From the Desk of Zoe Washington(40)

“That’s because some people in gym class stink,” I said. “I can’t even trip by accident without some people making a big deal about it.” I didn’t bring up Lincoln tripping me on purpose again, but the way Trevor looked down at his feet made it clear that he knew what I was talking about. “I like sports better when I can play with my friends.”

I picked up the basketball again and made another shot. It sailed right in. Nothin’ but net.

“Whoa,” Trevor said, his eyes wide.

“How’s that for lucky?” I said, grinning. “You know, Marcus used to play basketball as a kid. He was really good, apparently.”

“Really?” Trevor said. “That’s cool.”

“Anyway, I don’t not like basketball,” I said. “You never asked me to play with you. It seemed like you only wanted to play with your brother or other friends.”

“Sorry. I didn’t know.” Trevor went over and picked up the ball, then tentatively asked, “Want to play some more right now?”

I smiled. “Sure.”

We played a couple rounds of horse until our parents got home from work and we had to stop for dinner. We agreed to text each other after we asked our parents about going to Davis Square.

This plan could be a total failure, but at least I had Trevor back.





Chapter Twenty-Six


It was just Mom and me for dinner, since Dad had to work late. She’d brought home Thai food takeout, and we both had plates with pad thai and spring rolls in front of us. So far, it’d been the quietest dinner ever, which was fine by me. I didn’t have anything to say to Mom. Well, except for one thing I still had to ask her.

I swirled more noodles around my fork and came out with it. “Can I go to Davis Square with Trevor on Thursday?” I asked. “We want to watch a movie.”

“Oh.” She sounded surprised. “I can take you over the weekend.”

I shook my head. “It has to be Thursday.”

Mom reached for the bottle of sriracha and squeezed some more on her pad thai. “Why?”

“There’s a group going—other kids from school will be there. As, like, an end-of-summer thing.” I paused, and then added, “I mean, twelve seems old enough to watch a movie with only my friends.”

Mom narrowed her eyes. “Let me think about it.”

“Please? Davis Square is crowded during the day. There will be lots of people around. The ice cream place is right across the street from the movie theater. We want to go there after the movie.”

“Who else will be there?” Mom asked.

“Um.” I thought fast. “It’s a couple of Trevor’s friends. From basketball. Now that Trevor and I are friends again, I’m going to try to get to know them.” The lies rolled off my tongue so easily, which made the pit in my stomach grow.

“What about Maya? Is she back home yet?”

“She won’t be home until the weekend after,” I said.

Mom stared at me for what felt like an eternity, and then said, “You will only go inside the movie theater, and then right across the street to the ice cream shop. No walking around anywhere else.”

“Yes!” I tried not to show how excited I was. “Trevor said his mom could drive us.” I wasn’t sure if he’d gotten permission yet, but I hoped he had.

“All right,” Mom finally said. “You must have your phone on the entire time, on vibrate when the movie is playing, so if there’s an emergency, we can reach each other.”

“Okay.”

Normally this was the part when I’d give her a hug, but for some reason, it felt weird. Awkward. The Marcus stuff was taking up space between us. So I just said “Thank you” and finished eating my pad thai.

When I got back to my room after dinner, I texted Trevor.

Me: Mom said I can go to Davis for a few hours without a chaperone!

Trevor: Mine too! She can drive us.

Our plan was a go.

The day before our Great Harvard Adventure—GHA for short, as I liked to call it—another letter from Marcus arrived.

To my Little Tomato,

I’m so glad we got a chance to talk on the phone—not once, but twice. It was so great to hear your voice out loud. I think this good mood will last me awhile!

I don’t know what you’re planning, now that you have my alibi witness’s name, but I hope you don’t get yourself into any trouble. What I want most is for you to live a happy life, and not have to worry about me being in prison. Just enjoy being a kid, okay?

Summer is almost over. You’re going into the seventh grade, right? How do you feel about that? When I was in middle school, I always liked math class, strange as that sounds. I found it satisfying to solve all of those equations, like they were puzzles.

Before I go, here’s another song for your playlist: “To Zion,” by Lauryn Hill.

Love,

Marcus

I listened to the song after reading the letter, but decided not to write back right away. I wanted to wait to see what happened the next day. If everything worked out, I’d have some good news to share.

The next morning, I woke up early and packed my backpack, making sure I had everything Trevor and I needed. There was my journal, with all the notes I’d taken about Marcus’s case and Professor Thomas. I’d written down details about her class, like what time it ended and what building it was held in. I’d also printed a map of the campus and circled where we’d enter it and where her building was.