Mavericks

Chapter Two: 9 PM

"Where's Maeve?" Elliot asked as he watched Finley arrive. Finley leaned his bike carefully against the side of Elliot's house and sprung forward, jogging a few steps in a lighthearted manner that involved excessive arm-swinging.

"She's decided to stay at home," Finley answered. His voice was casual, but Elliot knew him well enough to know that Finley never casually said anything. Elliot guessed that he was concerned for Maeve, and Elliot felt he should be too, because Maeve never stayed out of anything that involved Finley.

"Is she sick?"

Finley lifted a lean arm and ran his fingers through his hair, leaving them there, with his elbow jutted out to the side. "Maybe?" his pitch raised as said it, characteristic concern slipping in. "She seemed fine earlier, though, and even now she's not really acting odd."

"She just doesn't think Nadie is worth her time," Elliot guessed. "Maeve probably thinks I imagined her."

Finley grinned hesitantly. "Did you?"

"Ungrateful as you are dumb, apparently," Elliot punched his friend in the arm, harder than was necessary, and led Finley to the backyard.

Elliot lived in a suburb, with neighbors on either side of him, but he lived near the end of the neighborhood, where all the houses had stained vinyl siding and only one story. The positive was that his house bordered the forest, and Nadie essentially walked into his backyard every evening. As Elliot led Finley around, he stopped them where he always stopped to wait for Nadie: leaning against the outside wall of his room, next to the his windows, with their shades drawn shut.

Finley stood next to him for a minute, fidgeting, before he spoke. "Is she one of your neighbors?"

Elliot gave him a mildly disgusted glance. "No, I would know if she'd been living down the street from me all this time." He paused. "I doubt she lives in the forest, but she doesn't live here."

The taller boy nodded, his blonde curls shifting. He looked forward for a moment before saying, "Does she go school with us?"

"No, Finley -"

"Do you think she goes to the Catholic school?"

"There's about ten girls in that whole school, I would know -"

"I don't think that's true -"

"Finley, if you don't shut up, I will set your stupid hair on fire." Finley smiled dumbly at him, so Elliot added, "And your bike."

Finley pretended to gasp in horror and turned his face back to the forest, relaxing his full weight on the house.

"Pretentious little shit," Elliot scoffed.

Finley ignored him, grinning as he did so. Nonetheless, Finley was quiet at last, so Elliot decided not to protest. He waited, as he did every night, in silence, for Nadie to appear. He felt a lump in his throat grow with anxiety as he waited for the moment she should arrive. The time slowly creeped upon him and lingered, sustained by nothing but sheer hope, and passed.

She wasn't here. For the first time in months, Nadie wasn't at the tree line. Elliot looked to Finley, but the boy was still happily turned away, staring vacantly at the forest, unaware of what his presence had caused. It took him a second longer to notice that Elliot's eyes were fixed on him, but when he did notice, he jumped. "God, Elliot, count to ten," Finley looked quickly to the forest and back. "Okay, so I'll guess that she should be here by now."

"What a smart observation -"

"And you very much blame her disappearance on me."

"Finley, do you have any survival instincts?"