Guardian of the Forest

5

The next morning I decide to play up front instead of in the woods like I normally do because I don't want my sisters to follow me into them and discover how magical it is now. After playing with my dump truck on the sidewalk for a while, I notice there's another boy standing across the street. The sun glinted off of his wild head of blazing orange hair, his big brown eyes were watching the forest. The boy had on boots too big for him and a jacket on top of a jacket tied around his waist on top of his t-shirt, it really wasn't that hot out it was only springtime in Washington. My neighbor glanced back and forth before heading into the Whispering Woods beside my house, I decided to follow him. I quietly followed the boy with orange hair all over the woods, I was anxious hoping the woods wouldn't show it's magic. The back of my neck tingled, I rubbed it. Next to my legs, Isla opened a portal and jumped out silently, she rubbed my legs in greeting then fell into step with me, both of us stalking the neighbor.

I began to get tired which resulted in me not being as sneaky, but the boy didn't turn around. Isla had dipped out a while back after I accidentally kicked her when I wasn't looking down, but the boy still hadn't turned around. A wide blue lake came into view and my eyes almost popped out of my head, Whitewing Lake? We walked all the way to Whitewing Lake?! No wonder I was so tired! Whitewing Lake was on the other side of the Whispering Woods from my house, it was a giant blue lake that housed over a dozen Trumpeter Swans. The lake and the swans were protected so it was clean and a fun place to swim when the swans weren't nesting, and if they were you had to be super cautious to not swim anywhere near a nest or they would attack. The neighbor boy kicks off his boots and starts to shrug off his jacket, I sneak up behind a closer tree and watch, is he going to swim? Does he know it's nesting season?

My neck tingles again and Isla pops up beside me, she rubs against my legs and meows loudly in a raspy voice, the boy finally turns around in just his t-shirt, socks, and pants. I notice that he has no freckles, which I think is pretty weird for a redhead, and he has cuts and bruises all over his face and arms. Bandaids do a poor job of patching him up.

"Are you gonna swim?" I ask him, he glares at me and rubs his arms,

"Were you following me?" I notice he's missing teeth,

"Yeah,"

"Why?"

"Because you went into the woods by yourself." I shrug,

"What's it to you? I go in here all the time and they're not your woods,"

"I know, I just... wanted to see where you were going, that's all." I glance at him then the lake again, Isla wanders away instead of teleporting, thank goodness.

"Are you gonna swim?" I repeat, he shuffles his sock clad feet.

"Yeah...?" His pitch goes up at the end, making his affirmative sound like a question as if he's unsure of himself.

"Do you have a bathing suit?" He's still wearing his jeans, he won't go swimming naked would he?

"Yeah, under my pants. I didn't want my Mom to know where I was going," I walk over to the muddy bank and sit in a dry spot,

"Lucky!" I complain, "My Mom never lets me swim by myself. My name's Bennett Johnson by the way," The boy looks at me cautiously, like I'm a bee that landed on his hand,

"I'm Nicolas Holcomb but you can call me Nic," I smile at him,

"It's nesting season for the Trumpeter Swans right now did you know that?" He shakes his head no, "Well when you go by their nests they can be super aggressive so we're not supposed to go swimming in Whitewing Lake this time of year. Are you new here?" Nic nods his head,

"Yeah, I just moved in with my M-mom at the beginning of the school year. I used to live in Kentucky," I chuckle,

"KFC," I mumble under my breath, Nic must have heard me because he gives me a half smile while tying his plaid jacket back around his waist.

"You can still get wet if you want to," I tell him while moving aside so he can get his feet wet. Nic takes his socks off and wades into the water to mid-calf while holding his pants up, I study his arms,

"Where did all of these cuts and bruises come from?" I ask, Nic's smile falls,

"I-I fall d-down a lot," He stutters, I shrug,

"Did you wash them?"

"What?"

"Did you wash them?" I repeat, "You know, with the water then put on the cream stuff under the band aid and all that?" Nic shakes his head,

"I-I just p-put a band aid on th-the bleeding o-ones,"

"Well I have some at my house if you want to put it on. My big sister Grace is always worried about getting sick and all that and my other big sister Mary is squeamish. Girls are weird. Come on, the water must be getting cold now and my Mom will be wondering where I am, probably yours too. Hey! Maybe our Mom's could meet! That'd be fun! And then we could hang out all the time!" Nic walked out of the water and I noticed he was shivering a little,

"I don't think that would be a good idea, my Mom's b-busy a lot s-so she wouldn't h-have time." Nic fell silent for a while then asked,

"How come I didn't know you were following me Bennett? You were super sneaky like a raccoon, it was cool," Nic smiled to himself and we continued chatting all the way back to my house. I just hoped Mom wouldn't be mad that I brought a friend home.