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concerns tried to drift back
into my mind, but I pushed the unpleasant thoughts away
immediately. “A ride would be nice. As long as I don’t have to sit
by Evan, that is,” I said. “I think he’s still laughing at
me.”
    “Evan can drive himself if he can’t
behave,” Tanner promised.
    By the time we made it back to Tanner’s
friends, Evan had managed to calm himself down. “Good try,” Jackson
said politely. Evan stifled another chuckle, but managed to keep
his hysterical laughter in check this time. Normally I might have
stomped away from his childishness with my nose in the air, but
here the teasing didn’t really bother me that much. Standing next
to Tanner might have been part of the reason for that.
    “Shooting like a girl suddenly has new
meaning to me,” Evan said. He just couldn’t resist.
    It was such a relief to be around
people my own age again. Not having my mom hovering overhead,
trying to gauge whether I was moving towards well-adjusted quickly
enough was a huge relief. I was not sure how I would survive the
summer without a few distractions to get me out of the house.
Evan’s playful attitude gripped me, and before I thought too much
about it, I punched Evan in the shoulder, grinning while I did
it.
    “Ow,” he exclaimed. He rubbed his
shoulder, pretending I had actually done some damage. “She hits
better than she shoots at least.” That earned him a punch from
Tanner as well. “Alright, alright, it was a good try, Arra.
Actually Tanner’s bow is way too big for you. I would have been
shocked if you had been able to draw the arrow on your
own.”
    I turned on Tanner. His grin was his
only answer. I smirked, feeling a little foolish, but still happier
than I had been in a while. “Well it’s not like I carry around
extra bows just in case a pretty girl walks in while we’re
practicing,” he said in his defense.
    I did not miss the ‘pretty girl’ thrown
in so casually. I turned away, hoping he didn’t see me blush.
Looking up into the sky I suddenly realized how low the sun had
dipped. My mom had been thrilled to see me leave the house, but I
knew I would be in for a lecture if I didn’t make it home on time.
“What time is it?”
    Tanner pulled a cell phone out of his
jeans pocket. I was more than a little surprised to see it. I would
have bet a week’s allowance that you could not get reception out
here in Grainer. Actually my dad had claimed that was the big
reason for cancelling my cell phone before we moved. We might have
to talk about that tonight. Tanner caught my shocked look and
laughed.
    “What, you’ve never seen a cell phone
either? I would’ve thought you’d have three or four, being from
Manhattan and all,” Tanner said.
    I completely ignored that comment. “The
time?”
    “It’s a quarter to six,” he informed
me.
    “Oh crap,” I said. My mom would be
calling dad away from the hospital early if her mopey daughter did
not appear in time to help prepare dinner.
    “What’s wrong?” Jackson
asked.
    “Oh, it’s just that I’m supposed to
help my mom with dinner tonight.” I looked around the forest, my
brow crinkling. Which way was I walking when I ran into these guys?
“Um, I’m not even sure where I am. I was just kind of
wandering.”
    “Go get the targets, guys,” Tanner said
to his two friends. Evan grumbled something about doing all the
work as he walked away, but he went anyway. “I’ll drive you back if
you want.”
    “Thanks,” I said, “that would be
great.” My mom might not think so, taking rides from strangers and
all that, but it was a tossup on which one she would be more mad
about, being late and making her think I had died somewhere, or
taking a ride from a sweet and good looking gentleman like Tanner.
Maybe I could have Tanner drop me off a block away and avoid having
to find out. “My mom really freaks out if I’m late.”
    Tanner flashed his teeth again. “Well,
we can’t have you getting grounded before the