Page 76 of The Outsider

I frowned again. “It’s for school?”

When she nodded, I couldn’t help judging the deceased Dr. Irons. What teacher would possibly thinkThe Odysseywas appropriate reading material for an eleven-year-old?

“Did he say why he wanted you to read it?” I asked, holding my hand out for the book. Allie hesitated but handed it to me.

I flipped through the dog-eared pages. No annotations, no teaching guide, and it was unabridged, which meant it was at least 400 pages. The language was dense and difficult—far beyond the expected reading level for her age group. I’d read it for the first time in a university course about Greek classics.

Allie rolled her eyes. “He said it’s ‘high’ literature that we should all know because if we don’t, it’ll be lost. He said that about everything, though.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her tone. “What other books did he have you read?”

She rattled off a list that included texts from Shakespeare,The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald, andUlyssesby James Joyce. Nothing I would’ve given to a preteen girl. No wonder she hated reading.

“I don’t blame you for not liking them,” I said thoughtfully, chewing my lip. “Lots of grown-ups don’t even like them. Can I make you a deal?”

She eyed me warily, but she was listening.

“If I can find you some better books, would you give them a try?” I asked. “I want to try to change your mind about reading. Some of the most fun I ever had was while reading.”

John had told me that his grandparents had a small library of books, and I knew he’d be willing to help me scavenge for books if needed. If I could just find one that was appropriate for her age group and reading level…

She laughed doubtfully. “Why would you do that?”

I smiled. “Well…I used to be a teacher. Back where I came from. I taught music and history, because those were my specialty, but…I’m qualified to teach most subjects except mathematics. That was always my weakness.”

“Oh. I didn’t know,” Allie said, fidgeting with her sweater, “I’m sorry Dr. Irons died, but school was so boring that I’m kinda glad I don’t have to go.”

I bit my tongue to avoid saying something I’d regret. I knew some kids may never like school, but from everything I’d heard, it sounded like the Valley children had a better reason than most. Suddenly, John’s adolescent misdeeds sounded less like a deliberately waywardchild and more like an incredibly bored, under-stimulated teenage boy. If school was this dull, of course he’d been far more interested in learning about shooting and horseback riding.

Sarah came in from the kitchen, unusually red-faced, a protective hand over her enormous belly.

“Sorry to ask you, Claire,” she said, clearly embarrassed, “but I knocked my knife off the counter while chopping, and I can’t…well, I can’t bend over to get it.”

I smiled. “Of course. I’d love to help.”

I followed her to the kitchen, retrieved the knife, and started to help her prepare small meat pies for dinner. As I rolled out the pastry for her, I remarked, “It’s quite amazing how you’ve been able to maintain such a high standard of living here.”

Sarah looked surprised. “Probably still much lower than you’re used to, I bet, coming from a compound.”

I shrugged. “It’s not about comparing the two. The compound had access to a lot of high-tech solutions that made living easier. But there was a steep price for all that.”

“You didn’t like it there?” Sarah asked cautiously.

“I didn’t know any different,” I replied, rolling out another ball of pastry. “But once I was outside…I saw that we’d lived very small, constrained lives, under strict control. I like being free.”

She seemed to relax at my answer, and we chatted amiably for a long time after that. She seemed interested in my life inside the Cave, so I told what stories I could, and in exchange, she shared babysitting stories about John and Kimmy. Predictably, John was the wild child, while Kimmy was more laidback and studious. She’d always wanted to be a doctor, Sarah said, while John wanted to be a cowboy.

“I don’t want you getting the wrong idea about John,” Sarah said after we’d both stopped laughing. “He was a bit of a troublemaker, but he was never mean. Always hated bullies and got in trouble a couple times for fighting with a kid who picked on the others. He was sweet, if a little unhinged at times.”

I giggled. “Sounds like the man I know and love.”

Her expression softened. “Never saw him do anything like he did for you at that meeting. He wouldn’t have done that for just anyone, so he must love you too.” She paused, then continued, “I mean,it’s not hard to see why he’d want you. You don’t look like any of the girls around here, that’s for sure.”

My smile faltered a little. “I suppose you’re right.”

There was an uncomfortable silence.

“I’m sorry,” Sarah said, touching my arm. “That came out wrong.”

---