CHAPTER 11And Matt did try to forget caving. He stopped talking about caves. He stopped looking for caves. He took the caving pictures off his den walls. He took his caving gear back to the Grotto without explanation.
He also stopped skipping classes, and studied himself into headaches trying to make up grade deficiencies before spring finals. He even stopped daydreaming in Miss Cleckley’s literature class.
Ernst Fuller called three Grotto meetings during the following two weeks. Plans for summer spelunking expeditions were discussed. Matt was absent.
“Why?” Fuller asked Matt before he could slip out of biology class. “We missed you, Matt.”
Matt shrugged and tried to slip away, but the science teacher’s powerful body blocked the doorway. His bronzed, hard-jawed face usually had a frien
