Played - Liz Fichera

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picture. Problem solved.”

      From the way that Riley’s anxious expression softened, I’d like to think that she was impressed with my solution. But then she had to be a brat and add, “Let’s just get this over with, okay?”

      “Absolutely. The sooner the better.”

      Behind us, Mr. Romero started barking out more instructions. “Okay, people! Find your partners and spread out. Be back here in ninety minutes! Remember the days are still short. It’ll be dark before you know it, and we’ve got lots more to do before dinner. No messing around out there.”

      Like that would be possible.

      I started walking toward the entrance to Woods Canyon in silence. Riley didn’t budge.

      “Do you think that’s the right direction?” she called after me. “Cassidy, Jay and Matt are headed to the lake. Maybe we should follow them?”

      “You can, if you want,” I said with a shoulder shrug. “But I think this way’s better.” Seriously, I didn’t think it mattered where we started but there was no way in hell I would follow Jay Hawkins anywhere, at least not on purpose.

      “Wait!”

      I kept walking.

      A second later I heard her footsteps behind me and I couldn’t help but smile a little inside. “Okay, okay!” she said. “If you say so. But you better be right.”

      9

      Riley

      Sam Tracy. I grumbled to myself. Why’d you have to be a Pisces, too? I pulled on the brim of my baseball cap and followed him deeper into the forest.

      I looked down at the list as I walked. Juniper bark. Prickly pear cactus needle. Pine nuts. Aspen leaf... There were about twenty items in total, including a petroglyph that, seriously, I had doubts we’d ever find. And I was embarrassed to admit that I really had no idea where to find most of this stuff. “Are you kidding me?” I complained to no one in particular.

      “What’s the problem now, Berenger?” Sam said beside me.

      I slapped the paper against my thigh and looked up at him.

      Sam’s eyes blinked wide again as if I were irritating him, a look that I was growing used to.

      I fought an eye roll.

      “I take it you haven’t spent much time in the woods.”

      “Well, not really.” I tried to sound like I could care less. “And I suppose you have?”

      He nodded. “A bit.”

      “It’s not like I’ve never heard of these things.” My voice got a little defensive.

      “But you’ve never touched them. I mean, outside of books and stuff. Right?”

      I didn’t answer. Did the school field trip to the zoo in the second grade count?

      Sam looked from side to side. We were completely alone. Against my better judgment, I followed Sam, even when almost everyone else had hiked toward the lake, which would probably be way more fun and scenic than where Sam was going. “Well, we better start finding stuff,” I said.

      His voice was flat. “We’re wasting time by arguing.”

      Wasting. Nice. “I’m not arguing. I’m following.” My chin lifted. “Lead the way, since you’re the forest expert.”

      Without another word, Sam picked up his pace and headed toward the Mogollon Rim, where the pine trees stretched even higher into the sky. No doubt we’d at least find pine nuts or whatever they were called.

      I jogged behind him, saying nothing, but I did consider flipping the bird behind his jet-black, irritating, know-it-all head...before I found myself concentrating on the shoulder muscles beneath his stretched T-shirt, which, it pained me to admit, were kind of hot. I blushed as I thought about them, grateful that Sam couldn’t see my eyes.

      10

      Sam

      Traipsing through the woods with Miss Spoiled Brat looking for nuts and needles. Somebody put me out of my misery. Not exactly what I’d anticipated for my weekend. Coolidge with my buddies and rodeo queens were suddenly sounding better by the second.

      I didn’t slow my pace to match Riley’s, either. Let her try and keep up.

      I’d spotted a few aspen trees and even an alligator juniper near the entrance to the campsite on the bus ride in, which was one of the reasons I’d taken us in this direction. I’d bet Jay Hawkins wouldn’t have known that. Couldn’t Riley just shut up and trust me?

      “Okay. Where are we going, exactly?” Riley called out. The thick trees swallowed her voice. She trailed a good five yards behind me.

      I lifted my arms in case it wasn’t obvious. “Um. Three guesses?”

      “Ha. Ha.” Her footsteps quickened across the dirt and dry leaves. “If I knew, I wouldn’t keep asking.”

      I didn’t slow my pace.

      “Wait!” she said. Her footsteps pattered faster behind me and I figured if I sped up any more it would probably be more than a little cruel. Not that she didn’t deserve it, especially after the last remark, spoken in the tone of someone used to getting her way all the time.

      “I saw some aspens over here,” I said without turning, anxious to be done with this scavenger hunt.

      “Where?”

      “Just follow me.”

      She closed more distance between us. “But aspen leaves are sixth on our list.”

      I stopped and she practically crashed into my back. “So?” I spun around to face her.

      “So maybe we should do them in order.”

      My voice grew higher. “Why?”

      She looked up at me, wide-eyed. “So we can make sure we get everything.”

      “That doesn’t make sense.”

      “It makes perfect sense to me.”

      “Figures.” I turned and started walking again as Riley jogged.

      It ended up being farther than I thought, but we finally reached the entrance to the campground. Cars and trucks chugged along the highway in front of us.

      “Just one aspen leaf, right?” I asked Riley, reaching up to a branch to pluck a decent-sized one.

      She studied the list again. “Doesn’t say. Let’s take a couple, just in case.”

      I rolled my eyes but said nothing as I plucked two green aspen leaves. In a few months, the leaves would turn golden-yellow and drop to the forest floor. I decided against sharing that tidbit with Riley, especially since she was practically fainting over finding all the items on the list. This girl had serious chill issues.

      “What should we put them in?” she asked.

      “Unless you brought a backpack, we only have our pockets. I’ll put them in mine—”

      Riley raised a palm, stopping me. “What if they get crushed?”

      I dropped them inside the front of my jeans pocket. “Take it easy, Berenger. They’re leaves, not museum pieces.”

      She looked back at me as if I’d just slapped her.

      I chuckled to hide the last-minute remorse in my tone. “I’m sure Mr. Romero won’t mind.”

      “I noticed that Jay brought his backpack—”

      “Jay,” I muttered. Again with Jay Hawkins! “What’s the use in bringing a backpack if you aren’t smart enough to find any of the stuff

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