The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer Read Free Book Online Page B

thought. Too much of a shithole
     even for grubs.
    “Got an idea,” Zachary said. “Gimme the potka.”
    Ryan handed him the bottle.
    Zachary took a deep gulp, then poured potka over the shredded books. “Lighter fluid,”
     he said. “Get the fire goin’ faster.”
    “Let’s try,” Tyler said. He pulled one of the matches from the box, struck it, and
     threw it into the book pile. Sure enough, the fire blazed hot and fast.
    “Next room!” he shouted, and they followed him. Room by room they made piles of paper
     and watched as they burned.
    “We did it,” Luke said. “Whole school’s on fire. Better go before we get hurt.”
    Laughing and congratulating themselves, the boys climbed out a broken window. They
     stood in front of the school and watched as the fire spread, until they could see
     flames coming out of the second-story windows.
    “That’ll teach those damn grubs,” Tyler said. “Come on, guys. Let’s find ourselves
     some more girls. The night’s still young.”
     
    Monday, May 18
     
    Jon got in at 4 a.m. By nine o’clock he was sitting in church, Lisa on one side, Gabe
     on the other. There was no law saying you had to go to church on the eighteenth, but
     everybody did.
    He looked around and had no trouble spotting Luke and Ryan. Zachary and Tyler went
     to a different church, so he didn’t expect to see them. But no matter how much he
     searched, he couldn’t find Sarah in the crowd. He knew she and her father didn’t attend
     church, but he thought they might show up for the eighteenth.
    It was hard to keep Gabe distracted, but between Jon and Lisa, they managed to make
     it through the service. Jon hoisted Gabe and draped him around his shoulders for the
     walk home.
    Jon and Lisa were fasting, but Gabe ate enough for both of them. He demanded Jon play
     with him, and Jon obliged until it was time for Gabe’s nap.
    “Let me get him to bed,” Lisa said. “I need to talk.”
    A few minutes later Lisa joined him in the living room. “Val and Carrie are wonderful,”
     she said, “but there are times I’m glad they’re not here. They don’t need to know
     how worried I am about the evaluation.”
    “Have they set a date?” Jon asked.
    Lisa nodded. “Friday.”
    Friday, Jon thought. He and Sarah would have to keep waiting after that, until the
     results were in, but how long could that take? In a week or two they’d be taking the
     bus together, eating lunch together, letting everyone know how they really felt.
    “Lisa, you’ll be fine,” he said. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
    “Oh, Jon,” she said. “There’s always something to worry about. Especially for me.
     Slips have to work twice as hard. You know that. And there’s so much politics. So
     much I don’t know. Factors. So many factors.”
    “Like what?” Jon asked.
    “Like some claver’s relative wanting my job,” she said. “Or some claver not liking
     me because I don’t smile enough or I smile too much. Or Gabe.”
    “What about Gabe?” Jon said. “What does he have to do with it?”
    Even though the house was empty, Lisa lowered her voice. “If I don’t pass my evaluation,
     I’ll have to leave Sexton,” she said. “You know that.”
    Jon nodded.
    “If that happens, I’ll have to decide what to do about Gabe,” she said.
    “I don’t understand,” Jon said. “You’ll take him with you.”
    “To what?” she asked. “To some roach-infested tenement? No medicine, not enough food?
     If I’m lucky, I’d get a job in Sexton. I’d be away from home six days a week, twelve
     hours a day. And that’s if I’m lucky. If no one will hire me, then where do I go?
     Where do I take him?”
    Jon pictured Mom’s apartment: it was a good one because she was a teacher. But still
     it was cold and miserable, and even Mom had given up trying to kill the roaches.
    “You’ll pass the evaluation,” he said.
    “Jon, there are a lot of people in Sexton who’d adopt Gabe,” Lisa said.