Free Astray by Amy Christine Parker Page B

landscapes, while he sketches ghouls, gargoyles, and werewolves, but still, we both get all excited about making something pop off the page.
    It’s nice to have someone else to draw with. Back at Mandrodage Meadows we each had something that we were good at, but once we found it, we didn’t go looking for anything else—unless one of the others had the same talent and ours wasn’t better. Then Pioneer would make us choose again, even if we didn’t want to. He thought that when we began the New Earth with the Brethren, our Community should be as well rounded as possible. Sometimes I wonder if I’d been given the chance whether I would have found something else to love, like piano playing or singing or something. It’s weird to think that I can now if I want to. But what do I try first? Instead of having too few choices, I have too many.
    Cody’s filling in the creature’s bottom jaw, taking my suggestion and adding the extra spikes. I smile; it already looks better. Cody’s pencil moves deftly across the page. “You ready to bust out of here?”
    I nod. “More than ready.”
    “Before … with Will? Did he say something that got you upset?” His voice is carefully neutral, but I can feel the anger underneath. He’s never liked Will. I guess there’s no way he could, considering our history.
    “No, actually, he was the only one who was nice to me today,” I say slowly.
    Cody flips his sketchpad closed and begins stuffing his art supplies into the raggedy blue backpack beside him. We walk outside. The parking lot is mostly empty. I wasn’t in the bathroom all that long, but his car is one of the only ones still in the lot. Everyone must have been in a giant hurry to leave. Makes me wonder how great school can really be if everyone leaves it like the building’s caught on fire. Ha! Fire. I’d almost forgotten about the fire alarm.
    “Were you out on the field during the fire drill, earlier?” I ask Cody.
    “Yeah.” He looks uncomfortable all of a sudden.
    “Did you see what happened?” I press, not sure if I really want to know, but incapable of stopping myself.
    “With Brent? Guy’s a loser, seriously.” He shakes his head.
    I was hoping that he hadn’t seen it. I was hoping that somehow he didn’t know. Because he didn’t exactly come running over to stick up for us.
    “I didn’t see you out there,” I say, and I can’t keep the disappointment, the hurt, out of my voice.
    “I wanted to come stand by you, but Mr. Goodwinwouldn’t let me. Then, before I could argue the point, it was over.”
    I nod, but I’m having trouble believing him.
    Cody must sense this, because he stops walking and looks at me. “If I could’ve gotten over to where you guys were in time, I’d have shut Brent up, I swear. I know that after today it seems like everyone’s determined to treat you like an outcast right along with all the other Meadows kids, but once people get to know you and see that you’re not like them, they’ll come around.”
    I know he thinks that what he’s saying will make me feel better, but it doesn’t. Why can’t he see that in a lot of ways I will always be like the others? Leaving the Community doesn’t make me different, at least not completely. I was just as devoted to Pioneer as they are. If I hadn’t seen Marie die … maybe I still would be. But if I tell him this, will it change the way he feels about me?
    We walk on in silence. Halfway through the lot Cody wraps his hand around mine. I love the way it completely covers my own. He steals a sidelong glance at me.
    “All right, cut it out. Quit looking at me like I might break. I’m fine, really,” I say when he keeps glancing at me.
    Cody’s mouth turns up at one corner and he raises an eyebrow. “Really? ’Cause your eyes are all puffy and your coat’s not buttoned right.”
    I glance down at my coat. I missed a button somewhere along the middle. I unbutton it, then button it again. There’s nothing I can do