Among the Imposters

Nine

Luke wouldn’t have thought he could have fallen asleep there in the woods, in danger, boiling mad. But somehow he found himself waking up some time later, stiff and sore and confused. The birds were still singing, a mild breeze ruffled his hair — before he remembered everything, Luke actually smiled. What a pleasant dream. But why did he feel so unhappy?

Then he sat up and opened his eyes and everything came back to him. The note he’d believed in so fervently was worthless dust now — no matter how hard he peered off into the underbrush, he couldn’t see a single sign of it. He was out in the woods, violating who knew how many rules of the Hendricks School for Boys. And he had no idea how long he’d been gone — squinting at the sun, Luke guessed that it was at least mid-afternoon. They must have noticed him missing by now. He should be thinking up his excuse now. He should sneak back so at least they wouldn’t find him out here. It wouldn’t look so bad. Maybe he could convince them that he’d started to run away — the real Lee Grant had done that, supposedly — then repented and turned around. But that story depended on him going back now.

Luke didn’t move.

He didn’t want to go back to school. Not now, not ever. There wasn’t anything there for him. He knew that now. No friends, no helpful teachers, no good choices. He was just like some windup toy there, marching mindlessly from class to class, meal to meal, trying not to be watched.

Just the thought of school made his stomach churn.

“You can’t make me go back,” Luke muttered, though he wasn’t sure who he thought he was defying.

That was settled. So where else could he go?

Home.

Luke was overcome with a stronger longing than he’d ever felt before. To see Mother again, to see Dad… This was how miserable Luke felt: He even missed his brothers. He watched a chipmunk race across the ground. The chipmunk’s feet barely seemed to touch. It could be just that easy for Luke, going home. All he had to do was start walking.

But.

He didn’t know how to get there. Even if he had a map, he wouldn’t be able to find his parents’ farm on it.

He didn’t have his fake I.D. card with him. He didn’t carry it at school. He could picture it clearly, tucked in the pocket at the back of his suitcase. He couldn’t go back for it. And getting caught without an I.D. card was as good as admitting, “I’m a third child. Kill me.”

Luke tried to pretend those weren’t obstacles. He still couldn’t picture a perfect homecoming.

Even if he managed to find his family’s farm without running into the Population Police first, he’d just be bringing danger with him. The penalties for harboring an illegal child were almost as harsh as the penalty for being an illegal child. Every second he’d lived with his parents, he’d put their lives in jeopardy. And now there was a record of his existence. If he disappeared now, someone would have to look for him. And when they found him, cowering in his family’s attic, they’d be sure to find out the truth as well.

Luke picked up a pebble and threw it far into the woods. It wasn’t fair. His only choices were to be miserable at school or a virtual murderer at home. He threw another pebble, and another. Not fair, not fair, not fair. He ran out of pebbles and switched to bark chips, peeled off the log beside him. Some of the pebbles and bark chips hit tree trunks with a satisfying thud. Luke began aiming.

“Take that!” he yelled, forgetting himself.

Then, terrified, he clapped his hand over his mouth. How could he be so stupid?

He froze, listening so hard, his ears began to buzz. But there was no sound of anyone tramping through the woods looking for him. There was no sound from the school at all. Peering around at the ferns and the trees and the sunlight filtering through the branches, Luke could practically convince himself the school didn’t exist at all.

It was a shame he couldn’t just stay here.

Luke had a moment of hope — he could live on nuts and berries. He could hide in the trees whenever they came looking for him.

But that was a childish plan. He dismissed it immediately. If he stayed in the woods, he’d be caught or starve.

He glanced around again, this time regretfully. The trees looked friendlier than any of the boys or teachers at schools. He was a farm boy who’d spent most of his life outdoors, until the woods were cut down behind his house. Just being outside was a joy. And no matter how much he’d risked, running out here, it was wonderful to be alone, not packed in and watched at every turn.

Luke dug the toe of his fancy Baron shoe into the dirt and stood up. He’d come to a decision without realizing it. He had to go back to school. He owed it to his family, and Jen’s dad, and maybe even Jen herself.

But nothing could stop him from visiting the woods again.