Can You Keep a Secret? (4 page)

Roxie is into Hello Kitty, and she wears all these plastic Hello Kitty pins and plastic necklaces, and bracelets that are always clicking and jangling. Very cute. Too cute. I mean, that stuff makes my skin itch.

But she can be very sweet. When my wolf dreams got really intense last fall, I tried to confide in Sophie about them. But she just said, “Why get messed up over a couple of dreams?”

At a party at Danny’s house, I pulled Roxie aside and told her about my frightening dreams, and she was totally understanding and sympathetic, and made me feel glad that I’d confided in her. Underneath all that plastic and cuteness, she’s a real person.

I leaned into the back of the SUV and pulled out the bag containing a canvas tent. It was heavier than I thought, and I dropped it onto the ground, nearly smashing my feet.

“Let me get that.” Riley hoisted it up easily and tossed it onto the other two tents. “Do you believe we’re doing this?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “I’ve always wanted to camp out one night in these woods,” I told him.

Roxie tugged out a lantern and set it on the ground. “Do your parents know you’re here?”

I shook my head. “No way. They think I’m staying at Rachel Martin’s house.”

“I told my parents the football team was having a spring overnight,” Riley said. “And they believed it. They believe everything I tell them.”

“You have an honest face,” Danny told him. “Dumb but honest.”

We all laughed. Riley can always take a joke. The big Teddy Bear.

Callie shook her head. “This was Danny’s idea. No way I wanted to come tonight. Camp all night in the Fear Street Woods? Hey, I may be new here, but I’ve heard all the stories about these woods. It’s like a horror movie.”

Danny uttered a ghoulish, horror-movie laugh. “We’re all going to be slaughtered by a dude in a hockey mask!”

Callie shoved him hard. “How funny is that? Not.” Her expression turned serious. “We must be nuts or something. Staying outdoors in the woods with a vicious wolf running wild?”

Roxie gasped. “A wolf? Seriously? What do you mean?”

“You didn’t hear the news?” I said. “A wolf attacked a dog in Shadyside Park last night. The owner was walking the dog, and a wolf leaped out of the trees and chewed the dog to pieces.”

Roxie’s eyes grew wide. “Maybe we could move our camping stuff to my backyard.…”

“Owoooooooo!”

A loud wolf howl from right behind me made me jump. I spun around. It took me a few seconds to realize the howl came from Danny. I felt like a jerk for believing it was a real wolf. But I was a little freaked about wolves. It was easy to fool me.

Danny howled again, his cry echoing off the trees. This time, no one fell for it.

“The police were searching for that wolf all day,” Eddie said. “But they didn’t find it. My stepfather got some calls from some of his buddies on the police force. They couldn’t find any paw prints to track.”

“Don’t wolves travel in packs?” Callie said, tightening her jacket around her shoulders. “I seem to remember that from some science class.”

Roxie frowned. “Hey, these woods are scary enough without a bunch of wolves hunting for meat.”

Riley laughed and wrapped his big arms around her, almost smothering her. “The wolf won’t want you, Roxie. You’re too bony.”

Danny grinned at Riley. “He’ll have a feast on you, man. You’ll be like Thanksgiving dinner.”

We all laughed. Riley growled at Danny, an animal growl. Then he laughed, too.

“The wolves will be so busy with Riley, the rest of us can just stand and watch,” Danny said.

The camping equipment had all been unloaded from Danny’s SUV. Danny slammed the hatchback shut. “Are we really crazy to be doing this?” he asked, suddenly serious.

“There’s no problem,” Eddie said, stepping up to Danny. He had his hands in the pockets of his jacket. I caught a flash of excitement in his eyes.

“We’ll all be safe,” he said. “Trust me.” His eyes moved from one of us to the next. I tried to read the strange smile on his face, but I couldn’t.

“Can you keep a secret?” Eddie asked. “Seriously. Can you?”

Everyone muttered yes.

“Okay,” Eddie said. “Here’s why we’ll be safe.”

He removed his right hand from his jacket and pulled out a gun.

9.

We all stared at the gun in silence. Callie took several steps back until she bumped into the side of the SUV. Roxie grabbed Riley’s hand. Danny stood frozen with his mouth open.

“Why’d you bring that?” I cried.

Eddie shrugged. “For protection. If that wolf shows, I’m going to be ready for it.”

That was greeted with even more silence.

“Where’d you get it?” Riley demanded.

“It’s my stepdad’s,” Eddie said, lowering the gun to his side. “It’s a .38 snubnose revolver.”

“H-he
gave
it to you?” Callie stammered.

Eddie shook his head. “No way. Lou doesn’t know I know where he keeps his gun collection.”

“I don’t believe you, Eddie,” Danny said, stepping up to him, his eyes down on the revolver. “I don’t believe you brought that.” He raised his eyes to Eddie’s. “Is it loaded?”

A thin smile crossed Eddie’s face. His eyes flashed. “Maybe.”

Riley burst between Eddie and Danny. He made a grab for the gun. “Let me see that.”

“No!” Callie screamed. “Put it away. Put it away or I’m leaving.” She shoved Riley aside and brought her face up close to Eddie’s. “I’m serious. Put it away, Eddie. I don’t want to be on the news where one of us accidentally gets shot.”

“She’s right,” Roxie chimed in. “Lose the gun, Eddie. Come on. You’re going to spoil everything.”

“Okay, okay.” Eddie raised his hands in surrender. The revolver gleamed in the pale moonlight. He tucked it back into his jacket. “Just trying to be safe, you know. No big thing.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. I think we all did. I suddenly realized I didn’t know Eddie as well as I thought I did. I knew about his family struggling to make ends meet. I knew Eddie could be tough. I knew about his temper.

But I was surprised he was reckless enough to take one of his stepdad’s guns and bring it into the woods for what was supposed to be a peaceful overnight adventure.

Eddie kept his eyes on me as we gathered up all the coolers and sleeping bags and equipment. I think he was looking for a sign of disapproval, looking to see if I was upset with him. I just rolled my eyes. I didn’t want to start a whole thing with him.

Callie and Roxie led the way into the trees. They were both talking at once, but I couldn’t hear what they were talking about. Riley followed, carrying a portable tent on each shoulder. He liked to show off.

“Just don’t shake the beer,” he called back to Danny, who carried the case in front of his chest.

Danny groaned. He has skinny arms and isn’t exactly a weight lifter. “Whose idea was this?” he demanded.

“Shut up. It was yours,” Eddie told him. “Remember? You said we had to do something totally crazy before we graduate?”

“I meant like wearing our clothes backward to school or something,” Danny muttered. He shifted the case of beer onto his shoulder. “I hate the woods. I hate nature.”

Callie laughed. “You didn’t say that when you begged me to come with you.”

“I didn’t
beg
you,” Danny insisted. “I just asked—” But when he saw the rest of us all laughing at him, he didn’t finish his sentence.

The moon grew brighter, and the tree leaves glimmered like silver under its light. The ground was wet from the evening dew. Everything around us sparkled. It was seriously beautiful, and I began to feel happy that I’d agreed to come.

We stopped in a small clearing of tall grass and set up the three tents in a triangle facing each other. The three boys went back to the trees to search for firewood so we could build a fire. It was a warm spring night but the air still felt tingly and cool.

“That moon pendant on your neck is glowing,” Callie said.

I turned. I didn’t realize she was standing next to me. I glanced down at the pendant. “It isn’t glowing,” I said. “It’s just catching the moonlight.”

Callie squinted at it. “Weird. I really thought it lit up.”

“I had a big dinner, but I’m starving,” Roxie said. “I think being outdoors makes me hungry. The air or something.”

I squinted at her. She’s as skinny as a ten-year-old. “A big dinner? What did you have? A meatball?”

Callie laughed but Roxie didn’t.

“Not funny, Emmy. I eat a lot,” Roxie insisted. “Seriously. It just doesn’t show. I have a weird metabolism, I guess.”

I kept gazing into the trees. I confess, I felt a little insecure without the guys around. The trees were still. There was no breeze at all. It was like the whole world was still. And for a moment, I thought this can’t be real. I can’t be here. This must be another dream.

A dumb thought. I forced it from my mind.

The guys returned with armloads of broken branches. They dumped them in the space between the three tents. Danny kept rubbing one hand. “Think I got a splinter.”

“Man up,” Riley said, giving him a shoulder block that almost sent him sprawling to the ground.

Eddie squatted down beside the pile of sticks. He pulled out a plastic lighter, clicked on a flame, and lowered it to the firewood. He raised his eyes to me. “Did you know I was a Boy Scout once? I got kicked out.”

“Big surprise,” Danny muttered.

“Why’d you get kicked out?” I asked.

“We were learning how to tie knots, and I tied another scout to a tree.” Eddie shrugged. “I was just practicing. You know. But it turned into a big thing.”

It took a few tries, but the fire finally caught. The twigs and sticks began to flame and crackle. Eddie climbed to his feet and stepped back. His face looked so serious and handsome in the shadowy red firelight.

“That fire is going to last about ten minutes,” Danny said.

“So we’ll get more wood,” Riley said.

Roxie said something but I didn’t hear her. Something in the trees at the edge of the clearing caught my eye. Something moved at the side of a tall evergreen shrub. Just a blur. But I recognized it.

“The wolf!” I cried, my voice tight, hoarse. “It’s there. The wolf!”

“Everybody freeze!” Eddie shouted. He raised the revolver, aimed at the crouching figure beside the shrub, and fired it.

10.

The sound of the shot reverberated in my ears, like a sharp burst of thunder. I heard a squeal. Shrill and high. It lasted for only a second.

No one moved. I kept my eyes on the shrub across the clearing. I didn’t see anything now. Nothing moved.

Without a word, all six of us took off, running hard, sliding and slipping on the tall, dew-wet grass. I ran breathlessly across the clearing, the grass bright now under the light from the crescent moon.

A few feet from the shrub, I skidded to a stop, breathing hard. I pressed my hands against my waist, struggling to catch my breath. And stared down at the raccoon Eddie had shot.

It lay on its back, its dark, ringed eyes wide open, its forepaws limp at its side. Its belly was bloodstained, a large hole ripped through the fur.

“A perfect shot,” Riley said, poking at the dead creature with the toe of his shoe. “You hit the bull’s-eye, Eddie. But that’s the weirdest looking wolf I ever saw.”

Danny laughed. Roxie and Callie hung back, huddled together. Eddie still had the pistol in his hand. He tucked it back in his jacket pocket and turned to me. “Did you really think it was a wolf?”

I nodded. I didn’t know what to say. My thoughts were a jumble.

Danny stepped in front of Eddie, a grin on his face. “I know what we have to do now. Eddie, you have to bury this guy in the pet cemetery.”

“Awesome,” Riley chimed in. “We’ll give it a name and make a tombstone for it.”

“Or maybe we’ll call it the Tomb of the Unknown Raccoon,” Danny said.

“You’re a grave digger now, right, Eddie? I mean, that’s your job. Digging graves for animals? Cool job.”

Eddie scowled at them. “You guys are so funny. Remind me to laugh later.” He wasn’t enjoying this. I knew what he was thinking. This was supposed to be a fun, romantic night in the woods. Why were these guys acting like jerks?

“I’m not joking,” Danny insisted. “I really think we should bury it.”

“Okay.
You
bury it,” Eddie grunted. He stepped behind the dead raccoon and
kicked
it into the air. It made a squishy
thud
as it bounced off Danny’s chest.

Danny let out a roar and rushed at Eddie. He tackled Eddie around the waist and drove him to the ground. Eddie swung a punch at Danny’s chest and missed.

I rushed forward, intending to break it up. But Danny was already laughing. He reached down and helped Eddie to his feet. Then he brushed the dirt off the legs of Eddie’s jeans slapping it with both hands.

“Truce?” Danny said.

Eddie didn’t reply, but I could see he was over it. The six of us walked back to our fire. Callie and Roxie said it was their turn to collect firewood. They disappeared into the trees.

Eddie and I got settled. We sat against the side of our tent. He slid his arm around my shoulders, and we kissed. I closed my eyes. I wanted the woods to disappear for a while. I wanted to close out everything but Eddie and me.

A popping sound made me jump. I recognized the sound. Riley popping open a can of beer. I snuggled against Eddie’s cheek. I closed my eyes again and pressed my lips against his for a long kiss.

Angry voices interrupted. I turned, a little breathless, and saw Danny and Riley gesturing and shouting at each other. Roxie and Callie stood behind them with armloads of firewood.

“What is
this
fight about?” I cried. “What is your problem tonight?”

They didn’t reply. Danny gave Riley a hard shove. But Riley is a mountain. He didn’t budge.

“What are they fighting about?” I asked Eddie.

“I don’t care,” he said. He jumped up and pulled me to my feet. “Let’s go.” He grabbed both hands and gave me a hard tug.

“Huh?” I resisted. “Where are we going? We were just getting comfortable. You and I—”