Chapter One Harvest Moon

It began underneath the haunting glow of a

full moon.

I was deep within the woods with my

boyfriend, Nash, my best friends, Ivy and Abby,

and their boyfriends, Jake and Dylan, all of us

huddled around a campfire and telling ghost

stories. It was unusual for us to venture off into

nature, as we spent most of our time in the

safety of suburbia. The guys were acting brave,

but we girls were cringing with fear. We were

totally isolated - no hikers or campers were

anywhere in sight. The fire pit and a few

flashlights were our only sources of light in the

dark night. I was snuggled against Nash, Abby

was holding her boyfriend Dylan's hand, and Jake

had his arm around Ivy. The logs crackled and

the heat from the fire kept us warm in the crisp,

late-autumn air.

"This is so freaky," Ivy whispered to me. "I

still can't believe you convinced us to come out

here. There isn't a store for miles."

Ivy was out of her element and doing her

best to assuage her discomfort by sipping a latte

and snuggling up to Jake.

"If only it wasn't so dark," Abby said,

stretching out her long, lean legs on a blanket.

"We could hike, too."

"I can think of better things to do in the dark

than hike," Dylan said, tickling her waist.

"That's the whole point," I said. "Isn't it

more romantic, underneath the moon and stars?"

With winter approaching, it was only going

to become darker and colder, and I wanted to

take advantage of being outdoors with my friends.

"Romantic?" Ivy sighed. "I'm cold, in the

middle of nowhere, and frightened to death by

these ghost stories. This is your idea of

romantic?"

I didn't have to respond. She already knew.

"Of course it is." Ivy grinned. "Always the

dreamer! I guess that's why you're my best

friend."

"Hey!" Abby said, sitting up.

Ivy and I had been best friends before Abby

joined our clique. Sometimes Ivy forgot her

manners.

"I meant to say best friends," Ivy corrected.

"You both are."

"Catfight!" Dylan said. "Let me record this."

He brandished his cell, but Abby was over Ivy's

slipup as soon as Ivy gave her an apologetic hug.

"Anyway," I said to Abby, excited that I

might have stirred up some interest. "Maybe we

can come here again during the day for a hike."

She gave me two enthusiastic thumbs-up.

"Let's get through the next few hours," Nash

said, finishing his s'more, "before we plan on any

further 'Celeste Parker excursions.'"

Normally I would have rolled my eyes at

Nash's playful jab, but I was grateful that my

boyfriend and his posse finally gave in to my

suggestion for date night.

I'd been suggesting outdoor activities that

didn't involve an opposing team or a goalpost for

ages. I wasn't an avid outdoorsy type or

anything, but I did prefer to do other things with

my friends besides going shopping or watching

sports. The reason the guys were game was the

promise of food and the potential of scaring three

girls to death.

"Well, I think we should listen to Celeste

more often," Jake said, devouring the last Rice

Krispies treat I'd made for our outing.

My friends acted as if I possessed

superpowers for making the simplest of snacks.

Shadows danced menacingly against the

trees. The October night skies of the midwestern

town of Legend's Run were beautiful. Stars

glimmered like ten-carat diamonds. I'd have

wished on one that this night would never end,

but I'd settle for savoring the memories when I

recorded these moments in my worn-out spiral

notebook journal: the fresh air, my best friends

giggling by my side, my date holding my hand.

Nash squeezed me extra tight. I wasn't sure

if it was because he was truly having fun or if,

instead, he was wondering what he was going to

gain by agreeing to this experience. He knew

better than to press me too hard, but that didn't

stop him from trying. Nash massaged my fingers

and wrists and I was in heaven. I returned his

smile. It was a spectacular night.

"This is awesome," I said. "We must do this

again. See? I do have great ideas."

"Yes, great," Nash concurred. Then he

whispered so only I could hear: "And we could

make this night even greater."

Like most girls in Legend's Run, I'd had a

crush on Nash since I could remember. He had

handsome good looks and eyes that twinkled, and

he possessed an air of confidence that made him

stand out among our schoolmates. But behind his

charming ways was a hint of insecurity. For me, I

was almost as attracted to the possibility that he

was not as confident as he appeared as I was to

his appearance and his playfulness.

Nash leaned in for a kiss and I melted

against his lips. For a moment I lost track of

where we were, until I heard my friends

snickering. I lowered my chin and reached up to

fix my hair and he reluctantly backed off.

It was wonderful having my friends around

me, and the attention from Nash was flattering.

We were finally away from the cheering crowds,

girls vying for him, or winning-obsessed coaches

who normally surrounded Nash, the star athlete

at our school. It was unusual for Nash to be

focused on life beyond sports, so I cherished our

perfect night together. Feeling like a lone wolf

who prefers the companionship of the wolf pack, I

felt safe in our clique. I'd never been as happy in

our group as I was tonight. I took pride knowing

my friends were having fun hanging outside their

comfort zone, and I enjoyed knowing Nash

wanted to hold me more than a stitched leather

ball.

"This is how it should always be," Ivy said.

"The six of us together." She raised her latte for a

toast. "Forever."

We all grabbed our hot coffees and raised

them toward the moon.

"Forever?" Nash groaned. "That's a long

time."

I wasn't shaken by his remark. Rather, it

stirred something I'd been feeling, too. Was Nash

the kind of guy I wanted to be together with

forever? Could I really see myself with someone

who was usually more devoted to himself and to

sports than others, when this is what caused us

to be part-time now?

I gazed at my friends, who seemed so

enamored with their dates. I couldn't imagine

anything breaking their bonds. I envied them.

"Wow - that full moon," Abby said. "It's

haunting, isn't it?"