“What of it?” Jon asked. “Sarah’s new here. She hasn’t made any friends yet.”
“She isn’t going to make any friends,” Tyler declared. “Keep away from her, Evans.”
“Why?” Jon asked.
Zachary looked like he was about to punch Jon. Tyler put his arm on Zachary’s shoulder.
“Look, Evans, you’re a slip,” Tyler said. “An outsider. But Luke and I are cousins. Zach and Ryan have been my friends since kindergarten. The four of us were in Cub Scouts together, Pop Warner, all of it. You’re a good soccer player, and you’re okay. We like you. But you’re not one of us. You don’t belong.”
“Fine,” Jon said. “I don’t belong.”
“It’s my grandfather!” Zachary yelled. “You stupid slip.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jon said.
“Zach’s grandfather was a doctor,” Luke said.
“A great man,” Zachary said. “A great doctor. He was a doctor in Sexton for over fifty years.”
“It was crazy when the government turned Sexton into an enclave,” Luke said. “People trying to keep their homes, their families. We’re the lucky ones. Our parents all were selected, so we got to stay.”
“They said Granddad would have to leave,” Zachary said. “Fifty years didn’t count for anything.”
“But my father stepped in,” Tyler said. “Dad owned half of Sexton. He had powerful friends. So they had to listen. They worked out a compromise. Zach’s granddad got appointed as the White Birch Clinic doctor, and they let him stay in Sexton.”
“That’s the job Sarah’s father has,” Jon said.
Luke nodded. “There were some problems at the clinic,” he said.
Zachary took a swipe at Luke, but Tyler got between them.
“There weren’t any problems!” Zachary screamed. “It was lies. All lies.”
“Grubs lie,” Ryan said. “The women lie worst of all. They’ll say anything to hurt a claver.”
“Only good thing was they shut those bitches up,” Zachary said. “Sent them to the mines. Hope they’re dead.”
“I bet they are,” Ryan said. “No one lasts long in the mines.”
“I don’t get it,” Jon said. “What does any of this have to do with Sarah?”
“Sarah’s father is a doctor,” Tyler said. “He must have done something real bad, because he got kicked out of his enclave. Only he has powerful friends, even more powerful than Dad. So they fired Zach’s grandfather and gave his job to Sarah’s father.”
“Not just the job,” Zachary said. “They gave Granddad’s home, the furniture, the grubs—all of it—to Sarah’s father. Everything. They wouldn’t even let Granddad stay here with us. They won’t let him live in my aunt’s enclave either. He had to move to the grubtown near her. My grandfather, living with those pigs.”
“Sarah and her father shouldn’t be allowed in Sexton,” Ryan said. “They were thrown out of one enclave; they shouldn’t be allowed in another.”
“But it’s not like they knew your granddad,” Jon said to Zachary. “They’re not responsible for what happened.”
“That’s what I mean about you not understanding,” Tyler said. “It’s the slip in you, Evans. Zach’s grandfather is a great man. People around here know that. No one believes what those grub bitches said. He could have kept his job, his house, except they needed a place to put Sarah’s father.”
“But it’s still not Sarah’s fault,” Jon said.
“Jon, drop it,” Luke said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Sarah’s fault. She doesn’t belong here. No one wants her here.”
“You’re either with her or you’re with us,” Tyler said. “Take your pick, Evans.”
Jon looked around the schoolyard. Sarah had already gone inside.
He owed her nothing, he told himself. He owed Lisa everything. He’d made her a promise, and he had no choice but to keep it.
“I pick you,” he said. “Sorry, Zach. I didn’t understand.”
“No one expected you to,” Tyler said, slapping Jon on the back. “You’re a slip, Evans, but you have possibilities.”
Cowboy Gabe had time to shoot only one more bandit while riding his gallant steed, Jon, before going to bed, when the doorbell rang.
Lisa looked up from her paperwork. “Who could that be?” she asked.
“Come on, cowboy,” Jon said. “Let’s find out.”
Gabe slid up so that he was resting on Jon’s shoulders as Jon rose and walked to the door. Sarah was standing there.
Gabe stuck his finger out and pointed it at Sarah. “Bang, bang!” he yelled. “I shot you.”
Sarah promptly collapsed on the front step. Gabe looked down at her. “I didn’t really shoot you,” he said, a worried expression on his face.
Sarah got up laughing. “I’m glad to hear it,” she replied.
“Jon, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Lisa asked, walking over to the front hallway.
“Oh yeah,” Jon said. “Lisa, this is Sarah. She’s new at school. Sarah, this is Lisa. Lisa Evans. My stepmother.”
Lisa smiled and extended her hand for Sarah to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Sarah,” she said. “Jon’s friends don’t come over nearly enough.”
“She didn’t come to see me,” Jon said. “She wanted to meet Cowboy Gabe.”
“It’s time for Cowboy Gabe to go to bed,” Lisa said. “Jon, let him down.”
“No!” Gabe screamed, but Lisa and Jon ignored him. Jon set him on his feet, and Lisa took hold of his hand. Gabe struggled, but Lisa held on and managed to get him upstairs.
“Gabe’s nanny has a headache,” Jon said. “Lisa always says good night to him, but she doesn’t usually have to get him into bed.”
“I don’t care about Gabe’s nanny,” Sarah said. “I want to talk to you, Jon.”
“Not here,” Jon said. “We have a garage. Let’s go there.”
“The garage?” Sarah asked.
“It’s private,” Jon replied. “I don’t want Lisa to hear us.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say!” Sarah cried.
“I can guess,” Jon said. “All right?” He walked out the front door, and Sarah followed him to the garage.
“This is awful,” Sarah said. “Has anyone been in here in five years? Can you at least turn a light on?”
“I don’t think there is one,” Jon said. “Just say what you want, Sarah. I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?” Sarah asked. “Ready to embarrass me some more? I thought you liked me. I didn’t invite you to sit with me. Not at lunch, not on the bus. One minute I see you; the next minute you’re gone. And the minute after that, you act like I’m invisible. You walk right past me like I’m not even there.”
“I know,” Jon said. “Sarah, I’m sorry. I do like you. I like you more than any girl since I moved here. But Zachary, my friend—well we’re on the team together—and the thing is you moved into his grandfather’s house. Your dad took his granddad’s job.”
“Do you know what that man did?” Sarah asked. “What he did to his patients?”
“No,” Jon said. “I don’t know, and even if you tell me, I won’t believe you. Grubs lie, Sarah. They lie all the time. Zach says they lied about his grandfather, and I believe him. And my friends believe him. Try to see it from Zach’s point of view. His grandfather was forced out of town, and you stole his home.”
“Daddy didn’t ask for the job,” Sarah said. “And we sure didn’t ask for that house.”
“Tyler says you were thrown out of your enclave,” Jon said. “That someone pulled strings and got your father this job.”
“My father is a great man,” Sarah said.
“That’s exactly what Zach says about his grandfather,” Jon replied. “I’d probably say it about my dad if he were still around. Sarah, I can’t afford to let Zach hate me. Tyler’s on his side, and his father’s on the town board. Lisa’s up for her evaluation. I have to protect her.”