Secret state

Well, Duncan's not here, but it seems everyone else in Milborough is. Charles Wallace was disappointed about Duncan, but decided to watch the yard anyway.
"You go and torture Arne in Magictown," he said. "I think I hear something in the rose bushes." I went to his room and sat at his computer, thinking about what to do to Arne Sim. Then I heard Charles Wallace yell. "It's Storm! She's in the lilacs!"
I went outside and saw Eva cowering in the lilac bush. Charles Wallace had one of his spare roman candles in his hand and a lighter. "I thought you only used your powers for good," he said to Eva.
"She only uses her powers for smirk," I said.
"That's not nice," I heard from the arbutus. It was Jeremy Jones.
"Sorry, Jeremy," I said. "Why are you all in my mother's greenery?" They both started some story about burglers, rogue senior citizens, confidence men, and mutant plants. "It's all right. Our plants are normal, my grandfather's in Oshawa, and no-one has any confidence in us." They seems satisfied, or at least Jeremy did. He whispered something to Eva, and they both left, although Eva kept looking back. Charles Wallace waved the roman candle meaningfully until we couldn't see them anymore.
"You've got a weird school, Sandra," he said. I agreed, and we went in. Charles Wallace had left the back door open, and when we went in we found Duncan there, getting some milk out of the fridge.