Island of the Unknowns by Benedict Carey

Author:Benedict Carey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amulet Books
Published: 2011-07-28T16:00:00+00:00

One of the most twisted and pathetic things about living in this dusty armpit of a place was how much people cared about stupid little stuff, like what kind of shoes or belt buckle or cell phone you had. The sad part of it was that kids got most of this stuff by fishing around Trashmore. Cell phones especially: Every island kid had one that he or she had plucked from Trashmore, and of course none of the phones worked. Who were we gonna call, our senator?

But that didn’t stop people from acting all special if they’d scored a slick phone, or pair of boots, or whatever it was. Everyone was trying to move up the ladder, just a step or two, even if they stepped on your head.

That ladder was everywhere, even on the school bus. Di and Tom were always the last students to get off, or close to last. Quartez got off first, Blasé second. Next came a stream of juniors and seniors, in some order that seemed to change but not much; and at the end were the stragglers, first-year middle school kids, and some eighth graders and freshmen who had few friends or defenders.

The schoolyard understood the order and immediately noted every exception to it. The morning after the Poets’ ride into Adjacent the bus order changed, radically. No one missed it. Quartez came out first, as usual, looking so insanely hostile that kids stopped what they were doing.

Next were Ham and Thea, and they broke to the left and right and behind Quartez. Di and Tom stepped off next, into the cone of space between the older kids. Blasé brought up the rear. He had huge sunglasses on and was holding one of those feeling sticks that blind people use. Di heard some teacher say, “Oh my, what happened to Mr. Blasé’s eyes.”

Virgil and two other Poets stared them down without blinking. And did nothing. Quartez led the group, in tight formation, toward the entrance—and it was like the whole schoolyard stepped back to give them room.

“What’s up with the freakin’ security detail?” someone said. “Is that the Pope in there coming to visit TC or what?”

“No,” another voice said. “That’s Princess Di and Tom Jones.”

“Who?”

Quartez shadowed Di the entire morning, even ditching out of some of his own classes early to check on her as she came out of each period.

In third period, Di had a Poet in her class, and Quartez lurked outside the door, giving him the death stare.

Blasé covered Tom, who wasn’t sure he liked the extra attention. It meant that he couldn’t disappear into the woodwork, or at least not disappear for long. Their bodyguards backed off finally at lunchtime, when Di found Tom sitting against the fence, close to one of his escape holes. He was trembling slightly, and she was turning her wrist and trying to take deep breaths.

“Hello,” said a voice.

Di stifled a scream, and swung around. “Thea? What are you doing here?”

“Covering you, is what, while Rene D.

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