Read Among the Imposters for Free Online

straight, Luke ripped the note in half. In fourths. In eighths. He kept ripping until the pieces of paper were all but dust. Practically microscopic. Then he threw them as far away as he could.
    “I hate you, Mr. Talbot!” Luke yelled.
    The words echoed in the trees. Even the woods seemed to be making fun of him. That was probably all Mr. Talbot had meant to do, too, when he’d handed Luke the note that first day Luke could just imagine Mr. Talbot chuckling as he drove away from Hendricks after leaving Luke. He probably thought it was funny to drop off a dumb farm boy at a snobby Baron school and tell him, “Blend in.” He probably laughed about it all the time. If Jen were still alive, she probably would have laughed at Luke, too.
     
    No. Not Jen…
     
    Luke buried his face in his hands and slipped down to the ground, sprawled beside the log. Without the note to count on, he didn’t even have enough backbone of his own to sit.
     

     
    Nine
     
    Luke wouldn’t have thought he could have fallen asleep there in the woods, in danger, boiling mad. But somehow he found himself waking up some time later, stiff and sore and confused. The birds were still singing, a mild breeze ruffled his hair—before he remembered everything, Luke actually smiled. What a pleasant dream. But why did he feel so unhappy?
     
    Then he sat up and opened his eyes and everything came back to him. The note he’d believed in so fervently was worthless dust now—no matter how hard he peered off into the underbrush, he couldn’t see a single sign of it. He was out in the woods, violating who knew how many rules of the Hendricks School for Boys. And he had no idea how long he’d been gone—squinting at the sun, Luke guessed that it was at least mid-afternoon. They must have noticed him missing by now. He should be thinking up his excuse now. He should sneak back so at least they wouldn’t find him out here. It wouldn’t look so bad. Maybe he could convince them that he’d started to run away—the real Lee Grant had done that, supposedly—then repented and
     
    turned around. But that story depended on him going back now.
     
    Luke didn’t move.
    He didn’t want to go back to school. Not now, not ever. There wasn’t anything there for him. He knew that now. No friends, no helpful teachers, no good choices. He was just like some windup toy there, marching mindlessly from class to class, meal to meal, trying not to be watched.
    Just the thought of school made his stomach churn.
    “You can’t make me go back,” Luke muttered, though he wasn’t sure who he thought he was defying.
    That was settled. So where else could he go?
     
    Home.
     
    Luke was overcome with a stronger longing than he’d ever felt before. To see Mother again, to see Dad... This was how miserable Luke felt: He even missed his brothers. He watched a chipmunk race across the ground. The chipmunk’s feet barely seemed to touch. It could be just that easy for Luke, going home. All he had to do was start walking.
    But.
    He didn’t know how to get there. Even if he had a map, he wouldn’t be able to find his parents’ farm on it.
    He didn’t have his fake I.D. card with him. He didn’t carry it at school. He could picture it clearly, tucked in the pocket at the back of his suitcase. He couldn’t go back for it. And getting caught without an I.D. card was as good as admitting, “I’m a third child. Kill me.”
    Luke tried to pretend those weren’t obstacles. He still couldn’t picture a perfect homecoming.
    Even if he managed to find his family’s farm without running into the Population Police first, he’d just be bringing danger with him. The penalties for harboring an illegal child were almost as harsh as the penalty for being an illegal child. Every second he’d lived with his parents, he’d put their lives in jeopardy. And now there was a record of his existence. If he disappeared now, someone would have to look for him. And when they found him,