hear your brother’s up to no good again.”
My jaw went slack. “Word’s out already?”
“Yup, so what did he do this time? Steal a car? Mug an old woman?”
Wow, Tim’s reputation was preceding him. “Actually, Mom found a suspicious substance in his room.”
“No way.
“Way.”
She snorted. “How long is he grounded for this time?”
“Well,” I made the mistake of trying to run my fingers through my curls. “They haven’t exactly found him yet.”
“He’s missing?”
I winced as I pulled my hand out of my knotted mess. “Sort of.”
“How can you be sort of missing?” she said. I could picture her eyebrows furrowing.
“Um...”
“Casey?”
I cleared my throat. “I kind of took him back and left him there.”
“Um, I’m sorry. It sounded like you said you took him back .” She paused briefly. “And left him there.”
“That is what I said.”
Lucinda gasped. “How?”
I told her about how angry I’d gotten with him about the stash Mom had found, and about how I felt like he was wrecking our family life after it’d just had a chance to get back to normal.
“He tried to pluck my fingers off his car door, and it happened.”
“And you came back without him?”
I sat on the edge of the bed feeling irritated.“I didn’t mean to. It was his stupid fault. I told him to be ready but instead he had to make out with the first girl he saw.”
Lucinda clucked on the phone. “Sounds like he deserved to be left behind.”
I agreed. “The scare might do him good, but I hate what it’s doing to my parents.”
“So what’s the plan?”
That was just it. I let out a long sigh. I didn’t really have a plan.
Chapter Ten
TIM
Today was the day. I for one was not sorry to ditch this farm. With the exception of not seeing Josie, I wouldn’t care if I never stepped foot back here again.
Which I knew was impossible. I had to come back eventually to find Casey and catch my first class ticket back to the future.
The Watson house was thick with emotion now that they had to say goodbye to their golden boy again. This time he was headed to a camp to help train new recruits like me before we were all sent out to the front lines.
I really hoped that wouldn’t take long. I lifted my arms like I held an imaginary rifle and shot at an imaginary foe. Pow!
I left the cabin and went looking for Josie. I wanted to make sure we had time for a private goodbye.
Willie entered the back yard as I crossed it.
“Hello, Timothy,” he called, waving me over.
“Hey,” I said.
Willie’s ginger hair glistened in the sunlight. He’d taken time to grease it back, and for a moment I wondered if I should’ve put more effort into my appearance. Joining the Union Army was a big deal.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Willie started. He ran one hand over the other and studied the ground, looking uncomfortable.
I wondered if he’d found out something about me and Josie, and if I was about to get a “talkin’ to.”
I pulled on the collar of my shirt.“Yeah?”
“Does your family know you’ve enlisted?”
Okay, so not about Josie. I let out a small breath and shrugged. “I suppose they’ll find out eventually.”
Willie shook his head, clearly unimpressed. “Are you sure you don’t want to notify them of your plans? There will always be another call to volunteer.”
“No, I want to go now. The Union needs men now.”
Besides, I’d rather go with guys I sort of knew, like Willie and his friend James. If I waited, I’d be with complete strangers.
Willie’s frown grew deeper. “But what about Cassandra? Would she approve?”
“She’s not my mother.” I said, and Willie’s eyebrows shot up. I supposed that came off a little disrespectful. I softened my tone. “I mean, she would
My jaw went slack. “Word’s out already?”
“Yup, so what did he do this time? Steal a car? Mug an old woman?”
Wow, Tim’s reputation was preceding him. “Actually, Mom found a suspicious substance in his room.”
“No way.
“Way.”
She snorted. “How long is he grounded for this time?”
“Well,” I made the mistake of trying to run my fingers through my curls. “They haven’t exactly found him yet.”
“He’s missing?”
I winced as I pulled my hand out of my knotted mess. “Sort of.”
“How can you be sort of missing?” she said. I could picture her eyebrows furrowing.
“Um...”
“Casey?”
I cleared my throat. “I kind of took him back and left him there.”
“Um, I’m sorry. It sounded like you said you took him back .” She paused briefly. “And left him there.”
“That is what I said.”
Lucinda gasped. “How?”
I told her about how angry I’d gotten with him about the stash Mom had found, and about how I felt like he was wrecking our family life after it’d just had a chance to get back to normal.
“He tried to pluck my fingers off his car door, and it happened.”
“And you came back without him?”
I sat on the edge of the bed feeling irritated.“I didn’t mean to. It was his stupid fault. I told him to be ready but instead he had to make out with the first girl he saw.”
Lucinda clucked on the phone. “Sounds like he deserved to be left behind.”
I agreed. “The scare might do him good, but I hate what it’s doing to my parents.”
“So what’s the plan?”
That was just it. I let out a long sigh. I didn’t really have a plan.
Chapter Ten
TIM
Today was the day. I for one was not sorry to ditch this farm. With the exception of not seeing Josie, I wouldn’t care if I never stepped foot back here again.
Which I knew was impossible. I had to come back eventually to find Casey and catch my first class ticket back to the future.
The Watson house was thick with emotion now that they had to say goodbye to their golden boy again. This time he was headed to a camp to help train new recruits like me before we were all sent out to the front lines.
I really hoped that wouldn’t take long. I lifted my arms like I held an imaginary rifle and shot at an imaginary foe. Pow!
I left the cabin and went looking for Josie. I wanted to make sure we had time for a private goodbye.
Willie entered the back yard as I crossed it.
“Hello, Timothy,” he called, waving me over.
“Hey,” I said.
Willie’s ginger hair glistened in the sunlight. He’d taken time to grease it back, and for a moment I wondered if I should’ve put more effort into my appearance. Joining the Union Army was a big deal.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Willie started. He ran one hand over the other and studied the ground, looking uncomfortable.
I wondered if he’d found out something about me and Josie, and if I was about to get a “talkin’ to.”
I pulled on the collar of my shirt.“Yeah?”
“Does your family know you’ve enlisted?”
Okay, so not about Josie. I let out a small breath and shrugged. “I suppose they’ll find out eventually.”
Willie shook his head, clearly unimpressed. “Are you sure you don’t want to notify them of your plans? There will always be another call to volunteer.”
“No, I want to go now. The Union needs men now.”
Besides, I’d rather go with guys I sort of knew, like Willie and his friend James. If I waited, I’d be with complete strangers.
Willie’s frown grew deeper. “But what about Cassandra? Would she approve?”
“She’s not my mother.” I said, and Willie’s eyebrows shot up. I supposed that came off a little disrespectful. I softened my tone. “I mean, she would
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