JoJo hopped the Head of Bunny across the mattress fort and onto Rocky’s arm. He was stretching his ankle this way and that. Over the past few days, it had improved a lot; he’d even practiced jogging in the halls. Bunny drew no reaction, so JoJo had her jump up and down on Rocky’s head.
“Stop it,” he finally said.
“Why?”
“Because it’s annoying.”
“Why?”
“Because who wants their head jumped on?”
Bunny’s head jumped off Rocky’s head and onto his shoulder. Then she hopped up and down there.
Rocky said, “You are so irritating. Have Bunny stop jumping on me completely, okay?”
JoJo removed Bunny’s head from her brother. Then she held Bunny’s ears and swayed her an inch in front of Rocky’s eyes.
Rocky was about to get mad when they heard voices outside. Rocky grabbed JoJo, and they flattened onto the mattresses. The voices grew louder.
Rocky and JoJo crept across Mr. Tomasi’s classroom to the windows and peered out.
Two high-school-age kids scurried through the gate onto the front lawn, shooting glances over their shoulders. One of them wore a T-shirt that said STARK PEAK MONARCHS TRACK & FIELD, which sported the cartoon image of an old king with a scepter and crown. The king wore sandals with wings on them. The other kid was small and scrawny with thoughtful eyes. Shoes flopped on his feet. They looked four sizes too big.
The kids crept closer to the building, stopping by the classroom next door. JoJo and Rocky had to crane their necks to keep them in sight. A whispered conversation drifted up through the open window.
“—think it’s safe?”
“I don’t know. It is gated.”
Then came a familiar voice that sent ice up JoJo’s spine: “What are you guys doing here?”
Ben Braaten stepped into view. He headed toward the Stark Peak kids, walking right past the window where JoJo and Rocky perched. Mikey followed him, an even bigger presence. Their shadows flickered across JoJo’s face.
“Look,” one of the others said. “We’re not picking any fights.”
“That’s wise,” Ben said. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Nick and this is—”
“You’re from Stark Peak High?” Mikey said. “Monarchs suck.”
The old rivalry.
“Why are you in our town?” Ben asked.
“We just want to be anywhere but Stark Peak,” Nick said. “The Invaders took it over.”
“Why’d you come here?”
“There’s these kids who saved us from the Eyeless when we were trapped up at the Lawrenceville Cannery. I’d met them before. They’re from here. I came to find them.”
“Who?”
“The younger one’s named Chance. The older one’s Patrick.”
“They saved you?” Mikey said.
“Yeah. They have, like, superpowers or something.”
JoJo could only see Ben from behind, but still she sensed him bristle.
“Superpowers?” Ben said.
“Yeah. The Invaders knew Chance by name. And Patrick, too.”
“The Harvesters. Know Chance and Patrick. By name.”
“Yeah. They, like, analyzed Chance’s body, and it showed some reading. They were searching for it. Chance and his brother have something the Invaders are scared of. Like a threat to them. They said Chance had to be ‘voided.’ But then he escaped. And he saved us.”
Mikey smacked Ben’s arm. “I told you. I told you there was something weird going on with that helmet and everything.”
Nick said, “I thought it might be safer here with them.”
“This is my turf, not theirs,” Ben said. “And I want you off it.”
“C’mon, man. We’ve been hiking for days.”
Ben stepped up on him. “Let me make this clear. You’re small and you’re weak, and I don’t want you around. You’re not welcome here.”
“Look, it’s daylight. Can we at least hole up until nightfall, when it’s safer?”
Ben said, “Start walking.”
Nick took a step back and looked at his friend. “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s split.”
They jogged off through the gate and across the street, bent over in some sort of combat run. Ben and Mikey watched them go. A few feet behind Ben’s head, JoJo and Rocky watched them go, too. Finally the Stark Peak boys vanished around the side of the Swishers’ old house.
“Now,” Ben said, “let’s get my gun back.”
He started toward the school’s front doors.
Mikey hesitated. “I don’t want to go back in there.”
“Don’t be such a wuss,” Ben said. “It’s safe by now.”
“I don’t know. We been out here awhile. What if one of them heard us?”
“No one heard us,” Ben said. “Now, come on. We’ve got some searching to do.”
JoJo pulled away from the window and shivered. Next to her, Rocky let out a shaky breath.
They watched Ben and Mikey make their way into the school.