Page 37 - My FlipBook

T R A I L O F C R U M B S

“I’m up for anything that involves missing school.” Nate
tapped his fingers against his legs. “Let me ask my dad.”
“Well—” Ash raised his arm to protest. A well-meaning
parent could blow this thing up fifty different ways. “Is there
any way you could not quite tell the whole truth?” he asked.
“We’re trying to keep this quiet for now.”
Nate stared for a full minute before nodding slowly, his
mouth working like he was sucking on a marble. “I don’t

normally lie to my dad, but I get it. I’ll come up with some -
thing.” Then he disappeared again, leaving them on the
porch. Greta bent her head toward the door but couldn’t
hear anything from inside. Ash scuffed the thin dust of
snow with his toe, making it into a tornado shape before
kicking it aside.
After a few minutes Nate cracked the door open and

leaned out, the way his dad had before. “He said it’s okay.
I’ll be ready in five minutes.” Then he shut the door and left
them standing there.
“Okaaaaaay?” Ash said.
“Okay! Let’s get ready!” Greta nearly leaped off the porch
and bolted back to the basement suite. They grabbed a couple
of water bottles and stuffed granola bars in their pockets. Ash
pulled his money from a margarine container in the storage
room—fifty for Nate and an extra ten just in case. A motor of

anxiety pushed Greta along, like her worry could move them
closer, faster.
When they went back outside, Nate was already chiseling
ice from his windshield through a cloud of exhaust. “Rebus

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