Darren.”
Darren closed his eyes. He smelled her citrusy-clean smell and felt her soft auburn hair against his skin. “I love you too, Shasta. I always have.”
They stayed that way for a little longer, savoring the comfort each of them felt in each other’s arms. The sun was dipping in the sky, and the light was fading. They could hear people’s voices from inside the house. The sound brought them back from the moment.
“My dad would be happy about this, you know?” Darren said. “He really loved you.”
Shasta’s eyes filled with tears again, and she said, “I loved him, too. I still can’t believe he’s gone. It happened so fast.”
She put her head on his shoulder and squeezed his hand. After a few moments she said, “Do you think there’s anything to what Hunter was saying? About a chemical in the woods or something put there purposefully that would make people sick?”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot he said that. I can’t imagine anyone doing that knowing that people are in those woods a lot. I mean, not only the construction crew, but kids from this neighborhood are in there all the time,” he replied.
“But not usually as deep as the site. When they play in the woods, they usually stay right around the paths. We hardly ever went past that when we played out there, remember?”
“That’s true, but what about the people working in there – those surveyors and the people from Gary Sam Construction and Oakwood Homes? Did any of them get sick? I don’t think there’s anything to it, Shasta.”
“You’re probably right,” she agreed. “Hunter, Eli and Buggie were just stressed. You know, I haven’t seen Bug in a few days. I really should go check in and say hi. Do you feel like coming with me?
“I better stick around with Mom. I don’t really want to leave her right now. Will you come back when you’re done?” It was like she was his own, personal sun. When she was near, he felt better. When she was gone, the stinging loss and sadness surrounded him like a cloud.
“Of course I will,” she said. “I won’t be long.” She leaned up to reach his face and kissed him softly. “I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
They got up together and went back into the house. People were starting to leave. Soon it would just be him and his mom. The future Darren had dreamed of had been ripped from his grasp. What were they going to do now? Would they leave Meadowview Acres? Darren put an arm protectively around Shasta and walked her to the door. “Come back soon,” he said.
She smiled that sweet, gentle smile and left him.
CHAPTER 15
Heather
T wo days after Mr. Jackson’s funeral, Hunter and Eli decided to retrieve the box from the shed and open it. The suspense had been killing Hunter, but Eli had almost forgotten about it. That is, until Hunter said, “Dude! We have to open the treasure chest! We’re probably sitting on a gold mine and we don’t even know it!”
Eli was skeptical. “It’s probably nothing, Hunter. I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.”
“Well you’re not me, and I know there’s something cool in there. Who knows how long it’s been buried? Plus, you can hear something sliding back and forth when you shake it.”
“What if it’s something that needed to stay buried? Did you think of that?” Eli was remembering the uneasy feeling he had when he thought of how sick they all were at the construction site. He didn’t believe, as Hunter did, that there was some kind of chemical placed around the site to kill off the vegetation. In Eli’s mind, their illnesses were somehow connected to that box. They would never know, he guessed, unless they opened it.
It was after school on Wednesday. His mom wouldn’t be home for another hour, and he could hear Heather in her room screeching at someone on her cell phone. There’s nothing better to do.
“Okay. Why don’t you go get it out of your shed and bring it into my room? I’ll go get our wire cutters and the
Darren closed his eyes. He smelled her citrusy-clean smell and felt her soft auburn hair against his skin. “I love you too, Shasta. I always have.”
They stayed that way for a little longer, savoring the comfort each of them felt in each other’s arms. The sun was dipping in the sky, and the light was fading. They could hear people’s voices from inside the house. The sound brought them back from the moment.
“My dad would be happy about this, you know?” Darren said. “He really loved you.”
Shasta’s eyes filled with tears again, and she said, “I loved him, too. I still can’t believe he’s gone. It happened so fast.”
She put her head on his shoulder and squeezed his hand. After a few moments she said, “Do you think there’s anything to what Hunter was saying? About a chemical in the woods or something put there purposefully that would make people sick?”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot he said that. I can’t imagine anyone doing that knowing that people are in those woods a lot. I mean, not only the construction crew, but kids from this neighborhood are in there all the time,” he replied.
“But not usually as deep as the site. When they play in the woods, they usually stay right around the paths. We hardly ever went past that when we played out there, remember?”
“That’s true, but what about the people working in there – those surveyors and the people from Gary Sam Construction and Oakwood Homes? Did any of them get sick? I don’t think there’s anything to it, Shasta.”
“You’re probably right,” she agreed. “Hunter, Eli and Buggie were just stressed. You know, I haven’t seen Bug in a few days. I really should go check in and say hi. Do you feel like coming with me?
“I better stick around with Mom. I don’t really want to leave her right now. Will you come back when you’re done?” It was like she was his own, personal sun. When she was near, he felt better. When she was gone, the stinging loss and sadness surrounded him like a cloud.
“Of course I will,” she said. “I won’t be long.” She leaned up to reach his face and kissed him softly. “I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
They got up together and went back into the house. People were starting to leave. Soon it would just be him and his mom. The future Darren had dreamed of had been ripped from his grasp. What were they going to do now? Would they leave Meadowview Acres? Darren put an arm protectively around Shasta and walked her to the door. “Come back soon,” he said.
She smiled that sweet, gentle smile and left him.
CHAPTER 15
Heather
T wo days after Mr. Jackson’s funeral, Hunter and Eli decided to retrieve the box from the shed and open it. The suspense had been killing Hunter, but Eli had almost forgotten about it. That is, until Hunter said, “Dude! We have to open the treasure chest! We’re probably sitting on a gold mine and we don’t even know it!”
Eli was skeptical. “It’s probably nothing, Hunter. I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.”
“Well you’re not me, and I know there’s something cool in there. Who knows how long it’s been buried? Plus, you can hear something sliding back and forth when you shake it.”
“What if it’s something that needed to stay buried? Did you think of that?” Eli was remembering the uneasy feeling he had when he thought of how sick they all were at the construction site. He didn’t believe, as Hunter did, that there was some kind of chemical placed around the site to kill off the vegetation. In Eli’s mind, their illnesses were somehow connected to that box. They would never know, he guessed, unless they opened it.
It was after school on Wednesday. His mom wouldn’t be home for another hour, and he could hear Heather in her room screeching at someone on her cell phone. There’s nothing better to do.
“Okay. Why don’t you go get it out of your shed and bring it into my room? I’ll go get our wire cutters and the
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