I figured I’d at least use the alone time to do something productive. I still wasn’t sure I wanted to go back to Derwin, but I did want to read more about the other Monster Crushers. Specifically what had happened to them. So I sat there on the cold steps during first recess and read the end of each section in the Great Monster Crushers. Each ending had been written by the following Monster Crusher. It wasn’t good news.
Daniel the Dragon Killer was killed when he chased a retreating army of goblins into the Dead Mountains. He was ambushed there and downed with arrows
.
Gregory the Giant’s Bane was ironically killed by a giant (this was after he killed Ogg the Terrible and got his name).
Thomas the Goblin Terror was killed by a giant spider in the Shadow Tunnels. He walked into the nest while searching for Bandar
.
I closed the book, grimacing. This didn’t seem like a job I wanted, never mind if I could actually do it. But on the way to school that morning I’d heard something on the radio that was very, very concerning. A hiker was missing from Riverfield. Apparently he’d been off in the woods that bordered the town last night and hadn’t come home.
I turned the radio up and listened carefully until the report finished.
“That’s comforting,” Tom said from the back seat.
I glanced at my mom.
“I’m sure he’ll turn up soon,” she said, though she looked perturbed.
I didn’t say anything, but I was definitely wondering if something with bright-yellow eyes had found the missing hiker. I wanted to at least tell Tom and my parents to stay out of the backyard, but I knew I couldn’t explain why.
I just had to hope Eldon and the Swords were keeping watch around my house.
As I sat on the steps thinking about the missing hiker, I glanced at Shal and Mia talking in our usual spot in the far corner of the yard. Shal was picking grass and Mia was sitting beside her cross-legged, probably listening to her talk about Carl’s haircut. I wished I was sitting over there with them. At least it would have been a distraction from everything else that was going on.
As it turned out, Shal might have been talking about me this time, because she glanced over, saw me looking, and immediately flushed and turned away. Mia followed her gaze and gave me a shy little wave and smile. I returned it and went back to my book.
I hoped Shal would want to be friends again soon. I could really use some.
I ate lunch alone as well. Shal and Mia were sitting and chatting at Shal’s desk, so I was stuck eating my bologna sandwich by myself and listening to Allison and the other girls gossip behind me. They were still leaving me alone, so I guess I couldn’t complain.
Apparently I wasn’t worth the effort. That was fine by me.
I did sneak a few glances at Liam while I ate. He was sitting with Paul and Steve, of course, but they didn’t play their card game inside while eating lunch. They just talked quietly and laughed, making sure not to attract too much attention from the other boys. Steve was thin and wiry like Liam, with messy blond hair and a lot of acne. Paul was stockier, with closely cropped brown hair and an endless supply of striped golf shirts.
I watched as Liam snickered at something and adjusted the thick black glasses that sat perched on his freckled, pointy nose. He glanced over at me, and I quickly went back to my sandwich, feeling my stomach knot and twist. Better to be alone, I decided.
You can’t get hurt that way.
So I just kept to myself the rest of the day, reading the guide and wondering what would happen if an ogre wandered into Riverfield. I think I would run the other way.
When the final bell went, I packed up my pencil case and books into my backpack. We didn’t have any homework tonight, so I could leave the textbooks at school. That was always a nice feeling.
I actually quite liked Ms. Haddock—she was very enthusiastic and excitable, though she was oblivious to all the gossip and teasing and bullying happening in the class. I think she was too nice to believe her students would do such things. I waved goodbye to her and started for the hall, lugging my bag along with me.
Liam’s locker was on the way to mine, and I snuck a quick glance at him packing his books away as I hurried by. Naturally he looked up right at that moment, and I felt my cheeks flush pink. Shooting him a very awkward smile, I quickly walked on, looking away.
“Settling in?” he asked.
I paused and turned back. I’d been caught.
“I guess,” I said. “Always takes awhile.”
“I’ve been here my whole life, and I’m still not settled in,” he replied, smirking.
“That’s comforting.”
He laughed. “Sorry. Seems like you made some friends, at least.”
“I did,” I said, glancing down the hall at Shal and Mia. “I seem to have lost them again.”
“That was fast.”
“I have a way with people,” I muttered.
He shrugged. “You seem nice to me. That said, I was never a good judge of character. You could be an alien in disguise, for all I know.” He closed his locker. “Well, best of luck getting those friends back. You can always hang out with us at recess, though we do just play card games. You might want to try your other friends first, if you ever plan on being popular, that is. If not…then welcome to the team.”
I
