Free Hidden Moon by K R Thompson Page B

were snuggled up next to each other, looking cozy.
    Adam leaned forward, whispering into my hair, “Come sit with me today, I could use some cheering up.”
    I followed him over to their table, and sat down next to him. All the guys had two plates of food each, piled full. They seemed to be shoving food in their mouths as quick as possible, though they didn’t seem to be tasting any of it.
    “So did you find anything else other than her gear?” I asked Adam, who seemed to be eating with even less enthusiasm than the others.
    He swallowed hard. “Her walking sticks—and some blood.”
    “Was the blood hers?”
    “The police think so. They are sending it off for testing to make sure,” Ed’s voice was grave.
    The table fell silent again.
    Adam stopped eating, and sat back, staring into space. The look on his face seemed to call out to me. I reached under the table and took his hand without thinking. His warm fingers entwined with mine, and the air warmed around us like a big hug. We sat in silence as everyone else finished eating and the bell rang. When we stood together, our hands were still together. Adam noticed it and dropped my hand. A warm flush crept up the side of his neck.
    I thought we hadn’t been noticed until I walked over to the trash with my tray and happened to catch Ronnie staring at me with wide eyes.
    Hold on a second , Adam’s voice seemed to whisper to me from across the room.
    He dumped his plate in the trash and walked over to me. “I’ll walk you to your next class.”
    His hand found mine this time and he seemed oblivious to the openmouthed stares that seemed to come from every direction as we walked down the hall. He stopped at the art class’ door and gave my hand a slow squeeze as he released it.
    “Thank you for letting me walk you and for cheering me up,” he smiled.
    “No problem,” my voice came out in a squeak.
    “Are we still on for our study date? I saw Brian leaving earlier. My offer of a ride to the reservation still stands. Hannah didn’t ride with us today so we have plenty of room.”
    “That sounds good,” I said, my voice stronger. “I’ll meet you outside after school.”
    “Okay.” His amber eyes sparkled as he turned and walked back down the hall.
    Ed and Erik had kept a respectable distance behind us. Once Adam passed, they walked up to me and smiled. We all went in together and sat in the back of the class.
    Ms. Hayton came in and started the class. She told us to pick up a pencil and start doodling. As I started sketching a pair of eyes in the corner of my paper, I thought of Adam. My mind turned to the daydream that I had of the wolves that searched for the lost girl. I drew the backpack lying against an old gnarled tree. Then I filled in the walking sticks, setting them in the spots where I had seen them. Then I began drawing the side profile of the cream-colored wolf I had seen. I wasn’t paying any attention to the paper or my drawing, I concentrated on what my memory held. My own mind seemed lost within itself as it replayed over and over, hearing the wolf’s sad cry as he threw his head back to howl at the moon.
    “That’s very interesting, Miss Harmon. It’s very unique.” I was shaken back into reality by Ms. Hayton’s voice as she walked past.
    I looked over at Erik, who had turned to look at my drawing. His mouth dropped open and he stared at me in astonishment. I looked back down at my sketchpad. I had drawn the scene out of my daydream. I caught the deep shadows in the trees beyond the wolves with the moon full and round above them. Meghan was scrawled in a feminine hand on one of the straps of the backpack. I looked down at a very realistic looking wolf with his head leaned back, his eyes shut as he bayed at the full moon which hid amongst the treetops. Beneath the wolf, I had written Hidden Moon . The things that looked out of place were the pair of muddy brown eyes that sort of looked like my own, farther up the path, which seemed to