Intro

When summer lands in Georgia it's so hot the ground burns through my sandals. It’s grape season and mama is going to make many different grape creations for us to eat and drink. By then I’m gonna be sick to my stomach.

By the way, my name is Emileen. Different right? Anyway, that's what mama says. I have blue eyes and blonde hair just like my dad except he has darker blonde hair, more like brown.

Right now dad is at the biggest grocery store closest to our house . Our house is on the top of a hill. It is basically in the middle of nowhere but you can still see city lights. I prefer to see the grape vines, the forest and the little stream I call, “Moon’s Water”, because whenever it's night it looks like part of the moon came down and turned the water silver. When I was little I thought it was God checking on us.

Whenever this happened, I would run to mama and tell her and she would believe me.

Later this month, we are having a grape picking contest. I was the winner two years ago. I am thirteen. Last year my brother Caleb won. He’s seventeen. I have a friend whose name is Kylie who won the challenge three years ago, she crushed us. She is thirteen too. She has dark brown hair and brown eyes. She has been my friend ever since before I moved here.

We always think that when we find something we have never seen before we always think we discovered it. We are partners in crime. We have a tree in the forest we marked E and K. Kylie always calls me “Teenage Einstein” because I am always so curious about the world. Kylie lives on the other side of the vines by my house. We are the only two living in this area. Caleb kinda looks like Kylie's older sister Aspen. He has blonde streaked hair and brown eyes.

Caleb likes to read, prank people and play football. But he can’t go to a real school because the closest one is an hour away. So mama homeschools us. Dad tries to teach Caleb football but Dad’s so busy keeping the the farm together that he has no time to teach him very well.

We have two horses, three cows, four pigs and eight chickens. We also have a ginger, black and white mix cat with hazel eyes. Her name is Loki. Our dog is a Collie and his name is Surter. We live on a about one 150 acres of land. We moved here when I was two but I don’t remember much from civilization.

Chapter 1

My feet pound on the green grass chasing after my brother Caleb. Kylie was trailing behind me almost five yards away. I urged myself to go faster. My heartbeat is pounding out of my chest. Caleb stayed on the trails while I took the shortcuts but somehow Caleb is always faster than me. Maybe he cheats or has booster rockets to make him go faster! But this time, I will win. I soar as the ground is pulling away from me. I race to the top of the hill to the tree. I placed my palm on the thick bark. I finished!

But I don’t see Caleb. I stand around for a couple of seconds waiting for Caleb to jump out and scare me. I can hear Kylie catching up and panting. She plops down on the ground with one finger touching the tree.

“Did you win?” she asked.

“I-I don’t know. I can’t find Caleb,” I replied with a look a mother would wear.

“Come on don’t be nervous Em! Caleb is probably gonna trick us,” said Kylie as she sits up.

“Yeah but he would have come out by now. It’s been five minutes and I have a feeling he’s not gonna trick us.” I responded.

“Let’s go on the trails to see if we find him.” said Kylie

“Ok.” I say.

We walk through the forest calling Caleb’s name. By the time we are almost home, I stop outside of Caleb’s “man cave”. I peer inside the dark cave when Caleb pops out with fake vampire fangs. Kylie and I scream! I back up tripping on a rock. I fall backward then I realized what happened. Kylie and I are trapped in a fit of giggles.

After we cry and laugh, I get a terrible case of the hiccups!

“Hic hic HIC hic hic HIC!”

Kylie looks at me like I’m retarded.

“Wha-hic-t,” I try to say.

“You sound like a pig not to mention you ate your eggs then half of mine this morning.” said Kylie.

“That wa-hic-sn’t my fault. You took all the mac-hic-n cheese yester-hic-day at dinner.” I replied.

“Let’s feed you to the wolves,” said Kylie sarcastically.

“What!” I say without hiccuping.

“You dork,” Kylie laughs. “You really think I’d do that?”

I look down then laugh.

“Wait!” I shout, “Where’s Caleb?”

I look over at Caleb for a couple seconds then I squint my eyes. I also noticed that I wasn’t hiccuping anymore!

“You’re the dork Caleb,” I announce.

“Moi?” says Caleb fluttering his eyelashes.

“Yes!” I say laughing. Caleb is a real goofball sometimes. We walk side by side home.

Chapter 2

“Surter,” I shout! “Come on!” My dog Surter walked back and forth across the path sniffing out all the smells to see if his best friend Bailey was coming. Bailey is a golden retriever.  Surter has been right by Bailey’s side ever since we found him in the woods two months ago. Mama, dad and I think he is around fourteen. He is pretty old for a dog. But Bailey is the best dog no matter how old he is. He stands right by your side protecting you and saving you.

I’m on my horse, Ripplebreeze. Ripple for short.

“SURTER!” I finally scream. “GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE!!” At that moment, he squats down and goes to the bathroom. I roll my eyes. Surter pops back up and trots along side me and Ripple.

“Seriously, now you are following me jeez,” I say.

I click my tongue for Ripple to trot, then to canter. Surter was loping aside. I need to scout the animals and the grape vines.

“Wait!” a voice said behind me. Whoever it was it was riding on a horse. I could hear the hooves pounding. I turned Ripple around and saw Kylie riding my brother’s horse Sagefern.

Sagefern stopped and seemed surprised to see Ripplebreeze. They nuzzled and gazed into the distance seeming to want to gallop.

“Hey,” I say

“Hey,” Kylie says back. Her face is red like she had been recently crying.

“Are you ok?” I ask

“No, my parents have a plan that I hate.” Kylie says.

I nod, not asking, knowing that Kylie didn’t what to talk about it, but this is a different Kylie, like one where she is in another world and I can’t get through.

Chapter 3

I try to help Kylie but whatever her parents said it's really bothering her. Right now, I really can’t help her because I am getting the farm ready for all the people coming out here to participate in the fundraiser. Our fundraiser is to raise money for schools.The events include a marathon and a grape picking contest and people can camp out on the edge of the woods. It makes mama really nervous and dad too.

Kylie seems distant. I ask her sister, Aspen, about her and she said she didn’t know. I really worry about her. I hope nothing bad happened to her.

   “Emileen!” said Dad. “Stop diddle-dallying! Get to work! We have no time for playing!”

“Okay, Dad but-,” I start to say.

“No buts”, says Dad. He looks at my started work and then looks at me. I look down and start smoothing the dirt. One of the chickens my dad called her Paris, has a feather going straight up out of her head (my brother did that). Paris walked over and ruined my hard work by pecking at the smooth dirt.

I sigh smoothing the upturned dirt and I carry Paris  back to her pen. After I return her I go to Kylie’s house. I know Kylie’s unusual behavior has something to do with her parents, but if I ask her parents, she might think I am on her parents side. But if I talk to them I will know what happened and then I could help her.

I start off to her house. I go around the wood where the grape vines hang and into the tunnel of flowers and vines held up by metal. When I finally get to her house, I see that Kylie’s family is outside eating lunch.

But Kylie is sitting as far away from her parents as possible. I come up with a plan and take action.

“Hi,” I say hoping that my plan would work.

“Hello Emileen,” says Kylie’s mom with a fake smile plastered across her face. I could tell that she was miserable and that her daughter was giving them the silent treatment.

“Kylie, my brother needs you at the farm now. I will come later. I still need to do some errands.” I say.

Kylie looks relieved to be away from her parents. She stuffs the last bit of toast with jelly on it down her throat and speed walks to my house.

Kylie’s older sister, Aspen, squints her eyes and looks at my face. It was turning red.

“She didn’t have to go, right?” asked Aspen.

“Noooo.” I say, “I just need to talk to you guys,” I say nervously.

“Why is Kylie acting like this?” I ask.

Kylie’s mom sighs.

“We might be moving to get Kylie and Aspen closer to a school. We understand your parents are going to do the same for you and Caleb,” Kylie’s mom says calmly.

“WHAT!?” I yell, making Kylie’s parents and sister wince. I bite my lip trying to hold myself together.