Genre (s): High Fantasy/Adventure

Written When? 11th Grade

Chapter 1

Evie Amanda Madison

Mornings in Abince Town, Pinta Country couldn't get any better. A warm, summer day cloaked its buildings in a mystical way. It felt as if something exciting was about to happen, and something was.

Eleven-year-old Evie Amanda Madison was going to start her two-week summer camp today, and she was beyond excited! She had never traveled so far from home. She couldn't help but to breathe a sigh of relief at the thought of not being around her parents for fourteen whole days. She slept not a wink overnight. Instead, she spent most of it packing. The bus was going to pick her up at 8:00am, so she had to make sure not to delay it.

Warm rays of sunlight fluttered through Evie's curtains and scanned her bedspread. Birds quickly filled up the tree just outside her window.

A few minutes later, Evie's alarm clock rang for 7:00am, and she threw her covers off her head. "Yahoo! Today's the day I'm finally going to the Paperblank Forest!" Her messy, long, brown hair flopped over her shoulders and reached for her back. She rubbed her mesmerizing, brown eyes and leaped out of bed. She was dressed in a light pink pajama top that had a flower illustration on it and pink pajama pants.

Evie slipped her feet into some white bedroom shoes and danced around her room. "Two full weeks away from my parents! I have to be one of the luckiest girls alive!"

Evie couldn't help herself. She picked up one of her stuffed animals and told it why she had been waiting so long for that day to come. It wasn't just because she was going to be away from her parents; it also happened to be because she loved learning about forests and different strategies to protect them. Evie had a dream to become a Pinta Park Ranger, just like her hero Ranger Anthony, and the vacation was the perfect first step for her. It was so difficult for her to contain her excitement.

She wasted no time to brush her hair and change out of her pajamas. She pulled her hair back into a romantic tuck and added a halo-like braid in front of it. Her outfit for the day consisted of short, blue jean shorts, a white top with a gray bow at her tummy, and white sandals with blue bases. She slipped a satin, blue headband that had a bow on it in her hair and a white wristwatch on her wrist.

Evie studied herself in her mirror and patted down her headband. As she worked, she heard a knock at her door.

Her mother's gentle voice was heard from the other end of it. "Evie, are you up?"

"I sure am, Mom!" Evie excitedly chanted.

The door to her room opened to reveal her mother, Charlotte. She was a middle-aged woman who looked exactly like her daughter. "Morning, sweetheart," she said, with a smile on her face.

"Good morning, Mom." Evie removed her hands from her head. She and her mother met eyes.

Her mother approached her. "I hope you're all rested up for your big day."

Evie laughed and placed her hands on her hips. "Not really, but who cares? I'm going to the Paperblank Forest!"

"You sure are, my dear. Now come on down. Your breakfast is ready."

"Sure. Let me first get my things, Mom."

"All right. Just don't take too long."

"No problem."

As Evie finished up in her room, her mother sauntered downstairs to the screen-in porch that overlooked the house's backyard and pool. She set the table for breakfast.

Her husband, Keegan, was sitting and reading the morning newspaper. A steaming cup of hot coffee rested next to his hand.

Also sitting at the table was a little, old woman. She was about eighty years old. She smiled as she worked on a crossword puzzle. Just recently, she had her hair washed and cut at the barber shop, so it looked quite pretty. She wore a denim shirt and a pair of khaki pants. Silver earrings dangled from her ears.

The lady was Ms. Gilbert. She was the family's next-door neighbor. A sweet woman, she lost her husband to illness ten years ago. Since then, Evie's family promised to look after her while she lived alone. It had been ten years since they took her in, so Ms. Gilbert was now part of the family. Evie was only a year old when her husband died, so she saw Ms. Gilbert as another grandparent. They got along wonderfully. The old woman was always invited to meals, church, and teatime, so there were plenty of opportunities for her and Evie to communicate.

A few minutes later, everybody sitting at the table heard pounding feet. Evie emerged at the bottom of the staircase. "I'm here!" she excitedly announced, acting out an excited twirl. She dragged an enormous suitcase with wheels behind her. The suitcase was almost the size of Evie herself.

"Oh my," her mother mumbled when her daughter came into the kitchen to impress her with her packing. "What's all that?"

Evie smiled and answered, "It's just all my camp stuff."

Charlotte shook her head and kneeled to her daughter's bag. She opened it to check what she packed. All she saw were clothes, jewelry, and makeup. "These are all clothes," she murmured as she pulled out an adorable, little sundress.

"Not just clothes," Evie shared in a proud voice. "There's also jewelry and makeup. I also packed some nail polish."

It was times like these Mrs. Madison knew her daughter was starting to turn into a teenager. She looked her in the eyes and asked, "Do you know what this vacation is about?"

"To become better aware of the environment."

Charlotte nodded. "Right." She shuffled by her daughter and opened up the hallway closet. From it, she pulled out a puny, white backpack and a single suitcase. Charlotte returned to Evie and plopped the backpack down on her enormous suitcase. "Which means all you need is this."

Just at the sight of the backpack, Evie's face turned a bright shade of red. "Aw. Seriously?"

Mrs. Madison merely smiled and nodded. "Trust me, my dear. You are not heading off to war. You don't need over half the things you have in your bag. Why don't you head out to the porch and say good morning to your father and Ms. Gilbert, and I'll repack for you? You'll be amazed at what I can do."

"Okay, Mom. Sorry."

"No problem. You're still learning."

"Yeah." Evie bobbed her head up and down and slipped out to the porch.

Her mother immediately got to work.

Evie avoided her father when she stepped onto the deck and went straight to Ms. Gilbert. She waved her hand in front of her face. "Good morning, Grandma Gilbert."

"What about me?" her father mumbled from his own seat. He dropped his newspaper and merely stared at his daughter.

The family's cat, Angus, rubbed up against his leg to comfort him.

Still smiling, Ms. Gilbert slowly turned her head and looked at the child hovering over her. "How are you, Evie?"

"I'm terrific! I didn't sleep at all last night! Today's the day I'm finally traveling to the Paperblank Forest!"

"The Paperblank Forest? What's the Paperblank Forest?"

Evie pulled out a chair next to the old woman and plopped down on it. She took Ms. Gilbert's hand and explained to her, "The Paperblank Forest is a huge forest located in the far-right corner of Pinta Country. It feeds out to the Pintaloon Ocean. In order to get there, we have to follow the Majestic River."

"The Paperblank Forest," Ms. Gilbert repeated. "The Paperblank Forest." She dropped her pencil and pushed her crossword puzzle away. She looked lost in thought.

Keegan, Evie's father, noticed that and asked her, "Are you all right, Ms. Gilbert? You're acting a bit strangely."

"The Paperblank Forest, Evie." Evie and her father watched as Ms. Gilbert's aging hand reached into a pocket of her shirt. She felt around a bit and pulled something out. It was a blue green pebble. She shakily held it out to Evie and begged, "Please, Evie. Bring back Mam."

"Mam?" Evie accepted the pebble. She stared confusingly into the old woman's face. "Who's Mam?"

"Do you want me to get you some more orange juice?" Keegan quickly asked. Ms. Gilbert was too old to face an interrogation session.

Her voice rattled while she spoke. "No, child. I want Mam."

Evie was officially curious. "But who is she? Have you been to the Paperblank Forest before, Grandma Gilbert?"

"Don't push the old woman, little one," Keegan sternly spoke. "She looks like she is about to fall asleep. I am going to get her some more juice, and I want you to watch over her while I'm gone."

"Yes, Father."

Mr. Madison folded up his newspaper and stood from his seat. "Mam?" he asked himself as he left.

Evie waited until her father disappeared inside. She then turned to Ms. Gilbert again and explained, "Grandma Gilbert, he's gone now. So, tell me. Who's Mam?"

"Mam was an adventurer," Ms. Gilbert explained. "I met him when I was a young girl, but I never saw him again. He left that pebble behind when he left."

"So it's a he?" Evie asked, scratching her chin. "Where did you meet him? Do you have a secret lover, Grandma Gilbert?"

Ms. Gilbert didn't answer. She yawned and slipped into sleep.

"Grandma Gilbert?" Evie asked. "Grandma Gilbert!"

Already, Ms. Gilbert was in a deep sleep.

The little girl finally decided to leave her be. She knew her father told her to look after her, but there wasn't much to worry about while the elderly woman slept. Besides, she could easily watch her from the backyard through the screen-in porch.

Evie got up from her chair and opened the door to the porch. She sauntered down the stairs.

The cat followed close on her heels.

Evie stopped in the middle of her backyard and peered down on her feet. They dug into healthy, green grass. It looked like her father was going to have to mow the lawn while she was gone. That’s another thing Evie was excited about. No chores! The trip sure beat taking out the trash and getting the mail. The trees swayed gently over the young girl, as well as the water in her pool.

Evie stood in front of her soccer net and peered down on the pebble Ms. Gilbert gave her. She didn’t know what it was but something about the pebble felt… magical. Evie didn’t believe in magic, though. She refused to believe in merpeople, princes, and fairies–although Pinta Country was full of them. At least, that was the rumor.

The young girl rubbed her thumb on the pebble’s smooth surface and asked under her breath, “Mam?” Her nails were painted royal blue with a white flower design on them. The design proved Evie’s love for the environment.

As soon as she asked, “Mam”, something unusual happened. The pebble flickered in her hand. “Huh? What’s going on?”

A strange, melodic sound exploded into the atmosphere. The tips of three trees further down the yard glowed up. What on Earth? Was this some sort of new photosynthesis?

Evie fell onto her butt in the grass–she was so surprised–and watched the glowing trees. She had no idea what was going on.

A great light flashed in front of the family’s outdoor fireplace.

Curious, Evie leaped to her feet and started towards it.

Within seconds, a figure emerged in front of the fireplace, but at the sight of the child running towards it, the glowing suddenly stopped. The figure vanished, and all was silent once again.

“Huh?” Evie questioned as she came to a screeching halt. “What just happened? That was weird.” She slipped the pebble in her pocket and watched the fireplace for a good while.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her father calling her from the porch a short time later. “Evie, what are you doing? I told you to watch over Ms. Gilbert!”

“Your breakfast is getting cold, angel!” said the voice of Charlotte next. “Hurry up! The bus is going to be here in thirty minutes!”

Evie immediately snapped out of her trance when she heard that. “Thirty minutes? Don’t worry! I’m coming, Mom!” She sprinted in the direction of the screen-in porch, but she peered back to the outdoor fireplace one last time. One thing for sure, there definitely was something mysterious about the pebble Ms. Gilbert gave her.

Chapter 2

Evie Meets Mateo

Evie’s focus changed from the pebble to the trip as 8:00 drew near. She ate her breakfast quickly and thanked her mom, accidentally burping in the process. Apologizing, she rushed back into the house and picked up her knapsack and smaller suitcase.

Her mother’s packing skills were incredible. She had taken out over half the things in Evie’s large suitcase and put the remaining things in her smaller bag. She definitely prepared her child for two weeks. Evie even forgot to pack a pillow, sleeping bag, sunscreen, and bug spray, but her mother fixed that for her.

She spread some sunscreen on her daughter’s face and put it in her backpack.

Evie slipped the sack over her shoulders and picked up her suitcase. As soon as she had everything she needed, she hurried out the front door and sat on the front staircase to wait for the bus. Her doll, Madeline, sat with her. She, too, was dressed in some camping clothes and had her own backpack. Evie loved her doll. She never went anywhere without her.

The peaceful neighborhood started to wake up. People were out on their morning runs and walking their dogs. The entire hood was shaded from flurries of trees that grew in it. The trees were the reason why it was so beautiful. A small park was across the street from Evie’s house.

She had an urge to run over and play, but she didn’t want to miss the bus. Therefore, she remained in her spot on the staircase and placed her hands on her knees. She kept her eyes fixed on the road. Pinta Country was famous for blending modern society with a medieval-like society, so there were two different types of roads. The dirt roads were for horseback riders, while the cement roads were for cars and other motor vehicles. It was forbidden to own guns in the country. Instead, they had swords, bows and arrows, and crossbows. Because of that, the crime rates were very low. Evie felt very safe sitting alone on her staircase.

A little bit later, she slipped her hand in her jean shorts pocket and wrapped her fingers around the pebble. “Where is the bus?” she asked in an impatient voice. Her foot started to tap, and she checked her wristwatch. Evie gasped when she saw it was 8:01am. Oh no! All Hell just broke loose! “8:01?” Evie cried out. “No! It’s late! It can’t be late! I’ve waited my entire life for this opportunity! No!” Yelling, she grabbed hold of her head and lowered it. She had been so excited over nothing. Evie was overreacting, though, but that was normal. She had always been the impatient one in her family, especially when it came to something exciting.

At 8:05am, she heard something stop in front of her house and lifted her head from her knees.

Evie gasped. There it was! The bus! Like any other school bus, it looked like a bumblebee. Pinned to the side of it was a banner that read Youth Camps for the Environment. Ages 10-13. “There it is!” Evie leaped to her feet and called into her house, “Mom! Dad! The bus is here!” She quickly picked up her suitcase and held it in front of her.

Her parents were out in a jiffy.

Ms. Gilbert slowly appeared behind them. She smiled at the sight of the little girl jogging towards her ride, with her parents following.

The bus’s door opened to reveal an older man who wore glasses. He peered down on a clipboard and asked the young girl, “Are you Evie Amanda Madison?”

Curious children checked out the new girl from their seats.

Evie was too excited to notice them. She quickly bobbed her head up and down. “I am! I’m here! You’re here! And my parents are here!”

Her parents appeared on either side of her.

Ms. Gilbert snuck up from behind.

Charlotte and Keegan told the driver, “We apologize about her, sir. She’s just a little excited.”

The driver chuckled and said, “I can see that.”

Evie was very jittery. She hopped back and forth like a stalker cat getting ready to pounce on its prey.

“Well, climb aboard, Evie!” announced the driver. “Welcome to the pack!”

“Thank you, sir!” Evie prepared to jump on the bus, but her parents stopped her.

“Not until we give you some advice!” they announced at the same time.

Chuckling, Evie shook her head. Parents. They always got so emotional when they sent their kid off.

Charlotte pointed at her chest and quickly said, “Remember to call us every single day. That is why we gave you the spare phone. We want to hear about everything you’re doing. Let’s try to FaceTime at least two times a week.”

“And remember!” Keegan interrupted. He bopped his daughter’s nose. “No boys! They are the worst! You’re too young to be thinking about that, anyway!”

“Mom, Dad, calm down,” Evie gently told her parents. “I read all about surviving a couple weeks away from your parents. There’s nothing to worry about. Well, I gotta go! Bye!” The young girl climbed aboard the bus, but she stopped before she could pick out her seat. Putting her doll and suitcase down, she hurried back out to her family and hugged her parents. “I love you, Mom and Dad.”

“We love you, too, Evie,” they whispered back. “Stay safe.”

“And remember to change your underwear every day,” Charlotte whispered.

Evie opened her eyes. She blushed when Charlotte said that. “Mom!”

“Changing your underwear every day is an important skill to perfect while you’re away,” her mother explained. “Especially for a girl your age.”

“All right,” Evie nervously chuckled, “let’s stop right there! Thanks, Mom.” The last person she said goodbye to was Ms. Gilbert. “Well, Grandma Gilbert,” Evie said in a low, kind voice, “I guess I’m off to the vast Paperblank Forest.”

“I’m proud of you, Evie,” Ms. Gilbert admitted. “The Paperblank Forest. Mam. Find Mam for me. Bring him home.” She reached her elderly hand into her pocket again. That time, she pulled out an old photo. Ms. Gilbert handed it to Evie.

She smiled when she saw the photo. It showed a black and white image of a young, brown-headed boy who looked her age. He smiled beautifully into the camera and hugged a sketchbook to his chest. Evie noticed he was actually quite handsome. She studied the photo for a little longer. When she finished, she smiled and nodded at Ms. Gilbert. “I’ll take good care of this, Grandma Gilbert.” Maintaining a tight grip on the picture, she hugged the old woman goodbye and climbed aboard the bus again.

Her father started to cry, but Charlotte comfortably rubbed his shoulder. They weren’t going to see their little girl for a full two weeks, so it was kind of tough to let her go. Evie was the only child, too. What if something happened to her? Like what happened to them years ago?

The bus driver smiled at Evie’s parents and said, “Don’t worry, Mr. and Mrs. Madison. We’ll take good care of her. She is in the best hands.”

“We know,” Charlotte said with a nod. “Make sure she doesn’t forget to call us.”

“Will do.” The bus driver nodded understandingly and started up the bus again.

Evie lifted her hand and waved goodbye one last time to her family. “Bye, guys! Don’t have too much fun without me! I love you!”

“We love you, too, munchkin!” her parents called back. “Have fun!”

“Bye!” The last person Evie looked at was Ms. Gilbert. Her smile had not left her face. Evie clutched the picture she gave her and whispered, “I won’t let you down, Grandma Gilbert.” Then just like that, Evie Amanda Madison was off to the Paperblank Forest!

She found a seat in the center of the bus and slid her suitcase under the seat in front of her.

Evie pulled off her backpack and plopped down on the smooth leather. She slid to the window and peered outside to the beautiful day. Including her, there were twenty kids on the bus and five chaperones. Each kid had been assigned a chaperone and cabin where they would be staying. Four kids were going to stay in each cabin. They wouldn’t know their chaperones, though, until they reached Paperblank Village. The adults wanted it to be a surprise.

The trip to Paperblank Village was long, but Evie enjoyed every minute of it. She pressed her face up against the cool window and watched each sign they passed that read Paperblank Forest on the highway. She also studied the picture of the boy Ms. Gilbert gave her and drew a sketch of him. Evie loved to draw. She had her own sketchbook, pencils, and binoculars that helped her with her sketches. She was an excellent drawer for her age. She decided to draw a sketch of the boy, just in case she lost his picture.

About an hour into the drive, Evie heard a small, “Ahem,” above her.

She set down her pencil and looked up from her sketchbook. Her eyes landed on another little girl whom stood in the aisle and held the seat in front of her. Her hair was medium-length and brown, and her eyes were the color of maple syrup. She was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a pink, plaid shirt. Small, silver stud earrings were in her ears, and she wore a black and red backpack on her back. “Excuse me,” she asked Evie, “is it okay if I sit with you? I don’t want to be alone.”

Evie immediately smiled and said, “Sure.” She moved her own book bag from the empty aisle seat and propped it up against the window.

“Thanks,” said the little girl who asked to sit with her. She took off her backpack and sat on the seat next to Evie. “My name is Ashlynn Henrietta. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Pleasure to meet you, too,” Evie friendlily said. “I’m Evie. Evie Amanda Madison.”

“Really?” Ashlynn asked. “You could use all three of those names as your own. That’s incredible.” Her eyes landed on Evie’s open sketchbook. “What are you drawing?”

“Oh. It’s a sketch of a portrait my grandmother gave me before I left. I decided to draw it, just in case I lose the picture.”

“May I?” asked Ashlynn. She held her hands out to the sketchbook but stopped herself from grabbing it.

Evie nodded and gave it to her.

Smiling, Ashlynn studied Evie’s drawing of the boy in the photo so far. “Wow,” she said, “this is incredible. You’re an amazing drawer. Do you know who this boy is?”

Evie shook her head. “No, but my grandmother does. She keeps saying his name is Mam.”

“Mam? Or did she mean Sam?” Ashlynn gave Evie her sketchbook back and placed her hands in her lap.

Evie gently closed the book and set the picture of the boy on top of it. “I think she means Sam, too,” she told her new friend. “It sounds like she met him in the Paperblank Forest.”

“Seriously? That’s so cool. Have you ever been to the Paperblank Forest, Evie?”

“No,” Evie admitted with a shake of her head. “So I’m really glad I’ve got the opportunity to see it for myself now.”

“Me, too. What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to be a Pinta Park Ranger.”

Ashlynn's jaw dropped to the ground. “A Pinta Ranger? Me, too! I want to be a ranger!” She blushed and held her fist up to her chest. “Don’t you just love the way the trees dance in the breeze?”

Evie also blushed. It was nice to know she met somebody who had a lot in common with her. That’s the kind of person she wanted to hang out with during the vacation. “And the way the leaves change colors in the fall?” she asked. “Oh, I do. It’s so hypnotic. I want to be just like my hero Anthony!”

“You know about Anthony?” Ashlynn asked, shocked. “Oh, my goodness! I do, too! He’s a celebrity!”

Evie put her hands together and said in a dreamy voice, “All I want in life is to meet him and tell him I’m his biggest fan! He can give me advice on how to be a ranger! Oh, I can picture it now! I would love to patrol the forest and listen to its whispers! The whispers of nature! And Anthony can be my mentor!”

“I just want to communicate with the forest animals,” Ashlynn said. She pressed her hands up against her chest. “Forest animals are always so mysterious.”

The two girls sighed and peered out the window. When they managed to calm down, they faced each other again. They could not help themselves. Laughing, they smacked their hands to their mouths and shook uncomfortably in their seats. Now both of them were thinking about Ranger Anthony. For the rest of the trip to Paperblank Village, they worked to get to know each other.

Evie let Ashlynn check out the rest of her sketches.

She was impressed by every single one.

Next, the two introduced their dolls to each other. Evie had one, and so did Ashlynn.

The next time Evie saw a sign for the Paperblank Forest, she pointed it out to Ashlynn.

The bus stopped at a rest area halfway to the village.

While there, the kids used the restroom, ate their lunches, and played. The restroom was located right in front of a smaller forest.

Evie and Ashlynn played a game of tag near it. They ducked behind trash cans and tagged each other. While they played, though, a few trees in the forest again glowed up. Ashlynn and Evie were having too much fun to notice them. That was until Evie thought she heard a small voice, and she paused right on her tracks.

“Help!” the voice begged. It sounded like it belonged to a boy.

Evie confusingly searched the area. “Who’s there?” she asked in a nervous voice.

Ashlynn soon joined her. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought I heard...” Evie started, but then she cut off. She doubted Ashlynn would believe her if she told her about the voice she heard. “Nothing. Come on, let’s return to the bus.”

“Sure.” Ashlynn suspiciously followed her new friend back to their ride.

The forest stopped glowing behind them.

The rest of the way to Paperblank Village, Evie was silent. She hugged her doll close to her and examined the picture of the boy.

Ashlynn took a nap. All that playing wore her out.

Evie was tired, too, but she couldn’t fall asleep. There were too many thoughts swarming around inside her brain. She looked out the window and watched as the highway narrowed down to just a single road. Trees surrounded the bus on either side. Knowing they were getting close, Evie tightly squeezed the picture of the boy.

Thirty minutes later, one of the counselors stood from her seat. She was a middle-aged woman, like Evie’s mom, who had long, auburn hair and blue eyes. She dressed in a navy-blue top with a white sweater over it, jeans, and a pair of blue and white sneakers. In her ears, she wore pearl earrings. She looked good for her age.

Evie immediately concluded she was a teacher when she wasn’t a counselor, and that she loved kids.

She woke everybody up on the bus by clapping her hands.

Ashlynn snapped awake and jumped in her seat. “Who?” she asked.

Evie nudged her and tilted her head in the direction of the middle-aged counselor.

Curious, Ashlynn looked with her.

A grin stretched across the woman’s face, and she announced, “Attention, everybody! We are almost at Paperblank Village! Thank you for being so patient with us! I can instantly tell you are a great group of kids. I am Mrs. Julie, one of the counselors here.” She moved her eyes around the bus and pointed out the rest of the counselors. When she called their name, the counselor stood up and waved hello to the children. “Say hello to Mrs. Ashley, Ms. Georgia, Mr. Jenkins, and Mr. Mateo.”

Mrs. Ashely was a young woman, probably in her early thirties, who had medium length, red hair and green eyes. She was dressed in a tan, outdoor uniform with a hat over her head, gray socks, and brown hiking boots.

Mrs. Georgia was older, but she wasn’t that old. She had graying, black hair and blue eyes. She wore a short-sleeved shirt with a sweater over it, leggings, sneakers, and a headband. She had her hair pulled back in a bun.

Mr. Jenkins was the oldest counselor, standing in his early seventies. His hair had balled a bit, but not all of it. His remaining hair was white. He wore brown glasses over his eyes and a wristwatch on his left wrist. He was dressed in a blue gray shirt with a brown vest over it and gray pants and shoes. He also looked good for his age.

Mr. Mateo, though, was the youngest of the counselors and quite possibly the best looking of the bunch. He was just twenty-one years old. He had short, black hair with parted bangs and mesmerizing, brown eyes. There was a small, black goatee on his chin, and he had a long but handsome nose. He was dressed in an orange matador jacket that had yellow lace and a red, tie-like bow at his collarbone. His pants were orange with yellow lace on them, too. Black, leather shoes covered his feet, and he wore a wristwatch on his left wrist. He was also tall, or maybe that was because most of the campers were still small.

Most of the girls on the bus swooned over him. A few even grabbed their fans and fanned themselves.

Ashlynn and Evie were, unfortunately, part of the fangirl club.

One look at Mateo, and Evie knew he was the most energetic of the counselors. Then again, he was just twenty-one years old. That was young to be a counselor. At that age, he would still be in college. Or would he?

Ashlynn and Evie stared at Mr. Mateo and sighed dreamily.

“I think I found my spirit partner,” Evie admitted to Ashlynn.

Her friend nodded with agreement.

Mrs. Julie snapped them out of their doze. “We will make it to Paperblank Village in twenty-five more minutes. Once the bus stops and everybody gets off, meet us at the large maple tree. You’ll instantly recognize it. It’s the largest tree in the grove. While at the maple tree, we will put you in your groups. These groups will be your family for these next two weeks, so it is especially important that you all cooperate with us. Once sorted into your groups, you will take your things to your cabin and unpack. Then we will all meet at the dining hall for dinner and an official welcome to the Paperblank Forest. Does that sound like a plan?”

“Yeah!” the kids shouted at the same time.

“Great!” Mrs. Julie laughed. “Hang in there, troopers. Our long journey is almost over.” With that, she sat back down in her seat.

A wave of chatter rose amongst the excited children.

Ashlynn and Evie thought of a way to get Mr. Mateo’s attention.

Evie purposely tossed the picture of the little boy Ms. Gilbert gave her down the aisle and whispered, “Oops.”

Ashlynn covered her mouth with her hand and laughed behind it.

Before long, they noticed movement coming from Mr. Mateo’s seat further in front of them. Both of them gasped and fanned themselves with their hands. Black, leather shoes stopped in front of them, and their jaws dropped to the ground. Mateo stood directly above them!

He smiled and held the picture out to Evie. “Is this yours?”

Evie and Ashlynn almost flipped out of their skin when they heard his voice. It was so deep, so hypnotic, and so beautiful.

Evie tried to contain her excitement. “Yes,” she squeaked, and she took the picture back. “Tha-Thank you. You have beautiful eyes, Mr. Mateo. Wait, did I just say that?” Embarrassment flashed across her face.

Mateo laughed it off. “It’s okay.” He pointed at the picture. “Is he your brother?”

“No, but my grandma knew him. She said she met him when she was a young girl, but she never saw him again.”

“Hm, I wonder.” Mateo clutched his elbow and scratched his goatee with the hand he held up. “There is an old legend in the Paperblank Forest that a young boy went missing sixty years ago from it.”

Both Evie and Ashlynn’s eyes widened. Missing? What did he mean by “Missing”?

Mateo noticed their nervous attitudes and quickly said, “Oh, but I’m sure it’s nothing for you girls to worry about. I apologize. I have a bad habit of thinking aloud. How about I make it up to you with these?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of candy. “Open your little hands.”

Evie and Ashlynn did.

Mateo set a piece of candy down in each of their hands and sweetly said, “There you go. I hope you can forgive me. I guess I’ll see you girls once we get to the village.” He patted each girl’s shoulder and returned to his seat.

For a good five minutes, Ashlynn and Evie just sat there. Then they cheered and grabbed each other’s hands. “He talked to us!” they yelled at the same time. They seemed to forget about the old legend Mateo mentioned.

Evie lowered her voice and told Ashlynn, “I hope we have him as our counselor!”

“Me, too!” It wouldn’t be determined, though, until they reached Paperblank Village.

Chapter 3

Paperblank Village

The next twenty minutes were brutal. Everybody was itching to get off the bus, even the adults, so there was a lot of jittery movement going on.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Mrs. Julie stood back up and announced, “Campers, we have made it to Paperblank Village!”

As soon as she said that, everybody piled at the windows to look out. They drove on a dirt road in a beautiful forest. Rays of the setting sun crept through the tree branches, shining different sun patches on the road. Where was the village, though?

Evie and Ashlynn didn’t see any buildings. All they saw were trees, streams, and an occasional ladder or two.

“Where’s the village?” Ashlynn asked after a bit.

Feet stopped behind her, and then Mateo’s familiar voice engulfed hers and Evie’s ears. “Look up, little ones.”

Goosebumps popped up on the girl’s arms when they heard him. They followed through with what Mateo said. They looked up and gasped at what they saw. Treehouses! The bus had entered a wide-open area that was full of them. Roped bridges separated each treehouse, and clothes on clotheslines blew in the late afternoon summer breeze. An occasional car or two sat at the bases of the treehouses.

Evie couldn’t believe what she saw. “Treehouses?” she asked in a shocked voice.

Mateo placed his hands on his hips. “Correct. Welcome to Paperblank Village.”

There was a sudden wave of surprised gasps from all over the bus. Everybody had finally seen the treehouses.

“This is so cool,” Evie admitted. She quickly pulled out her sketchbook and sketched a picture of the treehouses. She finished it right as the bus came to a halt.

It shut off, and Mrs. Julie stood again. “Attention, campers, here we are. Let’s all thank Mr. Douglas, the bus driver, for getting us here safely.”

“Thank you!” the kids excitedly announced, and they quickly picked up their things.

“Now remember,” continued Mrs. Julie, “once you get off the bus, look for the big maple tree. Once there, we will put you in your groups.”

“Yes, ma’am.” One at a time, the kids got off the bus.

Mateo gestured with his hand for Evie and Ashlynn to follow the others. “Ladies first.”

They thanked him and slipped into the aisle.

Evie could feel the excitement bubbling inside her. She was here! She was finally here! For the first time ever, Evie Amanda Madison was so close to the Paperblank Forest! She could now pretend to be just like Ranger Anthony and save the forest from destruction. It felt nice to stand after sitting on a bus for so long, so her feet danced under her.

The first thing Evie saw when she got off the bus was a flowing stream in front of her. Beyond the stream was a cluster of trees. “Check out that forest, Ashlynn,” she told her new friend, and she got a quick sketch of it. “It’s beautiful.”

Mateo appeared next to her and said, “It certainly is, little one.” Lifting his young hand, he pointed at the stream. “That stream flows out to a large river. The river leads to the Pintaloon Ocean. That there,–” He next pointed at the cluster of trees behind the stream, “is the Paperblank Forest.”

“Really?” the two girls yelped. Just then, another wave of excitement swamped them.

Their excitement quickly died, though, when Evie’s pocket started to glow.

“Huh?” she asked. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the pebble.

The pebble was what glowed.

“Is that a pebble?” Ashlynn asked her. “Why is it glowing?”

“I don’t know,” Evie admitted. “It did this this morning, too. Every time someone mentions the Paperblank Forest. It’s not magic, though. I don’t believe in magic. It’s just some weird phenomenon.” She was just getting ready to put the pebble back in her pocket when she heard the same cry for help she heard at the rest area.

“Someone, please! Help! I’m trapped!” The yell came from the forest.

“There’s that voice again,” Evie mumbled.

“Do what?” asked Mateo.

“A voice. I’ve been hearing one all day. It keeps calling, ‘Help! I’m trapped!’”

“It must be the boy,” Mateo murmured under his breath. He cleared his throat and asked Evie, “Evie, could I see that picture of the boy your grandmother gave you again?”

“Sure.” Evie felt like she could trust Mateo, but not just because of his looks. Something about him told her he knew what was going on–that he was not messing around. Evie held the picture out to him, and he took it. She also handed him the glowing pebble.

Mateo accepted that, too. He took a step closer to the stream and studied both objects he held.

Ashlynn and Evie curiously watched him.

“I wonder,” whispered the young man. He tightened his grip on the pebble and held it up to the rays of the setting sun. They were almost perpendicular with the Paperblank Forest.

As soon as the pebble hit the sun’s rays, the same strange sound Evie heard in her backyard that morning exploded into the atmosphere, and the trees glowed up.

The entire camp crowd gasped when they saw that.

“It’s happening again,” Evie whispered.

Hearing her, Ashlynn glanced at her friend and asked, “Huh?”

A few minutes passed, and then the glowing faded. Everything returned to normal, including the pebble.

Mateo lowered his hand and studied it intently. To himself, he said, “The forest is unbalanced. The Guardian is dying. She is struggling to bring back the boy.”

“Guardian?” Evie asked. “What Guardian?”

“Hm?” Mateo blushed when he realized he had thought aloud again. Smiling, he turned to the two girls and told them, “It’s nothing to worry about, girls. Just an old legend. Here’s your pebble and picture back, young lady.” He handed them to Evie. “Come on. Let’s meet up with the other campers at the maple tree.”

Just as Mrs. Julie said on the bus, the tree was easy to find. It definitely was the largest tree of the grove. Its beautiful leaves danced in the breeze. A few wafted down onto the children’s heads.

Evie had never seen a maple tree as elegant as that one. If just one tree was like that, then she couldn’t wait to explore the forest! She whipped out her sketchbook and sketched the maple. As she worked, she used her binoculars to study its trunk and branches.

Off to the side, Mateo noticed her sketching and cracked a small smile. It was nice to know Evie liked to draw. That was a key skill when it came to being a ranger. The young man knew that.

Everybody was a little shook up about what happened earlier with the trees, but Mrs. Julie kept their positive attitudes rolling. “Welcome, everybody, to Paperblank Village!” She lifted her hand and gestured at the forest on the other side of the stream. “Over there is the Paperblank Forest itself. There are many surprises waiting for you there. It’s the perfect atmosphere for studying the environment. All right, children! It’s now time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for! We’re going to sort you into your groups!”

The kids instantly became jittery again when she said that. They waited so long for the time to come.

The camp counselors spread out so the kids could easily find them in the grove. The treehouses shimmered in the sunset behind them.

A few villagers stood on the roped bridges. They curiously watched what was going on.

Mrs. Julie unzipped her book bag and pulled out a clipboard. She swatted a bug off her leg and read from it. “Where are Andy Beckett, Patricia Norma, Fergus Montano, and Jennings Alexander?”

“Here!” four excited voices called out. Four of the youngest children shot their hands into the sky.

Mrs. Julie nodded at the sight of them. “You four are with me.”

“Yes!” the children cheered, clapping their hands. Grabbing their things, they joined Mrs. Julie and bowed to her.

As she prepared to announce the next group, Evie and Ashlynn nervously bit their nails. They not only wanted Mateo as their counselor, they also didn’t want to be separated from each other. Just like family, friends stuck together.

“Emilee Linden, T-Bone II, Regina Bennett, and Ritchie Myrtle, you are with Mrs. Ashley,” Mrs. Julie announced to the next group of children.

They nodded understandingly and sauntered over to Mrs. Ashley, with their suitcases tucked under their arms. They didn’t show as much excitement as the kids who got Mrs. Julie did, but that may have been because they were tired.

It was so difficult for Ashlynn and Evie to handle all the waiting. They wanted their names called, but what if their names weren’t on the list? Would that mean the counselors would kick them out? The girls chewed their nails harder.

“Next,” continued Ms. Julie, “Amanda Foster, Jasper Henshall, Hector Brown, and Kaitlyn Cocks, you are with Ms. Georgia.”

“Ms. Georgia!” the kids yelped. “Thank you!” Grins stretched across their faces, and they quickly joined Ms. Georgia, who stood at the base of the maple tree. Those kids obviously wanted Ms. Georgia as their counselor.

It was down to two counselors now: Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Mateo. The last eight names called would mean everything to Ashlynn and Evie. If they got Mr. Jenkins, they would have lost their opportunity for Mr. Mateo, but what if one girl got Mr. Jenkins and the other girl got Mr. Mateo?

Ashlynn and Evie weren’t the only ones growing antsy. The remaining kids were, too. They had no idea what to expect. Either they would be with the older man or the younger man.

Ashlynn and Evie used their hands to fan themselves, and they held their breaths as they waited.

“Teresa Richter,” announced Mrs. Julie, “Brycen Materal, Lucas Siren, and Fern Evergreen...”

Evie and Ashlynn closed their eyes and waited for the counselor’s next words. They crossed their fingers and silently prayed.

“You guys are with Mr. Jenkins,” Mrs. Julie finished with.

Ashlynn and Evie gasped. Their eyes fluttered open. Wait, did they hear her right? Mr. Jenkins? Then that meant…!

Mrs. Julie flipped to the final page in her clipboard. “That leaves Adam Sebastian Fergie, Tate Isla, Ashlynn Henrietta, and Evie Amanda Madison with Mr. Mateo.”

“AHHH!” Evie and Ashlynn screamed at the same time. “Yes! Yes!” It was a dream come true! Not only were they together, but they also had Mr. Mateo as their counselor! Could the day get any better?

The two girls snatched up their suitcases and sprinted over to the young man. “We’re in your group!” they shouted.

“You sure are,” Mr. Mateo tittered. He glanced from the girls to the two boys he had in his group, too.

They were just as excited as Evie and Ashlynn. Their hands started to sweat as they came within reach of the twenty-one-year-old. It was as if Mateo was a celebrity of some sort.

“Welcome, Adam, Tate, Evie, and Ashlynn to my family.” The smile on his face caused Evie and Ashlynn to blush again. Why was Mr. Mateo so gorgeous?

“Are you guys excited to be here?” Mateo asked his group.

“Sure are!” the children managed to cough up.

Evie and Ashlynn were just happy they were together with the hottest counselor of the bunch.

The campers took about ten minutes in order to acquaint themselves with their own counselors, and then Mrs. Julie announced, “All right, campers, remember what I told you on the bus. Your group will be your family for these next two weeks. Make sure you form a fantastic bond with each other. Your camp activities are based on your counselor’s schedule. For now, they will take you to your cabin and get you settled in. In about an hour, we will meet up with each other in the dining hall. Until then, let’s have some fun climbing treehouses!”

“Right on!” the children cheered. They dispersed, with their counselors.

“All right, team! Follow me!” Mateo ordered in an enthusiastic voice.

His group nodded and picked up their bags.

Ashlynn and Evie glued themselves to the young man. They refused to leave his side. It wasn’t just because he was good-looking, though. They felt safe around him... like Mateo was going to make sure nothing happened to them.

He smiled at the kids and asked them, “Are you guys ready to climb some treehouses?”

“What are we going to do about our suitcases, though?” Adam wanted to know. He was a cute boy who had short, brown hair and green eyes. He was dressed in a green shirt with an orange, lightweight jacket over it, brown pants, and orange sneakers. He looked to be around eleven years old.

Mateo patted the boy on the head and told him, “Don’t worry, Adam. We’ll get them up there. Come with me.”

The counselor took the wiped-out campers to the edge of the village. There, they found a wooden lift.

A villager up on a landing post protected it.

At the sight of the lift, Tate cracked a smile. “Aw yes! A lift!” He made his way towards it, but Mateo stopped him.

“Na hah, hah, Tate. The lift is not for us. It’s for our bags.”

“Oh, I see how it is. You want us to get some exercise climbing treehouses after being in a bus for so long.”

“That’s what we were aiming for, yes. Climbing treehouses is fun, though. Trust me. I’ve done it plenty of times.”

Tate scoffed and crossed his arms. “What are you... some climbing expert?”

“You could say that, yes. Now come on, the lift’s waiting, and we have some suitcases to drop off.” Mateo escorted his group over to the lift. He peered up to the operator.

He sat in a chair, eating a burrito.

Mateo brought his hand to the side of his mouth and called up to him. “Yo! Marshmallow! We could use your help!”

At the sound of his voice, Marshmallow swallowed a huge chunk of his burrito and pushed it down his throat. He set it down and stood up. His hair had been styled in a white afro, and he had baby blue eyes. The afro was the reason why his nickname was “Marshmallow”. Evie and Ashlynn quickly figured that out when he poked his head over the landing.

“Mateo, my boy! How the devil are you?”

“Terrific, except I’ve got four, exhausted campers here. Do you think you could send down the lift to help lighten their loads?”

Marshmallow immediately nodded and said, “Anything for you, my friend! Come right on over! Stay clear of the lift while it’s lowering.”

“Will do!” Mateo winked at his campers and nudged them in the direction of the lift.

They stopped about ten feet back from it.

Once there, the young counselor stepped in front of the kids and defensively held his arm up to them.

Ashlynn and Evie sighed when they saw him protecting them. It showed he cared about children.

Up on the landing, Marshmallow picked up his burrito and bit into it as he pulled down the lift’s lever. At his command, the lift jerked and started to descend towards the campers and counselor.

The kids watched it, wide-eyed.

Once the lift reached the forest’s floor, its bar door opened and took on the form of a mouth-like feature.

“Your suitcases’ ride is here,” Mateo told everybody. “Now chop, chop.”

Tate, Adam, Evie, and Ashlynn bobbed their heads up and down, to show they understood, and approached the lift. One at a time, they tossed their suitcases into the bar mouth.

Evie tried putting her bag in sideways, but it ended up getting caught in the doorway. “Uh oh.” She pushed her bag, but it didn’t budge. Thankfully, Mateo came to the rescue.

He pushed his way through the crowd of tweens and came within reach of the suitcase. “Not to worry, Evie. I’ll get it for you.”

“Thank you.” Evie shuffled over to Ashlynn.

The two of them hooked hands. They shivered with excitement, and their faces burned red.

Mateo pushed his shoulder up against the suitcase, but it only budged a half inch. He tried again. That time, the suitcase didn’t move at all. “Man!” he groaned. “This is really stuck! All right, back up!”

The kids quickly obeyed and scrunched together.

As Mateo took a step back from the lift, he asked, “You know what this calls for?”

“What?” Evie almost laughed when her counselor suddenly performed a pose.

He batted his chest, yelped like Tarzan, and twirled in a circle. Lifting his hand, he announced, “The Super Mateo Shove!” and sprinted towards the lift. His shoulder smashed the stuck suitcase and pushed it right into the cage, but Mateo ended up going with it. His upper body slid through the bar mouth, like a burglar sliding down a chimney, but his lower body stayed outside. Instead of the suitcase getting stuck now, it was Mr. Mateo. He rapidly kicked his legs and shouted, “Help! Get me out of here!”

Evie gasped. “Hang on, Mr. Mateo!”

She, Ashlynn, and the two boys hurried to their counselor and grabbed his legs.

“Help!” he yelled again.

“Heave! Heave!” Evie ordered her friends.

They obeyed her almost as instantly as they obeyed Mr. Mateo. It looked like both he and Evie were good at barking orders. The four tweens pulled on the young man’s legs as hard as they could.

“What’s going on down there?” the voice of Marshmallow asked from up above. He peered over the landing and licked burrito sauce off his fingers. He snorted when he saw Mateo. Boy, it had been a while since he got a show like that!

After a few more tugs, the children managed to pull their counselor out. All of them fell backwards.

Mateo crashed down on his back, right on top of Evie. Sitting, he rubbed his shoulder and glanced at Tate, Ashlynn, and Adam. “Thanks, guys. It would have been terrible if I had to spend the rest of the evening stuck in a lift.”

“Uh, no problem,” Evie breathlessly choked out under him. “We’re glad to help you, but don’t you think you’ve taken the celebration a little too far?”

“Oh, my goodness!” Mateo’s face reddened like a tomato. “I am so sorry, Evie!” He quickly got off her and helped her to her feet. Mateo brushed dirt off her shirt. “Let me wipe that dirt off you.”

Evie glanced down on his rapidly moving hand, but it wasn’t long until it slowed down.

The young man removed it, and he and Evie met eyes. That was the first time they noticed they shared the same eye color. Both their eyes shone a magnificent brown. In a way, Evie and Mateo looked a little alike. They had similar facial features.

Marshmallow’s voice snapped them out of their trances. “You kids good?”

Mateo turned in his direction and gave him a thumb’s up. “We’re good!”

Seeing the counselor’s sign, Marshmallow shuffled over to the lever and pulled it again. The bar door closed, and the lift started to make its way back up to the landing.

Down below, Mateo adjusted the collar of his matador and admitted, “Well, that was one Super Mateo Shove that didn’t go exactly as planned.”

A question mark appeared above Evie’s head. “Super Mateo Shove? What the heck is the Super Mateo Shove?”

Smiling, Mateo placed his hands on his hips and proudly explained, “The Super Mateo Shove is a move I pull off whenever I need to move something enormous during a mi–” He cut off before he could say too much. “I mean!” He quickly became serious and said in a stern voice, “No questions! We are running under a tight schedule! If we waste any more time, the bags will reach the top before us. Come, troops! Let’s find a ladder!” Unfortunately, the second he turned around, his face smashed into a wooden ladder. “Ow!” Mateo cried out, grabbing his nose. “Son of a porcupine! Was this ladder here before?”

Ashlynn pushed by him and hopped onto the ladder’s first step. “I think you should get your head checked out, sir,” she suggested. “You look like you may have hit it when we pulled you out. Already there is a bruise forming on it. This ladder has been here all along.”

“Huh? It has?” The look on Mr. Mateo’s face was hilarious.

Evie’s, Adam’s, and Tate’s cheeks puffed out. They quickly covered each other’s mouths. All right, they had to admit. It had been just ten minutes since Mateo welcomed them to his family, and he was already the best counselor. He definitely still had a lot of kid in him. Of course, that mostly had to do with his age. The age difference between him and his campers was just ten years.

The remaining tweens followed Ashlynn. They leaped onto the ladder and started to climb.

Mateo yelled at them from below. “Hey! Don’t leave me, dudes! I am in charge of your safety!” He pulled on his hair and chased after his group.

The four children quickly moved off to the side when he appeared next to them.

Mateo climbed just like a monkey. He clenched his teeth and climbed quickly and carefully. Within seconds, he was in front of Ashlynn and leading the way again. His climbing skills left everybody in shock. How could he climb that well? Did he have superpowers?

Mateo reached the village first.

His campers hauled themselves up behind him. They plopped down next to him and tried to catch their breaths. Sweat trickled down their faces.

Mateo was the only one not panting or sweating. He merely sat cross-legged and crossed his arms. “Was climbing a ladder really that much work? Well, it definitely looks like I’m gonna have to get you kids in shape these next two weeks.”

“But, Mr. Mateo,” Tate gasped, “we’re tired.”

“Why? All you did today was sit on a bus and eat some food. It looks to me like you guys are afraid to work.”

Tate blushed. He was too cool to admit that was true.

Evie noticed his face and chuckled. She leaned in towards the boy and admitted, “I like him.”

Mateo lifted his finger and brightly elucidated, “Exercise is crucial to anyone’s health. It de-stresses you for a full twenty-four hours. Your confidence is rebooted, and you feel like you can take over the world. It also–”

A sudden ringing sound came from the young man’s pant pocket before he could continue.

He leaped out of his skin and cried, “Yipe! Oh, sweet cheese and carrots! Who is this time?”

Evie, Ashlynn, Tate, and Adam stared as he dug around in his pocket. He tried turning off his phone but ended up accidentally activating the speakerphone instead.

A woman’s voice shouted at him from the other line: “Mateo! It’s Mommy!”

The campers burst out laughing. They rubbed snot from their noses.

Mateo saw them, but he tried his best to act as casual as possible, as if he didn’t know who called him. He brought his phone to his ear and said in a mature voice, “Hello… Barbara. Sorry, but I can’t talk now. You may have the wrong number.”

His mother ignored his pleas to hang up. “Are you enjoying being a counselor? Does my baby boy have plenty of underwear?”

That reminded Evie of her own mother. She also was all over having plenty of underwear.

Ashlynn, Adam, and Tate laughed harder. They rubbed tears from their eyes.

“Mom, I can’t talk right now,” Mateo growled into his phone. “I am in the middle of a very important lecture. There are four eleven-year-olds sitting directly in front of me.”

Again, his mother ignored. “Mateo, I’m at the store. Do you want me to pick you up some more ointment?”

The twenty-one-year-old quickly stuffed his phone under him, to muffle out the word “ointment”, but the kids already heard it.

Evie was the only one not dying of laughter.

Mateo nervously chuckled and pulled his phone out from under him. “Leave me alone,” he begged his mom. Off to the side, he noticed Marshmallow coming in their direction. He dragged everybody’s suitcases behind him on a cart. “I’ve gotta go!” Mateo quickly told his mother, but she wasn’t done embarrassing him yet.

“Sweet cakes, do you think I should buy a t-shirt bra for my yoga class, a sports bra, or a multiway bra?”

“A sports one!” her son shouted without even thinking. “Wait, they have multiway bras?”

“Why of course, baby, but I think I’ll save those for your wedding.”

“Wedding?” Evie asked. Her entire face broke into a grin, and she hooked her fingers together. “You’re getting married, Mr. Mateo? Oh, that’s adorable!”

“Is that one of your campers?” Mateo’s mother asked on the other line, but she didn’t let him answer. “He sure is, young lady. The young woman he is marrying is perfect! She’s going to take good care of little Mateo Waeo.”

“Mom! Shut up!”

“Ahem,” a voice spoke above the young man’s shoulder. It was Marshmallow. He had made it to the group. “Who are you talking to?” he asked. However, the sides of his mouth twitched.

Mateo lowered his phone and peeped up to him. “Um, nobody. Just some crazy telemarketer. She works for, um, Bratistic City. She must have thought I was a regular customer. Heh, heh.” Mateo finally just shut off his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He forgot to tell his mother he loved her. That would come back to haunt him in the future.

Evie’s friends calmed down, but a few of them still snickered. They could laugh now, but once their mothers called them at unnecessary times when they were twenty-one, then they would understand exactly how Mateo felt.

What just happened, though, reminded Evie of her own parents. She felt a knot in her tummy and lowered her head.

Ashlynn took her hand and comfortably rubbed it.

Mateo glanced at the suitcases in the cart behind Marshmallow and cleared his throat. “So, I see our suitcases made it up here okay. Thanks, Marshmallow. Troops, grab your bags and meet me over at the grocery store.” He pointed to a large treehouse in front of them. Its roof was made of leaves, twigs, and branches, and a sign hung from it. The sign read The Time Traveling Depot.

Ashlynn, Tate, and Adam wasted no time. They hurried to Marshmallow and grabbed their bags from the cart.

Evie didn’t join them. She felt her excitement fading inside her. She pressed her arms against her chest and turned away from her group. It hadn’t even been a day, and already she missed her family. She wanted to be with them.

A whoosh of warm air passed by her head, and the corners of her eyes caught Mateo standing next to her.

Feebly smiling, he bent his knees and clutched them, leaning in towards her. “What’s bothering you, Evie? In just fifteen minutes, your excitement level has dramatically decreased.”

“It’s just...” Evie sighed. “That call from your mother reminded me of my own mom.”

“Oh.” Mateo nodded. “I see.”

Evie lifted her hand. She used the back of it to rub her eyes. Images of Charlotte flashed through her mind. “She’s also all about having clean underwear. What your mother told you is almost exactly what she told me this morning before I left.”

“It reminded you of her. Evie, look at me.” Mateo took her shoulder and got down on her level.

Evie glanced into his brown eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat. She still blushed when she saw his face.

Mateo squeezed her shoulder and gently said, “You’re okay. I understand how you feel. I felt the same way when I headed off to camp when I was your age. You feel you may be far from your parents, but they are actually closer than you think. Parents are always with their children, even when they can’t see them. Why don’t we do this? Let’s find our cabin, and once we’re there, we’ll give your parents a call and tell them you are in good hands. Remember, we’re your family for the next two weeks, and family sticks together.”

“Thanks, Mr. Mateo.”

“Just call me Mateo. I’m old, but I’m not that old.”

Evie let out a feeble chuckle. She felt good around Mr. Mateo. She nervously peered down on her nails and picked at them.

“Are you ready to return to the others?” Mr. Mateo asked her a few minutes later.

Evie had no idea. She refused to let the others see her like that. She lost her smile and placed her hands in her lap.

Mr. Mateo’s gentle voice helped her relax. “Here.” He rose to his feet and picked up the little girl. The young man hugged her to his shoulder and shuffled in the direction of the suitcase cart.

Evie wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned her cheek on his shoulder.

The boys, Tate and Adam, waited at the grocery store just like their counselor ordered, but Ashlynn was still at the cart. She was not going to leave without Evie.

At the sight of her and Mateo bonding, Ashlynn smiled. “Aw, look at you two. You’re so cute together. You look like you could be related.”

Evie sarcastically chuckled. “Ha, ha. Very funny, Ashlynn.”

“Well, you do,” Ashlynn said under her breath.

Mateo set Evie down next to her and grabbed his own suitcase.

Evie pulled hers out of the cart and tucked Madeline under her arm. She and Ashlynn joined Adam and Tate at the treehouse grocery store, where they patiently waited for their counselor.

He started towards them, but Marshmallow grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

Evie saw that. She slipped behind the treehouse’s wall and peered out to the two men.

Mateo and Marshmallow faced each other.

Marshmallow reached behind his back. He pulled out a small scroll with a red ribbon tied around it and held it out to Mateo.

A warm zephyr that passed through the village allowed Evie to hear what they were saying. Normally, she didn’t spy on people, but there was something mysterious about Mateo.

Marshmallow edged the scroll closer to the young man and explained, “It’s a message from the Ranger Union. They want to know the status of your mission. They are expecting you to call them later.”

“Ranger Union?” Evie whispered. “Mission?”

Mateo took the scroll from Marshmallow. “Thank you, Marshmallow. I was planning to call them, anyway. Let me first get these kids settled. They’re tired, and they just want to make it to the cabin.”

“I understand. You’re a good kid, Mateo.” Marshmallow meant it, too.

Mateo knew he did, and he thanked him. He slipped the scroll in his book bag and waved goodbye to his friend.

Evie quickly returned to the others, to make it look like she had been chatting with them all along.

“Are we ready, troops?” the voice of Mateo called from behind. “I have the key to the cabin right here. Now all we have to do is find it.”

“After we do, will it be time for dinner?” Tate impatiently asked. His mouth watered, and he reached for his rumbling tummy.

Mateo nodded. “And then it will be time for dinner.” He stepped in front of his group, gesturing with his hand for them to follow him.

They headed towards a long, wooden bridge.

Evie stayed behind, but just temporarily. There were too many thoughts swarming around inside her brain. She pulled the mysterious pebble from her pocket and examined it. She remembered when Mateo held it up to the sun’s rays and the trees seemed to glow at his command.

The next thing Evie drew from her pocket was the picture of the boy Ms. Gilbert gave her. She studied that, too. Her eyes moved from the pebble to the child’s photo. Hm, something fishy was going on. Mateo was not just a camp counselor. He was something more, and Evie was desperate to find out what.