Free Among the Imposters by Margaret Peterson Haddix

set up by jackal boy’s gang.
    But what were they testing him for?
    “Maybe he went outside then, too,” Nina said.
    All the boys seemed to be shaking their heads in disbelief.
    “I waited for three hours,” Trey said. “I stared at that door the whole time, honest. Nobody’d stay out that long.”
    Why not? Luke wondered.
    “So is he one of us or not?” Nina asked.
    The question seemed to hang in the dark woods. Luke wanted to know the answer, too.
    “Who knows?” jackal boy said. “The problem is, he’s getting bold. Weird, like I said. We’re scared he’s going to get the rest of us in trouble. Blow our cover. This afternoon, he just stared back at They like he didn’t care what Trey saw, or what Trey did. He was—”
    “Defiant,” Trey said.
    Even Luke could see the baffled look jackal boy gave Trey.
    “ Sorry!” They said. ‘All I had to do when I was hiding was read, remember? I didn’t have a TV like the rest of you. I learned too many big words. ‘Defiant’ means, um— he was defying me, he was—”

 

     
     

     
    “Offering a challenge,” Luke said aloud.
     
    And then he stepped out from behind the tree.
     
    Twenty
     

     
    Luke felt twelve pairs of eyes on him. Nina’s mouth was frozen in a little “o” of surprise. Jackal boy’s jaw dropped in astonishment.
     
    But nobody was more astonished than Luke. Why did I do that? he wondered. He remembered thinking that most of the boys at Hendricks acted like pawns. I’m a pawn, too, remember? Just plain old Luke Garner, who doesn’t know anything about anything, who cowers in the attic while his best friend dies for the cause. Stepping out from behind that tree was something len would have done. Not me.
    But he had done it. Now what?
    Luke longed to slide back behind the tree again or, given that it wouldn’t be much of a hiding place now, to turn tail and run. But his legs were trembling so much that just standing still took all his strength.
    Everyone was so quiet that Luke could hear his watch ticking again.
    All right. He’d gotten himself into this mess by acting like Jen. What would she do next?
     
    Talk. len could always talk.
     
    “You destroyed my garden,” Luke accused. “You’ll have to make restitution.”
    Luke could use big words, too. He thought he saw a glimmer of appreciation in Trey’s eyes. Everyone else stared blankly.
    Would Jen bother explaining, or would she prefer letting them feel dumb?
    “Garden?” jackal boy asked. “What garden?”
    That wasn’t what Luke had expected.
    “What garden?” he repeated. “My garden. Over there.” He pointed into the dark. “Last night, somebody trampled the whole thing, kicked over my beans, broke off my raspberry plants. You’re the only ones I see out in the woods.” Luke tried to let his anger carry him through. But all the faces in front of him looked vacant. Had he made a big mistake? Could they possibly be innocent? He finished weakly, “So you owe me.”
    Jackal boy shook his head.
    “We don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    He didn’t seem to be lying. But how good was Luke at judging liars?
    ‘I’ll show you,” Luke said impatiently. He suddenly had the notion that if he saw them looking at the destruction, he’d be able to tell by their expressions whether or not they were guilty. He turned hastily and started walking. He was surprised when he heard footsteps behind him. They’d actually listened to him? Obeyed him?
    They made a strange procession through the woods, Luke leading the way, the other boys following with their lantern, then the girls with a dim flashlight. Luke made a few missteps, and even had to backtrack once, but he circled around, hoping none of the others would notice. Finally they reached Luke’s clearing. In the moonlight it looked desolate, just a stump and scraggly plants. It didn’t look like it had ever contained a garden.
    “There!” Luke said, trying to sound wronged and indignant. His voice came