CHAPTER 2 The screen switched from the news report back to the game show fifteen-year-old Greyson Bennell had been mindlessly watching while lying in bed still in his pajamas He checked the time on his nightstand clock It was 9:30 in the morning Grey stood and stretched An array of schoolbooks was scattered on the floor by his bed piled atop one another Because of the mudslide Hollisworth High School where Grey was stumbling his way through ninth grade had been shut down for the remainder of the school year The school hadn’t been in the path of the mud It was about a mile to the south of the disaster zone just blocks from the community center where the news reporter had just broadcasted from and about five blocks from the apartment complex where Grey and
his mother lived The high school’s gymnasium was being used as a base for out-of-town volunteers a place where they could eat and sleep The locker rooms provided hot showers and the cafeteria was serving fresh meals three times a day Grey stepped over the books rummaged through his dirty laundry for the freshest-smelling shirt and shorts and walked out of his bedroom The apartment was quiet His mother hadn’t been home much lately She was the Director of Community Services at the mudslide victims and volunteers were staying So she pretty much lived there these days and Grey had gotten used to cooking for himself the community center where He poked his head around the door to his mother’s darkened bedroom Sure enough the bed was still neatly made She didn’t even make it home last night Grey thought At first Grey had been proud that his mom was helping so many people But now he was starting to worry about her A laundry basket filled with clean shirts and pants sat on the couch Grey had used the washer and dryer down the apartment building’s basement all by himself for the first time the day in
before Usually his mom did all the laundry Thankfully Grey hadn’t shrunk anything or turned anything pink He grabbed a fresh shirt and pair of shorts for his mother and placed them in a duffel bag along with a new toothbrush still in the package and a tube of toothpaste Then he headed out of the apartment locking the door behind him Even though it was barely ten in the morning the late spring sun beat down from a cloudless blue sky Another hot day Grey thought the there it was It was also extremely bright Grey was glad he’d snatched his red Angels baseball cap off the hook by the door before he left He pulled it low over his eyes and hurried down sidewalk The community center was straight down the road from where Grey and his mother lived When he got swarming with people Roadblocks had been set up around the parking lot Cars trucks and vans snuck down side streets their drivers searching for a place to park Nearby a section of street had been set aside for news vehicles A couple of news vans had large antennae jutting from their roofs Numerous reporters were milling about microphones in hand talking with one another and preparing for their newscasts Grey spied the dark-haired Natalie Gates from Action Ten News among them
A Hollisworth Police Department patrol car was stationed at the entrance to the parking lot A tall muscular officer stood near it with his arms crossed Grey recognized him and waved Morning Officer Kapoor he called The policeman smiled Greyson he said How are you today Good thanks replied Grey Officer Kapoor was one of the four Hollisworth police officers who were often stationed at the community center entrance Grey had gotten to know all of them but Officer Kapoor was the nicest He pointed at Grey’s cap Did you catch the Angels game last night Yeah but I fell asleep during the eighth inning Grey answered Did they win Yep the officer said Scored the go-ahead run after the Yankees pitcher threw a wild pitch Catcher lost it in the dirt It was crazy Grey whistled Cool How’s your mom holding up Officer Kapoor asked
