Chapter 1

People like Jordy better than me. It doesn’t bother me much since I like Jordy better than them. Sometimes, though, their bias is inconvenient.

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“It’s all in your head, Seth,” Jordy said the one time that I mentioned it. “People can’t even tell us apart. They’re not picking favorites.”

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My brother is smart, but when it comes to certain things, he pretends to see what he wants instead of what’s actually there.

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Mr. Scott has his usual look fixed on me, the one that feels like a staring contest—except even after I blink, he keeps staring. “You know the answer, Seth. We studied this yesterday.”

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I shrug, resisting the urge to scuff my shoes against the floor. Mr. Scott can’t seem to grasp the fact that just because we studied something yesterday doesn’t mean I paid attention. Jordy could give him the answer, but he doesn’t want it from Jordy. He always tries to pry it out of me instead.

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The bias is definitely there.

 

Across from me, Jordy drums his fingers on his desk. The sound fills the cramped classroom. For some reason, he’s even more restless than I am right now. “Class was supposed to end five minutes ago. Can’t we go to lunch? Growing boys need to eat.”

 

Mr. Scott breaks his stare. His face softens as he turns to Jordy. “Sorry, I didn’t see the time. Of course you can head to lunch.”

 

Jordy shoots me a relieved look.

 

“Seth will follow you after he answers the question,” Mr. Scott continues, exactly as I expected.

 

I slouch in my seat. Is it my imagination that it’s gotten worse lately? It’s not only Mr. Scott; everyone seems to be pushing me harder than usual—even Hannah.

 

Jordy freezes halfway out of his seat. “That’s not fair.”

 

“What’s not fair is how Seth treats his education. Your guardian is paying good money for these classes, and a little effort from your brother would go a long way.” Mr. Scott rubs his scruffy, angular face. He’s tired of working with me, and I don’t blame him. No teacher wants a student who doesn’t learn.

 

I just don’t care.

 

But Jordy’s been squirming ever since class started. There’s something on his mind, so I need to finish up here before his patience hits the limit. I glance at the completed worksheet lying on his desk. The words are upside down from my vantage point, but that’s no problem. I can read his writing better than my own.

 

I nod to Jordy. “I’ll be right behind you.”

 

Disappointment slashes across his face, but he leaves without arguing.

After the door closes, Mr. Scott sighs. “You sound confident. Does that mean you know the answer now?”

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“Yes, sir.”

 

“Let’s hear it, then.” He doesn’t bother hiding his skepticism. “In 1803, President Jefferson authorized an expedition to explore the territory acquired by the Louisiana Purchase. Who were the two leaders of the expedition?”

 

My legs are desperate to stretch after sitting so long. Instead, I straighten up and swipe my hair out of my eyes. “Meriwether Lewis and…” I hesitate so it’ll seem like I’m still uncertain. “…William Clark?”

 

“Correct.” Mr. Scott’s eyebrows lift the tiniest bit. “Something jog your memory, or have you been messing around?”

 

Does he really think I’ve been toying with him this whole time? I wouldn’t spend one minute longer in school than I had to. “I’m not messing around.” Hopefully, that sounds innocent enough. “I just couldn’t remember when you first asked me. May I go now?”

 

His mouth flattens into a firm line. “You may.”

 

I won’t give him time to figure out what I did. Standing, I ease around the desks and slip into the hallway.

 

Jordy’s waiting right outside the door. “That was fast.”

 

I peek behind me, making sure the door is closed. My lips twitch up. “Good thing you had the right answer written down.”

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A grin slowly spreads over his face. “I forgot to turn in my paper, didn’t I?” He’s unfazed by my cheating—partly because this isn’t the first time, but also because he’s tired of classrooms too. He’s way more interested in learning things by going out and experiencing them.

 

We don’t get many experiences stuck here on the island—which makes me wonder why he’s so excited.

 

“What is it?” I ask.

 

His grin gets bigger. “Come on.” Grabbing my arm, he tugs me down the hall. Halfway to the corner, he pulls something out of his shorts pocket. “Look what I found.”

 

His fingers curl around the small object, making it hard to see. I lean closer and squint. “A key?” That’s not very exciting.

 

“A key to one of the jet skis.” Jordy stuffs it back in his pocket as his gaze darts around watchfully. “I found it in the bathroom before class.”

 

Suddenly, I realize where this is headed, but I’ll let Jordy have his fun telling me. “So what are you going to do with it?”

 

He slings an arm around my shoulders. “We are going for a ride.”