Ducking out of my mom's jeep, I mumble a goodbye and set out looking for Ellie. The path from the parking lot to the soccer field is nearly empty, but I know the game hasn't started yet. I dig my phone out of my pocket and call her.
"Ross?"
"Yeah, hi. I'm at the game, where are you?"
"I'm sorry," Ellie replies after a pause. "I can't go to this one."
"What?"
"My mom saw that I have a B in math and is making me stay home to study."
"Ugh. I'm going to call my mom and ask her to pick me up then. Bye."
"I'm sorry Ro-" I hang up before she can finish. Ellie knows how much I dislike school events. I only come to them to see her. I call my mom, but she doesn't pick up.
I decide to walk back up to the parking lot and try calling my mom again. As I'm walking, the soccer team comes hollering down the path. I move to the side to not be in their way, and end up losing my balance and falling into the woods bordering the path.
I roll over, trying to get untangled. My hands are bleeding and my sweater is covered in leaves. I wipe my hands on my pants and realize my phone has fallen out of my pocket. I must have dropped it when I fell. I start picking through the undergrowth, trying to find it, but the sun has almost finished setting and I can hardly see.
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I can hear laughter and footsteps deeper in the woods. I can hardly see the ground in front of me. I don't know how long I've been in here, but I know the soccer game isn't going to last forever and that eventually my mom will be here to pick me up.
I hear a stick break behind me and I quickly turn to face the sound. "Hello?" My voice cracks. "Is someone there?" I think I can make out a shadow of a person behind one of the trees. "I dropped my phone and I can hardly see and I want to go home and I ne-" A hand presses down on the top of my head, surprising me into silence. Suddenly, there's a lighter directly in front of my face. I see the face of a boy inches from me, one of his eyes covered by a tuft of hair as blonde as mine.
"Who are you." The boy says, not as a question. I think he's mad at me.
"Please don't hurt me." I murmur. The boy takes his finger off the lighter and his hand off my head. Without the flame I can't see his face, or even the shadow of his body.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Are you a nark?"
"A nark?"
"Don't come back here again." The boy orders, and I hear him start to walk off.
"Wait!" I call. "Which way do I go to get out? Have you seen my phone? Who are you?"
"Go that way. Between the two biggest trees." He points, not realizing that the gesture and visual hint won't help me in such darkness.
"Thanks. Who are you?" I ask again.
"I can tell by your Polo sweater that your parents wouldn't want you to be in here. You should go." He avoids the question again, and walks back into the forest, back to the laughter.
I want to follow him. I want to see his face again. I want to know his name.
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I eventually negotiate my way out of the woods, just in time to see the game end. I find my mom waiting in the parking lot and slide into the passenger seat. "How was the game?" She inquired.
"Fine. Lost my phone. Met a new person."
"Who?"
"I don't know his name. He was alright. Probably doesn't think anything of me."
"Was he cute?" My mom nudged my shoulder and smiled.
"Yeah," I replied. "He was."
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Thank you for reading!!! I'm going to continue working on this, I might post another part later today. I don't have a very detailed plan. I'm excited! This is my first story, so please give me feedback or criticism! I want to learn and improve! :-)
