Chapter 1: Pack Meeting

"Alana! Wake up Alana!" I whispered to Alana while shaking her.

"Why?" Alana muttered under the covers sleepily.

"Because it's Saturday and the lady from the orphanage is here!" I answered.

"Ugh, why does she have to come check on us so often?"

"I don't know. Just get out of bed! Mrs. Tammy prepared lunch for us and Ms. Kimi is becoming impatient!" I whispered in annoyance.

"Fine! Fine! I'll be down in a minute! Just let me get dressed." Alana said while flinging the covers off of herself.

After I left our room, I slowly padded down the stairs thinking to myself - Why does that lady from the orphanage always have to come and ruin my Saturdays? I would love to sleep-in like Alana, but Mrs. Tammy thinks better of me so I can't. Does it please Mrs. Kimi to come all the way from the orphanage to check on us? Gosh, why can't she just leave us alone and not burden us with the fact that we are orphans!

****

When Alana was dressed she skipped down the hallway and hopped down the stairs with her long, blonde, wavy hair bobbing up and down around her arms, and her pink heart-charmed necklace bouncing around her neck.

Alana skipped into the kitchen, grabbed her sandwich, and plopped down in her chair with ease, at the kitchen table. I was being as shy as ever while Ms. Kimi asked Mrs. Tammy questions about how we were coping with our new foster home.

"So how do you like it here girls?" Ms. Kimi asked.

"Just fine." We both replied, because that was our response every time she came. We could care less.

****

After a while, Ms. Kimi finally left which meant we had the whole day left to have fun. We didn't waste any time. We were both out of the house, on our bikes, and heading for the park before Mrs. Tammy could make us clean the dishes from lunch.

"So what are we going to do today, Alana?" I asked while peddling beside Alana.

"Oh, I don't know? Watch hot guys play volleyball then go find David?" I blushed as Alana spoke of hot guys, especially hotty number one, David.

"That sounds… Okay I guess." I said in a shy whisper. Then I burst out, "But don't forget! We have to be back home before 10pm! Just so Mrs. Tammy won't get worried."

"You mean 9pm? Evidently you forgot that I'm an early bloomer, or however you want to put it."

"Oh, yeah." I said while giggling.

"Hurry up slow-poke! We have to meet David by 3 o-clock!" Alana cheerfully said while speeding up on her bike and almost leaving me in the dust.

"Hey! Slow down!" I said huffing and puffing for breath. I am unfortunately weaker than Alana and David but I am much more excellent at running.

****

"I think we should just go ahead and go hang out at David's relative's house. I can already smell the hotdogs at the park and they are making me sick!" Alana complained.

"I agree. Besides... David will be more happy if we see him earlier anyway... since he's grounded and all." I said while turning in the direction Alana was already headed- to David's relative's summer home.

When we got there, we pulled around back to a small secluded area that overlooks the lake, and went to our meeting spot. David was sitting on one of the dead tree trunks, along the water, waiting on us to get closer, but he could hear us all the way up the road.

"Hey, Lana! Bubbles! What took you guys so long? I've been waiting forever!" David yelled out when he saw us.

"Oh come on! We're early!" Alana replied.

"So? What held you up?"

"The stupid lady from the orphanage came and checked on us again! I'm getting tired of her! We've been here so long! When do we get to leave?" Alana whined.

The whole time I was looking back and forth from Alana and David, trying to follow the conversation.

"Well, my family here barely knows I'm here, ever since they grounded me, so I was thinking about going the next state over- to my aunt's house. Do you want to run that far?"

"That sounds good. As long as we find an orphanage that doesn't care if they find us good homes or not. That way it would be harder to track us down."

"Bubbles, what do you think?" David asked me.

"Whatever floats your boat!" I replied, smiling, soaking up his attention.

"There's just one thing that's bothering me…" David started to say.

"What is it?" Alana asked.

"What?" I asked a little too eagerly. I hope he didn't notice.

"Haven't you noticed a different scent lately? On the trails, I mean."

"Yea," we both said at once, "what about it?"

"I think we need to find whoever it is and ask them if they want to join us on our trip." David said.

We all thought about it for a minute then finally all agreed.

"I'll start looking for them at 9pm." Alana said.

"Okay. That leaves me and Bubbles at 10pm. Where do we search?" David asked.

"I think we all need to split up so we can find this person faster. I'll go search the northern part of town. Miri, you can search the eastern part of town. And David that leaves the southern and western parts for you." Alana decided.

David groaned at the decision and we both laughed mockingly at him.

"So what are we supposed to do until then?" I asked curiously.

"Go swimming!" David said as Alana snuck up behind me and pushed me in the lake. Then David and Alana both jumped in together making a huge splash.