Among the Hidden: Chapter 18 Summary & Analysis

Luke stares blankly at Jen. It’s frightening enough to run from his house to hers, where there’s probably nobody watching. The prospect of being in public and asking the Government for rights is terrifying. Jen says she’s scared too, but once they’ve held the rally, they’ll be free. They won’t have to hide anymore, and it’ll be a relief. She tells Luke to think about it and turns to her computer.

On the computer screen, words are appearing quickly. Someone named Carlos writes that it’s 105 degrees and his parents won’t run the air conditioning for him. Sean suggests Carlos turn it up and then turn it off before his parents get home, and someone named Yolanda says she can’t wait to hear Jen’s opinion on the matter. Quickly, Jen types a sarcastic response and when she presses a key, the words appear on the screen. Confused, Luke asks if this is a game—maybe these people are imaginary friends. But Jen explains that this is a secret chat room for third children. Sean, she says, even has a brother who’s a fourth child.

As Jen explains that she’d be lost without these online friends, she writes a message to the chat room that she’s here with another third kid named Luke. Several people respond with greetings to Luke, but Luke panics—the Government can surely find him now. Jen assures Luke he’s safe, since the chat room is password protected. She insists that if it wasn’t safe, the Government would’ve found her a long time ago. Luke argues that Jen’s parents can keep her safe by bribing people, but his can’t. In response, Jen says her parents can’t totally protect her from the Population Police. That’s why they have to hold the rally, so that everyone can live their lives without having to bribe people. Jen explains that she created the chat room with her parents’ help; there are now 800 kids using it. The password is “free.”