She figured criminal tendencies ran in families. didn't know how long they were going to be in jail, but at least a year. That was why Jake had a social worker - because his parents were in jail for growing marijuana in their basement and offering some to an off-duty sheriff's deputy. She thought that was probably only one step away from having a probation officer, which is what Jake's parents would have when they got out of jail. Dugan was inside at that moment discussing with E.D.'s parents, her Aunt Lucille, Uncle Archie, and Grandpa Zedediah the arrangement the two families and Jake's social worker had worked out for continuing Jake's education. It was only the middle of September, and he had run out of schools that were willing to risk taking him.

At least the building was still standing. No one in living memory had been thrown out of Traybridge Middle School, but Jake Semple had managed to accomplish that feat in three weeks flat. He'd come to North Carolina to live with his grandfather Henry Dugan, a neighbor of the Applewhites, and go to Traybridge Middle School. Melissa wasn't sure what all he'd done to achieve that particular distinction, but the word around Traybridge was that one thing he did was burn down his old school. He had been kicked out of the public schools in the whole state of Rhode Island. Just a plain ordinary delinquent.Īccording to her friend Melissa, though, Jake Semple was famous. Two can play at that game, the boy's face said.

E.D., she thought, was at least dignified - like a corporate executive, which one day she just might be. Being probably the only almost-thirteen-year-old girl in the whole country named Edith, she had no intention of giving him even that little bit of ammunition to use against her. She could tell by looking at him that he'd never heard of Edith Wharton, her mother's favorite writer. She had no intention of telling this creep the story of her name. He was dressed entirely in black - black T-shirt, black jeans, black high-top running shoes - and the look in his eyes was pure mean. The boy slouching against the porch railing had scarlet spiked hair, a silver ring through one dark brown eyebrow, and too many earrings to count.

Surviving the apple whites