“It was sort of a dare,” I tried to explain.
“What did the psychic say?” my mom asked.
“It’s private,” I said. “Like making a wish on your birthday.”
“Did she say we were going to win the lottery?” my mom asked. “Or travel the world?”
“No. She didn’t say anything about becoming rich or winning a fabulous vacation,” I replied.
“Well, I’m so happy you are safe,” my mom said.
“I second that,” my father affirmed. “And here’s a fortune for you,” he said, directing his attention toward me. “No walking by yourself outside our subdivision anymore. Or you’ll be grounded.”
High school basketball games were one of the biggest events in the Legend’s Run social calendar. There wasn’t much else to do in town, and our team usually put on quite a performance. Almost everyone in town attended the games — except for one person.
When I arrived at the game, I scanned the bleachers for Brandon. I saw a few Westsiders, but no heroes.
Ivy was waiting for me by the snack stand. The smell of hot dogs, hot chocolate, and popcorn was almost intoxicating.
I was bursting to tell her my harrowing story. “You’ll never believe what happened on my way home,” I said.
“Were you mugged? I knew I shouldn’t have left you!”
“No — I got lost.”
“Lost? You were just down the road from your house.”
“There was a snowstorm on the Westside and I got caught in it.”
“Really? We must have just missed it.”
“Well, I didn’t, and I got disoriented and found myself in the middle of the woods.”
“What woods?”
“The ones that run along Riverside.”
Ivy was horrified. “You could have been killed — you don’t know who lives in there.”
“No one was
“So what happened?”
“There was a pack of wolves — so close I could see their wet noses!”
Ivy paused. I wasn’t sure she believed me. This wasn’t the usual “girl meets friend, friends go to mall” story.
“Really?” she asked skeptically.
“Yes! Why don’t people believe me?”
“What people?”
“My family. Now you.”
“We all believe you,” she affirmed.
“I’ve never lied before.”
“I know that,” she said. “It’s just that if you met a pack of wolves in the woods, how are you standing here telling me about it?”
She had a point. There was that one significant detail I was leaving out. The detail with the royal blue eyes.
“So, how did you escape the wolves?” she asked.
“Well…”
“Yes?”
“Uh… They eventually heard some noises and ran off.” It was mostly true.
“Thank goodness!” She gave me a quick hug. “Now, that’s the last time we’ll be going to Riverside!”
I didn’t have to share every detail of my day with my family and best friend. Perhaps there are some things worth keeping close to one’s own heart.
Nash, Jake, and Dylan were doing their pregame warm-ups on the court. Abby was chatting with a few cheerleaders stretching out in the corner and waved us over.
The guys were handsome in their blue-and-gold jerseys and shorts. Nash began discussing plays with the coach while Jake and Dylan continued warming up. While Ivy told Abby my story, I scanned the crowd for Brandon.
“You were lost in the woods?” Abby asked, breaking me out of my trance. “Can I call you Red? Just like your costume on Halloween. You are
“What?” I asked.
“Little Red Riding Hood. But instead of one wolf, you encountered many.”
“Seems as if I did,” I said.
“Then how did you get out?” she asked. “They could have killed you!”
“I know.”
“Celeste says they just retreated,” Ivy answered for me.
“Just like that?” Abby asked.
“I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Didn’t Dr. Meadows say something freaky about you and the woods and a wolf?” Abby remembered.
“She did!” Ivy said.
“That didn’t mean anything,” I insisted.
“She warned you!” Abby said with a voodoo glare. “She
As the buzzer sounded, the three of us climbed the bleachers and watched our beaux take on the Highland Valley Bears.
I wasn’t a big fan of basketball, but I did like the sport’s fast pace, and Legend’s Run High had a great team. Although my mind would occasionally drift from one free throw to another, I used some of that time to jot down ideas and thoughts in my spiral binder. But tonight, I had only three things on my mind — the woods, the wolves, and Brandon. I wasn’t even sure throughout the game which team was winning. All I could see was Brandon’s blue eyes shining through the snow when I thought I was on death’s doorstep; his fearless heroics and selfless humility; his coming to my aid like a brave knight does for a princess in peril.
The game finally came to an end, and the Legend’s Run Wolverines were victorious over the Bears. I couldn’t help but be disillusioned. Nash’s final swish got more fanfare than a guy in the woods who saved a girl’s life.
I watched Nash, Dylan, and Jake tear into chicken and sodas at Wings and Things while my friends and I listened to them retelling their final play of the game. But I didn’t have an appetite. I had butterflies in the pit of my stomach. I felt as if I’d never be able to eat again.
“What’s up?” Nash finally said to me.
Abby told him my story. By this time it was thirdhand. Even with her embellishments, the end was still the same — I’d been as close to a pack of wolves’ dinner as these chicken wings were to our boyfriends’ mouths.
“And that psychic predicted the whole thing?”
“Even what she was wearing,” Abby said.
“She did not—” I tried to tell them.
“What else did she say?” Jake prodded.
The gang waited for my answer. I wasn’t about to tell them the rest.
“I don’t remember,” I said.
“Something about an outsider,” Ivy chimed in.
“Yes, an outsider,” Abby repeated.
“Did you see an outsider there?” Jake asked. “I wonder what that means.”
I wasn’t about to tell them that I did see an outsider — that he was from the Westside and had the best eyes I’d ever seen.
“Your girlfriend was only moments from the clutches of death!” Jake teased Nash.
“It’s true,” Ivy defended. “She was surrounded by a pack of wolves.”
“Wolves?” The color washed out of Nash’s face.
“Yes, wolves,” Abby said, stressing the severity of the situation.
“The Big Bad Wolf?” Nash teased, recovering his cool. “So how did you get out?”
