—Leonardo da Vinci Contents Epigraph 1 Gazing out at the quiet lake, I know the risk… 2 When I was twelve, I raced Cassian and won. 3 I wait forever. Long after the sounds of choppers and… 4 Az is waiting for us at our house, pacing the… 5 Air struggles up my throat and past my lips as… 6 I hide during lunch. Cowardly, I know, but when I… 7 I’m fighting with my locker again, the steel lock a… 8 Mrs. Hennessey stares at us through her blinds. She must have… 9 I follow the throng of girls heading to the gym,… 10 The day stretches on, endless. It feels like seventh period… 11 Immediately, I search for Will. See him nowhere. 12 Eventually, I rise and head for home. Home. The word… 13 He drives for a while, aimlessly. Turning down street after… 14 The following day sweat traces my spine as I run… 15 I try to keep it together as I turn to… 16 Monday I walk down an empty hall, bathroom pass in… 17 The next evening, Mom doesn’t bring up selling a gem… 18 “Let’s get out of here.”
