Gavin felt safer when he was on the now-cracked, red brick walk between Gardner and where Dey Hall had been, and out of the soldier’s line of sight. From time to time he had to step carefully over places where the ground had shifted, dropping or thrusting up, or pulling apart to leave a jagged hole. He stayed on the brick walk all the way to the hastily repaired Pine Room: the soldiers didn’t seem to watch people quite so closely if they stayed on the proper path.
His mother was terrified he would be caught in some random sweep.
“But, Mama, if I come home, I’ll be marked absent in all my classes. Absent reports get turned in and the campus cops come and check. I’ll be safe, I promise.” I don’t want to leave Raoul.
He had told her that two days ago and today was the tenth day of martial
