Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots(10)
Author: Abby McDonald

An unexpected wave of loneliness rolls through me. Casual and low-key is one thing, but now the boys aren’t even trying to be friendly — aside from Ethan, who manages to throw a halfhearted smile in my direction every now and then. My dreams of a fun-filled summer are rapidly deflating: now I think I’ll be lucky to even have a single conversation.

When the lake is just an inky shadow in the dark, I finally crack. “Fiona, do you want to get going?”

“What time is it?” She’s deigned to join us by the fire, but she’s still reading — with the help of a pocket flashlight.

I check the glowing display on my cell phone. “Ten thirty.”

“No,” she says stubbornly. “I’m waiting until eleven.”

“Just to spite Susie?” I can’t believe how petty she’s being. “Just sit out on the porch. She’ll never know the difference.”

“Nope.” Fiona turns another page and nibbles at an Oreo. Yes, she brought snacks. No, she hasn’t offered me any.

I sit, resigning myself to another half hour feeling out of place, until Ethan speaks up.

“I could walk you back,” he offers, pulling on a green sweatshirt. “I’m pretty much ready to go.”

“Would you?” I look at him with relief. Jet lag is hitting hard, and even the foldout bed in Fiona’s room seems like luxury to me.

“Sure.” He unfolds himself and gets up, brushing dirt from his jeans. “Grady?”

“I’ll stick around a while more.” After some dedicated carving, Grady’s chunk of wood now resembles a smooth pebble. He looks up at us, hair gleaming a dark gold in the firelight. “Tell Mom I’ll be back soon.”

“Hang on.” Reeve is just a silhouette across the fire as he slings a battered nylon bag across his shoulders and pulls on his sneakers. “I need to borrow your belay device for tomorrow.”

“Oh, right.” Ethan hangs back to wait for him.

I pause on the edge of the clearing, uneasy. Maybe this isn’t the best idea. They seem harmless enough, but disappearing into the forest with two strange boys . . . ? Surely that would feature on the Risky Behaviors That Will Get a Teenage Girl Killed (or Worse) list.

I don’t have time to change my mind, because Reeve strides past me, asking, “You ready?” in an impatient voice — as if I was the one holding us up — and then they charge into the trees, leaving me to stumble on behind in the dark.

“Guys?” I call after the bobbing light. “Ethan, can you wait a — oww!” My ankle gives way on the edge of a sharp slope, and I twist over on it, falling heavily to the muddy ground.

The pain isn’t terrible, but part of me feels like giving up and just sitting there. I can see the rest of my trip stretching out in front of me, lonely and full of bugs and boys who’ll barely even speak to me, let alone —

Wait. Where are they?

I pull myself to my feet. “Ethan?” My voice catches in my throat. I can’t see their flashlight anymore or hear anything but the haunting rustle of the trees and my own beating heart. “Reeve? Guys, where are you?”

It’s completely dark now, heavy like a blanket around me. I can’t make out anything but the ominous black shapes all around. My stomach lurches with fear, but I try not to panic. Cautiously, I edge forward. If I just keep walking in a straight line, won’t that get me back to the road eventually? Then maybe I can call Susie to come pick me up, and —

Something grabs me from behind.

I scream.

“Arrrghhh!” I lurch away from my unknown assailant. In an instant, I think of all the terrible things that could be lurking in the dark. “HELP ME!” I scream, propelling myself forward into the trees. I make it half a dozen steps, and then I hear laughter.

Laughter!

A flashlight switches on and I turn to see the half-lit shadows of Ethan and Reeve behind me, falling over themselves with glee.

“Man, where’d you learn to scream like that?” Reeve’s whole body is shaking. He grins, a smile that could slay teenage girls the world over, but right now, I’m not even remotely impressed. “My ears are still ringing!”

“Aren’t you city girls supposed to be tough?” Ethan gasps for air, clinging to a tree branch to keep himself upright.

I gape at them in disbelief. In an instant, my fear turns to anger.

“What the hell are you DOING?” I yell, surprised at my own force. I shove Reeve, hard. He stumbles backward. “Do you think that was funny? DO YOU?”

“Whoa, calm down.” Ethan pulls me back. “It was only a joke.”

“A joke?” I cry, shaking. “What kind of morons ARE you? Or is that what passes for funny out here?”

Reeve is still grinning. “Aw, get over it. We didn’t mean any harm.”

“No harm?” I force myself to take a deep breath and calm down. It’s all OK, I tell myself. Everything’s OK. When my heartbeat finally slows, I look at them, amazed. “Do you have any idea how scared I was? That’s not funny, guys. It’s not!”

Ethan begins to look contrite. “Hey, I’m sorry — we didn’t mean it.”

Reeve agrees. “It’s not like we would have left you here for real.”

“How should I know?” I shoot back. “I just met you. You could be . . . anything!” I shiver, realizing again how vulnerable I am out here.

“Yeah, well, we’re not like that.” Reeve’s tone gets sharper, as if I’m the one who’s offended him.

I hug myself tightly, trying not to snap. “Look, can we just get out of here, please?”

Reeve makes an exaggerated gesture, like he’s bowing to me. “As you wish.”

Perfect. I’m recovering from a minor heart attack and the guy wants to stand around quoting The Princess Bride. I glare at him and then follow Ethan — and the warm glow of their flashlight — back out of the forest. I stumble a couple of times, on tree roots and stray rocks, but even though Reeve reaches out to help me, I snatch away. I don’t need any of his kind of help.

“I can take it from here,” I say in a clipped voice, the minute we’re through the trees.

Ethan looks unsure, hair falling in his eyes. “I don’t know. . . . We’re not supposed to let you girls go off alone.”

Now he’s worried about my personal safety? “See that light over there?” I point. “That’s Susie’s. I’ll be fine — if you can both hold off on attacking me again.”