At lunch Lucas wolfed down a thick piece of lasagna drank two pints of milk and thought about the Fitz and that thin green line To what had that line been attached A plant A serpent’s tongue Maybe part of Jack’s Beanstalk He laughed And maybe absolutely nothing at all Lucas Evan said let’s take our mitts out after lunch and toss a few Sure Lucas’s mind strolled through the rooms at home There wasn’t a wall his mom hadn’t crammed with pictures A print even hung in the bathroom some kid searching for shells on a beach He knew oils were expensive So how could this school afford a genuine oil painting Want to catch grounders Evan asked Hmmmm Lucas muttered half-listening What that painting covered another painting like a Picasso Maybe an important document had been hidden underneath like in that movie National Treasure if Lucas Did you hear me Evan asked Yeah sure Give me five and I’ll meet you outside Lucas said Needing to wash lasagna sauce off his hands Lucas rushed down the hall toward the boys bathroom In seconds he had dried his hands with a paper towel tossed it into the barrel for a three pointer and raced out into the hallway Had he simply imagined that green line and now started to believe it was there Lucas moved quickly down the corridor and entered his empty classroom He closed the door pulled down the shade to cover the
narrow window alongside the door and hurried toward Ms Thompson’s worktable There before him stood the powerful Edmund Fitzgerald seven-hundred-twenty-nine feet long and in a fight for her life Lucas remembered learning that she weighed over thirteen thousand tons and carried more than twenty-six-thousand tons of ore pellets as she plowed through a gigantic storm One of his neighbors had even met James Pratt the second mate who went down with the ship On that frightful night all twenty-nine crew members lost their lives without anyone hearing their cries for help Climbing up to stand on the table Lucas realized he’d never been this close to a painting at the Art Institute He could almost feel the misty spray of the waves hear them crashing into the hull If only he could paint like this artist He’d love to sketch an awesome scene like this make it leap off the canvas and come alive to tell a wild story Lucas stared at the small spot the Frisbee had chipped off the freighter just above the water line He knew the rules about touching a canvas Rules He’d already damaged the painting A light-gray color had been painted underneath Shivers went through him as he saw it again that small green line Leaning forward Lucas blew gently at a loose chip Tiny bits of reddish paint flecked off the canvas and sleepily floated downward He sharpened his focus Huh The area around the line had been exposed He gasped and braced both hands against the front wall for a closer look No way Lucas shook his head not believing what he saw and continued to stare at the canvas A small green eye stared back
Chapter 2 T he classroom door opened Lucas’s head swiveled toward the hall Queen Liz stood silhouetted in the doorway Lucas she called out Thompson just turned the corner by the drinking fountain She’s powerwalking and will be here in a minute Lucas stood with his knees locked in place He heard her words She’d said his name Lucas He didn’t know if he was more shocked she knew his name or that he had uncovered an eye on the canvas Roll up the shade he yelled back In seconds he’d jumped down and grabbed a book off table Remembering that no one was permitted in the room during lunch hour he raced toward his desk and glanced at the huge bank of windows He had no time to unlock one and climb out With his luck all the windows in this old building would be stuck shut anyway library the Those reddish chips of paint that had landed on Ms Thompson’s desk would she notice them Would she then glance up at the painting and suspect what might have happened He heard her clicking footsteps echo in the empty hallway Liz he directed brush those paint chips off Thompson’s desk Elizabeth moved calmly took a deep breath and blew across the wooden surface With a swish of her braid she strolled back and took her seat in the front row Lucas opened the library book and slumped in his desk as Ms
Thompson entered the classroom Sweat beaded on his forehead He ducked his head down and wondered what kind of excuse Ms Thompson would accept this time Would she believe he chipped the painting by accident Or would she have him scrub lunchroom tables for a month Lucas closed his eyes and recognized the sound of Thompson’s heels starting down his aisle Click-click Click-click Click-click Not a good sign He searched his mind for a reason to stay indoors during lunch a paper due extra credit the start of a new project No intelligent phrase slipped into his head His last one about the picture hanging crooked hadn’t worked too well anyway Is there a problem Lucas Ms Thompson’s stern voice cut through his thoughts As he took a deep breath he inhaled a hint of lasagna sauce that hadn’t washed off That lasagna I had for lunch Say no more Lucas I had the same queasy sensation Ms Thompson’s hand brushed against his damp forehead Rest here See how you feel when class starts Lucas moved his face away from her hand knowing it was guilt that made him sick Ms Thompson had bailed him out once again He looked at the book he had grabbed Learn How to Knit and covered the title with his hand Watch it Lucas he thought Don’t depend on luck anymore During independent study time Queen Liz dropped a tiny folded piece of paper on Lucas’s desk Warmth spread through his chest He had never gotten a note from a girl before Did she want to
