Phase (7 page)

The wolf bared its teeth again and growled. I saw my life flash before my eyes. I thought about the dead wolf I’d seen on the news. I’d been so sad for it, but face-to-face with one, I was terrified.

“Jules…” I pleaded. I could see us running and it following and ripping off my leg and… Stop thinking.

Jules showed her teeth to the wolf and growled back. For a human, she looked really scary. So much that I started to edge away, but she held me securely.

The wolf’s fur lay flat, no longer on end. It let its tongue hang out and its lips stretched, almost like it smiled at us. Next to me, I felt Jules relax.

The wolf cocked its head to the side, apparently curious, and approached me.

“Back off,” Jules snapped, a snarl in her voice.

The wolf jolted and looked at her. It dropped its head, like she’d reprimanded it, which I guess she had. It turned and ran behind the building. In a few seconds we watched it trot out from behind the other end and disappear into the woods.

“Jules… I think it was holding something in its mouth.” Something red and cloth-like.

She looked at me. “Like?”

“Clothes. It actually looked like Ezra’s red hoodie.” A terrible thought hit me. “Do you think it ate Ezra?”

She gave me a weird look. “Wolves rarely eat humans. It might attack one if it was scared. I think you’re imagining things.” She turned toward the tower and then stopped, I guess noticing I hadn’t loosened my grip at all. “Soph?”

I let go, wiggling my fingers because they’d cramped. “How did you… What did you do? You growled at it.”

She shrugged like it was no big deal. “One of my foster families had a big Doberman. I had stare-down contests with him. It always works. You show them that you’re boss. And I’ve always just gotten animals. More than people. Especially dogs.” She marched toward the tower. “Maybe I got it from Dad’s dog.”

“I thought when you made eye contact with a dog it was a challenge.” My history of checking out books about dogs when I was younger finally paid off.

“Yeah. And I’m stronger, I guess.” She grinned brilliantly and tested the rusty outside stairs. “These seem safe. Come on.”

“Couldn’t there be more wolves?”

She shook her head. “Nah. He was just out for a run.”

“He?”

She climbed a few of the stairs. “Definitely a guy. I think a female would have attacked me.”

I had no idea how she knew all this. She spoke with complete confidence. And I only had Slightly as dog influence in my life.

Just more mystery to surround Juliet Ellery. Or maybe she just watched Animal Planet a lot.

“Why did it come toward me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he thought you were something to play with.” She laughed. “Come on, scaredy-cat.”

I followed her up the stairs to a gap…a doorway, with Juliet testing each and every step. We had to skip one or two.

She stopped at a doorway and walked in. “They’re apartments,” she said.

I poked my head in. True enough, they were one-room apartments, one on each floor. Abandoned with bits of dry wall and plaster littering the floors. Vines were creeping around the door and through the unglassed windows. The place was a mess, dusty and dirty. And dark.

“This is awesome.” Jules explored, testing the floor as she went. “You wanted a tree house. We got even better.” Her whole face lit up when she looked at me for confirmation.

I laughed and nodded. “Huge mess though.”

“We’ll clean it out. We could come out here to study or talk. Just be away from everyone.” She stuck her head into a room that was partitioned from the rest. “Toilet got stolen.”

I chuckled. “That might make things a bit more difficult. But it’s awesome.”

“Let’s get started then.”

We spent most of the afternoon gathering all the pieces of wall and other junk on the floor. We piled everything outside for the time being. I was sweaty and dirty by the time my stomach growled.

Jules snickered at me. “Hungry?”

“You think?” I asked, wiping my forehead. “I am so gross right now.”

“You’re such a girl.” She tossed one last piece of plaster on the pile.

“I don’t think I can argue that fact,” I replied, surveying. “We did good though.”

“Yeah. I wonder if the Vardens have any old furniture.”

“You plan to carry stuff out here?”

“Whatever would fit into your car. Park it as close as we can get it.” Though sweaty, her eyes were still shining. “It’s like a hideout.”

My stomach growled again.

She gave me a mock-sympathetic look. “You gonna faint from hunger?”

“If I do, you’ll have to carry me.”

She laughed and started out of the building. I followed. When on the ground, she tipped back her head to gaze up at it. “Coolest thing ever.”

We headed to the house and heard some shouts of laughter.

“The guys?”

She nodded. “What do they do all day in the woods?” She started toward the noise.

“Play?”

She gave me a sarcastic “sure” look. “Don’t want to know what kind of play they do.”

My eyes widened at her tone. “Do you think they’re…you know…gay?”

She guffawed and continued walking.

I rushed to catch up. “I mean, they’re always together. Never hang out with anyone else. And for guys, they’re kinda affectionate.” I couldn’t believe what I was saying. But I’d heard it before in school. I’d assumed it was just some other guys jealous over all the girls that liked Ezra and his friends.

“They’re not gay.” Jules didn’t question it at all.

“How do you know?”

“’Cause one of them always hits on me. The redhead tries not to stare at my chest, and I’m pretty sure the little one is scared of me.”

“Aidan, Nick, and Gil?”

“And Ezra has a few posters of girls in his room. Not naked ones, but still.”

“You’ve been in Ezra’s room?” It came out before I could stop it.

She stopped and gave me an arch look.

“No reason.”

“I’ve had the occasional question about math.” She eyed me warily. “Trust me, Sophie. It’s probably a cult more than homosexuality.” She wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “But you are right about them being different. Even with all the weirdos I’ve lived with, there’s something about them. The meat, the rendezvous outings in the woods. The weird conversations. Next time you come out, we’ll follow them.”

The house came into view. “Why?”

She shrugged. “Never seen an animal sacrifice before.” She laughed as I shoved her playfully.

* * *

Wednesday morning we always had GTV. The journalism class put together highlights from the previous week of school, including sports, clubs, and even local and world news into a ten-minute video that was showed after morning announcements.

Everyone was talking about the county fair, but no mention of the Show Choir performing. Only that the cheerleaders were raising money for new uniforms with a bake sale. Like they could bake.

Cheerleaders trumped Show Choir. Of course.

“Tomorrow night,” Jules said quietly during the tail end of GTV. “I’m telling them I’m hanging out with you for dinner. The guys are probably gonna be out in the woods. We’ll go out early after dinner and find them?”

My heart beat faster at the idea of spying on them. “But that’s lying.”

“Not really. I am hanging out with you. Make sure you tell your parents.”

* * *

Dad didn’t like the idea.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with her,” he said that night during dinner. “I’d hate to see your grades suffer.”

I nearly spat out my drink, then stared at him in shock. My parents spoiled me; I knew this. Unless I was being ridiculous they usually said yes.

And I wasn’t being ridiculous. “My grades are great, and it’s only the third week of school.” I looked at Mom for support.

“I think you have been spending a lot of time with her. And we like Juliet, but she has a rough past and we don’t want her to influence you down a bad path.”

I jumped up from my chair. “What? I finally find someone who likes me. Like really likes me and wants to hang out with me and you guys are worried about that? I’ve never had a best friend. Ever. Jules has had no one in her life that’s been good to her. I get to be that person. And you guys are worried she’ll be a bad influence? Jesus hung out with the tax collectors and other ‘bad’ people.” And she wasn’t a bad person. Just different.

“You’re not Jesus.”

I stomped my foot, then took a deep breath to calm myself down. “I know that. She really likes coming over here.” I thought she did anyway. “We get to be a normal family for her. And when have I ever been influenced by my peers?” I knew I had them there.

Mom and Dad looked at each other for a long moment. I kept my mouth closed, waiting.

“OK,” Dad said slowly. “Dinner, but the moment your grades slip, we will talk about this again.”

I nodded. “Agreed. Thank you.” I hugged them both.

Mom sighed. “I do worry.”

“Isn’t that sort of your MO as a mom?”

She laughed.

* * *

I had rehearsal for Show Choir after school on Thursday, so Jules hung out in the choir room and did homework.

“You’re really good,” she told me after rehearsal as we walked to my car.

“You think so?”

She nodded, giving me a quick smile. “I’m no expert, but I don’t cringe when you sing, unlike that blonde with the screechy voice.”

I winced. “Amber’s trying too hard.”

Jules shuddered. “Like fingernails on a blackboard.” She waited as I unlocked her side. “But yeah, I like your song.”

I grinned as I got into the car. “Thanks. It’s fun. I mean, I wish I could sing the part of the Baker’s Wife or Cinderella, ’cause those are amazing parts, but I can’t sing that high.” I sighed, backing out of the parking space before heading for home.

“I brought a change of clothes.” She gestured to her backpack. “Black clothes, so maybe we’ll blend in more?”

“No camo? Good plan though.” Anxiety hit my stomach. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

She nodded. “I think I have the right to know if I’m being taken in by psychos or not.” She snorted. “Not that it would be the first time.”

We arrived home for dinner and hurried up to my room to do our homework as fast as we could. Jules had to be home by ten, so we were leaving at eight. When we got into my car, all in black, she giggled.

“OK, I’m weirdly excited about this.” She flashed a big grin at me. “Even if they are psychos.”

I nodded, not smiling. “I’m nervous.”

Her smile dropped as I drove onto the street. “Why?”

“I’ve never spied on someone before. Ever.”

She shook her head. “You are way too sheltered, Sophie Todd. You need adventure.”

I grinned despite said nervousness. “That sounds scarily like some famous last words.”

“So, I think I know the general area where they all hang out. We should park near our hideout.”

“We need to name it.”

She gave me a weird look.

“For posterity purposes.”

“All right. Avalon.”

“I know you mean for King Arthur, but you know it’s also a car.”

She grimaced. “They totally ruined that name.”

“Agreed. Um, Sherwood?”

“I like that we both go literary,” she said with a grin. “Maybe…Fangorn.”

“Where?”

“Treebeard’s forest. How could you forget?”

“I like
The Hobbit
better.”

She made a face. “Lame. The trilogy is the best. Anyway, Fangorn.”

“I like it.” I thought about it. “It sounds cool and mysterious. And weirdly threatening.”

“Fang. Doesn’t evoke flowers and bunnies,” she said. “But Fangorn. Our hideout, Fangorn.” She stared out the window, going quiet.

I didn’t say anything either, thinking about what we were about to do.

* * *

The sun had already set, but it was still light when we parked. Jules picked the spot, and I had no idea how she knew that we were close to Fangorn, but she’d been out here more than I had. We got out quietly.

She walked around my car and took my hand. “Come on.”

Jules had an unbelievable ability to get around in the woods. I tripped about three times in the first few minutes.

“Sophie,” she hissed, glaring at me.

“I can’t see very well,” I whispered back.

She looped her arm around mine. “OK, we’ll walk slowly. And no more talking.” She slowed, gingerly guiding me over tree roots and underbrush as we sneaked deeper in the woods.

She paused after a few minutes. “I can hear them.” She dropped her voice so low that I almost knocked heads with her trying to catch her words.

I listened. I couldn’t hear anything. She edged me in a different direction and moved in front of me, but still holding my hand to make sure I stepped precisely where she had. I had a random thought about how much it reminded me of war movies before I heard the voices.

Shouts, laughter, and general ruckus.

Jules turned to me, her finger on her lips. I wasn’t that stupid.

She turned back around and continued. I saw something bright blue and jerked on her arm. She gave me an annoyed look, but I pointed. Only a few feet away lay a piece of clothing. She picked it up. A shirt, or what was left of a shirt. She sniffed it, dropped it, then returned. She whispered, “Smells like boy.”

I nodded, my heart thumping so loud I was sure anyone within the vicinity could hear it. Her eyes darted back to the side, and she started prowling again. We found more clothing, either shredded or just old.

The voices grew louder, along with splashing. They were in the creek.

“Skinny-dipping,” I said to Jules. She wrinkled her nose, making a gagging motion. I tried not to think about it in general.

“Pagan orgy,” she replied just as quietly.

Two things I never needed to see in my life. “Let’s go back.”

She shook her head, intent. I followed, wishing I knew how to get back to my car. She stopped, and something streaked across the trees many, many feet in front of us.

Fur.

“Wolf?”