The bus was scheduled to pick up Evie at 8:00 a.m. Until then, she waited on her house's front stoop. Her neighborhood, unlike Mateo's, wasn't as shady. It was more spread out. There were not a huge number of houses. In fact, there was more farmland than suburbs. The road was a little uneven in a few places because people had planted trees close to the edge of the sidewalks. The trees' roots needed somewhere to go, so they ended up moving the earth around. Despite these insecurities, Evie's street always smelled fresh. Each of her neighbors took good care of their gardens. Spring and summer were breathtaking because so many flowers were in bloom.
Evie's house was a tall two-story. Its window frames were white. The building itself was light blue. Charlotte had two separate gardens, both of which had different-colored flowers. The bus was supposed to pull up in front of the house.
Just thinking about it, Evie grew excited again. However, all Hell broke loose when she looked at her wristwatch and saw it was 8:01. "8:01?" she cried. "It's late! No! No! I've waited my whole life for an opportunity like this!" Evie set Annabelle down next to her. She gripped her head with both hands and lowered it.
8:05 rolled around, and Evie finally heard something stop in the street.
She looked up from her knees. A grin broke across her face at the sight of the bus.
It was a rather small thing–the color of a bumblebee–but that was because the camp wasn't the largest. They only accepted twenty children per season. A banner on the side of the bus read Youth Camps for the Environment: Ages 11-14.
Evie leaped to her feet. She rushed up the front steps and opened the door. "Mom! Dad! The bus is here!"
"Great, Evie! We'll come out in a sec," Charlotte called back. She and Keegan were out in a jiffy, with Ms. Gilbert slowly following from behind. Together, they delivered their daughter to the camp crew.
Evie's eyes landed on curious children looking out the windows. Since her hands were full with Annabelle, her mother had her suitcase.
The bus's door hissed open, and out stepped the old driver. He wore a baseball cap on his head and a short-sleeved top. Across it were the words Paperblank Adventures. In his hand was a clipboard. The man smiled at Evie. "Are you Evie Amanda Madison?"
"I am! You're here! I'm here! And my parents are here!" Evie felt her father's strong hands clamp down on her shoulders.
"We apologize about her, sir. She's just a little excited," he said.
"Oh, it's totally fine," the man replied. He held his clipboard out to the adults. "Now, I just need one of you to sign here."
"I've got it," Keegan stated. Releasing Evie's shoulders, he accepted the clipboard.
Her eyes rolled over to the bus's open door, just in time to see another figure exit it. One look at him and Evie blushed.
Mateo liked to meet the campers early. After all, he was a curious, young man. Dressed nicely in his pink, Mexican-like jacket, he lifted his hand and waved at her.
Evie wasn't the only one who lost her mind over him; her mother did, too. "Oh my God!" She shoved past Evie and gestured at Mateo. "Who's this fine young man?"
The bus driver chuckled. He placed his arm over Mateo's shoulders. "This is Mr. Mateo. He's one of the counselors."
Charlotte chewed her nails and openly admitted, "He's gorgeous!"
Snap! Poor Keegan ended up breaking the pencil he was using to sign the clipboard.
Charlotte quickly corrected herself. "I mean... It's nice to see the youth want to be counselors these days."
Steam puffed out of Keegan's nostrils. "How old are you?" he angrily asked Mateo.
"Dad! We don't ask things like that!" Evie said.
Mateo held his hand up to her. "It's okay, little one." Nevertheless, before he could say anymore, his eyes landed on Ms. Gilbert standing on the front stoop. Just seeing her, he looked nervous. "Um, who's that old woman over there?"
"Why do you care?" Keegan wanted to know.
Charlotte ignored him. She answered Mateo's question. "That's Ms. Gilbert. She's our next-door neighbor."
"Ms. Gilbert?" Mateo looked like he was about to be sick.
Ms. Gilbert gave him a blank stare. She had no idea why that man was looking at her like that.
Mateo stumbled and begged, "No." He smacked his hands over his face.
Evie, Keegan, and Charlotte gave him a funny look.
Mateo sniffed.
"Are you crying?" Evie inquired.
"No, of course not." Mateo looked up. "I-I just need a moment." He sauntered away from the party and propped up against the Madison family's mailbox.
The bus driver retrieved the clipboard from Keegan. "You'll have to excuse Mr. Mateo. He's a bit stressed."
"We can see that." Keegan looked quite amused by Mateo's behavior, but Evie and Charlotte were worried. Why was he stressed?
"Anyway," continued the driver, "welcome to the pack, Miss Madison. I'll take that." He grabbed Evie's suitcase from Charlotte.
"Thank you," Evie said. She was ready for action, but before she could even move toward the bus, her parents stopped her. They had to go over a few rules.
Charlotte pointed at her chest. "Remember to call us every day. That's why we gave you the spare phone."
Evie rolled her eyes. Parents always got so emotional when they sent their kids off.
Keegan bopped her nose. "And most importantly, no boys! Do you hear me? No boys!" He glanced at Mateo out of the corner of his eyes. "I don't want you to get close to that counselor. You understand?"
"But, Father–"
"Do you understand?"
Evie let out a low sigh. "Yes, sir."
"Keegan." Charlotte bumped Keegan's shoulder to say he was being rude.
Keegan mumbled under his breath, "That kid is too young to be a counselor anyway."
"Um, so, shall we get you on the bus?" the driver asked Evie. Even he was a little uncomfortable.
"Sure. I just need to do one thing," Evie said. She wanted to say goodbye to Ms. Gilbert. She hurried to the front steps and climbed them.
Mateo, who hid behind his hand, dropped it. He glanced over his shoulder at the two.
Evie gave Ms. Gilbert a sheepish smile. "Well, this is it, Ms. Gilbert. I'm off to the forest."
Ms. Gilbert grasped her shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Evie. Mam. Find Mam."
"I will do what I can." Evie still did not totally understand the old woman's plea. She pulled her into a quick hug.
Ms. Gilbert returned it. She may have been old and fragile, but she gave the best hugs in the world. Except, things turned a little strange when she and Evie let go.
Mateo appeared behind them, followed closely by Keegan. There was so much tension between the four people. Anyone could feel it.
It even made the sun nervous, so it hid behind a cloud.
Evie blushed, but she asked Mateo, "What are you doing here?" She didn't like having a stranger so close to Grandma Gilbert.
"I..." Mateo thought for a second. "I just want to say we're ready for you." He quickly put his hands behind his back.
"Oh, please. Can't a girl say goodbye to her grandma? But sure, you're the boss." Evie pecked Ms. Gilbert's cheek. She hopped down the stairs and started toward the bus.
Keegan and Mateo stayed behind.
Mateo tried to get through to Ms. Gilbert. With a desperate look on his face, he took her hands. "Don't you recognize me?"
Ms. Gilbert gave him the same blank stare.
"Please, it's me," Mateo begged.
"Get away from that old woman, you creep!" Keegan snapped. He snatched Mateo's upper arms. The force with which he did caused the young man to flinch. Keegan started to drag him away from her.
"No!" Mateo protested. "Please, you have to remember!" he called to Ms. Gilbert.
She looked stressed. Ms. Gilbert peered down at her feet and she tried to make sense of everything. Yet, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was familiar about the distressed youth.
Keegan delivered Mateo to the bus. He shoved him inside and said to the driver, "Get this piece of scum out of here. I don't want to see him ever again."
"Keegan!" Charlotte snapped.
Behind a fake smile, Evie said, "Um, bye, Mom. Bye, Dad." Gee, well that was an interesting way to start her vacation. She climbed into the bus after Mateo.
He collapsed to his hands and knees on the stoop.
Keegan and Charlotte paid him no attention. Instead, they waved goodbye to their daughter. "Bye, Evie. Have fun."
"Bye!" Evie called back. "I love you!"
"We love you, too!" And just like that, the bus's door shut.
Mateo remained on the ground. He could not believe what just happened to him.
The children on the bus were so confused. There had been no drama with a pickup, so what on earth happened there?
Evie's eyes landed on the mourning, young man. She thought for a moment, but then she shook her head. Evie stepped right over him.
Mateo tightly clenched his fist. Anger flashed across his face, and he punched the bus's wall.
The bus driver shivered in his seat. He put the vehicle in drive and gently pressed the pedal. It left Evie's house and started toward the main road. After what he saw, the driver only had one thing to say, but he whispered: "Woof. They are very dysfunctional."
***
Evie found a seat close to the bus's front. The leather was a little torn, but the seat was comfortable.
Mateo sat directly across from her. Both he and she had no one to keep them company.
The bus drove through the main part of Evie's town, Abince Town, but she didn't feel like admiring the scenery, not with an extremely good-looking, young man in the mix. She blocked out the sounds of other children. Mateo was the only human who had the spotlight on him. Evie scooted toward the edge of her seat.
Mateo glanced at her, clearly a little uneasy. He was also embarrassed by his childish behavior.
Evie was drawn to him. Annabelle sat in her lap. The pebble shimmered gently in her rain jacket pocket. It shook slightly, but Evie was too distracted to notice. The silence went on for another minute or so, and then she asked, "So, what happened back there, Mr. Mateo?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. I just went crazy."
"You can say that again. I hope you don't mind me asking, but how old are you again?"
"Twenty-one."
"Twenty-one? Aw, you're just a munchkin. That's what my mother would say."
Mateo didn't like Evie talking to him. "I thought your father said not to get close to me."
"Oh, come on. I'm just asking some questions. He's just a little overprotective."
Mateo scoffed. "Yeah, I think I picked up on that."
"So, what do you know about rangers? Surely, you're here because you like them, too. I want to be just like my hero Ranger Anthony."
"Ranger Anthony? Really?" Mateo shivered. "Great. Now can you please stop talking to me?"
Evie, though, enjoyed it.
Something in Mateo's pocket vibrated. Evie noticed a gentle glow coming from it.
"Aw, dang it," Mateo whispered. He got up from his chair and approached the bus driver. "I need to take this. It's the Union," he whispered.
"Right." The bus driver nodded to show he understood. Luckily, they were coming up on a grocery store. It was just before the main interstate. The grocery store's parking lot was enormous, but the bus pulled into the back of it. It stopped next to a few dumpsters. Trees in the lot provided the area with much-needed shade. At least the concrete there was much more stable.
"Why are we stopping?" a few children asked, peering over their seats.
"Um, Mr. Mateo just needs to take an important call," was the driver's answer.
Weird, Evie thought to herself.
Mateo looked up and down the bus's compartment. "Something's not right," he admitted. "Mr. Cornelius, keep the children in their seats."
The bus driver nodded. "Got it."
"What's going on?" Evie wanted to know. A nervous feeling pinched her gut. She just left her house and already weird things were happening.
Mateo cautiously stepped out of the bus. His feet hit the parking lot's concrete.
Flies buzzed around the dumpsters. The trees' leaves shook slightly.
Mateo turned his back to the vehicle. He got down on his hands and knees and closed his eyes. His palms rested on the concrete. Mateo listened to the earth. It told him something was on the move. The beeping in his pocket continued. He reached into it. What he pulled out was his walkie-talkie-like device. Mateo set it down on the lot and pressed the voicemail button. Professor Eryx's face appeared on the screen.
"Mateo here," Mateo said.
"Hey, kid. The Union's been getting some disturbing readings in your area," Eryx explained.
Mateo nodded. "I feel them. I hate to ask this, Professor, but has the basilisk left the forest?"