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his lab, he was snoring in the family room in front of Discovery Channel specials (mostly on snakes,
ugh!). He barely noticed if I got my hair cut, tried to sneak another piercing, or was wearing green nail
polish in honor of Saint Paddy s Day.
Mom may have died, but Dad was the real missing person in my life.
Suddenly, the pencil seemed smaller in my hand, or else I was gripping it really tight. I didn t know
that I d ever give him this letter, but I started with the words  Dear Dad.
When Dr. Wanda called out it was time for lunch, I glanced down and my eyes almost bugged out
of my head. I d filled two pages. Two pages of all the things I d wanted to tell him, the things I thought he
should have done, the things I wished he d asked me. I wasn t telling this to anybody he paid to talk to
me I was telling him.
Dr. Wanda patted me on the shoulder as I set down my pen.  It feels good to get it all out, doesn
t it?
I didn t want her to think she d actually done something that d kinda helped, but I had to nod. It
did feel good. Well, weird but good. It was, like, for once I was talking and no one was interrupting me
or asking stupid questions. Me writing it all down was like my dad was listening to me. Maybe if we had
tried harder to talk to each other since Mom died, I wouldn t have had so much to write. Seriously.
Maybe I wouldn t have even been there in that stupid camp in the first place.
 Do you want me to mail that for you? asked Dr. Wanda.
I shook my head.  Um, I ll hang on to it, I said, folding the letter into a tiny square.
 That s perfectly fine. Dr. Wanda gave me a warm smile and walked back to her desk with a
stack of notes to mail.
Ariel told me one time that her mom admitted something important in a mother-daughter therapy
session: Adults don t always get everything right. So my question is, if they aren t always right, then how
can we be the ones who re getting everything wrong?
Maybe both sides make choices that don t turn out to be the smartest. But if you re afraid to
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make mistakes, you can t learn, right? Maybe that was where I had something my dad didn t. I d taken
some risks, and I d definitely messed up. I was kind of fearless in that department. At least I had been
until I got to camp. There were consequences here like Red Canyon that totally sucked.
Of course, there had been consequences at home, but I d ignored them. I hadn t taken them
seriously. I d broken rules just because. And I was starting to think that wasn t being fearless, it was
being stupid. I mean, what had been the point of any of it? To get my dad s attention? To show Priscilla I
wasn t afraid of her, when obviously she didn t care what I thought? What a waste of time.
I shoved the letter into my pocket and walked out of the classroom into the glaring light of the
summer day. I wasn t sure I d ever mail that note to Dad, but I felt like something in me had changed.
Just after lunch, it was time to say good-bye to Austin and get back to living my normally scheduled
werewolf-free life, so I took the path toward the cabins like I was going back to get something before
arts and crafts. Halfway there, I veered off onto the smaller trail, which led to where I was supposed to
meet Austin. The trail wound through evergreens, and in the distance to my right, I could see the outline
of some of the cabins. I breathed in the piney scent no floor cleaner could ever copy along with the warm
earthy smell of things growing. Summer smelled so good, even at brat camp.
It was warm, so I slipped off my red zip sweatshirt and tied it around my waist. As I moved
farther into the woods, the trail cut to the left through ferns, huckleberry bushes, and dense rows of
scrubby firs. I battled through the vegetation, my bare legs taking a fair share of scratches. At last the
path got really narrow, like an animal had made it. Standing in a clearing twenty yards ahead was Austin.
 Brilliant, he said, smiling widely. His amber brown eyes always looked amazing, but today they
reflected bits of the green forest around us. I took a mental picture in case I never saw him again.
 You didn t think I d leave you hanging, I said.
 I hoped you wouldn t. I wasn t certain.
I gulped back the nervous feeling in my throat and said,  Um, I know you like meat, but here s
some gum I got from Price, and here re two oatmeal cookies I saved from lunch. I figured you might get
hungry, you know, before the moon shines.
Austin took my gifts, looking happily surprised.
I fished a piece of paper from my pocket and shoved it in his free hand.  So& there s my number
if you want to call me.
He stared at me, not moving. I couldn t read the emotion on his face, but it kinda looked like
complete shock and horror.
Oh, man. I was a total dork it was official. The absolute uncoolest way to say good-bye ever.
Giving my cell number to a werewolf? Total insanity.
Austin folded the paper small in his hand.  I ll ring you at the end of the summer. I promise.
I nodded. Now that I felt like an idiot, I wanted Austin to, like, run off.  Okay, so good luck.
 Wait. That s not a proper good-bye, Austin said, brushing his bangs out of his eyes.  Come
here, you. He caught me by the hand, bringing me toward him.
Okay, so maybe I wasn t an idiot or a dork. I licked my bottom lip, wishing for real I had some lip
gloss because Austin was going to kiss me, and kiss me good. It would be all right because it was a
good-bye kiss, I told myself. It was totally safe.
For a moment he stood there, looking at me.  Thank you, he said finally, his low rumbly voice
and his accent making the two simple words sound like music.
My heart pitter-pattered in my chest. It was unnerving staring into Austin s eyes. He was more
than a boy he was also a beautiful, dangerous creature.
 You re welcome, I managed to say.  I was just doing what I d hope someone would do for me
in that kind of situation, you know?
He dipped his head closer. The heat of his breath feathered against my cheek. I licked my lips
again and tried to remain calm. And standing. I tried to remain standing. The swoony feeling in my legs
was getting worse, and there wasn t a tree trunk in sight to lean against. I d been waiting for this kiss and
terrified of it at the same time. And now it was here.
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 You re beautiful, Austin said.  I never got a chance to tell you that.
 Oh. My legs drooped a little. Swoon alert!  Um, thanks.
 No, thank you. For everything. He moved in to kiss me, but stopped halfway to my lips. He
raised his head, sniffing at the air.
I ve had guys do lots of weird things in the middle of trying to kiss me answer their cell phone,
wave at their friends, even take a bite of a double-cheeseburger but sniff? Was it me? Oh, no. Had I
pitted out my T-shirt or something? I tilted my head to smell myself without him noticing. Whew. I was
good.
 Um, Austin?
He whirled around on the trail.  Shelby, we have to hide. Someone s coming. He sniffed the air
again.  Bloody Charles.
 I ll run back down the trail.
 No, it s better if he doesn t see you. There s no reason to endanger yourself.
Austin was looking out for me. Nice.
 Good point, I said.
 Come on, there are trees this way. Austin pulled me down the trail. The chain-link fence loomed
twenty yards ahead of us. Unattached fencing curled away from one of the support poles, making a hole
big enough for Austin to crawl through.
But I had to hide. The only trees I saw in front of the fence were scrubby. They wouldn t hide a
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