Among the Hidden Chapters 11-15

Chapter 11 Summary: Luke is staking out the Sports Family house hoping to see the face again, but days go by without any excitement. Then little by little he notices slight activity happening after the four members of the Sports Family had left. He sees panels of blinds move, lights flicker on and off, and on one super hot day he thinks he even sees the glow of a TV. All this while no one is supposed to be home. Someone is definitely living in that house.

Chapter 12 Summary: It's harvest time and everyone is working harder and longer, leaving Luke with even more time to himself. He isn't watching the Sports Family as obsessively now since he knows there's another third child. What else could he do about it? Play dates are definitely out of the question. Still, Luke can't help devising a plan in his head on how to sneak over and meet the other kid. Every day he thinks about how he'd do it, but here's the thing: if he's serious about sneaking out, he has to do it soon before the leaves start to fall, taking away nature's camouflage. Finally it's time. Today's the day. Now or never.

Chapter 13 Summary: Luke doesn't waste time, since every second he spends outside is dangerous. He makes his way to the Garners' barn and hesitates. Anyone could see him in wide open spaces, and that's exactly what is in front of him now. Luke looks back at his house and considers returning to his safe sanctuary. That's the push he needs to sprint over to the Sports Family house, only to find out … the screen door is locked.

Chapter 14 Summary: This is the worst possible thing that could have happened to Luke's perfect plan. (Aside from maybe the Population Police catching him the moment he stepped outside.) Luke knows he should turn around and get back into his house. But instead, he pulls the screen of the door away from the frame and unlocks the slider from the inside. Once inside the Sports Family's house, Luke marvels at how clean and new it is. Very unlike his own house. And then he hears a buzzing noise and reckons it's "better to discover than to be discovered" Following the noise, Luke finds himself outside a room at the end of a long hallway. He peeks in and sees a girl typing on a computer. He never considered the Sports Family would have a daughter. Something about this girl makes Luke blush. Then the girl turns around and pounces on him, pinning him to the ground. Restraining him with his arms pulled behind his back, the girl says that a security alarm went off as soon as he stepped foot on the property and guards will be arriving soon. Luke tries to say how they can't come and the girl interjects, "Who are you to stop them?" Two little words make her let him go: Population Police.

Chapter 15 Summary: Right off the bat, she thinks Luke is lying, but then she shifts gears and guesses that he must be another shadow child. Naturally, Luke is confused at this term and then promptly stunned when the girl comes right out and says that they're both third children breaking the law. Suddenly, the girl remembers the alarm that is going off and immediately calls her father to tell the security guards to back off. Luke is amazed at everything from the fact that the Sports Family has security guards to how nonchalantly the girl talks about shadow children. The girl notices that Luke is getting uncomfortable or scared or nervous or all of the above. To ease him a bit, she sits him down so they can introduce themselves and get to know each other. This is where we learn that the girl's name is Jennifer Rose Talbot. Or just Jen. Their conversation drifts to the subject of Luke having never met anyone outside his immediate family. Turns out that Luke's new shadow child friend is nothing like him. Jen has met people outside her family and gets away with not hiding as well thanks to her parents' awesome bribery skills. But she still questions how Luke knew that she was hiding, so he has to start all the way back at the beginning with the woods coming down. Jen is entranced with his story and is equally as amazed as Luke is with their difference in lifestyle. And then she swears to him that his hiding days are over.