Me & Jack by Danette Haworth Page B

full and laughing. There was no war here, nobody dying, no one being mean. We threw the Frisbee until we couldn’t see it anymore. The sun turned orange and drifted behind the mountains, and everything became dark again.

chapter 18
    I burrowed in the foxhole. Lying down, I couldn’t see out and I hoped that meant no one could see in. “Well?” I asked Ray.
    I heard his footsteps circle the fort and stop. “It’s solid,” he said. “I can’t see in at all.”
    We’d worked on the fort almost every day and now we were finished. It was important that the fort blend in with the woods; we didn’t want anyone discovering it. After digging out a burrow, we’d stuck big branches upright into the corners to serve as posts. We used Dad’s tools to saw branches off trees and nail together parts of the walls. The gaps we filled with bushes and vines, weaving the brambles in good and tight and overlaying them with loose twigs and pine needles.
    I climbed out of the fort so I could admire it again. From the outside, you could barely tell there was a fort there—it just looked like a patch in the woods. A covered trapdoor was the only way in. A pioneer couldn’t have done better.
    â€œThis is going to be so cool,” I said. I had plans for the fort. Ray and I would be the chiefs of a secret club with secret meetings. We’d induct frightened new members in the glow of our campfire. I inspected the fort thoughtfully. We’d need to build a chimney.
    For now, we were going to play cards. Just as I lifted the trapdoor, Jack huffed and I heard a twig break. I snapped my head around and there was Prater, standing just a few feet behind us. The big, bad wolf. I faced him and dropped the trapdoor behind me.
    He jerked his chin toward our fort. “What’s that supposed to be?”
    â€œNothing,” I said, but at the same time Ray answered as well.
    â€œIt’s our fort.”
    I heaved my shoulders and blew out a big breath. “Ray!”
    â€œWhat?” His face was innocent and relaxed. He really had no idea.
    I moved quickly away from the fort to the blueberry bushes. I didn’t want Prater looking at it. He might think he could be a member, too. “It’s nothing. Just an idea we had. The real fort is going to be on top of the mountain. If we even build one.”
    Ray looked confused. I flashed my eyebrows at him and hoped he got my message.
    â€œWhat’s this, then?” Prater said. He stepped closer to the fort and pushed on the walls. Some of the pine needles tumbled down.
    â€œDon’t do that!” I snapped.
    â€œI thought you said it wasn’t anything,” he said, his eyes narrowing. He pushed on it again.
    I stepped closer to him. “It’s not. Just leave it alone anyway.”
    â€œYeah, Alan,” Ray said. “Don’t crush the walls; you’ll ruin the fort.”
    â€œRay!” I stared at him with my mouth open. What good was a camouflaged fort if he went around telling people about it—especially Prater.
    â€œThis is a fort?” Prater smirked. “It looks like a bunch of sticks first graders put together.”
    â€œDo you have to make fun of everything?” Ray said. “Besides, look how good it is.” And before I could stop him, he opened the trapdoor and led Prater inside. Prater lumbered in like a bear for hibernation. I untied Jack and brought him into the fort with us, too.
    We had to sit on the ground once we were inside. Ray and I did, anyway. Prater crouched as if ready to spring up if needed. I noticed his earlobe—it was misshapen. From the dog attack. I started to feel bad for Prater, but then he turned and made a sour face at me. “Do you have to bring that dog everywhere? I hope he doesn’t pee in here.”
    My face heated up. “I hope you don’t pee in here.”
    Prater rolled his eyes and curled his lip. He looked around