PETER opened the library door just as the sun gleamed over Scott and Margie Peak. Jess was already there, head on table, drool on sleeve.

"Good morning, Ms. Whitmore," Peter said in his best library voice.

"Good morning, Peter. I have some good news."

"What's that?"

"They've reinstated the bus program. You'll be going back to Ely today. Oh, now, why the sad face?"

Peter shrugged.

"Peter," Ms. Whitmore said," why are you upset?"

"I'm not into all those people. I didn't fit in."

"It's OK.

"I'm not ready. Does Jess know?"

"Looks like he took it well," said Ms. Whitmore. I'm sorry about the short notice, but that's the district for you.

"Jeez."

...

Peter and Jesse piled into the bus with the rest of the high school class. There was plenty of room to spare.

They sat together only a few seats behind the bus driver.

Peter was silent for the first part of the drive. He watched the brush pass by out the window.

Peter watched houses give way to trailers which gave way to empty lots which gave way to desert. Peter was already bored, and there was an hour of bus ride ahead of him.

He looked over at Jess, who looked like he was deep into a magazine but a little snore have him away. He nudged Jess. "Psst. Jess"

"Hmm?" Jess rubbed his eyes. "Can't a guy get a nap?"

"Sorry. I had the dream again."

"So?"

"So, I remember."

Jesse sat up. "Holy wake up call, batman! Dude, tell."

"It's not much, just I'm like a spider."

"Cool."

"But I have too many legs. Our I don't have legs, I'm not sure."

"But, you remember"

"Yea, mostly. I mean I was huge- bigger than stars. Remember when we learned that astronomy with Ms. Whitmore?"

"Yea."

"It was like that cluster of stars- all around but more. I saw colors that you can't see."

"Cool."

"And I remember them. I just can't describe them."

"Wow."

"And there were these spider web things."

"Space spiders!"

"Shh."

"Oh, sorry."

"Look. There's more and it's freaky."

"Yea?"

"I woke up and I was looking around on the mountain... Peter stopped speaking."

"Hey, Peter. You ok?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"So, what was freaky?"

Peter opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His cheeks felt hot.

"Peter?"

"Nothing. I'm not feeling well. I'm OK. There wasn't anything really freaky. Just strange."

"Jeez. Don't tell me then."

Jess went back to his magazine.

Peter spent the rest of the trip starting out the window, watching nothing.

...

School was a rush of people. The halls were jammed with laughing students with the occasional hapless teacher stuck in the throng. Peter and Jess went to the same first period. They sat down together at one of the classroom tables. A few moments after, the students were all sitting quiet.

A tall older woman walked in and greeted the class. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Go ahead and start work on the handouts you should have picked up already. As the pile of papers is still kinda high, I gather some of you have not picked one up. Hurry up, get one, and start while I take role. New students, pick one up too, you'll see from where the other students are going. Oh, and my name's Ms. Oglethorp."

Peter didn't hear the rest of Ms. Oglethorp's speech, he just kept thinking about his dream and what he saw when he woke up. While she droned on about the free press, he looked out the window to watch a few lonely clouds waft by. One looked like a giraffe, and another looked like a half eaten pie.

His stomach grumbled.

"Huh?" whispered Jess.

"Nothing," Peter whispered back.

"Do you think you can have your conversation after class?" Ms. Oglethorp said loudly.

Peter and Jess put on their "sorry" faces and nodded.

"Good. Now . . . " Ms. Oglethorp continued to talk.

Peter started thinking about rabbit stew with carrots and potatoes. The pie cloud became a Pacman cloud with a jet flying through, leaving a thread of vapor right into Pacman's mouth. A waving thread of multicolored light appeared to punch through the cloud, making a plus sign. Peter grinned, thinking that he should have seen that in math class.

Peter stopped grinning. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. The otherworldly light was still there - a gleaming spider's web. His heart pounded, and he sat straight up in his seat.

Ms. Oglethorp stopped speaking for a moment, then said, "Um, Jess? No, Peter. Peter, is it?"

Peter nodded.

"Your face is white as a sheet. Are you feeling OK?"

Peter shook his head.

"Maybe you should see the nurse."

Peter nodded. Jess raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Oglethorp? Can I go with him to the nurse?"

"I think Peter can make it on his own. I'll write you a pass Peter."

"OK."

"Good."

...

The nurse gave Peter a quick once-over and asked him a few questions before sending him back to class.

The rest of the day was a blur. Peter couldn't concentrate on anything but that thread of light, and any chance he got, he'd look outside to see that thread. And, when he rushed from class to class, he would question himself, and try to convince himself that he was imagining it, until he looked outside and saw it again.

It was 2:00 when everyone piled back into the bus for home.

Peter made sure to sit in a window seat on the right side of the bus, and he was rewarded with repeated views of the apparition. Whenever Jess asked him what was up, Peter just said that he wasn't feeling well, and that he'd like to go home to rest.

As they were stepping out of the bus, Peter perked up again. He said, "Quick question. When is Ely's summer youth program?"

"It's going on now. It'll be done after next week." said Jess. "You going?"

"I think I might."

"It costs money. And, they might be full up this late."

"Nah. There's always room. Ms. Whitmore said there was a scholership."

"Oh. Cool."

...

Peter walked home watching the the street wriggling in the heat like a candle flame. He entered his house and pinched his nose at the smell of sweat and old food.

On the fridge door, he saw a note:

Pete, Buckman took me up to Ely to look for work.

Be back tonight.

Make soup.

Peter looked in the fridge and freezer and grabbed some frozen corn, peas, carrots, and chicken legs, threw them in a pot with water and salt and turned on the burner.

While that was going, Peter went to his room, got his duffle out and started packing. After averything was packed, he walked back outside to see the thread shining even more brightly than before.

Peter grinned.