Extend our hospitality? I never wanted Ezra to leave. I didn’t want Mrs. Trent leaving either.

“We did decide one thing,” Ezra said. “We decided it was time I went back to school. To Leland and Gray, Nyle! With you.”

“That’s terrific,” I said, but I didn’t feel that terrific about it. “Are you sure you’re well enough? Did you see a doctor or anything?”

How was I going to explain him? Could I act as smooth as Gran had at the concert? How would it change things between us when he wasn’t so dependent on me anymore?

Ezra grinned. “I’m fine. Great. The question is, is that school big enough for the two of us?”

“I doubt it,” I said.

Mrs. Trent turned and placed her hand over mine. “Ezra’s recovery would not be possible without you, Nyle.”

I shook my head. “I didn’t do anything.”

Mrs. Trent continued, sandwiching my hand between her long fingers. “There are many things in this life that people do alone. But not this. This you helped Ezra to do, Nyle. And I thank you.” And then she took my face between her hands and she kissed me softly on the forehead.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Twenty-Five

The bus pulled up before Ezra and I got down to the road. Fortunately, it always took Muncie time to climb on. The driver waited for her to sit. That gave us time to run the last few yards across the bridge and up the bus steps.

Muncie busied herself as we came past her. Ezra and I sat all the way in back. The couple kids already in their seats showed a sleepy interest in Ezra, nothing more. One girl, a senior, looked Ezra over, then nodded to me.

“She thinks we’re going together,” I whispered in his ear.

Ezra’s arm pressed against my shoulder as we sat, huddled together in the backseat. “Aren’t we?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Did you think we were going together?” I asked.

“We’re here, we’re together, we’re going—” Ezra shrugged.

I couldn’t tell if he was teasing.

We went straight to the office and checked Ezra in officially. Ezra gave Mr. Vernon, the new secretary, his paperwork from Montpelier and a note from the visiting nurse.

More kids were staring now.

I guided Ezra to his homeroom. The last I saw of him, he sat loose and easy in his seat. The girls couldn’t keep their eyes off him.

Occasionally I caught sight of him during the day, moving from class to class. He always had two or three girls around him. I heard one ask him where he came from. Ezra said, “Down south.” The girl didn’t ask where down south. She accepted “Down south” as good enough.