by A M Burns
Ivan
There was a phone number below the name. For a second he wondered how Ivan had his e-mail address, but he guessed when his mom registered them for the tour, she must have given both their e-mails. It was a more logical explanation than Ivan might have a bit of sight and be using it to connect with him.
At the opportunity to get out of the house and away from his family for a little while, Finn jumped out of his chair and dashed down the stairs. He found his mother sitting at the kitchen table going through a stack of mail.
“You know, moving is a pain, and the post office takes forever to get the mail forwarded, and then it shows up in one big wad.” She sorted bills, catalogs, and junk mail into multiple stacks.
“Hey, Mom, can I go hiking with Ivan this afternoon?” he blurted out.
“Ivan, that nice young man from the wolf center?” A thoughtful look crossed her face. “Okay. Make sure you tell him that I’m going to be getting your father and sister out there soon. I might even go and volunteer with you. It would give us both something to do while we’re getting settled.”
“Thanks.” Finn spun on his heels and headed back to his room, pulling his phone out of his pants pocket as he went.
The computer had gone to a screen saver when he reached his desk. He jiggled his mouse, and Ivan’s e-mail was still there. Heart racing, he started dialing the number. Finn stopped before he hit the icon to start the call. This is a guy I’m calling. A new friend. Not a girl for a first date. He took a deep breath. No need to be nervous. With a second breath, he tapped the icon.
Ivan picked up on the second ring. “Hello.”
“Hey, Ivan, it’s Finn. I got your message.” Finn hoped he didn’t sound either desperate or geeky.
“Hey, Finn. Glad you called. I was hoping you would. So, do you want to go hiking? I know a few good trails north of Woodland we could hit.”
“Sounds good. I already checked, and Mom doesn’t have a problem with me going with you.” Right after the words left his mouth he felt like a wuss, having to ask his mother’s permission to go somewhere with a friend.
“Cool. Send me your address in e-mail so I can google you.”
Finn plopped down in his computer chair and complied. “We’re fairly easy to find, not far from McDonald’s.”
“Ah, up by the high school.”
“Yep. That’s the big excuse Mom’s using for me not getting a car until I can afford my own. We’re close enough I can walk to school.”
Ivan laughed. “Hey, it’s better than the bus, trust me. Okay, I’ve got your address. I know right where you are.”
“Cool.”
“Can you be ready in ten?”
“Sure.”
“Great. See you then.” Ivan hung up.
Finn glanced down at the T-shirt he had on. It was from his old high school. He dashed into his closet to look for something else to wear. All the shirts his mother had been buying since they moved to Colorado looked too touristy. Not wanting to totally look like he didn’t belong in the area, he settled on a basic blue shirt and ran for the door.
“So, you’re going hiking with Ivan?” his mother asked from the table as he hurried through the kitchen to the back door where the family shoes were kept.
“Yeah, you said it was okay.” He paused.
“Make sure you drink lots of water.” She looked up from her mail sorting. “I like that you’re making friends here already. That’s good. Go have lots of fun.” She held out a ten-dollar bill to him. “In case you need something to drink or eat before you get home.”
Finn grabbed the money. “Thanks, Mom.” Before he turned, he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.
“You’re welcome.” She made a shooing motion for him to leave.
Hoping she hadn’t slowed him down too much, Finn sprinted for the mudroom, pulled on his shoes, grabbed a warm bottle of water from the shelf, and ran out of the house, letting the screen door slam behind him.
Finn didn’t have any trouble recognizing the truck Ivan pulled up in since the logo for High Mountain Wolf and Wild Dog Center was emblazoned on the door. As Finn opened the passenger door, a lanky young man with a short dark beard scrambled over the seat into the backseat. A flash of disappointment surged through him that he wasn’t going to have Ivan to himself.
“Hey, Finn. Hop on in,” Ivan said with a huge smile. “Adrian doesn’t mind being in the back. Do you, Adrian?”
“Nope. I’m cool.” Adrian settled himself in the rear seat.
“I hope you’re okay with me bringing Adrian along.” Ivan pulled the truck away from the curb as soon as Finn closed his door. “Adrian was bored today, and I asked him first.”
“That’s fine.” Finn clicked the seat belt in place as Ivan paused at the stop sign at the end of the block. “I need to make more friends.” He leaned over the backseat and extended his hand to Adrian. “Hi, I’m Finn Ryan.”
Adrian’s grip was firm and friendly. “Adrian Smith. Nice to meet you. Ivan says you just moved to Woodland Park.”
“That’s right. About two weeks ago.” Finn brought his hand back to his side of the seat but stayed turned so he could see Adrian.
“What brings you to our little slice of mountain hell… ah, paradise?”
“My dad’s job moved him to the Colorado Springs office, and my parents figured my sister and I would like it better up here in the smaller schools.” Finn wanted to ask why Adrian felt the place was hell but figured he could find out over time.
A frown bent the corners of Adrian’s mouth. “Small schools aren’t always what our folks think they are. I guess it depends on the people.”
“And there are some very nice people in Woodland Park,” Ivan interrupted as he turned at the stoplight near the only movie theater in town. “So, Finn, what kind of trails do you like?”
The question took Finn by surprise. “What kind of trails? Aren’t trails just trails?”
A soft laugh came from Adrian. “You’re going to need to hide that flatlander mentality in school. It’ll make you a target. You could go mountain man and grow a beard.” He scratched his chin and frowned slightly. “Maybe it’ll help you more than it did me.”
“We’ve got some easier trails and some harder ones,” Ivan said, as if ignoring Adrian. “Any idea how long you can hike?”
Finn didn’t want to admit he hadn’t gone more than an hour and that was recently with his folks when his mother decided they should all get out and explore a bit. “All afternoon, if we need to.”
“How much water did you bring?” Ivan asked, a suspicious note in his voice.
Around them, the houses disappeared and the forest closed in on them.
“One bottle, but I’ve got some cash for more if I need it.”
“Like we can find vending machines on the trail,” Adrian snarked.
Ivan glared into the rearview mirror. “We’ve got more in my backpack. We should be good for a couple of hours. I think we should go up to the trails near Rainbow Falls.”
“Is that a good idea?” Adrian asked, his voice taking on a more mellow tone than it had with Finn.
“I don’t see why not,” Ivan replied as he sped the truck up. “I’m not sure about making it all the way to the falls today, but we can go up around the lake.”
“There are waterfalls around here?” Finn asked. He wanted to ask what was going on with Ivan and Adrian. Adrian almost sounded jealous that Finn was going hiking with them. If that were the case, he didn’t want to cause problems, but he still needed to get out and meet people.
“Sure.” Ivan glanced over at Finn and smiled again. “Several, but like I said, I don’t think we want to try and get to Rainbow Falls today. It’s a bit of a hike from the trailhead. We should give you time to get adjusted to the altitude before tackling something major like that.”
The statement gave Finn an out to not look like a complete wimp the first time he did anything with Ivan. “If you say so.”
An easy silenc
e fell over the truck as they drove through the mountain forest. The trees grew tall and green around them. In a few spots, the forest opened up and gave way to lush meadows. Finn kept his eyes on the landscape, hoping to see a bear, mountain lion, or moose. He’d seen warning signs around town about them, but so far, a couple of deer and the wolves at the center were the only wildlife he’d seen.
Near a marshy-looking area, Ivan turned the truck to the right and followed a rough dirt road to a sparsely populated parking area.
Adrian’s gaze darted about as they got out of the truck. “Looks safe,” he muttered just loud enough for Finn to catch his words.
“What, no bears… or something else?” Finn closed the door after Adrian had climbed over the seat and stood next to him.
“There might be bears,” Adrian replied. “That’s not a huge problem, though. If we make enough noise, they won’t bother us.”
Ivan walked around the front of the truck, settling the blue backpack onto his broad shoulders. “I’ve seen a few bears up this way, but they want to avoid us as much as we want to avoid them.” He gestured to the left. “We can talk most of the way. It’s an easy enough trail. When bears hear people talking they tend to leave the area. Now if we happen to get between a mother and her cubs, then we have a problem.”
Adrian chuckled. “The slowest guy normally gets eaten.”
So if it’s not bears that he’s worried about, what did Adrian mean about it looking safe? Finn opened his warm bottle of water and took a swig, trying not to make a face as the water hit his tongue and wasn’t as pleasant as he’d hoped it would be. “Then I’ll try not to be the slowest one.”
Ivan clapped him on the shoulder. “I doubt you’ll be the slowest. Even if you are, I know how to handle bears.”
They settled into an easy pace strolling up the trail that became narrower as they went along. At several spots the terrain became steep enough that Finn needed to stop talking so he could breathe. Although it pained him to do so, he had to stop several times because he tired more quickly than he expected he would.
The third time they stopped, Ivan looked worried. “We can head back if you want to.”
Finn shook his head. “Nah, just give me a couple of minutes. I guess I’m not adjusting as fast as I thought I was.”
“It took me a couple of years to adjust,” Adrian said, leaning against a tall pine tree a couple of steps off the trail. “We won’t think any less of you if we turn around.”
“I’ll be fine.” Finn turned away from Adrian before he stared at the boy. It was the first almost-caring thing Adrian had said to him since they’d left Woodland Park.
The sound of voices coming down the trail toward them drew Finn’s attention.
“Crap,” Adrian grumbled. “Come on you two, get off the trail and maybe they won’t see us.”
“Who?” Finn asked, staring up toward a boulder the path disappeared around.
Ivan sighed. “Some guys from school.” He glanced at Adrian. “There’s three of us; we’ll be fine.”
“You’re not their favorite target to toss in the dumpster.” Adrian moved around the back of a massive tree, effectively hidden from view.
“Are they that bad?” Finn asked. He knew how mean kids could be at school. He hadn’t been great at sports but was on the debate and science teams, which had put a target on his back in the eyes of some fellow students. The fact that he’d stayed smaller than most of them always seemed to embolden them too.
“They can be.” Ivan cocked his head. “I think I only hear two of them. Let’s go on up the trail—Adrian can catch up after they pass. We’ll wait for him around the next bend.”
With a short nod, Finn fell into step with Ivan. Seconds later two young men appeared from around the boulder. They were both larger than Ivan, almost gawkily so. They were similar with short, curly brown hair and broad foreheads that shaded their brown eyes.
“Hey, Channing, look! It’s Wolfboy,” the one on the right said.
For a second a look of confusion crossed Channing’s face. He glanced at his brother, then chuckled. “Damn, I didn’t know his folks could spare him from shoveling dog shit long enough to let him off his leash.”
“And he’s got a new friend,” the first one said.
“Hey, Esteban, Channing,” Ivan said as he and Finn started past the two.
“Sorry, Wolfboy, you don’t get by that easily.” Channing stepped in front of Ivan, but he didn’t look as confident as his brother. “It’s been a couple of months since we’ve seen you. Where’s Adrian? Did you dump him for this new boy?”
Dump him? Finn wondered. Maybe Adrian and Ivan were a couple, which would explain Adrian’s earlier attitude.
“Adrian’s still around.” Ivan stopped in the trail and glared at the boy ahead of him. “This is Finn. He just moved to town.”
“Finn? Like a fish?” Esteban laughed. “He’s a bit small. You should throw him back in the lake.”
“Better small than unevolved.” Finn stepped up next to Ivan, wanting to present a united front.
“Unevolved.” Channing laughed harder than Esteban. “So you’re a nonbeliever too. You’re not going to last long around here. I guess we can call you Monkey Boy. It’ll go well with Wolfboy and Chiquita.”
“What?” Finn’s heart raced as he glared up at Channing. “If I didn’t know Ivan knew you from school, I’d swear you were homeschooled, and not well.”
“We are,” Esteban replied. “We just attend school for art and PE so we can be on the football team.”
Finn blinked and tried to understand how the two could blow off the insult. They must be denser than they look. The lack of real reaction took the wind that had been building out of his sails. He wasn’t sure what to say next.
“Yeah, but you should see their art,” Ivan said.
An idea flashed into Finn’s head. “Oh, I bet it’s a bit like something Fred and Barney would do. Completely cromag.”
“Hey, our mother says it looks great,” Esteban said. “But then she does make us go there for art because she can’t draw worth shit.”
Channing touched his brother’s arm. “Come on.” He nodded down the trail. “We’ll see you two in school. Don’t doubt that.” He raised his voice. “And you let Chiquita know that we can’t wait to peel him again and toss him in the dumpster where he belongs.”
As the two shoved past them, Ivan jerked his head up the hill. Finn followed as Ivan continued their climb.
They hiked in silence for several minutes, then Ivan stopped. “Let’s wait for Adrian.”
“Okay.” Finn pulled out the bottle of water he’d slid into the front pocket of his jeans and took a swig from it. Even hot, the water helped his dry, tight throat loosen. “So are those two for real?”
Ivan sighed and sat on the side of the trail. “Yeah. They’re the worst at school, but some of the other ones aren’t much better. Sorry that they’ve got you in their sights now.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Finn screwed the cap on his bottle and pushed it back into his pants. “I’ve dealt with bullies before.”
“But those two and some of the other ones who go to their church get extremely self-righteous about things.” Adrian appeared from the trees next to the trail.
“Adrian, did you get off the trail?” Concern colored Ivan’s voice.
“It was safer than hanging out by that tree.” Adrian pulled out his own bottle and took a drink. “I know we’re supposed to stay on the trail, and the going was tricky in a couple of spots, but I made it didn’t I?”
“So what’s the deal with those two?” Finn asked. “I’m from Austin, and I’ve dealt with bullies before, but these two seemed a little more self-righteous than most. And a little denser too.”
“Denser is the right word,” Adrian said, sitting next to Ivan. Even though they didn’t touch, there was a comfortable closeness between them. “Can’t say that either one of them is the sharpest tack in the box, even though they b
oth claim to have genius-level IQs.”
“Claiming and having are two different things.” Finn paced the trail. Although he wanted to sit with them, he didn’t want to intrude either.
Ivan exhaled loudly. “I don’t know about that, but I know their folks made a fortune with medicinal pot a few years back, and now that recreational is legal, I guess they’re making even more. Channing and Esteban are always flaunting their money around. Their family has a new Jaguar and they date half the cheerleading squad.”
“I’ve known the type.” Finn stopped pacing and stood before Ivan and Adrian. “So they think the rest of us are beneath them.”
“Particularly since I work for my folks and don’t have time for sports.” Ivan patted his large bicep. “My muscles come from hard work, not just working out.”
Adrian looked at the trail and moved his foot back and forth in the dirt. “And they think I’m a freak.”
Ivan put his hands on Adrian’s shoulders and leaned over him. “You’re not a freak. If anything, they’re the freaks.”
With a heavy swallow, Adrian nodded. “It doesn’t always look that way.”
“Wha—” Finn started to ask, but then Ivan caught his gaze and shook his head, silencing his question. Wanting to respect them, Finn stayed quiet, but he wanted to ask Ivan what was going on at his first opportunity.
4
Finn watched Ivan and Adrian drive away but didn’t immediately go into the house. He stood there for a couple of minutes listening to the Steller’s jay hopping around the branches of the tree in front of the house. The bird reminded him of the blue jays back in Austin, but it had a strange crest and darker feathers. It made him think about how different things were in Woodland Park but also how similar they were too. Even in the small, picturesque town, there were still bullies to contend with and friends with secrets. The way Ivan had been protective of Adrian looked like more than just friends, but Finn’s gut said there was something beyond that. There was something special about both of them, he just couldn’t put his finger on it.
He walked to the porch and sat on the log bench there. He hadn’t sat on the bench before, and as he leaned back against the faux logs that made up the exterior siding, he realized it was fairly comfortable.
