Out of Tune

by Gail Nall

“We’ll be fine, really!” I’m itching to grab my own backpack and get moving.

  “Maybe you should stay up at the lodge? Take in some ranger talks? Use the wi-fi?”

  I can’t be separated from my bike, so this is a Big Fat No. I put on a good pout. “But you promised we could stay here and watch TV and act normal for a change.”

  Mom pushes her lips together, and I can almost see the wheels in her head turning. “All right. But stick close to the RV—that means you, Bug.” She looks over my shoulder at Bug, who’s eating trail mix for breakfast. “Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t open the door to strangers. Don’t cook anything with the oven. Don’t—”

  “We won’t drown, set the RV on fire, cut off any fingers, get kidnapped, or let wild animals attack us, okay?” Now, please go. . . .

  Mom smiles. “I forget how grown up you are sometimes, Maya.”

  And that makes me feel super guilty. As in, how can I run off and leave her and Dad and Bug here in Bertha? Not only will they worry about me, it also seems kind of . . . selfish. And maybe it is. But I’m desperate. I’ll miss the biggest opportunity of my life if I don’t leave now. One that’s about to be handed over to Lacey, of all people.

  “I’ll be back sometime after lunch,” Mom says. “As long as Dad doesn’t fall into a lake or anything. Wish me luck.”

  “Luck,” I tell her as she gives me and Bug and even Shiver one last hug.

  “If I’m not here by three o’clock, call out the search party.” With that, she waves and is out the door. I have a weird, achy feeling in my chest, but I ignore it. I have a mission to complete.

  Shiver rummages in the fridge for more food, I guess, while Bug sits at the bus seat table and opens a book. I try to look like I’m doing something totally normal as I make my way back to my cubbyhole for my backpack. I do one last-minute check to make sure I have everything I need. I yank hard at the zipper to get it closed again. Then I unfold the note I wrote last night and spread it out on top of my bunk, with a small stuffed cat on each corner to hold it in place.

  Dear Mom, Dad, Bug (and Shiver),

  By the time you read this, I’ll be on my way to Nashville to try out for Dueling Duets. I really miss home. I hope you all do too. When I win, I’ll get us a new house. I’ll call you when I get there. Please don’t donate my stuff but send it as soon as you can, and take care of Hugo for me.

  Love,

  Maya

  P.S. I hope Dad didn’t get eaten by a bear on his hike.

  P.P.S. I’ll miss you.

  I give Hugo one last snuggle. He yawns and swats at my braids. “See you soon, big guy,” I whisper to him. Then I pop my purple hat onto my head, climb down the ladder, and head to the door.

  “I’m going down to the cliff,” I announce.

  Bug leaps up from the bus seat. “I want to come!”

  Duh, Maya. Of course she’d want to come. “Um, you can’t,” I say.

  Bug gives me a confused look, while Shiver does that eye-narrowing thing again. She pulls out an earbud.

  I look at Bug. “I mean, you can, but give me a few minutes first. I have to take a shower, and then I’ll go to the cliff.”

  “You took a shower last night,” Shiver says.

  “So what? I want another shower. I like being clean.” I push open the door.

  “Why are you taking your backpack?” she asks.

  “Because I have stuff in it. Shower stuff.”

  “Hurry up,” Bug says. “I want to see if there are any animal tracks down there before people stomp all over them.”

  I slide out and close the door behind me. The sun is just beginning to light the sky. “See ya, Bertha.” I pat the dirty RV on the side before making my way around back to get my bike.

  Our bikes are lined up in a row and chained to a tree behind Bertha. I fish the keys from a pocket in my backpack and pop the lock. It’s a good thing that Bug’s bike was the one Dad demolished back in Texas. After pulling mine out, I redo the lock, and roll my bike around the side of Bertha.

  Where Shiver and Bug are waiting for me.

  Chapter 18

  3 days until Dueling Duets auditions

  “Uh, hi.” I can’t think of anything else to say. What are they doing out here? And how in the world am I going to get rid of them? I’m supposed to meet Remy near Jackson Lake Lodge in thirty minutes.

  “Hi yourself,” Shiver says, her arms crossed.

  Bug has her arms crossed too, and frowns at me. Like a mini Shiver, with different hair. It’s really sort of creepy, actually.

  “So . . . what are y’all doing out here?” I stand over my bike, ready to go, and exchange my hat for the helmet in my stuffed backpack.

  “We know what you’re up to,” Shiver says.

  “Uh-huh,” Bug adds.

  I wrap my hands around the handlebars. “And what exactly do you know?”

  “Oh, give it up, Maya,” Shiver says. “You and Remy aren’t that good at conspiring. I heard you talking last night, and then I saw that map on his phone. You’re biking to Cody to try to get home.”

  This is so not good. But I can’t let them stop me. This is probably my last chance to get home, unless I somehow win my very own private airplane to swoop in and pick me up. “So what if I am?”

  “You know she’s been doing this your whole trip,” Shiver says to Bug.

  “Why, Maya?” Bug asks. “Won’t you miss us?”

  Bug knows how to make my heart hurt. “Of course,” I say. “But I had plans to try out for the show, and then Mom and Dad hatched this plan, and now I’m a gazillion miles from home. I have to get back. This audition is my whole life.”

  “What show?” Shiver asks.

  “Duel—” Bug starts, but I jump in before she can out me to Shiver.

  “It’s nothing. I mean, not nothing, but it’s a reality show.”

  “Seriously? You’re running away to try out for a reality show?” Shiver curls her lip as she looks at me.

  “You don’t get to judge my dreams, okay?” And that’s all I have to say to her. I turn back to Bug. “Plus I miss Kenzie, and she misses me.” I don’t mention Jack. Shiver would never let that drop. Not to mention that it’s weird to think about Jack when Remy’s just down the road, waiting for me.

  Bug bites her lip. She likes Kenzie because Kenzie’s always been super interested in whatever odd little fact Bug’s told her.

  “And what exactly are you going to do once you get to town?” Shiver asks. “If you make it, that is.”

  I hop onto my bike and ride in a little circle. “I’m going to take a bus home. I have the money,” I say before she can accuse me of sneaking on or anything.

  “A bus?” Shiver looks as if I just suggested that we all eat mud. “Yuck. Do you know how many weirdos ride cross-country buses?”

  “I don’t have to talk to anyone.”

  “Don’t worry about that. They’ll talk to you anyway.”

  I brake and put a foot down. “How do you know? Have you ridden a bus?”

  Shiver huffs. “No, but I read. And I watch movies. Plenty of creepers on buses, trust me.”

  “I’ll take my chances, thanks. Look, I have to go now. Love you, Bug. Tell Mom and Dad I’ll call them soon.”

  Shiver jumps in front of my tire.

  “What are you doing?” I ask. Although it’s pretty obvious. She’s trying to ruin my plans—again.

  “You’re really going to do this?” she asks. “Bike all day and then ride a scary bus all night?”

  “No, I just made all that up.” Really, if I don’t move now, Remy’s going to think I’ve chickened out. I hate the thought of him waiting up there by himself, thinking I’m not going to show up.

  “Leave your parents and your little sister here for some reality show? That’s so selfish, you know.”

  Like I needed to be reminded about that. Bug gives me the same look she does when she finds out I’ve eaten the last chocolate chip cookie.

  “I wasn’t
going forever,” I lie. “Just until after the audition, and then I’d come back. Unless I have to leave again for filming or something.”

  Shiver tilts her head as she looks at me. I’d say it seems like she’s thinking, except I can’t really tell anything about Shiver. Nothing that’s on the inside, anyway. “Hmm. Then I’m going too.”

  “To Nashville?” Why in the world would she want to go to Nashville with me?

  “No, stupid. I’m riding with you to Cody. So if you get trampled by a buffalo—”

  “Bison,” Bug corrects her.

  “Whatever. If you get hurt, then I can get your sorry butt rescued. I kind of owe your parents, in case you haven’t noticed.”

  Nooooo. Like the ride isn’t long enough without Shiver there. “Remy’s going with me.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Ha. Like that kid’ll be any help.”

  Is she serious? No way does Shiver outrank Remy in the Scary Nature Stuff Rescue Department.

  “I’m going too,” Bug pipes up.

  “What? No. It’s, like, a whole day just to ride to the bus station. You can’t go. And you don’t have a bike,” I tell her.

  Bug takes two steps and puts her face right in front of mine. “I am too. You’re not the boss of me, Sister-Abandoner. And Shiver and I can ride Mom and Dad’s bikes.”

  Shiver smiles like some weird kind of proud parent.

  “Fine. Y’all go inside and get your stuff. I’ll wait here.” I put my backpack on the ground to show that yes, I will wait. “And I’m not abandoning you, by the way,” I say to Bug.

  Bug doesn’t say anything, just stands there in that Shiver-like pose with her arms crossed.

  “Nice try,” Shiver says. “All I need is my backpack. Bug, can you grab that for me while I wait here?”

  Ugh.

  Bug races inside and emerges from Bertha three minutes later, Shiver’s black backpack in one hand, and her own green one, covered in Save-the-Whatever buttons and national park pins, already on her shoulders. She’s got her helmet and Mom’s, too.

  “I left a note for Mom,” Bug says as Shiver takes the keys from me and unlocks the bikes from the tree.

  “Good.” Shiver rolls Mom’s bike to Bug. “It’s nice that some people actually care about parents who love them.”

  “Right,” I say as soon as Bug’s on the bike. “I’m going now.” I pedal out, Bug right behind me, and Shiver hurrying to get Dad’s bike unchained.

  “We should wait for her,” Bug says when we reach the campground entrance.

  “If we have to.” Of course Shiver would be the one holding me up. Bug and I wait next to the huge bulletin board that has campground rules and ranger talk schedules and bear warnings tacked to it. I guess I should be thankful that the plan is still on, even though I’m dragging along my sister and the most annoying person on the planet.

  Shiver finally pedals up. “Gee, thanks for waiting,” she says.

  “You’re welcome,” I say in the most curt tone possible. “Let’s go before Remy gives up on me actually showing.”

  It’s so early, there are barely any cars on the road. We ride in single-file silence, except for the obnoxious yawns from Shiver in the back. I pedal hard on purpose, hoping to make her change her mind. It’s freezing, like usual. And every once in a while, patches of the low fog that covers the lakes and hides the mountains creep onto the road. It feels like riding through clouds. Or maybe riding through the set of a horror movie.

  It doesn’t take long to reach the turnoff to Jackson Lake Lodge. I roll my bike to a stop when I spot Remy relaxing against a tree, his bike lying on the damp ground next to him. Even with Bug and Shiver behind me, my face instantly goes all smiley when I see him.

  “We have a party,” he says when he spies Bug and Shiver.

  Party. Ha ha. “Shiver figured it out, and then they both insisted on coming,” I tell him.

  Remy stands and starts folding the rain poncho he was sitting on. “You guys realize this is over a hundred-mile bike ride?”

  Bug’s eyes light up, like she can’t imagine anything better than riding a bike all day long.

  “I saw your map,” Shiver says. “Bug and I are coming to make sure she doesn’t do anything else stupid.”

  The “she” is obviously me. “I’m not my dad,” I say to Shiver. “I can ride my bike without starting an avalanche.”

  Shiver sweeps her eyes over me, as if she’s assessing whether I’m fit enough to ride my bike over a hundred miles. I’m not, really, but who put her in charge?

  “We have to go if we want to get there before dark,” Remy says.

  As we roll back onto the empty road, Remy coasts next to me. “Thanks for coming,” I tell him.

  “I wouldn’t miss this for anything,” he says.

  Wait, is he talking about the bike ride? Or me? I fumble for something to say. “Hey, the mountains are gone.” I gesture at where they should be, through the trees. It looks strange, as if they’ve been erased or painted over in flat gray.

  “Yeah, they disappear in the rain and the fog sometimes,” he says. He smiles a little, like he has good memories of mountains gone missing.

  That smile almost makes me wish I could audition here instead of in Nashville. Almost.

  “I’m going to stay in back, in case anyone runs into trouble,” he says.

  Such a Remy thing to do. I’m glad he’s looking out for my little sister (and Shiver, I guess), but I’m a little annoyed that he can’t ride next to me. Bug drifts back to ride with him, probably to grill him with questions about bear poop and tree fungus.

  As we ride, the bright morning sun starts to burn away the fog. But it’s still not warm enough for me to take off any of the three layers I put on this morning. Or my gloves. If I weren’t wearing a helmet, I’d have a fluffy hat pulled down over my ears. I’m bundled up like it’s almost Christmas.

  Yet another reason I’m ready to get home. Hello, shorts and flip-flops! I’m so excited for normal summer clothes that I shoved a pair of flip-flops into my backpack. I’ll put them on as soon we get somewhere warm.

  I’m daydreaming of lying poolside in a cute new swimsuit when I hear a siren.

  Chapter 19

  3 days until Dueling Duets auditions

  It’s not a siren, really, but more of a WHOOP! sound. I peer over my shoulder, past everyone else, and spot a white SUV with a green stripe and the National Park Service logo on the side. The ranger inside is waving us off the road.

  So. Not. Good.

  I brake, and everyone else falls in behind me.

  “That didn’t take long,” Shiver says. She’s breathing heavily, and I know this is exactly what she wanted. She’s probably imagining lounging on Bertha’s couch to watch whatever we can get on our ancient TV.

  The ranger steps out of the car before I’ve decided on a good lie. I can’t believe I didn’t think this through ahead of time. He’s assessing us and is about to say something, when Remy unbuckles his helmet.

  “Remy?” the ranger says. “A bit early for a bike ride, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” Remy says, looking every inch the good camper, “but my friends wanted to hike the Polecat Creek trail up around Flagg Ranch. This is Maya, Adalie, and Emmeline. Mr. Hicks.” Remy waves his hand in introduction.

  If looks could kill, Remy would be dead from the stares Shiver and Bug are both throwing at him for using their given names.

  “They’re staying at Signal Mountain,” Remy adds. The ranger’s about to open his mouth again, but Remy plows on. “Any sign of bear activity up by Flagg Ranch? I told them we might get up there and have to turn around.”

  I bite my lip to keep from smiling. Remy’s somehow turned into a much better liar. Maybe it’s just lying to parents that bothers him. Or maybe this is his element.

  Ranger Hicks leans against the side of his SUV. “Not since last week. You should be okay up there. Now, back down around Two Ocean and Emma Matilda Lakes, that’s a different story.”
>
  Remy nods. “Yeah, my mom said they were thinking of closing the trails there for a little while.”

  “Probably have to. Don’t really care to add to the death toll.”

  They chuckle like this is some weird park ranger inside joke. Bug’s eyes are completely round, and she’s probably adding “hike around Two Ocean and Emma Matilda Lakes” to her mental to-do list.

  Ranger Hicks moves around to the driver’s side of his car. “Hey, you kids want a ride up to Flagg Ranch? That’s a long way to ride a bike.”

  Remy and I look at each other. He shrugs, but I mouth, Yes! I mean, my legs are already a little achy and we still have a gazillion more miles to go. And he knows Ranger Hicks, so it’s not like taking a ride from a stranger. Although I already tried to do that . . . twice.

  “Sure, thanks,” Remy says.

  Ranger Hicks loads our bikes onto the bike rack on the back of his SUV. Then we all climb in and . . . wow. I never in a million years thought I’d be thankful for soft seats in a car. I lay my head back and relax as the trees fly by outside. Every mile gets me a little closer to Dueling Duets. In fact, I’m so, so, so comfortable and happy, I could fall asleep.

  “Here we are.”

  I open my eyes to see the ranger pulling over. There’s a sign near a perimeter of trees that announces the trailhead. When we stop, Ranger Hicks unloads our bikes. We make a show of wheeling them over to a post near the trailhead, and Remy stretches a chain around them.

  “Well, you be careful now.” Ranger Hicks climbs back into his car.

  “Always.” Remy waves, and the ranger drives off.

  “How . . . ?” Shiver’s watching the car disappear down the road.

  “Perks of being me,” Remy says.

  “Huh.” Shiver turns back and looks him up and down, as if she’s seeing him for the first time. And for once, it seems she’s at a loss for a snarky comment.

  “We need to wait a few minutes before we move on,” Remy says. “His patrol ends at the park border, so he’ll be turning around and heading south again really soon.”

  He leads us onto the trail, just a few feet in. Then we sit and wait.