would be even more. No wonder they could pay me two hundred bucks a week.
I wasn't sure how the fat guy figured in. Maybe he was a big player in the dealâthe guy who got the drugs to the street. Maybe he was a small fry who'd fallen into some easy money. Sometimes I wanted to find out what happened to the packages after I stuck them in the locker, but then I'd remember what the fat man had said about knowing too much, and I let it drop.
The Monday before Thanksgiving vacation, the counselors set up Career Day in the commons area. People from the University of Washington and Seattle University and Shoreline College and a bunch of other schools stood behind tables and passed out brochures.
I didn't even bother to look at the college brochuresâwhat point was there? When I finished eating lunch, I walked across the commons to the back door. That's where I spotted
Melissa toe-to-toe with Ms. Dugan, the vice principal. The two of them were standing in front of a table manned by an armed forces recruiter with a grim smile on his face. I hadn't noticed either the table or the guy, that's how deep in the corner they were.
I stopped about ten feet from Melissa. She had on her Stanford sweatshirt and jeans. Her face was bright red, and so was Dugan's. They were talking in low voices, but anybody could see they were both angry.
While they were arguing, some kid I didn't know pushed past Melissa and approached the recruiter's table. Melissa spun around. "Don't believe a word he says," she yelled so loudly that everyone in the commons turned to stare at her. Melissa paused and then pointed at the recruiter. "He'll get you killed if you let him!"
"That's enough of that!" Dugan broke in angrily. "More than enough. If you don't leave here right now, Melissa Watts, I am going to call security and have you removed."
Melissa glowered at Dugan.
"Did you hear me? Either you leave or security comes and makes you leave."
"I have a constitutional right to say whatever I want."
"You are on school property, Melissa, and you do not have the right to disrupt educational activities."
"Oh, so signing up to get killed is an
educational
activity!"
I pushed my way up to Melissa. "Let's get out of here, Melissa," I said. "Fifth period is about to begin, anyway." Melissa looked at me and then at Dugan. "It's not worth it," I whispered.
She turned back to Dugan. "I'm leaving," she said. "But not because of you. I'm leaving because I want to leave."
"I don't care why you leave," Dugan said. "Just leave."
Melissa shook free of me, turned her back, and strode out of the commons. Ms. Dugan followed a few seconds later. I started to walk away when the recruiter called out, "Hey, you." I turned back. He shoved a brochure into my hand. "Do me a favor. Stick this in your pocket and look at it over sometime."
After Arnold's class ended, Melissa walked to the locker bay with me. "It makes me mad they allow those guys on campus," she said, still fixated on her lunchtime face-off with Dugan. "It's just wrong."
"Come on, Melissa. There are worse things than joining the army."
"Yeah?" she said. "Name one."
"Going to jail," I said.
She laughed mockingly. "As if that's an option."
I'd reached my locker. She watched as I spun the dial on my lock. "I appreciate what you did, Chance. That's the second time you've been there for me."
"I didn't do anything."
"Yes, you did. I don't need anything bad on my record, not if I'm going to get into Stanford. And being hauled off by security is definitely bad."
"They wouldn't have hauled you off."
"Dugan would have loved to call security. She's never liked me."
I slammed my locker shut and turned. "I've got to go, Melissa." I started toward the exit.
"Waitâcan I ask you something, Chance?"
I turned back. "Ask whatever you want."
"What are you looking for in those rocks?"
It was the last thing I was expecting her to say. I could feel the blood start to pound in my temples. "What are you talking
I wasn't sure how the fat guy figured in. Maybe he was a big player in the dealâthe guy who got the drugs to the street. Maybe he was a small fry who'd fallen into some easy money. Sometimes I wanted to find out what happened to the packages after I stuck them in the locker, but then I'd remember what the fat man had said about knowing too much, and I let it drop.
The Monday before Thanksgiving vacation, the counselors set up Career Day in the commons area. People from the University of Washington and Seattle University and Shoreline College and a bunch of other schools stood behind tables and passed out brochures.
I didn't even bother to look at the college brochuresâwhat point was there? When I finished eating lunch, I walked across the commons to the back door. That's where I spotted
Melissa toe-to-toe with Ms. Dugan, the vice principal. The two of them were standing in front of a table manned by an armed forces recruiter with a grim smile on his face. I hadn't noticed either the table or the guy, that's how deep in the corner they were.
I stopped about ten feet from Melissa. She had on her Stanford sweatshirt and jeans. Her face was bright red, and so was Dugan's. They were talking in low voices, but anybody could see they were both angry.
While they were arguing, some kid I didn't know pushed past Melissa and approached the recruiter's table. Melissa spun around. "Don't believe a word he says," she yelled so loudly that everyone in the commons turned to stare at her. Melissa paused and then pointed at the recruiter. "He'll get you killed if you let him!"
"That's enough of that!" Dugan broke in angrily. "More than enough. If you don't leave here right now, Melissa Watts, I am going to call security and have you removed."
Melissa glowered at Dugan.
"Did you hear me? Either you leave or security comes and makes you leave."
"I have a constitutional right to say whatever I want."
"You are on school property, Melissa, and you do not have the right to disrupt educational activities."
"Oh, so signing up to get killed is an
educational
activity!"
I pushed my way up to Melissa. "Let's get out of here, Melissa," I said. "Fifth period is about to begin, anyway." Melissa looked at me and then at Dugan. "It's not worth it," I whispered.
She turned back to Dugan. "I'm leaving," she said. "But not because of you. I'm leaving because I want to leave."
"I don't care why you leave," Dugan said. "Just leave."
Melissa shook free of me, turned her back, and strode out of the commons. Ms. Dugan followed a few seconds later. I started to walk away when the recruiter called out, "Hey, you." I turned back. He shoved a brochure into my hand. "Do me a favor. Stick this in your pocket and look at it over sometime."
After Arnold's class ended, Melissa walked to the locker bay with me. "It makes me mad they allow those guys on campus," she said, still fixated on her lunchtime face-off with Dugan. "It's just wrong."
"Come on, Melissa. There are worse things than joining the army."
"Yeah?" she said. "Name one."
"Going to jail," I said.
She laughed mockingly. "As if that's an option."
I'd reached my locker. She watched as I spun the dial on my lock. "I appreciate what you did, Chance. That's the second time you've been there for me."
"I didn't do anything."
"Yes, you did. I don't need anything bad on my record, not if I'm going to get into Stanford. And being hauled off by security is definitely bad."
"They wouldn't have hauled you off."
"Dugan would have loved to call security. She's never liked me."
I slammed my locker shut and turned. "I've got to go, Melissa." I started toward the exit.
"Waitâcan I ask you something, Chance?"
I turned back. "Ask whatever you want."
"What are you looking for in those rocks?"
It was the last thing I was expecting her to say. I could feel the blood start to pound in my temples. "What are you talking
Similar Books
