The Talents Read Online Free PDF Page A

people in town might view Delcroix. I mean, the kids in my middle school thought the Delcroix kids were rich weirdos, but we didn’t pay them much attention. Grandma, on the other hand, talked about Delcroix like you’d have to be some kind of god to go there.
    â€œDoes one of your teachers really write speeches for the president?” Patty asked, the words coming out in a rush. “My sister said it wasn’t true, but I heard it was. And they said he might come for a visit this year.”
    Cam nodded. “They talked about him stopping by. But we don’t know for sure.”
    â€œWell, that would be nice.” She twisted her lips into an awkward grimace that I think was meant to be a smile. “I sure would like to see the president.” With that, Patty gave Cam a little nod that was almost a bow, and then she scurried away.
    I grabbed my glass and drank down about half. Maybe Delcroix was even more out of my league than I’d thought.
    With Patty gone, silence stretched out between us. Ask a question, I told myself. That always works.
    â€œSo I guess you like Delcroix a lot, huh?”
    He paused and studied me with those big dark eyes. “I love it. I think you would too.”
    â€œWhat do you like about it?”
    â€œWell”—he gazed directly at me as he spoke—“I know a lot of kids who feel like they can’t be themselves at their school. They think they have to change themselves to fit into a group or feel accepted. That doesn’t happen at Delcroix. Everyone just is . Hard to believe, I know, but it’s the truth. You don’t have to pretend at Delcroix.”
    His voice dropped, and even though he couldn’t have planned it, his words traveled straight to my heart. Not have to pretend? What would that even feel like?
    â€œYou can just be yourself, Dancia. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
    Something about Cam’s voice was hypnotic. The restaurant, Patty, even the cheesy music faded away. I closed my eyes for a second and imagined walking down the hall of a new school, people passing by and saying hello, friends waiting for me as I got to class. I swallowed hard as tears pricked the backs of my eyes.
    When my eyes opened, Cam was studying me. His forehead wrinkled a little, like he was concerned. “I know it sounds strange,” he said softly, “but you aren’t the only one who feels that way.”
    How did he know what I was thinking?
    I waved my hand and struggled to sound nonchalant. “Actually, my middle school was fine. Really. I mean, there’s all the usual stuff with the geeks and the cool kids, but in general, everyone gets along.”
    â€œOf course.” He nodded and picked up the menu. The magic string connecting us snapped and dissolved. “So what’s good here?”
    â€œYou’ve really never eaten at Bev’s?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. “Didn’t you say you started at Delcroix two years ago?”
    He looked a little embarrassed. “I stay pretty busy at school.”
    I thought about what Patty had said, how the people from Delcroix never came down here, and I realized with a start that before Cam, I’d never met any kids from there. Sure, we made up stories about them, but we’d never actually talked to one. Which made them seem odd, all of a sudden, or maybe just snooty. But not Cam. Cam would never be snooty. I could tell.
    â€œOh, I didn’t mean anything by it,” I said. “I just thought everyone in Danville ate here. They have really good hamburgers and fries. But stay away from the clam chowder.”
    He grinned. “Thanks for the tip.”
    When I got home two hours later, I marched straight up to Grandma and scowled.
    She didn’t even close her magazine. “How was lunch?”
    â€œGreat,” I snapped. Amazing. Incredible. And I was now completely in love with a guy I’d probably never speak to