Chapter 3

The wind began to whip up as Finn sped down the road. It was that hot kind of wind that felt like the breath of a coming thunderstorm. Sure enough, clouds were starting to gather. Nighttime was arriving earlier and earlier now, but this was different. The sun should have still been high in the sky.

Finn could see the strip of clouds visible between the trees on either side of the road. Dark billows were blowing in fast, rolling over one another like gray mares in a race to see who could blot out the sun first. He’d seen something like it before, but it was in a movie, sped up on film.

Soon the thunder would be bouncing off the mountains and echoing through the town. Finn usually loved that, but today he just wanted to get inside and hide from everything.

One fat raindrop fell squarely on his head like an insult. He muttered curses he wasn’t allowed to use. He fantasized that lightning would fry Sebastian and all of his crew in the quarry as they swam and then immediately felt guilty at the thought. He was angry at Dad and angry at Gran, too. None of this would have happened if Gran hadn’t sent him away.

He dumped his bike behind Gran’s garage and then sprinted up the driveway. She was framed in the doorway, waiting for him with a worried look on her face.

“Gabi called.”

“Great. Just great.” Finn pushed past her as she moved aside. “Don’t worry. I won’t be in your way.”

He said it with too much anger and he knew it. Unable to face the pained look in her eyes, he raced up the stairs and down the hallway to the room that had always been his. He dumped his backpack on the floor and collapsed facedown on the bed.

There was a soft knock at the door.

“Finn, can we talk?”

Gran peeked in, and when he didn’t protest she came and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Gabi told me what happened and I’m sorry. I know it’s been hard for you. A lot harder than I realized.”

Finn said nothing. He knew she meant well, but at the moment all he wanted to do was try to forget today had ever happened.

She lightly patted the small of his back. “Will’s not coming by tonight, it’s just us. How about I make you something to eat?”

Finn wanted to scoff that food wasn’t the answer to all life’s problems, but since he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink for hours, his stomach betrayed him with a growl.

“I’ll call you when it’s ready.” She smiled and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Her kindness in the face of his disrespect only made him feel worse.

He sat up, reached for his bag, and pulled out his tablet. The articles he’d downloaded ought to take his mind out of this world and into the grander universe. The great thing about spending time pondering space is that it’s so big, it makes everything else feel small. It was probably why the other kids in school had no interest in it. There was nothing in their life they needed to make smaller.