Hidden Moon (11 page)

I curled up in my chair and dialed his number. I listened as it rang and rang. No one picked up.

Maybe they went into town for something, I hoped, as I sat gripping the phone in my hand as if it were a lifeline.

I sat there worrying about both Brian and Adam. One was sick; the other was in a forest that was full of wolves and other things that went bump in the night. I looked up at the clock. Adam had only been gone fifteen minutes. There was no way he had made it home yet. I jumped up, unable to sit still, and paced back and forth in front of the window.

I went down and grabbed the phone book off the kitchen table and started back upstairs, flipping the pages as I went. My fingers skipped through B’s, until I found Black Water. There were two listings, one for an Evan Black Water, Sr, and one for an Evan Black Water, Jr. I picked the latter’s number and poked it in the phone as I plopped back down in my chair. I knew he wasn’t going to be there, but maybe I could leave a message with his dad to call me when he got home. The phone rang twice and then I heard someone pick up.

“Hello?” the voice answered.

“Hello, Mr. Black Water?” I asked, hoping I got the right number.

Laughter crackled over the phone into my ear.

“Well, sort of. But not the one you thought you were talking to,” Adam sounded amused.

“Adam, how did you get home so fast? You haven’t been gone twenty minutes,” I asked, looking at the clock again to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind.

“Oh, I know shortcuts. And I ran a little,” he said, nonchalant.

He ran? He didn’t even sound winded.

“Nikki, are you okay? Did something happen after I left?”

“Yes, I mean, I’m fine. Everything’s okay. I was worried about you and wanted to make sure you got home safe.”

“Oh,” his voice came over the phone in a whisper. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m sorry. I’m home and everything is okay.”

“Did you see anything in the woods on your way back?”

“No, everything was quiet, which means something was there earlier. Promise me you won’t go into the woods by yourself, Nikki. There are things in there you wouldn’t understand. Some of it’s dangerous.”

“Like what?”

“Just promise me.”

“Okay, I promise.”

“Thanks. Did you happen to call and check on Brian?” he asked.

“Yeah, I don’t know where he is. He isn’t answering.” Worry clouded my brain again.

“I don’t know where he is either, but I’m sure he’s fine,” he tried to reassure me. “Nikki, I need to make a couple phone calls. If you want, I’ll call you back later.”

“No, I think I’ll try calling Brian again. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” I said, glad that I had found Adam safe. Now I was ready to put my mind at ease about the other one.

“I’ll be there. Goodnight, Nikki.”

“Goodnight.”

I called Brian’s number two more times, but he never picked up. I looked over at the clock. It was getting late. Maybe he just didn’t feel like talking to anyone. I would take the Wrangler out to his house early in the morning and check on him, I decided. I clicked off my bedroom light, put on my pajamas, and sat down in the chair at the window I propped my elbows up on the windowsill. I listened to the stillness and wondered what had watched us, and if whatever it was, was still out there.

HE HAD BEEN watching the little house on the dirt road when the vehicle drove by. He had come in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the woman and boy who lived there, but the house was dark. No one was there. He still sat there, hidden in the shadows of the forest, hoping that maybe they would come back soon. He had been there for quite awhile when he saw the light blue Jeep roll past him.

He spotted the boy in the passenger side and caught a small glimpse of the girl driving. A fresh wave of anger flooded him and his body covered in a silver mist as the animal pushed his way into his mind.

The Jeep was heading to the house at the end of the road, the one he had been in charge of. The wolf took over his body as he watched it disappear around the curve.

He sat for a moment, playing out different scenarios in his head. If he followed them, he would have to wait until the boy left and hope that he wouldn’t be caught. Not an easy task as he was certain that the boy had noted his presence as they passed him. He had caught the shine of golden eyes that sparkled in the moonlight when he had looked in his direction.

There wouldn’t be any way to reach the girl, he decided, not on this night. Better to try another day when the boy wasn’t around. It would be much easier that way.

The glow of red taillights reappeared for a moment before they turned another curve. They would be at the house soon, and then the boy would be in the forest with him. He sighed, which came out as an aggravated snort through his muzzle.

The silver wolf stood up and turned to run. He would need a bit of a head start. After all, the boy was fast, too—and if there was one person that he didn’t want to confront, it was Adam.

I WOKE UP the next morning in the chair by the window. It was early. The sun hadn’t quite risen yet, but the sky seemed to be getting lighter.

Dummy, I thought crossly, you could have at least crawled into bed.

I ran down the staircase and grabbed the keys to the Wrangler. I was ready to yell to Mom that I was going to run down and check on Brian, when I realized she wasn’t up yet. I scribbled a note and left it on the table as I ran out the door.

I pulled up in front of Brian’s house. Anita’s car was still gone, but the truck was still in the same spot it had been in the night before. I ran up the steps and pounded on the door. When Brian opened it, still in his pajamas, he looked startled.

“Nikki? What’s wrong?” he asked as he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes,” he said, looking at me as if I were insane. “Nikki, what’s wrong? It’s not even six-thirty in the morning. You’re in your pajamas. You don’t even have shoes on!”

“Oh,” I said, noticing that everything that he had said was true. I looked down at my bare feet. “I was worried about you.”

“I’m okay,” he reassured me. “Honest. Mom and I went out to a movie. I saw where you called on the caller ID when we got home last night, but I thought it would be too late and I didn’t want to wake you. If I knew you were worried that much I would have called you no matter what time it was, I swear.” He pushed my hair away from my cheek.

“Oh,” I murmured. I felt like a big fool.

He smiled. “I’m glad someone worries about me that much, it’s a nice feeling. I was getting ready to pour myself a bowl of cereal. Come have breakfast with me?”

“Okay.”

We sat across from each other, both in our pajamas, eating the crunchy cereal and sipping our milk at the little table in the kitchen.

“You know, I thought something horrible had happened when I found you at the door.” Brian shook his head, and then smiled. “Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with you, but people may get the wrong idea if you show up with your bedclothes on.”

“I forgot. I was still worried and had to see if you were okay.” I looked over at the bright blue eyes that glimmered under the mussed, dark hair.

“What are you doing in Erik’s car? Not trying to change the subject, but it is his car, isn’t it?”

“It’s my car. Or rather it will be, after today.”

“I hadn’t heard he was going to sell it,” he mused. “It will be a good car for you. He takes good care of his stuff. Plus, he’s a good guy. He wouldn’t sell you a piece of junk. Speaking of the guys at the Res, today is the field trip. It should be fun…”

The clock in the living room chimed. Startled, I jumped.

“I guess I need to head back and get ready for school. Or at least to go get clothes on,” I said as I got up.

“I’ll come pick you up in an hour or so,” Brian said as he walked me to the door.

His eyes were warm as they looked down at me. “Thanks for coming by to check on me. It was sweet of you.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, I was worried about you. Thanks for breakfast.” I smiled up at him as I walked passed him and out onto the porch. He stopped me, grabbing my arm.

“Wait a minute, take these.” He handed me a pair of flip-flops. “Today’s lesson. Always drive with shoes on.”

I pushed my feet into them and smiled. “Thanks.”

He reached over and tucked my hair behind my ear before he leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. “Drive safe. I’ll be up to get you in a little while.”

“Okay,” I whispered, not sure what else to say or do. I walked back down the porch steps and got into the Wrangler. I backed it back out onto the road and started back home. I looked in my rearview mirror. Brian stood on the porch, watching me as I drove away.

I drove back home wondering what I had gotten myself into. Part of me seemed to get lost in Adam anytime he was near. With him, it was as if I had found the other half of myself. But I had been far more worried about Brian being sick than I had been about Adam as he walked home alone. I was always comfortable with Brian. We hadn’t known each other that long, but it felt as if I had known him forever and that I could tell him anything.

Mom choked on her coffee as she watched me come back in the door. Small splats of brown caffeine dotted the front of the paper she had been reading.

“You went out like that?” she asked, astonished.

“Yeah, I forgot to get dressed.”

“You were still worried about Brian. I know you had the phone with you all night. I found it in your bedroom after you left. So was he all right?

“Yeah, he’s fine. He and Anita were out late, and he didn’t want to wake us. I guess I need to get in the shower and get ready for school.”

“Yes, I do believe that would be a good idea,” she said as I started for the stairs, “And next time you make sure you tell me in person where you’re going. Just because you have a vehicle now, doesn’t mean you can just go anywhere. I still need to know where you are, understood?”

“Yes.” I mumbled. It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, and already I was getting into trouble.

Brian picked me up, his usual happy self again. We rode to school and I updated him on what he had missed the day before. The cheerleading escapade, the trip to the nurse, and the enemy that I had in a certain blonde cheerleader. I left out anything that pertained to Adam. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt guilty. It wasn’t like either of them had asked me out.

Brian pulled into our regular spot. Then he saw Ronnie over by the door.

“I need to go catch up with her before she goes in, she has notes I need. I’ll see you in there,” he said, jumping out of the truck.

“Sure.”

Adam was in his same spot, waiting for me.

“I take it you found him alive and well.”

“Yes,” I frowned. He was acting as if I had done something wrong. “Okay, I give up. What’s the problem?”

“No problem,” he said. His voice was at odds with his eyes. They were burning with anger. He was lying to me.

I shrugged, and started walking. If he wasn’t going to talk to me, I wasn’t going to worry about it. He kept up with me easily. His nostrils flared and his nose scrunched up as if he had smelled something he didn’t like. He still didn’t speak, only stepped to the side to let me go through the door first.

I can smell him. He touched your cheek. Did he kiss you? Why did you let him? What about me?
D
on’t you care?
The voice whispered in my head.

He didn’t say a word when we split and went down either side of the hallway toward class. I didn’t see him again until English and still he stayed silent, not acknowledging me as I slid in next to him.

Fine, if that’s the way it’s going to be, I thought. I moved as far to the edge of the desk as I could get without falling out into the floor. I bent over my book, ignoring him. My hair bounced over my shoulder, shielding me in a thick blonde wall as I tried to concentrate on my book. I heard him take a deep breath.

“I’m sorry,” his voice wasn’t much more than a whisper. It made me wonder if I had imagined it. I ignored him and sat there contemplating the fact that I might be going crazy. After all, normal people don’t hear voices in their heads.