Hidden Moon (13 page)

“What do you think?” Adam asked, his eyes flashing warm amber behind the black paint.

I think wow, I thought, staring at him. From a few feet away, he looked great, but as he stood right beside me, my brain had decided to go into overdrive and was trying to soak up every inch of him that my eyes could see.

“You didn’t like it?”

I love it, my brain screamed as I kept staring and walking at the same time.

“Y-yes,” I stammered a split second before I tripped over my own feet and somehow slammed sideways into him.

His arms came out and steadied me again as they had before and everything sizzled and popped around us again. Where his fingers touched my arms it felt as if tiny electric currents zinged between us, like a constant current of static electricity. Curious if there were actual sparks popping between us, I looked down at the exact second he turned loose.

“Are you okay?” he asked, very politely. I felt my cheeks flush red. Maybe he was still angry from earlier that day.

“Yes, thank you.” I got the nerve to look up at him.

His eyes were locked on something or someone behind me, near the hut at the end of the row. I turned. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw something. Just a quick flash of white skin, as translucent as an opal and a sheen of cool blue. It felt as if the very atmosphere had shifted.

“Who was it?” I asked, looking around. I was certain someone had been there.

“No one’s there,” Adam whispered, then took my arm to get me walking again and steer me toward the buses.

“No, you saw something, too,” I argued, feeling a stir of anger since I knew that I was being lied to.

“Is there a problem here?” a familiar voice demanded on the other side of me.

“No, ma’am, not at all,” Adam said, giving a warm smile to an irate-looking Mrs. Graham.

It was as if Adam’s smile was the sun, and Mrs. Graham was an iceberg. She melted. She gave him a rather beaky, bristly-looking smile back and then turned to me and barked, “On the bus, girl.”

Best not make her mad, she’s not someone you want to mess with,
a voice cautioned.

“
Making enemies again, are we?” Brian hissed into my ear, while grabbing my arm, and jerking me on the bus. “Nikki, you don’t want to screw around with that lady, she’s not your typical quiet librarian type.”

He herded me to the very back of the bus and into a corner and then sat down beside me, darting a quick look back out the window to make sure no attack was going to come our way. He let out a whoosh of breath that he must have been holding, and flopped against the back of the seat.

I dared to take a quick glance out the window, and saw Adam standing, hands clasped behind his back while he talked with Mrs. Graham, who seemed quite at ease. Students filed past and the buses filled. After a few more moments, she boarded the bus. After a quick head count, the bus driver started the engine.

I looked over once more to see Adam staring at me. His eyes locked with mine and he gave me a nod. Somehow feeling that he was trying to say goodbye, I pressed my hand to the glass. He stood in the same place and watched us until we were out of sight.

ADAM DIDN’T MAKE it to school at all the following week. Another hiker was missing, Erik informed me, as he dropped off the title to the Jeep one evening after school. They were helping search for her and he didn’t know when they would be back.

Each day crawled by slower than the one before. Then Saturday came.

I started to dread the idea of the hike, and almost called Brian to tell him I didn’t want to go, but the possibility of seeing Adam if he showed up, kept me from dialing the number.

I had gotten my driver’s license after school that week. I stopped and picked him up at his house and we met the rest of the group at a wide spot down a gravel road. I counted more than a dozen people when I got out of the car and more kept coming.

“News travels,” Brian looked at me, apologetically. “If you want to go back home, I’ll understand.”

My eyes lit on two boys that stood where the trail crossed. Their backs were turned to me, but I could see their black hair tied back in tight plaits that ran down their backs. “No, it’s okay. Let’s go.”

“I’ll be right there,” Brian said, waving me on, as someone called out to him.

I walked towards the trail and the two boys turned. I tried not to look disappointed as the two youngest members of Adam’s lunch group saw me and smiled, their dimples creasing their left cheek.

“Hey, Nikki,” Tommy and Michael said in unison.

“Hey. Where have you guys been the last couple of days? Still searching for the lost hiker?”

“Yeah. We’ve been looking for her day and night. We haven’t found anything, though. Adam, Erik and Ed are still out looking for her.”

“Did you guys need a break?” I teased.

“No, not really.” Tommy shifted around, not meeting my eyes.

“Adam sent us to keep an eye on everyone and to make sure everyone stayed safe,” Michael said quickly, elbowing his cousin.

“You mean he sent you to keep an eye on me.” I said, remembering the promise I had made to stay close to Brian.

“He was worried about you.” Tommy met my gaze and ignored Michael’s incessant jabs to his ribs. “Although he did say to keep an eye on everyone, he said specifically to keep you safe.”

He turned to Michael, who had resorted to stomping on his foot. “Quit that. She’d figure it out anyway when she realized we were two steps behind her all afternoon.”

I left the squabbling cousins and walked back to meet Brian.

“Sorry about that. I think everyone is ready to go,” he said.

A large part of the group had started up the hillside. We fell in behind Beth and Ronnie as they started up the trail that seemed more of a path. It narrowed with some spots barely wide enough to accommodate a single person. Everyone’s head was bent down; watching for roots that could trip them and send them toppling down the hill.

It was quiet, except for the sound of labored breathing as we trudged onward. I kept my eyes on Brian. As he took one step, a small rock came free from the dirt and went bouncing down the mountain. I stopped and watched it, catching my breath.

True to their word, Michael and Tommy must have been two steps behind me. No sooner had I stopped when I felt someone bump into my back.

“Sorry,” Michael said sheepishly.

“It’s okay,” I huffed, and then looked back at him.

Neither of them seemed to be even winded. I looked down at the watch on my wrist. We had been hiking for an hour and most of it was uphill.

“You guys must be in good shape. I envy you.”

“We do this a lot,” Tommy voice came up from behind Michael’s shoulder. “It will level out up around that curve up there. It will be wider, too, so it will be easier to walk for a little while.”

I turned back around. Brian was a good ways ahead of me. He hadn’t noticed I wasn’t behind him any longer. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other until we reached the spot that Tommy had pointed out.

The trail widened and opened out into a big meadow. By unspoken consent, everyone decided that here was the place to take a break. Backpacks and walking sticks went flying as people searched for water bottles and energy drinks. I sat down on a tree stump, took a long drink of my lukewarm water, and looked at all the red, sweaty faces that sat sprawled in various places.

“So what do you think?” Brian grinned.

“I think I’m in bad shape,” I said. He looked as if he had just gone for a stroll out in his yard. He hadn’t even broken a sweat.

“Nah, you’re just not used to it.” Brian sat down next to me as Ronnie and John came over.

“I love hiking, but I don’t like uphill. I think everyone has been too out of breath to even look for clues so far. I wouldn’t have noticed the trail killer if he was covered in blood and brandishing knives, unless of course he was standing directly in front of my feet. I don’t think I looked up past Ronnie’s boots the whole way up.” John grinned, plopping down on the ground across from us as he pulled Ronnie down with him. “I wonder if we’ll see the wolves up here.”

“Have you seen them before?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, if I had, there is no way you’d catch me up here.”

“He’s just trying to scare you,” Ronnie said. “He loves scaring people. There aren’t any wolves anywhere near here, it’s just stories.”

“Oh, they’re real. Just ask some of the hikers that have wandered off the trail. There are actual reports of wolves that have been seen by hikers that have been lost in this forest. According to urban legend around here, they are huge dog-like creatures that are four or five times the size of a wolf. Supposedly, they guard the forest from outsiders, hunting and killing anyone that wanders away from the trail. I think that’s what has happened to the missing hikers. Not the legend, but the wolves. The idea of the trail killer is ludicrous, if you ask me. I mean, what guy is just going to hang out in the woods and wait for young women to happen by? He could be standing around forever, just waiting. But think, you guys, the forest has all sorts of wild animals living in it. They all eat something, right?” He shrugged. “I think the hikers just got lost, died, and then nature took its course.”

“But they would still find bones,” I pointed out. I wanted to defend the wolves, though I didn’t know why.

“Maybe, maybe not. The forest is a big place.” John grinned, as he watched Beth sneak up behind Ronnie and grab her. Ronnie squealed.

“Are you guys ready to go again?” Beth asked. “We’ll just go as long as it stays level then we’ll turn around so it will be downhill on the way back.”

“Sounds good.” I got up off my stump, and looked over at Brian.

His knuckles were white as they gripped the sides of the stump. The muscles in his jaw tightened. He was staring straight ahead, not looking at anyone.

“Are you okay?” I waved my hand in front of his fixed stare.

He blinked, then looked up at me. “Oh, sorry. Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Everyone had gotten their breath and the woods echoed with the sounds of voices and laughter of the people ahead of us. Brian stayed quiet. I thought we were the last of the group since I hadn’t heard any voices behind us, so I looked over my shoulder. Michael and Tommy were still behind us, moving soundlessly along the trail. Their brown eyes looked back at me, and I realized that it was the first time they hadn’t smiled at me. Their faces were serious and they looked older without their dimples.

On the way back down, I noticed a small path cutting to one side of the trail, hidden by some low-lying bushes. Curiosity peaked, I left the trail. I looked over my shoulder to see if my two protectors had seen me wander off. So far they hadn’t. I decided I would go just a bit farther to see where the path took me. A small bend behind a clump of bushes led me to a small clearing packed with raspberry bushes, the path ended there. The plump, red berries were ripe and ready to be picked.

I heard my name being called, and turned around to find Michael and Tommy coming up behind me.

“What’s up? Did you find something? You know you could have said you were taking a detour,” Michael said, frowning.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to see where that little path led. I’m coming.” I walked back to them, wishing I could stay and pick berries.

Everyone else had made it to the bottom, leaving the three of us to come down last. Beth was busy talking to Brian, as he waited for me by the car. She was talking animatedly, gesturing with her hands, then realized he hadn’t heard a word she said. Irritated, she shrugged and walked off.

Strange, I thought, looking at his face.

I stopped in front of him, inches away from his face. His blue eyes stared through me as if I weren’t there. I reached up and pushed a dark lock of hair out of his eyes, and he blinked.

“Hey, Brian. You’re worrying me again.”

I saw his eyes focus on me and he gave me a weak smile. “Sorry, let’s go, eh? I mean, if you’re ready.”

“Sure.”

I walked back around and got in the car and saw Tommy and Michael were standing just a few feet away. They were still solemn-looking and they seemed to have lost all interest in me now. They were staring at Brian with that very close, guarded look I had seen on Adam’s face.

I dropped Brian back off at his house and offered to stay with him until he felt like himself again. He made me go, saying he was just going to lie down for awhile, though I made him promise that if he needed anything he would call me and then I left to go home.

The construction guys were finished, I could start painting. It wouldn’t be dark for a few hours, I decided, as I pulled up in front of the house. Mom hadn’t made it home yet and Emily was at a friend’s house for a sleepover.

Looks like it’s just you and me, I looked up at the big, rambling house as I went up the steps. I put on my old jeans and an old tank top and pulled my hair back in a messy ponytail. Then I scrounged around to find a big paintbrush and the paint.

I set the ladder up against the house, then I popped open the can and stirred the thick, white paint, watching the oil on the top disappear. Satisfied that both the paint and I were ready, I started up the ladder, paint can in one hand, ladder in the other, and the brush shoved in my back pocket.