges? They think you’re farmers, grub farmers. All those greenhouses that are going up? They’re to feed the governors, not us. You’re one drought away from losing your fancy homes and your domestics.” She shook her head. “You have a lot more in common with the people in White Birch than you do with the people with power. Today’s claver is tomorrow’s grub.”
“Are you calling me a grub?” Amber shrieked.
“I wouldn’t insult grubs by calling you one,” Sarah said.
“Grubby, grubby, grubby,” Tyler started chanting. It was stupid and meaningless, but the rest of the class joined in, pointing at Sarah and calling her grubby.
Jon mouthed the word but didn’t say it. It was a ridiculous compromise, but he didn’t know what else to do.
The lunch bell rang as the class was getting louder and louder. Sarah was the first to grab her books and stand up. As she walked down the aisle, Zachary stuck his leg out, and she stumbled over it. Even Dr. Carlyle burst out laughing.
“Come on, Evans,” Tyler said. “Let’s see what happens to Little Miss Grub in the cafeteria.”
Jon didn’t want to see. But he had no choice.
Sarah went to the table where she always ate her lunch alone. Jon followed Tyler and his teammates to their table.
Amber walked over to Sarah and spit at her. The other kids in the cafeteria cheered, and Amber bowed.
Luke got up and, taking his lunch plate with him, walked toward Sarah’s table.
“This’ll be good,” Ryan said. “Wanna bet he dumps his lunch on her?”
“Let’s all do it,” Zachary said. “Let her know what we think of grub lovers.”
But all Luke did was stand by Sarah’s side and ask if he could join her. Jon and his teammates watched in silence as Luke sat at Sarah’s table and began talking with her.
“He’s crazy,” Tyler said. “Come on, guys. We’ve got soccer practice in a few minutes. Coach’ll whip him back in shape.”
Jon longed to join Sarah and Luke, but he didn’t dare. When Lisa passes her evaluation, he promised himself. Then he’d be as brave as Luke.
When Jon arrived at Sarah’s house after breakfast, he saw her standing on the front porch.
“Go away,” she said.
“Sarah, I’m sorry,” Jon said.
“I don’t care if you’re sorry,” she said. “And I don’t need to hear your excuses.”
“It isn’t an excuse,” Jon said. “Lisa hasn’t heard about the evaluation yet. I can’t do anything that might hurt her chances.”
Sarah shook her head. “Today it’s the evaluation,” she said. “Next week it’ll be because you’re a slip. You always have that one to fall back on, don’t you, Jon?”
“I am a slip,” Jon said. “You have no idea what that’s like.”
“It’s an excuse, Jon,” Sarah said. “You’re a coward, just like you told me. When you didn’t visit Julie, that wasn’t because you were a slip or Lisa had an evaluation. It was because deep down inside you’re scared. You’re weak and cowardly, and I don’t want to see you ever again.”
“Sarah,” Jon pleaded.
“Go away,” she said. “And don’t ever come back. I’ll call for a guard, Jon, if you don’t leave right now. I’m not kidding.”
“I’m sorry,” he said again, but he began walking away. He turned back once and saw Sarah standing there absolutely still.
Julie wasn’t the only one who understood him, he thought. Sarah had known him for a month, and she knew him every bit as well, and now hated him just as much.
Chapter 7
Jon had never seen Lisa look so happy, so excited.
“You passed your evaluation,” he said.
Lisa raced over and hugged him. “I passed!” she cried. “We’re safe for another three years.”
“That’s great, Lisa,” Jon said. “You deserve it.”
“Oh, Jon, it’s even better than that,” she said. “Sit down. No, I’ll sit down. No, I’m too excited to sit down.”
Jon laughed. “We’ll both sit down,” he said. “Tell me what happened. How did you find out?”
“They called me in,” Lisa said. “I can’t wait to tell Gabe. I know he won’t understand, but I want to tell him anyway. Jon, I didn’t just pass. I got a promotion!”
“You’re kidding,” Jon said. “Lisa, that’s amazing.”
“I’m now head of domestic placements,” she said. “My boss got transferred. I can’t believe they hired me. I thought for sure they’d hire someone’s sister or cousin. I thought they’d hire the relative and I’d be struck having to train some idiot, or worse still, they’d say no to my evaluation to justify not giving me the job. It doesn’t matter. Maybe no relative wanted the job. Either way, I got it.”
“What are the benefits?” Jon asked.
“They offered me a choice,” Lisa replied. “I could have a bigger house, better neighborhood, but I love this neighborhood, so why should I want to move? And we don’t need a bigger house. So I decided against that right away. Instead we’re getting a personal greenhouse. Jon, we’ll be able to grow our own fruits and vegetables. Herbs. Do you know how much I’ve missed fresh herbs?”
“That’s great,” Jon said.
Lisa laughed. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to work in it,” she said, but then she lowered her voice. “Whichever I chose, I’d be getting a third domestic. I had this amazing idea, Jon. I’m going to arrange it so that Miranda gets the job.”
“Miranda?” Jon said.
“Quiet,” Lisa said. “Val might hear you.”
“I’m sorry,” Jon whispered. “But Miranda working here?”
“It makes a lot of sense, Jon,” Lisa replied. “The baby could share the nursery with Gabe. Carrie can look after both of them while Miranda works in the greenhouse.”
“What about Alex?” Jon asked, still trying to understand how it would work.
“He’d keep the apartment, I guess,” Lisa said. “Miranda and the baby can take the bus Saturday nights with Val and Carrie. But Miranda wouldn’t have to work nearly so hard, and she wouldn’t have the commute, and she’d be able to look in on her baby at mealtimes. She’ll eat better here, and the air would be better for the baby. You can see all that, can’t you, Jon?”
Jon remembered what Alex had said about Gabe being better off in Sexton than with his mother. This wasn’t exactly the same. Miranda would still be a grub, and her baby would be a grub’s baby, not a claver’s. But Lisa would treat them well, and things would be easier for them.