I opened my eyes as the phone rang. I slapped my bedside table looking for the receiver. I brought the phone to my ear. "H-lo?" I muttered groggily. "Hey!" Hailey giggled, suddenly over-excited. I sighed "What is it Hailey?" I let the words roll off my tongue, falling into what could be called a sentence. "I have something that is really important. But you have to guess what it is." She laughed, waiting for a response. I looked at my wall and sighed. "News?" "No" "Homework" "No…" "Clue?" "Yes!" "The board game or an actual clue?" "A real clue! Ill be over in one second!" I sighed and tried to pull myself out of bed. I flopped down, remembering that I have no strength in my legs. Hailey opened the window. I jumped and let out a half- scream. Hailey hoisted me up into my wheelchair with one arm easily. Hailey opened her bag. She took out a cell phone. "What is it?" I asked. "It's Gareth's cell phone"

I laughed as I called Alice. She answered in her usual way, in Latin, and I erupted in a bundle of words. "Ill be right there! Bye!" The phone clicked as I was halfway through telling her what we found. She and leaped through my window. "Jeez! Is my door broken, or something?" "No, we were waiting outside in the tree with Hailey she laughed. Hailey ignored my glare and held up the cell phone. "This is Gareth's cell phone. He-" Alice took the phone and started pressing the buttons manically. She flipped the phone closed. "He is at the Cap'n Flints motel in Fort Bragg." She answered precisely. "Where is that?" I asked, wheeling over to my closet "California" Hailey replied. I squealed and Alice moaned. Alice hated anywhere that is all beaches and bikinis and is highly rated. She'd rather see the castles of Scandinavia. "I'm going," I muttered, whipping out most of my very small wardrobe into a bag. Hailey lifted two bags out of the tree " Seriously! You are SO more prepared than you needed to be." I laughed, zipping closed my bag. I went into my bathroom and whipped on my last articles of clothing I hadn't packed. I grabbed a toothbrush, toothpaste, book and wallet. I wheeled out of the door and smiled. They had got me crutches.

I whipped down the stairs with expertise, barely putting any weight on my feet at all. I stopped "Wait… How will we get there?" Alice held up her thumb. I laughed and held up mine, walking out the door.

We were walking backwards for hours. We had reached the fairy. I laughed, realizing how much I needed a break from backwards crutch-walking. I paid, but Hailey agreed to get the food, and Alice would get us somewhere to sleep. We got on the fairy and sat down near the front. Hailey jogged to the café, and got close to the front of the line. Alice opened her bag and brought out a deck of cards. I looked at the bag for a second, and then turned my attention to the table. We played speed for maybe ½ hour. Hailey came back with A salmon burger and fries. We munched away happily, looking at the seals playing on the rocks along the shore. We looked straight ahead of us. There it was. Seattle. Our journey had begun.

It was 8 when we landed, 8:30 when we unloaded. We started walking, with no clue where to go. Alice pulled out a map and pointed to the nearest motel. I started moving forward, dragging my foot behind me. The cars whipped past me. I stopped. Alice and Hailey were behind me, looking down at the beach. I moved back, squinting at the harsh light of the cars. A small wooden fort was there, complete with already used fireplace. I sighed as I moved slowly down the slope. Hailey smiled as she slid down the slope. She started picking up driftwood, while Alice picked up dried out seaweed and grass. I moved into the logs around until the surface was flat-ish. I started picking up the grass I could reach and putting it in 3 neat piles. I spread them around, hoping to make the driftwood softer. Hailey came back with ample firewood, opened her bag, and pulled our three blankets. I felt stupid as I piled clothes underneath me as Hailey did. Alice put her harvest on the fire pit. Hailey placed one log on the fire, and I pulled twigs from a pile in the corner. Hailey had matches, of course, so we sat around the fire looking into the flames. Hailey yawned and I giggled. It was scary, but it was fun. Our parents thought we were sleeping over at the others house for a month ( the rest of the summer). I was smiling as I saw my friends slowly fall asleep beside me, realizing what we had come into.