Now You See Me (8 page)

Unsurprisingl
y
I
mad
e
n
o
friend
s
a
t
schoo
l,
completel
y
unequippe
d
a
s
I
wa
s
fo
r
societ
y
o
f
an
y
sor
t.I
wa
s
terrified o
f
th
e
teacher
s,
al
l
o
f
the
m,
eve
n
thos
e
wh
o
trie
d
t
o
ge
t
t
o
kno
w
m
e.
Especiall
y
thos
e.I
spen
t
th
e
firs
t
fe
w
year
s
i
n
a
n
uncomprehendin
g
daz
e,
neve
r
quit
e
workin
g
ou
t
th
e
routine
s,
wha
t
al
l
th
e
differen
t
bell
s
mean
t,
ofte
n
havin
g
t
o
b
e
collecte
d
fro
m
a
remot
e
par
t
o
f
th
e
playgroun
d
afte
r
reces
s
becaus
e
I
hadn’
t
realise
d
I
wa
s
mean
t
t
o
b
e
bac
k
i
n
clas
s.
M
y
schoolwor
k
wa
s
terribl
e;I
suspec
t
I
wa
s
considere
d
retarde
d,
an
d
graduall
y
the
y
stoppe
d
askin
g
m
e
question
s,
passe
d
ove
r
m
e
whe
n
wor
k
wa
s
rea
d
ou
t.
Eventuall
y
I
wa
s
ignore
d
an
d
I
bega
n
t
o
fee
l
safe
r.
Littl
e
countr
y
school
s
lik
e
tha
t
wer
e
use
d
t
o
th
e
hillbill
y
kid
s
wh
o
neve
r
learne
d
anythin
g,
wh
o
wer
e
onl
y
ther
e
becaus
e
i
t
wa
s
th
e
la
w.
A
s
lon
g
a
s
yo
u
didn’
t
activel
y
caus
e
troubl
e
yo
u
becam
e
invisibl
e
i
n
th
e
en
d
.

The
y
migh
t
hav
e
acte
d
i
f
they’
d
see
n
th
e
bruise
s,
bu
t
the
y
neve
r
di
d.I
alway
s
wor
e
concealin
g
clothin
g
i
f
ther
e
wa
s
anythin
g
t
o
hid
e—
lon
g-
sleeve
d
shirt
s
an
d
jean
s,
whic
h
weren’
t
quit
e
th
e
fashio
n
the
n;
the
y
wer
e
stil
l
considere
d
workin
g
clothe
s—
whil
e
th
e
othe
r
kid
s
wer
e
i
n
short
s
i
n
th
e
dust
y
summe
r
hea
t,
an
d
there’
d
b
e
a
not
e
fro
m
m
y
mothe
r
o
n
sport
s
day
s,
sayin
g
m
y
asthm
a
wa
s
ba
d.
Th
e
wors
t
damag
e,
anywa
y,
wa
s
wher
e
n
o-
on
e
woul
d
eve
r
thin
k
t
o
loo
k
.

Hom
e,
th
e
far
m,
seeme
d
lik
e
m
y
refug
e
the
n,
rathe
r
tha
n
th
e
priso
n
i
t
wa
s.
A
s
soo
n
a
s
ou
r
gat
e
cam
e
int
o
vie
w,
wit
h
th
e
warpe
d
willo
w
overhangin
g
th
e
trac
k,I
woul
d
fee
l
gratefu
l,
reprieve
d,
eve
n
thoug
h
I
kne
w
wha
t
wa
s
ofte
n
waitin
g
fo
r
m
e
ther
e.I
kne
w
ever
y
inc
h
o
f
th
e
lon
g
rutte
d
driv
e
betwee
n
th
e
row
s
o
f
gloom
y
Lombard
y
pine
s
leading t
o
th
e
larg
e
weatherboar
d,
wit
h
it
s
saggin
g
veranda
h,
badl
y
i
n
nee
d
o
f
paintin
g.
Th
e
insid
e
o
f
th
e
hous
e
I
recal
l
a
s
vividl
y
a
s
i
f
I
ha
d
visite
d
i
t
yesterda
y:
th
e
di
m
coo
l
passag
e
leadin
g
t
o
th
e
vas
t
kitche
n
a
t
th
e
bac
k.
Th
e
cupboar
d
unde
r
th
e
stair
s,
wher
e
I
spen
t
man
y
night
s
i
n
crawlin
g
blacknes
s,
to
o
frightene
d
t
o
mov
e
a
muscl
e,
learnin
g
t
o
retrea
t
deepe
r
an
d
deepe
r
insid
e
mysel
f
s
o
tha
t
a
t
las
t
I
hardl
y
notice
d
whe
n
the
y
cam
e
t
o
le
t
m
e
ou
t.I
foun
d
m
y
companion
s,
the
n,
m
y
othe
r
selve
s,
wh
o
hav
e
comforte
d
m
e
al
l
m
y
lif
e
.