C HAPTER 1
“We’re almost there, Jimbo.” Jim Stanton’s father grinned at him in the rearview mirror.
His mother turned sideways in the front seat of their old brown station wagon and gave her sandy-haired son an encouraging smile. “Mr. Kincaid says Folsum is a great place for kids.”
Jim didn’t look up. He had his baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, and his lanky body was slumped miserably in the seat.
He knew he was being very selfish but he couldn’t help it. After all, it was asking a lot of a guy to give up everything.
His father had just received the job of a lifetime—a post at Folsum National Laboratories in New Mexico. He had been handpicked by the company’s president, Jefferson Kincaid, and would be making three times the salary he had earned back in California.
The problem was, Jim had to leave all his friends, and worst of all he had to give up his position as pitcher in his hometown summer league with a perfect no-loss record and only two games left to play.
“Don’t worry about him, Mom.” Laura, Jim’s eight-year-old sister, scooted forward and whispered loudly to their mother in a teasing voice. “He’s just having Heather Atkinson withdrawal.” Laura fell back against the seat and covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.
Jim thought seriously about jerking one of Laura’s long blond braids. But he didn’t. The truth was he did miss Heather. She wasn’t his girlfriend or anything, but who knew … if only they weren’t moving.
He raised his cap a little and stared at hisfather’s back. Robert Stanton was a research scientist. He worked hard to support his family, and his big chance had finally come. The Wellington Foundation, along with Folsum Laboratories, had heard of the project Dr. Stanton had been working on dealing with a new plastic that could withstand tremendous heat.
The family would live in the small, elite community of Folsum, nestled at the base of New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains, while Dr. Stanton completed his research. Jim’s mother had read Jim the brochures the company sent and had shown him the pictures of their new house. To her it was all incredible. For the first time in their lives they would be living in a really nice house in an equally nice neighborhood.
“Oh, look, Robert—there’s the school.”
Jim watched his mother grab his father’s arm excitedly. She had gone on and on about the dumb school. It boasted the highest grade-point averages and the most distinguished alumni in the state, possibly the nation.
“Wait till they get ahold of the Ditz Brain,” Jim mumbled just loud enough for his sister to hear.
She wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re the one who can’t spell ‘cat.’ They probably won’t even let you in the front door of the school.” Laura folded her arms smugly.
Their father looked in the rearview mirror. “That’ll be enough of that.” He turned the corner and drove down a short street with houses on either side. He pulled the station wagon into the driveway of a large two-story brick house.
“You can get out now, kids. We’re here.”
C HAPTER 2
Jim slammed the car door. He had to admit, the house was impressive. The lawn was perfectly trimmed and the shrubs looked as if they had been manicured. Not one blade of grass was out of place. The other houses on the block looked almost exactly the same—except that they all had late-model cars sitting in their driveways.
“Must be a retirement community,” Jim said. “I don’t see any kids around.”
His mother hugged him playfully. “Don’t worry, kiddo. They’ll probably be aroundlater, after we’ve had time to unpack and get a few things in place.”
“Everything’s already in place.” His father reached for a suitcase on top of the station wagon. “The company took care of it.”
Jim’s mother looked puzzled. “You mean they put away our dishes, clothes, and everything?”
“Mr. Kincaid said you’d
“We’re almost there, Jimbo.” Jim Stanton’s father grinned at him in the rearview mirror.
His mother turned sideways in the front seat of their old brown station wagon and gave her sandy-haired son an encouraging smile. “Mr. Kincaid says Folsum is a great place for kids.”
Jim didn’t look up. He had his baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, and his lanky body was slumped miserably in the seat.
He knew he was being very selfish but he couldn’t help it. After all, it was asking a lot of a guy to give up everything.
His father had just received the job of a lifetime—a post at Folsum National Laboratories in New Mexico. He had been handpicked by the company’s president, Jefferson Kincaid, and would be making three times the salary he had earned back in California.
The problem was, Jim had to leave all his friends, and worst of all he had to give up his position as pitcher in his hometown summer league with a perfect no-loss record and only two games left to play.
“Don’t worry about him, Mom.” Laura, Jim’s eight-year-old sister, scooted forward and whispered loudly to their mother in a teasing voice. “He’s just having Heather Atkinson withdrawal.” Laura fell back against the seat and covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.
Jim thought seriously about jerking one of Laura’s long blond braids. But he didn’t. The truth was he did miss Heather. She wasn’t his girlfriend or anything, but who knew … if only they weren’t moving.
He raised his cap a little and stared at hisfather’s back. Robert Stanton was a research scientist. He worked hard to support his family, and his big chance had finally come. The Wellington Foundation, along with Folsum Laboratories, had heard of the project Dr. Stanton had been working on dealing with a new plastic that could withstand tremendous heat.
The family would live in the small, elite community of Folsum, nestled at the base of New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains, while Dr. Stanton completed his research. Jim’s mother had read Jim the brochures the company sent and had shown him the pictures of their new house. To her it was all incredible. For the first time in their lives they would be living in a really nice house in an equally nice neighborhood.
“Oh, look, Robert—there’s the school.”
Jim watched his mother grab his father’s arm excitedly. She had gone on and on about the dumb school. It boasted the highest grade-point averages and the most distinguished alumni in the state, possibly the nation.
“Wait till they get ahold of the Ditz Brain,” Jim mumbled just loud enough for his sister to hear.
She wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re the one who can’t spell ‘cat.’ They probably won’t even let you in the front door of the school.” Laura folded her arms smugly.
Their father looked in the rearview mirror. “That’ll be enough of that.” He turned the corner and drove down a short street with houses on either side. He pulled the station wagon into the driveway of a large two-story brick house.
“You can get out now, kids. We’re here.”
C HAPTER 2
Jim slammed the car door. He had to admit, the house was impressive. The lawn was perfectly trimmed and the shrubs looked as if they had been manicured. Not one blade of grass was out of place. The other houses on the block looked almost exactly the same—except that they all had late-model cars sitting in their driveways.
“Must be a retirement community,” Jim said. “I don’t see any kids around.”
His mother hugged him playfully. “Don’t worry, kiddo. They’ll probably be aroundlater, after we’ve had time to unpack and get a few things in place.”
“Everything’s already in place.” His father reached for a suitcase on top of the station wagon. “The company took care of it.”
Jim’s mother looked puzzled. “You mean they put away our dishes, clothes, and everything?”
“Mr. Kincaid said you’d
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