“Well, the thing is, it does make a difference,” Emmaline said. “If you don’t graduate or get a GED, chances are you’ll have to work longer and earn less. And by longer, I mean longer hours and more years. You want a nice car? A decent place to live? A job you like? It’s going to be a lot easier if you stay in school.”

“I wanna be on TV,” Tamara said. “Like Ellen.” She took a cookie and bit into it.

“Ellen graduated from high school, dumbass,” Cory said. “How many days have you missed?”

“None of your business.”

“It’s my turn to hold Sarge,” Kelsey said. “Come here, puppy.” Her face softened beneath the harsh makeup.

Out of these four kids, Em was pretty sure that Tamara, Cory and Dalton had a decent chance. Cory’s parents were doing all the right things for his temper issues, and they adored the kid. Tamara, too, had nice parents and average intelligence; she was just a late bloomer who liked getting attention by acting up. She’d probably go to a community college and figure out what she wanted to do a year or three down the road. Dalton was from a long line of petty criminals; both parents had served time. The kid had a good heart and charm, though, and was as cute as they came. If he could find something that interested him, he might do okay... She could see him in sales or advertising. Or as a grifter. Same thing, really.

Kelsey, though...Kelsey would be hard-pressed to break out. A baby on the way, her father dead, her mother one of Em’s frequent calls for DUI and possession. They lived in a decrepit farmhouse on the edge of a field. Graying sheets hung in the windows for curtains, and there was a large hole in the roof. Kelsey was already heavily tattooed, seriously overweight and had those expander earrings and a pierced lip. She maintained a D average, and that was through the generosity of her teachers.

The odds had never been in her favor.

“Kelsey, what was your week like?” Emmaline asked.

Just then the basement door opened, bringing in a blast of cold air.

“Who’s that?” The girl pulled her head back like an offended duck.

It was Jack.

Huh. Emmaline hadn’t expected him to show.

“Dude! It’s him! The guy who pulled Sam and Garrett and everyone out of lake. Shit! Nice to meet you, man!” Dalton met Jack halfway and shook his hand. “You’re, like, a hero or something!”

Jack’s expression didn’t change, but something went out in his eyes almost immediately at the mention of the accident. He glanced at her. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, clearing his throat. “Hi, guys. I’m Jack Holland. Heard you need a chemistry tutor.”

This was met with groans and a general exhausted sinking.

“Are you a teacher?” Tamara asked, scanning him up and down.

“Can you make crystal meth?” Dalton asked. “Like that dude on TV?”

“I probably could,” Jack said, pulling up a chair next to Emmaline. “But I won’t.”

“Fair enough,” Dalton said. “Just exploring your options, man. And if you need a Jesse for your Walter White, keep me in mind.”

“How about a bomb?” Cory asked, sitting up with interest. “Could you make that?”

“Again, yes, I could, and, no, I won’t.”

“Poison gas cloud?”

“Poison gas, yes. Poison gas cloud? The kind that would float over a city and rain hellfire and brimstone down on people?”

“Yeah, totally!” Dalton said.

“Probably not.”

“Well, what can you do, then?” Tamara asked.

“Make wine.”

The kids rolled their eyes and slid deeper down in the folding metal chairs. Everyone made wine around here. How boring indeed.

“Chemists do a bunch of different things,” Jack said. “And they’re all really interesting. In organic chemistry, we work with carbon and carbon compounds. We can develop drugs, fertilizers, plastics. Inorganic chemists work with metals, electricity and minerals.”

“Please stop him before I stab myself in the eye,” Dalton said.

“And then we have analytic chemists, who identify materials and evaluate properties, and physical chemists, who—”

“You’re losing them Jack,” Emmaline said. “They’re literally dying of boredom. Look at them, the poor babies. Dalton? Speak to me! Stay away from the light!”

Jack grinned. “I can also guarantee you an A on any chemistry test you have this year,” he said. “And a B+ for physics and biology.”

“Dude, we’re all flunking out. Except Cory,” said Dalton. “You might want to rethink your statement.”

“The offer stands,” Jack said. He looked down at Emmaline. “As does the offer for dinner,” he added.

“Ooh, Officer Em! You got a boyfriend! You got a boyfriend!” Tamara crowed, doing a little dance in her chair, and for some reason, it delighted the kids (except Kelsey), who high-fived each other and made Sarge bark with excitement, then pee on the floor. Em got up to get the paper towels.

“I’m never gonna use chemistry,” Kelsey said. “So I don’t even care if I flunk.”

“You ever hear of oxytocin?” Jack asked.

“My cousin’s addicted to that,” Tamara said somberly.

“That’s Oxycontin,” Jack said with a smile. “Oxytocin is an amino acid peptide. A hormone. They call it the love chemical.”

“So?” Kelsey gave him a dead-eyed stare.

“So when you’re further along in your pregnancy, more oxytocin receptors will be created in your uterine muscles. When the baby’s big enough, your oxytocin level will rise, triggering labor, and will help your muscles contract so you can give birth.”

“Gross,” said Cory.

“No,” Jack said. “Miraculous. Without the oxytocin, your muscles wouldn’t be strong enough to push that baby out. But because of that chemical, you are. You’ll be superhero strong.” He smiled right into Kelsey’s eyes. “Then, when you see your baby, that rush of oxytocin will help you bond. That’s why they call it the love drug. And if you breast-feed, more oxytocin gets released, strengthening that bond. The maternal instinct is the strongest instinct in the world. Chemistry is definitely part of that.”

“You should definitely breast-feed, Kelsey,” Dalton said, wiggling his eyebrows. “I’ll supervise.”

“Shut up, Dalton,” Em said.

Kelsey had a soft, rapt look on her face.

Em would bet no one had talked about Kelsey’s pregnancy using words like superhero and miraculous and love and bonding.

“Cool,” Kelsey breathed. Jack glanced at Em, still smiling, and Emmaline felt...well, a little like Kelsey looked. Even if she was cleaning up dog pee.

She went to the kitchen, washed up and returned. “Dalton, it’s your turn. How’s your dad?”

“Still out on probation,” Dalton said. “But he’s getting itchy.” He picked at his shoe. “Maybe you could swing by. I don’t want him to do something stupid.”

“You bet.”

Jack was mostly quiet for the rest of the meeting, but it was different, having him there.