Chapter Five: A Plan Unfolding

"Jesus, Ava! Watch where you're driving!" I shouted, as she swerved over the yellow line and into oncoming traffic. Cradling a burger in one hand, Ava jerked the wheel to the right, sending my vanilla milkshake flying into my lap. "Really?! Great. Just great. I might as well be a walking buffet for all of the creepy crawlies we're about to meet in the forest. Can you please remind me why we couldn't just eat at Blue's? Because I don't understand how my life, and my skinny jeans, were reduced to a ranking below the value of a cheeseburger."

"Hey now, I was barely in that lane to begin with! Not to mention, that truck saw me coming from a mile away. If I didn't swerve out of the way, I'm sure he would've. No harm, no foul. Besides, we only have a few hours of daylight left, and you're the one that doesn't want to do this at night, so horking this bad boy down on the drive over makes perfect sense," Ava retorted.

"Ohhh, no. Don't you dare try and pin this on me. I'm not the one choking down a burger to save, what, all of five minutes! And c'mon! How are you going to sit there and act like I'm the insane one for wanting to be home before dark when Lyla is missing!" I raised both of my brows at Ava, knowing she'd look over and feel the full weight of my sass from them alone. The confidence boost I had gotten from the Molly altercation clearly hadn't dissipated yet.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… I get it. Look, it's already 3:30 and it'll start getting dark around 6:30, which gives us a little over two hours to grab the time capsule and head home," Ava said.

"Okay, I know I'm horrible at math but even I know that's not right. We'll be at the entrance trail in like, what, five minutes? That gives us about three full hours to retrieve it – which I doubt we'll even need – right? How long does it take to hike to the spot? Ten minutes? Fifteen? We were kids when we buried it, so I doubt it's that far into the woods or deeply buried. We dig it up and head on out. Boom. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy." I said confidently. Ava's eyes were completely fixated on the road now. "Hellooo? Earth to Ava? Are you hearing me? It'll be a short trip, right?" Ava's hands tightened around the steering wheel, causing the leather to squeal under her palms. "Dude, you're starting to scare me. What's going on?" I asked.

"Okay, don't hate me," Ava said.

"Oh, God. What? What did you do? What are we doing? WHAT'S HAPPENING?" I shrieked dramatically. I could feel my hard-earned confidence begin to slip away.

"Well, my mom has a shift at the diner that starts in fifteen minutes so…"

I stared at Ava waiting for her to continue. I was really starting to hate this whole hesitation thing with Ava. Every time she shows even a whisper of reluctance to tell me something, I can feel my anxiety start to bubble up. "I'm not psychic, Ave. You're going to actually have to tell me what's going on here."

"I need to bring the car back home so my mom can take it to work," Ava replied. She peaked at me from the corners of her eyes. "Which means we'll have to walk to the entrance of Heron's trail at Blackwater Forest… as well as back home after we're done."

I could feel my eyes widen as I stared at Ava in disbelief. "I'm sorry, you mean to tell me that we have to walk to Heron's trail from our houses, then hike into the forest, find and retrieve the time capsule, and then walk back home, all before 6:30?" A sharp pain stung my eyes, reminding me to blink. Yep, there goes that last bit of confidence. I'm officially back to my normal, anxiety-riddled, worry-wort self.

"… Yes, but, even then, we should be home before dark!" Ava said, straining to sound reassuring.

"Ave, you don't even believe what you're saying."

"Okay, yeah, we'll probably be home just after dark, but not by much! It'll take us what, twenty to thirty minutes to walk to the trail entrance? That's not bad. Plus, we're being active and getting our steps in! That's what everyone wants teenagers to do nowadays, righ? Be active? There you go! I mean, if you think about it, I'm actually technically responsible for bettering our health by making us walk so much. So, you are welcome."

Ava's charm began to work its magic. I felt my defenses wane. Of course, we'd have to be extra careful the later it got, but I thought we could manage if I rushed her along. "How long is the hike to the capsule?" I asked. Twenty minutes for the walk to the trail entrance doesn't sound completely horrible. I'm sure if we jogged, we could make that time happen for sure. Heck, maybe I'd even sprain my ankle on the way, and we'd have to postpone our little adventure until the weekend. I felt a little evil for thinking that way, given the whole reason for the trip, but I still thought my apprehensions were justified, given the state of Fallhaven.

"I'm not exactly sure. I have this old map I drew in my journal, and I wrote it all down there. Once we're home, I'll grab it and we can figure it out!"

Ava finally turned to look at me. She flashed me a gritted smile, which doubled as an Ava apology. I could see the tension she was holding in her shoulders and instantly felt bad for wishing I had a reason not to go. It was always so hard to stay mad at Ava.

"Yeah, alright, whatever. But you owe me a vanilla milkshake the next time we're at Blue's!" I said.

"Deal!"

As we pulled into Ava's driveway, her mother was standing at the curb, talking on the phone. Ava's mom, Joan Ramirez, was one badass woman. When Mr. Lockehart walked out on them, Joan took on two jobs to provide for Ava. Living next door meant my parents saw Joan struggle firsthand, and while they always offered to help financially, Joan always refused. My parents explained to me that Joan would always talk about how she wanted to provide for Ava all on her own. Every time I see Joan, I can't help but feel admiration for her. After divorcing Mr. Lockehart, she reclaimed her maiden name, but Ava, just seven years old at the time, chose to keep her Lockehart name. I never asked her why, but given recent insights, I guessed she must have wanted to stay connected to her father in some way.

"Hey mom, sorry we're late! We just wanted to grab a bite to eat before heading out," Ava called out, as she opened the trunk to grab our bags.

Joan whispered into her phone and snapped it shut. I wish I could've said that she was the only Fallhaven resident I knew with a prehistoric flip phone, but most of the older members in the community had them too. Though I suspected Joan bought a cheap one so Ava could get the newest model of the iPhone.

"Who was that on the phone?" Ava asked.

"Oh, um, no one. It was nothing. Just my boss giving me hell for being late, because my daughter didn't come home with my car when she promised she would," Joan said with a stern tone. She pulled Ava into a tight hug and squished her cheeks with one hand. "And what do you have to say for yourself, young lady?"

"I'm sowwy wum," Ava replied.

Joan let out a chuckle and whispered, "Ugh, how can I be mad at a face like that. But next time, please come home when you're told to. Understood?"

"Yeffff," Ava managed.

Joan looked up and reached her cheek-squishing arm towards me. Ava took advantage of the moment and massaged her bright red cheeks with hers hands. "You didn't think I forgot about my Reese's Pieces, did ya? Get over here, pequeña luz de luna!"

I always adored her nickname for me. Joan began calling me that name around the time Ava's dad left. For my sixth birthday, she gave me the dainty crescent moon necklace I was currently wearing. She told me that I was her little moonlight, because I brought light to her and Ava's life in the darkest of times. I never forgot that, and the necklace remained my favourite one. Being called 'little moonlight' in Spanish made me feel special. I walked straight into Joan's arms and let the warmth of her hug enfold me. I always felt safe with Joan. Perhaps it's because she cared for me like I was her own. When both my parents had to work, Joan would babysit me, which either meant evenings spent watching retro Godzilla films and stuffing my face with ketchup flavored popcorn at her place, or days colouring and drawing at the diner with Ava while she worked a shift.

"Alright ladies, I need to get going if I want to keep my job at the diner. Do you guys want a ride to the trail since it's on the way?"

"No thanks, mom. We have to grab some supplies before we head out, and Reese needs to change her clothes. We'll just slow you down. You go ahead!" Ava replied cheerfully.

"Okay, sweet pea. You both have fun! And stay on the trail for the hike! No wandering around. I want you home before the streetlights come on, you hear me?" Joan's voice became increasingly stern as she spoke. I guessed Ava had lied about why we were going out, too. I wondered what exactly she told Joan.

"Yes ma'am," Ava said.

Ava and I waved her mom off before splitting up to prepare for our night.

"Okay, I'll grab the map and some extra supplies. You go change, and we'll meet back here in ten minutes. Sound good?" Ava asked.

"Sounds gouda!" I threw up a thumb and an exaggerated smile.

"Please don't ever say that again," Ava said, deadpan. Though I could've sworn I saw a trace of a smile.

As I closed my front door, I listened for any sign someone was home. "Mom? Dad?" The house remained silent. I knew I'd be alone for the evening, but I felt compelled to check, anyway. Can't be too careful nowadays. Before heading upstairs, I noticed something on the table. My mom left some croissant sandwiches in a lunchbox with a note attached that read: For your adventure into the woods. Please be safe and text me once you're back home. My mom might not be around as much, but I've never felt her love was absent.

I dropped my bag in my room and began rummaging through my closet. I'll need to wear something warm, lightweight, and waterproof. Last I had checked, Fallhaven would be covered in clouds later this evening, so I'd rather not take any chances. I threw on an under-armour top and leggings, which I usually reserve for volleyball, under my clothes. I grabbed a pair of black thermal joggers, a maroon sweater, and an army green hooded parka to layer on top. As I began to look for a scarf, my phone dinged.

Hey, could you please keep your lucky white vans on? Something tells me we're going to need them.

Ava's text made me laugh audibly. My laugh hung awkwardly in the silence. I read the text one more time and realized the latter half seemed a bit weird.

Ave, I love you. I'd do anything for you. But my lucky, white vans, need to stay lucky… and white. Also, why the sudden need for luck? You have the directions, right?

Ava's reply was quick and short.

Uhh, yeah…

Oh gosh, what was she not telling me now?

My vans are staying put, but I'll keep my crescent moon necklace on. That should bring us some luck. I mean, I was wearing it when I stood up to Molly, so that's gotta be worth something.

­ Fineeeeeeeee. I guess the necklace will do. I'm outside btw. Come when you're ready.

Kk. On my way.

My hands immediately flew up under the scarf. I let out a sigh of relief when my fingers found the cool crescent. I have a bit of a track record with losing jewellery. My mom had a pair of solid gold earrings that her mother had given her when she was a child. Tiny gold flowers with light pink centers and crystals in each petal. She told me they'd be mine once I was a bit older, but I made a huge stink about it. My mom said that I begged her to let me wear them to a birthday party for some kid in my class. She reluctantly agreed and when I came home, she freaked out because they were no longer on my ears. Apparently, I traded them for Molly Bennett's stuffed dog plushie. I was obsessed with dogs at the time, which meant it was a worthwhile trade, at least to kid Reese. My mom marched me over to Molly's house and after talking to her and her caretaker, was informed that Molly had tossed them out. According to my mom, Molly said, "they were all yucky looking up close, so I just threw them out. My mom taught me how to spot real gold anyway, and that was clearly fake." Molly has always been Satan's spawn. My mom was heartbroken but managed to be sweet about the whole thing and even named my new puppy plushie for me. She said the legacy her mother passed down could now live forever because dogs are family and they always hold a special place in people's hearts. Like the pink flower earrings, she named the plushie Magnolia. I still sleep with that plushie every night.

I tucked the necklace under my sweater and grabbed a pair of tall black rainboots for the trip. Before leaving the house, I packed a small bag with some water and the croissant sandwiches my mom had left out. I rummaged through our old camping bin in the garage and found a first-aid kid, rain slickers, a compass, matches and some flashlights, which I tossed into my bag too. Hopefully, we won't need to use any of this. I met up with Ava, who was standing at the bottom of my driveway.

"I'm sorry, but what the hell is that?" I squawked, gesturing to the limp, crumpled paper in Ava's hands that looked worse the closer I got.

"It's the map to the time capsule, duh!" Ava replied.

"…It's drawn in crayon."

"Blue and purple crayon! Did I have good taste or what?"

I shot Ava an unimpressed look.

"Hey, at least I picked colours that stand out," she said.

"Please tell me this is some kind of joke. Ava, you know those are glorified scribbles at best! And… is the page ripped? Dude, it's missing a whole corner! Is this why you said we needed luck?!"

"Okay, okay. Yes, this is the map. And yes, it's not the clearest looking map. And sure, we may need some extra luck to find the capsule, because of the missing edge of the paper, but it's not impossible! See, this is Heron's trail right here," she said as she pointed to a smudge of purple. "And this is slanted rock!" she pointed to a unicorn sticker with the words slanty rick written under it. "On the back of the map, I wrote the paces to follow to reach the capsule from slanted rock. The missing edge only took off one sentence of the instructions, so we can just figure that out once we're there. Besides, that rock was our childhood haven! Once we see the rock, I'm sure it'll jog our memory, and we'll know which way to go!"

I drew a deep breath. "I mean sure, we were there a lot as kids, but it's been years since we've been –"

"Reese. Just trust me, okay? What is that phrase you're always saying? Have a little faith? Well, now's the time to have a little faith in me."

I stared down at my rainboots and brought my shoulder up beside my ear, hoping to escape Ava's words which seemed to hang in the air. She was right. I'm the one that always tells her to have faith. I told her we'd find this letter. I told her I'd be there for her. Well, I guess it's time to step up to the plate.

"I'm sorry, you're right, Ave. I have plenty of faith in you. Maybe not as much in young Ava, because her drawing skills could use some serious improvement. But you? I have every bit of faith that you can lead us to this capsule and get that letter," I said.

Ava shot me a huge smile. "Well, we'd better get a move on, then! We're wasting precious daylight, lady! C'mon!"