Chapter 6: Urban Legends

It was actually sunny outside for once as I prepared myself for the lake trip. I'm not really all that big on swimming or anything that involves me in sports. I'm a quiet guy. I read and like art, so swimming or football is definitely out. Zoey would always laugh at that.

"Yo Z, let's move. I want to show off my new bikini." she said coming into my room.

"You know, you come in my room an awful lot." I said with a smirk. She was looking into my full length mirror.

"That's because you have the coolest mirror." she said while fixing her hair. Ugh, for a big sister, she sure doesn't act like one. But I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. "And besides, I look awesome in this mirror." Is it too late to take back my last statement? I shook my head at her.

"Look sister dear, I don't think that you should wear that. It makes you look kind of show-offish." I said. She just kept looking into the mirror. God, she's worse than Adonis Stavros.

"I know, but I think that Jake might ask me out." she said and squealed.

"Well, then I guess that's a good way to get a guy's attention." I said sarcastically.

"I know right?" she asked. She obviously didn't get sarcasm. I rolled my eyes and put on my jacket. Zoey immediately stopped what she was doing and came over to me.

"Are you nuts?" she asked.

"What?"

"You're actually going out like that?" I looked at my outfit. I had on blue-jean shorts, a blue t-shirt, and low-top sneakers. I also had on my Joe Boxer hoody.

"I look fine." I said. She just shook her head.

"Zane, I heard about the Riley thing. You asked him out. I believe that if you dress to impress, that maybe you could get a boyfriend." she said.

"Uh, I'm not like you. I don't want to dress to impress. If I want him to like me, then I'll just be myself." I said proudly.

"Ugh, my brother the poet." She said and then left. I thought I looked pretty damn good. I grabbed my copy of The Host by Stephanie Meyer. I have to admit she was a good writer. I ran downstairs and kissed my mom and was just about to head out the door when she stopped me.

"Hey, be careful out there okay? There have been some murders around town lately. Officer Milligan said that it might be an animal." she said.

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Yeah. This isn't L.A. Zane, so animals can be dangerous. Just promise me you'll be careful." Zoey joined me shortly after she asked that.

"Yeah we'll be careful." I said.

"Don't worry I'll protect him." Zoey said as she put her arm around my shoulder. I gave her a wicked look. She smiled innocently and led me out the door.

We were at the lake for about 20 minutes. I watched as everybody jumped in and out of the water. Jake climbed to the top of a cliff and looked towards Zoey and smiled.

"You can do it dude!" Conner yelled. I watched as Jake cannon-balled into the water. I looked around hoping that maybe Riley would show. But of course, he didn't. I don't know why that hurt me so much. But it did.

"If you're looking for Riley, he's not coming. When it's sunny or nice like this, his family is never around. I believe its allergies or something." K.C. said.

"They could be allergic to sunlight." Conner said. We all just stared at him. "What? Haven't you seen that episode of House, when that girl was allergic to the sun?" We all shook our heads no. Conner just sighed. While I was reading my book, Owen came over to me with his friends Drew and Pauly.

"Hey, dude. You're not going for a dip?" he asked.

"Nope, I'd rather read. Not so into swimming." I replied.

"Yeah, you should totally stay here with him. His date cancelled." K.C. said. Owen and Katie were immediately alert.

"What date?" they both asked.

"He asked Riley to come." K.C. said. I started to blush.

"I was just trying to get him to come out of his shell." I said honestly.

"I thought it was very noble. I mean, nobody really talks to them." Imogen said.

"That's because their abnormal." Pauly said with a chuckle. Drew joined in.

"Wait, you know them?" I asked. Drew and Pauly's smiles disappeared fast.

"They aren't welcome here." Pauly said and rolled his eyes. Okay, this was getting stranger and stranger. Owen sat down beside and looked at my book.

"Ah, a bookworm huh?" he asked. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, let's go for a walk, hmm?" he suggested. I couldn't say no to that face. He was after all one of my best friends. I put my book down and got up. We walked around for a bit.

"I have a question." Owen looked at me and then looked at the ground.

"Yes?" he asked.

"So, um what did Pauly mean by the Stavros's aren't welcome here?" I asked.

"Oh, you managed to hear that part huh?" he said. I nodded my head. "Well, it's kind of a secret." Ugh! How I despised secrets.

"My lips are sealed." I said.

"It's just an urban legend." he said.

"I like these sorts of things. Come on tell me." I pushed. He smiled and shook his head.

"Fine; my dad says that we have some Indian in our blood. Navajo to be exact." he said. I nodded for him to go on. "Well, it would appear that from the legends, that we Navajos were descendants of wolves." I stared at him in shock.

"Seriously, wolves?" I asked.

"Yep." he said as he picked up a stone and skipped it across the water.

"Okay, then what about the Stavros's?" I asked.

"It would appear that they're descendants from, like this evil clan. My great-grandfather and his tribe spotted them on our lands. But they claimed that they were different and we decided to make a treaty with them. If they stayed of off Navajo property, we wouldn't blow the whistle on them." I was so captivated by this story.

"So, what are they?" I asked.

"It's just an urban legend. I highly doubt that it's real. Come on." he said as we continued our walk. This just gets better and better.