by James Bird
It growls.
“As brave as a brave,” I tell myself, and take another step forward.
I approach the wolf. It could easily kill me if it wanted to. But it won’t, because it is me, and I don’t want to die. It growls as I grab the rope attached to its leg. I raise the knife and pull the rope against the blade as hard as I can. The rope untethers and snaps. The wolf looks deep into my eyes, then howls to an unseen moon and runs off into the wild black forest of my mind.
The wolf is free. I am free.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
I AM THE BRAVE (29)
Everything is black. I can’t feel the difference between down and up. I feel like I am floating through space. Then I feel a hard slap across my face. My eyes burst open. It jolts me back into the teepee. I’m lying down, with the old Native American man standing over me.
“Did you just slap me?” I ask, and sit up.
“I did,” he says. “And quit thinking of me as the old Native American man. My name is Henry.”
“That would have probably been my last guess at your name,” I say, and rise to my feet.
I still feel a bit dizzy, but it wears off as I take a few steps out of the teepee. As I open the flap, I see my mom and Ronnie standing there, waiting for me. I can see the anticipation in their eyes.
“He passed,” Henry says as he joins us outside.
My mom jumps up in pure joy and charges me. Her arms wrap around and squeeze me tightly. Ronnie watches us, smiling.
“How do you feel?” my mom asks me.
“I feel … free,” I say.
Her jaw drops. Even Ronnie is speechless. “What?” I ask.
Why are they looking at me like that? What did I do?
“Hello?” I ask.
“You didn’t count my letters,” she says.
I didn’t? Holy crap. I didn’t even notice. But she’s right. I didn’t count them. I didn’t even feel the urge to. Oh my God! I wish Orenda were here. She’d be so proud of me.
“I’m free!” I shout up to the sky.
I can’t wait to go back to school and not be afraid to make eye contact with anyone. I can’t wait to talk to people. I can’t wait to tell my dad. I need to tell Seven. Where’s Seven? “Seven!” I cup my mouth with both hands and shout.
But I don’t see her yet.
“There’s another little surprise for you,” Henry says, and snaps his fingers into the air.
And right on cue, two dogs run up to him. One is Seven, and one is a golden colored dog a bit smaller than she is.
“Who’s this?” I say, and point to the golden dog.
“This is Papillon. He’s a forest hound,” Henry says.
Papillon walks up to me. I kneel down and let him lick my fingers. “Hey, Papillon. Were you taking care of Seven?”
“You can say that,” Henry says, which makes Ronnie and my mom snicker.
“I don’t get it. What’s so funny?” I ask.
My mom kneels down and pets both dogs. “Seven and Papillon fell in love. And you see … when two people fall in love—” she begins.
“Are you really giving him the birds and the bees talk right now?” Ronnie asks.
“Technically, it’s the birds and the bees and the dogs talk now,” Henry adds.
I stand up as the truth hits me. Oh my …
“That’s why Seven is so fat now!” I say.
Ronnie laughs and looks at Seven. “No offense, girl.”
“So, this is where Seven has been when my ghost grandma said she was taking Seven on an adventure. She took her to see Papillon.”
“Yep. And there’s no better adventure than motherhood,” my mom says.
I wrap my arms around Seven, knowing exactly what she feels. Love.
“This family just got a whole lot bigger,” Ronnie says, and extends his hand to Henry.
They shake hands. Staring deep into each other’s eyes. There’s a history between them, I can tell. “Thanks for everything, Henry,” Ronnie says.
“Take care of them.”
“I will,” Ronnie replies.
“I was talking to him,” Henry says, and points to me.
“Me?” I ask.
“Yes, you. Take care of Seven and Papillon. Take care of Ronnie and your mom. You’re a brave now. And braves take care of their families.”
“I will.”
And as my family walks back to the truck, I can’t stop thinking of the person I owe everything to. The person who believed in me, loved me, and showed me what it means to truly be alive. The bravest person I’ve ever met. The girl who fluttered into my life and changed everything.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
A DEAL IS A DEAL (29)
One week later, I am in Orenda’s tree house feeding her butterflies. It’s something I plan on doing for the rest of my life, and it’s actually gotten me pretty addicted to peaches.
Ronnie and Foxy came up with an amazing plan for this place. They are going to repaint this tree house and turn it into a playground for all the neighborhood kids. Ronnie is going to build a slide, and Foxy is going to add a jungle gym to it. It’s pretty cool seeing how excited they both are about starting a new project. My job, well, since I’m so good at it, is to knock down the fence so all the kids can come play anytime they like.
* * *
I still think of her every day. I still draw her face at night, when I can’t sleep. But sadness isn’t what I feel when she enters my mind. I’m grateful. I was one of the lucky ones. I got to know Orenda.
When they removed her bed, Foxy found something under her pillow. A letter addressed to me. I haven’t read it yet. I’ve been carrying it around in my pocket for days now, waiting for the right moment.
There’s a full moon out, and we are supposed to get our first night of snow tonight. And even though that doesn’t really mean much to me, I know it would be something incredibly special and magical to her. So, I’m going to read the letter now, with you.
I sit in the center of the empty room and pull it out of my pocket. My fingers are shaking. THE BRAVE is written across it in puffy letters, resembling our friends, the clouds. I unfold it.
Dear Collin,
If you are reading this letter, then my transformation from human to butterfly was a success. And your transformation from dork to brave was also a success. So, congrats to us, we did it.
There are a couple things I need you to know about being a true brave.
1. Keep reading! This is very important. I want every book in that garage to be read. It’s the second best way to get to know people and understand people who are different from you. Also, it’s an invitation into a world you never knew existed, and trust me, entering new worlds is super cool!
2. Talk! Even though you still know the exact number from everyone’s words, you have now realized you no longer need to blurt it out. If you do it, it’s because you want to, not need to. This achievement allows you to speak to anyone you choose to. So use this gift. Talk. Laugh. Ask questions. Give your opinion. Say hello to everyone you meet. This is the first best way to get to know people and understand people who are different from you.
3. Keep punching! Because let’s be real, bullies suck, and even though you won’t be the one being picked on anymore, someone else will be. And if you see some kid being bullied, intervene. And if the bully doesn’t stop, make him stop. Sometimes, a good punch in the face is exactly what a bully needs.
4. Last but not least, don’t mourn me. When you think of me, I don’t want you to ever be sad. I want you to remember how much fun we had and how much we taught each other in our short but very special time together. Do not cry, but laugh. Laughing is food for the heart … that and peaches! Eat up!
If you live by these four rules, every day, then your training is over, and I have done my job. I promised you I’d help you win this fight, and like I told you on the day we met, I never lose. I will be watching over you, literally, to make sure you don’t ever lose sight
of your mission in life: to be a good human.
And being a good human is simple. All you have to do is treat everyone and everything like they were me. I will be in every butterfly, in every bird, dog, cat, cow, pig, fish, flower, tree, and stranger you meet. I will look different, talk differently, and believe differently than you remember, but it is still me.
So do not think you will never see me again. You will see me a million more times in a million different faces, because even though I have changed my body, I am still here. I will always be here. Your brother will always be here. We will be on the sidelines, cheering you on as you run this race we call life.
Never give up. Keep going. But keep your head up and eyes open. Because the beauty isn’t reaching the finish line; it’s seeing everything, everywhere, and everyone along the way. And when the day comes for your run to finally be over, I’ll be right there waiting for you, ready to teach you how to fly.
Thank you for believing in me. But most of all, thank you for being you. I got to go now, my ride is here. I love you.
Your flutterby girl,
Orenda
P.S. Your grandma says hi.
A breeze shoots in through the open window and grabs the letter from my hands. I reach for it, but the wind is too quick, and I watch the letter dance around the room before riding out of the window on another strong gust. She was right. Her ride is here.
I watch the letter float across the windy sky and out of view. Tears begin to escape my eyes. They’re not sad tears, not mournful tears, but tears of absolute excitement. For the first time in my life, I am excited about the future. I am excited for her to see me become the best version of myself I can be. I know being a good person won’t always be easy. It may sometimes be painful and difficult, and it may take a whole lot of patience … But I’m a brave now, so I can do it.
And I know exactly what to do. I will tell the world about Orenda. I will write a book about our adventure together. I will show people that magic does exist. In all of us.
And that’s exactly what I’ve done. I wrote her story.
Now you know her the way I know her. And you will never forget her. How could you? She’s everywhere.
So, reader, remember in chapter three when we made each other a deal? Well, it’s time for you to live up to your end. You ready? Here is what you have to do.
In every chapter of this book, there are certain letters underlined. When you collect each underlined letter, you’ll find a hidden message I left for you. Once you reveal this message, you will be on your way to becoming as brave as me.
Your training begins now. Good luck.
Love,
Collin (THE BRAVE)
PS. Wanna know something cool? I have NO IDEA how many letters are in this book … Because I didn’t count them.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
(15)
Thank you to my brave kaleidoscope of butterflies that made this book what it is. My agent, Rosemary Stimola, who took a chance on me and never stopped believing in me. You are a precious gem I will forever treasure.
My wonderful editor, Liz Szabla, who not only made this a better book, but also made me a better author.
Thank you to everyone at Macmillan: Mallory Grigg, Madison Furr, Elizabeth Baer, and Foyinsi Adegbonmire, as well as Jean Feiwel and everyone at Feiwel & Friends for inviting me to be part of your family.
Muchas gracias a la maravillosa Beatriz (@Naranjalidad) por crear la preciosa portada de nuestro libro.
Thank you to my wonderfully wild family: Adriana Mather, Wolf, Anya, Mama, Sasa, Penny, Crimson, Amy, Dan, Peter, and all my Ojibwe fam across America.
My beautiful fur fam: Smeagle, Banana, Princess, Von, and Sheldon. We miss you, Noonoo.
Everyone at FAMB, and all the amazing authors who continue to inspire me, especially Anya Remi and Bridget Hodder. You all make the world a better place to write in. I will forever be grateful.
I also want to thank all the readers—without you our stories have no homes. Thank you for letting my characters live inside of you. Thank you for buying books. Thank you for keeping reading alive.
Thank you Los Angeles for raising me. Thank you Minnesota for teaching me. Thank you Massachusetts for welcoming me.
And lastly, thank you to all the Native American authors out there who continue to tell the stories of our blood. We were here yesterday. We are here today. We will be here tomorrow. Be brave. Fight on. Write on.
About the Author
James Bird is a screenwriter and director at the independent film company Zombot Pictures; his films include We Are Boats and Honeyglue. A California native, he now lives in Swampscott, Massachusetts, with his wife, the author and actor Adriana Mather, and their son. The Brave is his debut novel. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter One. Caterpillar (21)
Chapter Two. A Boy’s Best Friend (25)
Chapter Three. The Promise (22)
Chapter Four. My Last Night on Earth (29)
Chapter Five. Flying on A Sheet of Paper (32)
Chapter Six. Minnesota Grows You Up (29)
Chapter Seven. My First Day as A Native American (39)
Chapter Eight. How to Beat A Bully (27)
Chapter Nine. Experience wins Battles (32)
Chapter Ten. My First Day of School. Again. (33)
Chapter Eleven. The Long Walk Home (28)
Chapter Twelve. Learning from Wolves (31)
Chapter Thirteen. A Fearless Warrior, Not so Much (40)
Chapter Fourteen. Firestarter (28)
Chapter Fifteen. Native Warrior in Training (37)
Chapter Sixteen. The Storyteller (28)
Chapter Seventeen. Gun Threat (25)
Chapter Eighteen. Kaleidoscope (27)
Chapter Nineteen. Second Kiss, First Fight (35)
Chapter Twenty. Beautiful Wings (27)
Chapter Twenty-One. Wise Tortoise (28)
Chapter Twenty-Two. Billy Bear (25)
Chapter Twenty-Three. Spirit Questing (32)
Chapter Twenty-Four. Rebound/Revenge (31)
Chapter Twenty-Five. Stage Three: Pupa (31)
Chapter Twenty-Six. My Brand-New Dad (29)
Chapter Twenty-Seven. Anim Als (25)
Chapter Twenty-Eight. The Invisible Man (33)
Chapter Twenty-Nine. Life is but A Dream (32)
Chapter Thirty. The Ultimate Season (30)
Chapter Thirty-One. Memengwaa (25)
Chapter Thirty-Two. The Wolf Within (29)
Chapter Thirty-Three. I am The Brave (29)
Chapter Thirty-Four. A Deal is A Deal (29)
Acknowledgments. (15)
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 by James Bird
A Feiwel and Friends Book
An imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
mackids.com
All rights reserved.
Feiwel and Friends logo designed by Filomena Tuosto
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019948848
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First hardcover edition 2020
eBook edition 2020
eISBN 9781250247742
The Brave
