6

A leaf. A dumb leaf.

Come on, Cooper! Get a grip!

I sat down on the ground for a second. I checked my watch. It was almost eight.

Dad would be out in the yard soon. He planned to set up the new barbecue grill first thing this morning. I figured I could just wait for the hammering to start, then walk in the direction of the noise.

I'd just sit here. And wait. Wait for the hammering. Good idea, I thought.

I heard something rustle behind me.

Just the leaves, I told myself. The dumb leaves.

I stole a glance up at the trees. I tilted my head way back — and someone grabbed my arm.

I jerked away. Sprang up. Started to run.

And tripped over my own feet.

Scrambling up, I gasped in surprise.

A girl.

She was about my age and had really long, red hair. It was frizzy, and it stuck out in a million directions. She had big green eyes. She wore a bright red T-shirt and red shorts. She reminded me of a rag doll Todd's little sister used to carry around.

"You okay?" she asked, her hands on her waist.

"Yeah, sure. Fine," I muttered.

"Didn't mean to scare you," she said.

"I wasn't scared," I lied.

"Really," she said. "I would have been scared, too, if someone grabbed me like that. I really didn't mean to."

"I told you," I said sharply, "I wasn't scared."

"Okay. Sorry."

"What are you sorry about?" I asked. This had to be the weirdest girl I'd ever met.

"I don't know," she replied, shrugging. "I'm just sorry."

"Well, you can stop apologizing," I told her. I brushed the dirt off my clothes and picked up my baseball cap. I quickly set it back on my head. To cover my ears.

The girl stared at me. She stood there and stared. Without saying a word. Was she staring at my ears?

"Who are you?" I finally asked.

"Margaret Ferguson," she replied. "But people call me Fergie. Like the duchess."

I didn't know what duchess she was talking about. But I pretended I did.

"I live through the woods that way," she said, pointing behind her.

"I thought no one lived around here for miles," I said.

"Yeah. There are some houses around here, Cooper," she replied. "They're pretty spread out."

"Hey! How did you know my name?" I asked suspiciously.

Margaret, or Fergie, or whatever her name was, turned beet-red.

"I, uh, watched you move in yesterday," she confessed.

"I didn't see you," I replied.

"That's because I hid in the woods," she said. "I heard your father call you Cooper. And I know your last name, too. It's Holmes. I saw it written on all the boxes in the moving van. And I know you have a brother, Mickey," she added. "He's a jerk."

I laughed. "You got that right!" I exclaimed. "So how long have you lived around here?"

She didn't answer. She kept her eyes on the ground.

"I said, how long have — "

Suddenly, her head jerked up and she gazed into my eyes.

"Wh-what's wrong?" I asked when I saw her frightened face.

Her face tightened, as if she were in pain. Her lips trembled.

"Margaret!" I cried. "What? What is it?"

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She breathed deeply, gulping air. Finally, she clutched my shoulders and shoved her face right up close to mine.

"Dogs," she whispered. Then she let go of me and darted away.

I froze for a moment. Then I chased after her.

She made it to a big tree stump before I caught up. I grabbed hold of the back of her T-shirt and spun her around.

"Margaret, what do you mean 'dogs'?" I asked.

"No! No!" she cried. "Just let me go! Let me go!"

I held her tightly.

"Let me go! Let me go!" she cried again.

"Margaret, what did you mean back there?" I repeated. "This is important. Why did you say 'dogs'?"

"Dogs?" Her eyes grew wide. "I don't remember saying that."

My jaw fell open. "You did!" I insisted. "You looked straight at me and said, 'dogs'! I heard you!"

She shook her head. "No, I don't remember that," she replied thoughtfully.

Now I've met weird kids in my life, but Margaret here takes the cake. She almost makes Mickey seem normal.

Almost.

"Okay," I said, trying to sound calm, "here's what happened. You freaked out. Then you grabbed me. Then you said, 'Dogs.' Then you freaked out again."

"Don't remember," she replied softly, shaking her head from side to side. "Why would I say that?"

"I don't know!" I screamed, starting to lose it. "I'm not the one who said it!"

She gazed around in all directions, then focused those green, crazy eyes on me.

"Listen to me, Cooper," she whispered mysteriously. "Get away from here."

"Huh?"

"I'm warning you, Cooper! Tell your parents they must leave at once!" She glanced nervously behind her, then turned back to me.

"Please — listen to me. Get away from here! As fast as you can!"

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