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[center][color=52BF7C]Piper McAllister[/color][color=023020]...[/color][/center]
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[I]"You're kidding."[/I] Abby's eyebrows shot upward.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"Nope."[/COLOR] She stepped over a fallen branch before continuing.[COLOR=52BF7C]"One kid somehow got hold of a knife and sliced his hand open. There was blood everywhere."[/COLOR]

[I]"Seriously?"[/I]

[COLOR=52BF7C]"Mm-hmm."[/COLOR] Another pause. [COLOR=52BF7C]"Then another kid saw all the blood and fainted. Face first."[/COLOR]

[I]"You're making that up."[/I]

[COLOR=52BF7C]"Wish I was."[/COLOR]

The girls laughed as they continued deeper into the woods. Sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead, leaving shifting patches of light across the winding trail. After a few moments of comfortable silence, Abby nudged Piper's shoulder.

[I]"So... how's home?"[/I]

[COLOR=52BF7C]"About the same. Dad's still working too much"[/COLOR]

[I]”And the Step-monster?”[/I]

Piper grinned. [COLOR=52BF7C]”Worse than ever. She wants me to be just like Laura. Doing pageants or whatever. No thanks. Can’t get me in a sparkly dress.”[/COLOR]

Abby smiled to her friend. [I] “Ha. Dresses can be freeing ya know. ”[/I]

The trail curved around a cluster of boulders before opening into a quiet clearing. Wildflowers stretched across the small meadow in patches of yellow, purple, and white. A massive fallen oak rested across one side like a natural bench, its trunk covered in soft moss. Butterflies drifted lazily from flower to flower while shafts of sunlight spilled through the opening in the trees. Piper stopped.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"Wow..."[/COLOR]

Abby folded her arms with a satisfied grin.

[I]"Told you."[/I]

[COLOR=52BF7C]"How did nobody find this?"[/COLOR]

Abby shrugged as she started to lazily make her way through the clearly. Piper went the opposite way doing the same. She took it all in, the quiet, the calmness. It was like having ice cream for the first time in the summer. Sweet and satisfying. Piper laughed at herself before pulling out sketchbook from her backpack when a weathered wooden sign, half-hidden beneath vines, caught her eye. She brushed away the leaves.

STAFF ONLY

Abby wandered over. [I]"Huh."[/I] Abby looked past the sign toward another, much narrower trail disappearing into the woods.

[I]"Think they actually mean it?"[/I]

Piper stared down the overgrown path. Common sense told her to turn around. Curiosity tugged just a little harder. She looked back at Abby. A grin slowly spread across Abby’s face.  Her friend took one cautious step past the sign. Piper sighed dramatically.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"If we get caught..."[/COLOR]

[I]"We blame the mysterious things in the woods."[/I]

[COLOR=52BF7C] “I don’t know, Abby. This is pretty far out. We should go back. The lunch bell will ring soon…”[/COLOR]

[I] “Fine… but during our free time on Saturday, when the weekenders are here… we will travel the trail less traveled…” [/I]

Piper rolled her eyes and sighed. Her friend was always more adventurous than her. Not that Piper didn’t enjoy a good adventure but she was always too cautious. The two turned to head back, handful of wildflowers in tow. 
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