The Boy Who Cried Wolf

A Little Less Conversation

Damien and Teddy picked their way over the uneven terrain of the woods. Teddy's mind remained firmly on the wolf, and as such he was a little disoriented. Damien, who didn't know his own way, would give Teddy a harsh nudge to kick him back into action whenever he got too distracted.

It bothered Teddy a little bit but he held it in because if Damien hadn't scared the wolf away from him, he might have been in much worse shape than just a cut on the back of his head.

The old trees stretched high into the sky blocking out all but a few blades of dappled sunlight. In the air there was dust that sparkled in and out of view as they traversed. Everything about the scene was perfect. Almost everything, that is.

"Are we there yet?" Damien whined. Despite being far more physically fit than Teddy Damien was not used to walking as much as Teddy was, and felt exhausted.

"No." Teddy answered. Following that, the conversation fizzled. "So... how was Julie?" Teddy attempted.

"My break's almost over and she probably thinks I've ditched her, thanks to you."

The boy fell silent, mumbling a small apology. Teddy wanted to say that Damien could have spent the day with Julie if he hadn't forgotten to get her flowers, but figured it was better left unsaid. As much as Damien occasionally bothered him, Teddy longed to talk with the man like friends. Somehow Damien always found some way to turn it into an argument.

"We must have seen a million pine trees," Damien said after a moment of silence.

"Maple trees," Teddy corrected, before realizing that might appear rude. "I think..."

"That's what I said."

As Damien entered yet another rant, Teddy looked back once again. He wasn't quite sure what he was hoping to see. If there'd been a wolf following them he certainly would have heard it, and yet his mind insisted he look back every few strides.

Damien seemed pretty certain that Teddy was imagining the wolf, but Teddy tried to remain resolute. He didn't want to believe his mind was weak enough to fall to the foolishness of not even being able to distinguish reality from a day-dream, but nothing else made sense.

Animals couldn't move that fast. They couldn't flee that quietly.

Something, a very large something, told Teddy that it was real. That he'd felt the breath on his cheeks, and smelled the earthen scent of a wild being.

"I just don't see why you have to tag along with my friends to Candle-Fest, and you can't just go on your own," Damien complained. "It's like havin' my kid brother come along for everything I do."

Teddy said nothing but his heart sank. He always feared being unwanted and Damien was flat out telling him he wasn't wanted. But Teddy wanted to go to the festival, desperately. He'd wanted to go every year as long as he could remember, and just never had anyone to take him before.

"This is my one chance to move to the next level with Julie and..."

"I promise I won't get in the way of you and Julie."

"You better not," Damien spat. He appeared to think better of it and calmed himself down. "Anyway, it's cool of you to help me with this... the flowers I mean."

"Of course," Teddy blocked his small smile by pushing forward. Damien had a way of being cruel to him, but Teddy still always sought his approval and was glad to be asked for help.

"You can hang out with Toby tonight... since I'll be busy with Julie."

Teddy nodded wordlessly. Toby was Damien's best friend's younger brother and he and Teddy often got lumped together when Damien and Jack wanted them out of the way. Teddy was the same age as Damien, so he didn't like being relegated to the status of Jack's brother who was two years younger than them, but he preferred that over being unable to go at all.