Escaping Darkness by Jerry B. Jenkins & Chris Fabry

Author:Jerry B. Jenkins & Chris Fabry [Jenkins, Jerry B. & Fabry, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUVENILE FICTION / Religious / Christian / Action & Adventure, JUVENILE FICTION / Religious / Christian / Relationships
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2006-02-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 40

BRYCE

Since it was a nice day, at lunchtime a lot of kids moved outside to eat. I took a quick glance around the cafeteria and noticed Matt on the stairs leading to the band room.

His face was long and his skin pasty. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his teeth had lots of room to grow. His crumpled lunch bag looked like it had been used 500 days in a row, and I could see the outline of half a sandwich.

“Hey,” I said, waving and smiling, unable to think of anything more original.

Matt looked like I had caught him stealing from the kitchen. He scooted back toward the wall. His shoes were dirty and the laces frayed. The cuffs of his pants were ragged. I’d seen him in the same outfit the day before—in fact, I’d never seen him in anything but this outfit.

“How’s it going?” I said.

“What do you want?” he said. Some sixth graders think eighth graders just want to beat them up or steal their lunch money.

“I saw you yesterday, going past the truck.”

“You and your sister were the ones . . .” He looked at the floor like he was going for his degree in carpeting.

I leaned against the wall. “Can I ask you something?”

“Why?” Matt said. “You don’t even know me.”

“How am I supposed to know you if I never talk to you?”

That made him look up. “What do you want?” he said. His lips were chapped. He looked almost as bad as the people who got out of that truck.

I slid down the wall and sat on the step. “Where do you live?”

“Out that road you were on. Where do you live?”

I told him. “You guys didn’t even slow down yesterday. Weren’t you curious?”

Matt shrugged. “Guess my dad figured it was none of our business.”

He still seemed uncomfortable, so I changed the subject. “My dad flies airplanes.”

He lifted his eyebrows. “Really?”

“Yeah. I should see if he’d take you up for a ride sometime.”

Matt’s mouth dropped open. “You mean it? You really think he’d . . .” He focused on the floor again.

I leaned forward. “Matt, is something wrong?”

He didn’t move.

“I saw you at that pole thing,” he said finally.

I nodded. “Yep. Are you a Christian, Matt?”

He squinted. “Guess so.”

When kids came out of the band room, Matt and I moved away from the wall.

“I gotta go,” Matt said, grabbing what was left of his lunch. He walked away, taking small, seemingly painful steps.

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