Chapter 47

Mom was watching for us as we neared our house. Bryce and I were excited about making contact with the Ingrams, but we didn’t tell Mom or Sam.

Leigh hopped into the house announcing that she was going to ace her driver’s test. Randy had told her she was as good a driver as he was, but he has more dents in his truck than I have old Beanie Babies. Still, I hoped she would pass.

When I brought up driving the ATVs after school, Mom said she and Sam wanted us to wait.

“But you let us go today,” I said.

“That’s our decision,” Mom said.

I was tempted to go on a hunger strike, but Mom made her taco casserole, which I thought cruel and unusual because I can’t pass it up. After dinner, Bryce and I went out on the back porch and ate orange Push-Ups.

“How are we gonna get back to the Ingrams’ house?” Bryce said.

“We’ll get Mom to drive us or we’ll walk,” I said.

The stars were starting to appear. I noticed a strange glow coming from the red rocks behind our house. I pointed it out to Bryce, but he didn’t see it.