Chapter 1
The past…
June 18, 1970
The student looked like he’d just come from Woodstock the previous summer, all gangly, wild, stringy yellow hair, sun browned skin, and sweat. The teacher was more like a 1950s nerd, with his knit argyle sweater vest, slicked back curls and geeky glasses. Jacob Wright had a thick black mustache, at least, which made him almost look like an adult, though there were actually only five years between them.
It was finally the last day of school for Rory Rhodes—not just before summer vacation, but forever. He sat in the back of the classroom, on his desk. Just the other day, he’d admitted something. “You know what, Mr. Wright?”
“What’s that, Rory?”
“I suddenly realized this won’t be my desk anymore pretty soon. That makes me kinda sad.”
Reclining against
