Half the class responds in kind, while the other half either doesn’t say anything or replies with malcontent.
“Today we’re talking about . . .”
It doesn’t matter what today’s lesson is on. There isn’t a chance in the world I could pay attention. Exhausted, on the verge of ornery, worried about Max and dragons—something I never thought would be a concern—the least of my problems is another history lesson.
Is it possible that Max stumbled on the same thing I did? A hidden forest? Creatures as tall as the out-of-place trees? Could it be that we weren’t so far apart after all?
What are the odds of him discovering dragons just like I did, but instead of befriending one, the experience went less than well? He would have told his family.
Wouldn’t he?
I think about Max’s odd behavior. The way he looked around suspiciously, as though someone would try to overhear our conversation.
I need to know what he saw. And what he told everyone else.
Could it be that he witnessed my interaction with Yackros?
As the seconds of the school day pass with excruciating slowness, there’s a war inside me between excitement and worry. All I can do is wait for answers.
By the time my final class rolls around, I’d rather crabwalk back to Yackros than spend another minute in school.
I’ve spent most of the day studying my classmates’ faces, wondering what each of them is hiding. What secrets do they hold on to, wishing they had someone to talk to about it, but aren’t allowed to? Is it possible that any of them know the truth about our little town and what’s hiding just outside it?
It feels rather unbelievable that I’m the one and only person ever to enter that area on the mountain. Yackros mentioned a barrier, something hiding them. But if that’s true, and someone were to go up there and explore that spot, assuming they weren’t able to enter the dragons’ realm, what would it look like?
I’ll have to pay more attention when I go later today. Is it really possible that I alone know the truth?
The sound of the bell lifts a weight off my shoulders, and I’m finally free. A quick word with Max, and then I can get back to Yackros. Leaving him last night was hard enough. I don’t want to wait another minute.
As soon as I reach the first floor, Max waves from the other side of the hall.
I smile and dodge around fellow students to get to him.
“Hey!” I bump into his side.
“So uh . . .” He sucks in his breath, almost like a gulp. “Catch the bus to your house and then talk?”
Ugh, more delay. “If you want, but you’d have to walk home after.”
“I’m hoping that after we talk, you’ll want to hang out a bit.”
Doubtful. On any other day, I would have dropped everything for an afternoon with Max, but not the day after discovering dragons.
“I have something important to do,” I say. If he really knew about dragons, wouldn’t he be rushing back to the mountain too instead of wanting to hang out with me?
He flashes a cheesy grin. “What’s more important than me?”
I laugh and bump his shoulder. We walk down to the bus stop, our arms touching periodically as we sway with every step. The bus pulls up, making a loud whooshing noise as the doors pop open. A few people get out before we get in and settle into our seats for the bumpy ride back into Dragoon.
After Max gets settled next to me—again, with his leg practically squishing mine—he says, “Seriously, what are you in such a rush for?”
If I say homework, he’ll ask to study with me. If I say an errand for my parents, he’ll wonder why it can’t wait. So in the end, I go with the minimal truth.
“I need to go back up the canyon.”
“Oh? I’d think that after last night, you’d never go up there again. Or is this you trying to face your fears?” He side-glances at me.
“What are you talking about?” I ask, feeling as perplexed as I’m sure I look.
“Alita,” he says with such command in his voice, I feel a jitter in my spine. He shifts to face me. “I already got the whole roasting talk from Hanna about leaving you out there alone with the ‘creepy bugs and wild animals.’ I thought I was doing you a favor trying to find everyone so we could leave, but the whole van ride back, you were muttering to yourself, and you looked like you’d been in a haunted house instead of on a hike.”
Without explaining the dragons, how do I explain that my reaction wasn’t terror, but wonder? No matter what I say, he’ll want answers, and I have none to give. At least not until we’ve had our little discussion.
“Um, I just . . . didn’t want to split up,” I say lamely. Even though that’s true, I’m glad we did. It’s crazy to think I might never have met Yackros again.
I feel sick at the thought.
He rubs at his brow. “So, why are you planning on going back?”
“I . . .” My hands become clammy as I struggle to speak. “I just . . . dropped something. Yesterday.”
“Geez, that’s all it is?” Max smiles, a kind of goofy grin. “I can just borrow the car and take you up there. That’s a more private place to talk anyway.”
I could smack myself. Before I can speak, he already has his phone in hand.
After just a moment, I can hear a muffled voice coming through the speaker. Based on the tone, it sounds like Sherri.
“I called to ask if I can borrow the car.”
There’s more talking on the other end.
“What?” Max demands.
Maybe Sherri will be my saving grace. Maybe the car isn’t available. Although it would be very convenient to get a ride.
But only if Max’s secret has something to do with large, scaly beasts. Otherwise, how could I possibly visit Yackros without Max seeing?
“I’ll only be an hour.” He loses the edge in his voice, almost sounding desperate. “Please?”
A long pause has both of us holding our breath. Then—
“Thank you. See you in a minute.”
He doesn’t wait for a response before ending the call. He’s already shaking his head and muttering.
“What’s wrong?” I ask hesitantly.
The bus lurches as the driver turns too quickly before coming to a stop at the station. Max jumps up and leads the way, not bothering to wait for the people before us. I follow after him, apologizing as I squeeze my way through the crowded walkway.
When I catch up to Max, he’s already headed home.
“Sorry,” he mutters. “It’s just that precious Dillon is in town and Sherri wants everyone to be home for dinner with him tonight.” He runs his hands through his hair, tugging harder than normal, balling his hands into fists.
“If you need to go home, we can talk later.” I can’t decide if I’d prefer that or not.
“No, no!” He waves his hands. “We really need to talk.” He looks around, like just announcing we have something to discuss is too much to say with other people around.
“You’re sure you won’t be in trouble when you get home?”
“Yeah, Sherri said I can take the car. I just can’t be gone more than an hour.”
“Okay. If you’re sure.”
“Definitely. I wouldn’t want to go inside and hang around right now anyway.” He nods toward the house.
“Should I wait out here while you run in and get the keys?” The last thing I want is to be delayed by small talk right now. Besides, I can only imagine how much Sherri would gush over me, apologizing repeatedly for last night, and asking me if I’m okay despite the numerous times I already told her I’m fine.
“If you actually want to get out of here, for sure.” He smirks. “I’ll be right back.”
I pace around, kicking up dirt off the road, and wait.
I could just make a run for it now and come up with an excuse to tell him later. But he already knows where I’m going. Besides, I keep coming back to the idea that maybe, just maybe, we’re hiding the same secret.
I get in the passenger seat and buckle up just as Max starts the engine. He backs onto the road, taking us toward the mountain.
“So,” I say, drawing the word out while fiddling with my hair. “We’re completely alone now. Want to tell me what’s on your mind?” Maybe if we ease into the conversation, it won’t be so hard.
“I hate Dillon,” he says, gripping the steering wheel. “Every time that smug, good-for-nothing, ine—”
So much for that.
“What now?” I ask, just wanting the string of insults to end. Max can go on a while with them.
“The moment I walked in the door, he just started in on me. Railing on me for not wanting to hang out. The dude doesn’t even like me. He just says crap like that in front of precious Mommy to validate her feelings.”
My heart breaks a little as Max continues to rant. I can’t imagine how hard his situation must be, and how heartbreaking that he hates it so much. How does Sherri feel knowing she took in a homeless child only to have him hate every second of it?
The whole scenario is shattering. I don’t even know what to say.
“This is not how I wanted today to go,” he mutters under his breath.
We drive in silence. I want to talk, to discuss bigger things. But we won’t get anywhere when he’s in this kind of mood.
So we drive. And I wait.
Leaning my head back, I imagine the many scenarios that could play out once we’re up the mountain. Max can tell me what he saw, assure me he’s not crazy. I’ll laugh because I completely understand what he’s going through. Then I can tell Yackros that I’m not the only human who can enter their magical secret forest. It won’t be my secret. It will be our secret.
“What are you thinking about?” Max asks, interrupting the vision.
“Huh?” I sit up straight.
“You were smiling. What were you thinking about?”
“Just daydreaming.” I sigh.
When we’ve finally parked, I get out of the car, anxiety building. I breathe in the mountain air, sad and disappointed at how gross it is compared to that within the invisible wall keeping me from Yackros.
Max climbs out and takes the same kind of deep breath I did. The tension has drained from his shoulders, and he swings the car keys around one finger, looking around at the dusty scenery. The slight breeze tosses his hair, and I can’t help but think he looks in his element here—a wild thing in the wilderness.
“So,” Max says, tucking his keys into a pocket. “What did you drop? Was it around here, or farther up the trail?”
I stare at him for a good fifteen seconds before I’m able to remember my own lie.
“Oh! Uh . . .” What can I possibly say? My phone? Has he seen me use that today? Would he know I’m lying?
“It’s, like, up there!” Before he can question me, I hurry up the path.
I hear him chuckle behind me and assume he’ll follow. I just have to toss my phone in the dirt somewhere without him seeing. My ears burn at the thought. This is all stupid. I should have just told him we needed to talk at school.
The path leads us back to the area we were in last night. And surprisingly, I already feel calmer knowing I’m so close to Sparkles.
“Did you see anything interesting here last night?” I call over my shoulder, half to distract him and half to know.
I stuff my hand in my pocket, but the first thing my fingers touch is not my phone—it’s better. Maybe this can actually turn into a good thing.
“Nick thought he could grab a scorpion by the tail,” Max says, his voice far enough back that I know I have the window I need. “It would have been more interesting if he’d followed through with it.”
I grab the dragon scale from my pocket and toss it in the dirt at the edge of the path.
Then I wait for Max.
“Last night when I tripped—” I point to the spot where it happened. “I found this. I meant to grab it.” I walk forward and lift the scale, polishing it gently against my pant leg. I hold the bronze scale out to Max, displayed in my palm—the proof he’ll recognize if he made the same discovery.
He pauses, taking it in, brows scrunched up, lips pinched closed. Slowly, painfully so, he reaches up and flips it over, leaving it in my hand.
It’s agonizing watching him analyze the item, like he doesn’t already have a guess as to where this is going.
He chuckles with a shrug. “It’s pretty.”
“Do you know what it is?” I exclaim, almost unable to breathe.
“A rock?” He chuckles.
“I—” My heart drops to my shoes. There are a hundred things I could say, fifty different ways I could respond. But I can’t make anything happen.
"I dunno, Alita. It’s a really weird rock. How specific did you want me to get? You know I totally failed the geology unit in science.” He runs his hand through his hair, looking sheepish.
Shaking my head to force myself out of the stupor, I clear my throat. “Uh, yeah. No, that’s fine. I just—” I don’t know what I was thinking. “I thought it was cool.”
“Oh. Yeah, it is.” He nods, though he doesn’t sound convincing at all.
“What was it you wanted to tell me?” I tuck the scale into my pocket, out of his sight.
It was dumb to think I’d be able to share this secret so easily.
I should have thought harder about what happened the first time I found dragons.
“Okay, but first I have to ask you for a favor.” He makes the pitiful puppy-dog face.
“What’s that?”
“Just—” He takes a deep breath. “Don’t laugh me out the door right away, okay?” He’s so serious, so intent about it.
Despite myself, my heart is lifting again. Pounding away in my chest. I grip the scale in my pocket.
“Okay,” I say.
“Alita, you’ve always been my best friend. Someone I can rely on.”
Someone he can share secrets with?
“If anything good has come out of being with my foster family, it’s meeting you. Which is why—” He takes a deep breath.
Which is why he trusts me with something that sounds so crazy?
The edge of the scale digs into my fingers. I can feel the pressure all the way to my shoulder.
Say it.
In one breathless exhale, all his words spew out. “I told them we got separated from the group last night because I confessed my feelings for you and we made out.”
I choke.
Which turns into a cough.
Which is when I turn away, face flaming.
For a moment, I’d thought I wasn’t alone in the discovery of dragons.
Turns out I am.
And it’s so much worse.
“You told them what?” I choke out.
“Nick was pestering . . .” He shrugs, at least having the grace to look embarrassed. “I didn’t think. I just kind of . . . said what I wish had happened.”
If only I could say what I wish had happened.
“The feelings you supposedly admitted to me . . . what are they?” My mind can barely hang on to words. My fingers are loosening around the scale.
“Are you sure you want to know that?” He looks as though he’s going to be sick. I can at least partially understand, though I hardly feel bad. He did lie to his entire family—and me.
“Max, yeah. I do.” My words come out harsher than intended.
“I like you. A lot. As more than just friends.” Even with his dark hair covering part of his face, I can see the blush that starts at his neck and goes to his forehead. “And I’d love to date you.”
Having had a crush on Max since the moment I met him, this is the last thing I expected him to confess—especially to have confessed to his entire family before he told me.
What do I say? I came up here expecting to talk about dragon
s. Instead, we’re talking about feelings. For each other. Can this day just end already?
“I know this might sound like it’s coming out of nowhere,” he says, stepping forward, “but I’ve felt this way for a long time, and I just can’t keep it to myself anymore.”
I never thought Max would feel the same way about me as I do him. But he chose the worst possible moment to tell me.
I should be ecstatic.
I want to be.
“It just seems silly to keep it to myself. It’s not like you’re a mind reader, right?”
He just keeps going. My thoughts tumble around in my head, running each other over, desperate for air.
So I am alone in my secrets. No one else knows about dragons. But is that reason to lose what’s happening right now?
“So,” he says, drawing the word out. “Are you going to laugh me out the door?”
Max is my best friend. And now we could be more.
I meet his gaze. “I feel the same way.” I muster a smile only short of elation.
His grin breaks out. It’s the cutest thing in the whole world. The slightest sign of dimples, the curve of his lips, the way it lights up his eyes. It’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. And despite the war in my mind, I just want to kiss him.
In two strides, he’s closed the distance between us, pulling me into his arms. I stand on my tiptoes, every nerve on edge until our lips meet and I’m lost in the exhilaration.
We break apart, and I just stare into his eyes. Lost in his forest-green irises.
“Does this mean I can call you my girlfriend?” he whispers.
“Absolutely.” Leaning my forehead against his, I take in this moment.
I feel torn between Yackros and Max. But why can’t I have both? It’s not a decision I need to make.
“I have to get home. I’d hate to get grounded from seeing my girlfriend.” He grins.
“That would be a tragedy.” I steal another kiss before stepping out of his embrace.
Making our way back to the car, I glance behind. The shadows at the alcove entrance are deep, and I can almost imagine they conceal a dragon.
I’m maybe twenty feet from the hidden forest.
Twenty feet from Sparkles.
Dragon Wings Page 3
