Page 91 of Valley Girls
The oaks shivered and the moon reflected off the walls above them. A thrill rushed into her fingertips—she was going to climb those. That was all that mattered to her. As long as she could keep climbing—keep being a climber—she’d be happy.
She showed them the tennis courts, cracked and broken and shrouded in vines. It was the only thing in the Valley that hinted at eerie. “The plaque is somewhere over here” she whispered.
Creeper covered the ground. No paths through—it was a barrier island of drought-resistant grass to keep the plebeians and the proletariat in their part of the Valley.
“Did you see it?” Petra whispered. “What does it look like?”
“Why are we whispering?” Caroline asked. “Is someone going to catch us?”
“We’re technically trespassing,” Rilla said quietly. If Ranger Miller suddenly appeared, she was screwed.Theawas screwed. She should have thought of that back at the fire.
“I’m not interested in seeing how technical,” Petra said.
Rilla kicked around in the grass, head bent. Her toe stubbed on something hard. “I think I found it.” She bent and felt in the dark. “Nope, just a rock.”
“I got it,” Petra said.
“Really?”
“Yeah ...”
They were interrupted by a flashlight and an all too familiar voice. “Put your hands in the air.”
Shit.Inwardly, Rilla groaned.Why, oh why?Ranger Dick Face was back.
“What do we do?” Caroline asked frantically.
“I’m running,” Rilla whispered.
“Are we all running?” Petra asked, grinning in the dark.
“On the count of three.”
“One.”
“Different directions,” Rilla said, just in case—she wasn’t sure she trusted either of them to know to scatter.
“Two.”
“Three,” Rilla whispered.
They tore off through the brush and trees.
Ranger Dick Face hollered after them.
In the chaos, Rilla ran as fast as she could through the brush, heading straight for home. The memory of running from Vernal Falls flashed behind her eyes, but home was a short distance away and no sirens followed. The flashlight dropped off quickly and she slowed to a walk as she reached the edge of Yosemite Village. Ranger Dick Face was nowhere in sight. She touched her pockets, looking for her phone to check the time to know whether to expect an angry Thea. But her phone wasn’t in her pockets. Shit. She must have lost it ...
Rilla frowned. Where had she left her homework? On the bear box?Oh my god.She did not lose her homework.
Rilla trudged up the steps with a sigh, opening the door. “I’m back, but I’m just getting—”
“Hey!” Thea interrupted. “Did you forget something?”
Twenty Eight
Walker patted her phone and notebook, neatly sitting on the table beside him.
“Oh.” Rilla gave a nervous laugh. “Hey. Thanks for bringing those back.”
