THE LAST SECRET KEEPER Secret Keeper series books 1-4

CHAPTER 4

"You've got to stop waiting for me by the side of the road. If you don't, the boys in my class are going to keep teasing me that you're my girlfriend."

"But I'm not your girlfriend," Lanecea stated matter-of-factly as though that settled the matter as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"They still say you are. You're the only girl that waits for our school bus every day."

Lanecea remained silent for a long moment before turning her full attention to Johann who was all of three years younger.

"I'm not like other girls and besides, I just miss you all day when you're at school. I really look forward to your return, but I promise I won't wait by the side of the road anymore. I would never want you to be embarrassed on my account. Will you forgive me please?"

Johann smiled at his friend who couldn't possibly understand that there were bullies even in Christian schools. After all, she was homeschooled, her only classmates her two younger sisters.

Lucky.

"There's nothing to forgive. I miss you too but I'll come find you every day after I finish my homework. Do you want to play for a bit? I could use your help."

"Thank you for forgiving me," Lanecea rubbed her arms briskly as though she were suddenly cold but it did little to dispel the all-too familiar feeling of rejection squeezing at her soul. "Of course I'll help you. What would you like me to do?"

"I've got a big soccer game tomorrow and I need you to be the goalie while I practice."

"I don't know how - I don't know what a goalie is."

Johann raised a pale eyebrow as he looked over at his companion.

"Don't worry, it's easy. All you have to do is stand between those two apple trees right there and make sure this ball doesn't get past you. If it gets between the trees, I'll score a goal. Easy, right?"

Lanecea wasn't so sure as she looked warily at the ball that was about to come flying at her, but nodded.

"Stand more in the middle. Ya, just like that. Ready?"

Lanecea really wanted to shake her head no but was determined to give the shorter boy a reason to want to find her after school. Her friendship would need to be just as important to him.

"No, don't duck!"

"It was going to knock my brains out - it was instinct!"

"C'mon, Lanie! It's just a ball. I gotta win the game tomorrow and you promised you'd help. I'm not going to aim for your head, okay? You've gotta trust me. Ready?"

Lanecea came dangerously close to shaking her head no, but their friendship meant far too much to the bookworm for her to allow herself to chicken out now.

"Okay I'm ready," Lanecea told a white lie before deciding last-minute exactly what she needed to do. It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't watch the ball hurling through the air at her.
"Do you think tree spirits exist? What if there's another world that is parallel to ours, maybe even beneath the ground? Do you ever feel that you are living in a dream but you just can't wake up? What if none of this is actually real?"

"Lanie, I don't care!"

"You don't?"

"No. You're not even looking at the ball or trying to stop it. It's no fun if you just talk and talk and talk and..."

"Alright, I get it - I talk too much. I'm just...well I've never played this game before and thought it would help me be less nervous if I don't focus on the ball as much. Besides, I really need to be heard. My brain feels like it's going to explode when no one listens to me."