CHAPTER 12

“No,” I lied. “I don’t really know anyone here, remember?”

He paused.

“I got jumped,” he said. “Walking home from school.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said again. I sounded like an idiot, repeating the same stupid phrase, but I didn’t want to say anything that would give too much away.

“Yeah, my dad’s pretty pissed,” he continued. “They got my viola.”

“That sucks,” I said. “Will he get you a new one?”

Jonah shook his head slowly. “He said no. He can’t afford it. And that I should have been more careful with it.”

Concern crossed my face. “But I thought you said that was your ticket out?”

He shrugged.

“What will you do?” I asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Maybe the cops will find it,” I said. I remembered, of course, that it was broken, but I thought that by saying this, it would help prove to him that I didn’t know.

He looked me over carefully, as if trying to judge if I was lying.

Finally, he said, “They smashed it.” He paused. “Some people just feel the need to destroy other peoples’ stuff,