“Are you free tomorrow?” Jamie asked from my side during the last period. My Mathematics teacher kept on repeating the formula numerous times that it finally got into my head.

It’s been a week since my arrival in Australia. I noticed Henry rarely comes to school. Jamie told me that people thinks he was on drugs or something.

“I’m all yours. What’s the matter?”

She fiddled with the pencil in her fidgeting fingers. “I was hopping you can come over to my house and then we could go to the new shopping mall nearby called The Curve since tomorrow is Saturday.”

I was never invited for a girls’ day out with the whole gang before even in London. Victoria spent her time shopping and talking to me about fashion. Sabrina will talk about boys. We never had a sleepover or a slumber party.

“Sure. What time do you want me?”

She hugged me unexpectedly. “Thank you! I’m getting bored nowadays. Nine o’clock in the morning. That reminds me, can you pick Maryanne up as well? Bibiana has her parents to send her.”

“Consider it done. I need Maryanne’s and your address,” I told her.

She wrote down the addresses and below she wrote ‘You better come or you will miss the fun!’ The bell signals our freedom. Jamie stared at my motorbike at the school’s parking lot. “Is that your bike? Why didn’t you tell me you have one?” she asked.

Sam taught me to ride the motorbike yesterday. “I will have to teach you how to ride your motorbike.” He left Red in his stable and I left some hay for him. We walked to the barn where my motorbike was waiting for me.

I sat on the motorbike trying to think I was sitting on a bicycle instead. Riding Red was much easier but motorbikes are faster. I even fall off sitting on it.

“I keep falling off everything I sit on. I’m sure driving a car is so much easier than this,” I complained.

Sam chuckled. “I never did know that you’re this whiny. Tell you what, tomorrow you can ride it to school.”

I remembered that Jamie was still waiting for my answer. “Because you never ask,” I told her. This moment reminds me of the time when Victoria get her new car. It was like I was in her place, getting all the attention. Val sat at the back of me, putting on her helmet.

I zoomed away from the building. I told Alice about my plan for tomorrow and she agreed immediately.

After dinner, I straight away lie on the bed and hit the sack.

Just keep running. If you stop, you’re dead, I thought. I ran at my body’s maximum capabilities. Before I could stop myself, my right hand found a knife. I looked back to see who was chasing me. Surprisingly, no one was there. I stopped instantly. It wasn’t because of fatigue. It was because of a wolf. It wasn’t an ordinary wolf. It was huge and black. Fangs appeared and eyes filled with rage. Get out of there, a voice told me. I knew it wasn’t me. It wasn’t a familiar voice. I pointed the knife at the wolf. A ghost of an old woman appeared near the wolf. She smiled at me, not a deadly smile though. I immediately recognized her. The photograph mum showed me and the portraits in the living room in Val’s house. The ghost was Gran.

I woke up at a start and fell off bed, landed on my back. My throat felt so dry that I wondered whether I was screaming all night. I cupped my throat and gulped a glass of water on a small table next to the bed. I checked the time. It was seven o’clock in the morning. I sneaked into the kitchen after I had a shower and changed my clothes. Val and Alice must be still asleep. I had a few pieces of crackers and coffee for breakfast. I left a note to Alice that I was going out with my friends.

I picked up Maryanne and rode my bike to Jamie’s house. Maryanne knocked on the door twice while I was parking my bike.

“Hi Mrs. Fitzgerald,” Maryanne greeted a woman who opened the door in a sweet voice. Jamie’s mother was quite beautiful for her age. Tall in particular like other Australians. She was wearing office clothing which I guess she will be going to work later.

“Good morning, Maryanne. Come in. Bibiana is already here. Well, it looks like Jamie made a new friend.” Mrs. Fitzgerald eyed me.

I smiled sweetly. “Hello Mrs. Fitzgerald. My name is Sophia.”

“Oh, you’re from England, right?”

I nodded. “Jamie must have told you.”

Mrs. Fitzgerald laughed. “No. Your British accent is very thick. Come in. I made some tea.”

I entered the house. Jamie’s house was very bright and colorful. Maryanne and I followed Jamie’s mum to the kitchen where we saw Bibiana and Jamie. I think I was the shortest and the smallest person in the room.

Mrs. Fitzgerald left for work like I guessed after joining us for breakfast. We walked to The Curve which was a stone’s throw from Jamie’s house. The first thing we did was watching a zombie movie as Jamie insisted. Maryanne and I volunteered to buy tickets. In the meantime, Jamie and Bibiana bought the drinks and popcorns.

At the beginning of the movie, the zombies escaped from a lab into the forest. I went to the restroom after seeing the forest. The forest was exactly the same forest in my nightmare. When I recovered, I entered back in the cinema. Zombies eating people’s brain everywhere in the city. People screamed on top of their lungs especially children.

A few survivors ran to a camp to join other survivors. The president sent hundreds of airplanes and bombed the city filled with zombies. A pair of survivor fell in love and you can almost imagine how their fate will be.

A group of zombie attacked the camp, eat people up. I felt Bibiana kept flinching at every surprise by my side. The pair of loving survivors escaped from the scene and a zombie following them from behind. The movie sealed with the screams from the loving pair.

When we left the cinema, we couldn’t stop talking how scary the movie was. We wandered in the mall and window shopping, seeing the beautiful dresses from outside.

For lunch, Maryanne treated all of us a Subway sandwich. We were talking and commenting how scary the movie was. Then we talked about whether we have a crush or not. Girl talk. Finally, we went to a bookshop.

“What are you looking for around here?” Jamie asked me. I was at the fantasy corner, hoping to find a book to lead to the legend mum was talking about on the other day. 

“What book are you buying?” I tried to distract her. She bought a book titled ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Maryanne bought a magazine about journalism and Bibiana bought a magazine for teenage girls.

I sent Maryanne to her house before riding my bike home. When I unlocked the door, I realized the house was quiet. Too quiet. I spotted Sam in the living room watching TV.

“Hello, the girl,” Sam greeted.

“Hello, Mr. Know-It-All. Where are Alice and Valerie?”

“I think they’re going to Sydney to visit Val’s cousins.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Alice asked me to baby sit you.”

I snorted. I didn’t need baby sitting. How old did he think I was? Six years old? I joined him at the couch, watching a movie. A few minutes later, I went to by room to change. I can’t stand the heat so I wore shorts. I jumped when there was a knock on my bedroom door. Who else would knock the door?

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Remember when I picked you up from the airport and I asked you what do you want to see while you’re in Australia?”

“What about it?” I opened the door. Sam entered and glanced around my room. Then, he stared at me. He had never seen me wearing shorts before. He tore his gaze to meet my eyes.

“Well, if you don’t tell Alice about this, I can bring you to the city tomorrow.”

“But Alice and Val will be here by then.”

“They will be at Sydney until Monday. Tomorrow is Sunday so they will also be heading for the church. What do you think?”

I grinned at him, giving him a thumbs-up. “Sounds like a plan. If she finds out, I will blame you.”

“Right, the date is set. I better go home now. Whatever you need to make dinner is in the fridge.”

I sighed. I was beginning to get sick sitting in this house. I wanted to go out and be free. Sam was walking out of my room. “Why don’t you bring me to your house instead?” I suggested.

He froze as he hesitated. I could tell that he didn’t like the idea. It took him awhile to answer me. “Why do you want to come to my house?"

“I’m homesick. Plus, I want to see where you live.”

He sighed again but agreed this time. Sam drove me to his house with his Hilux. It wasn’t far from my house. His house was huge for a big family. It wasn’t a mansion like ours but a normal house. Sam knocked the door. A boy as young as fifteen opened the door.

He smiled at me when we were at the door. “So you must be Sophia. Sam talks about you all the time.”

Sam looked away, trying to hide his blush. “Daniel, are the others back?”

“I last heard from Christopher. They were a mess. They nearly got the black one but it somehow managed to escape. Grey is on his way to America.”

“Good. It’s been awhile since I visit them. Who is accompanying him?”

“Kevin and Nick.” Daniel looked at me and changed the subject. He must have forgotten that I was here. “Anyway, come in. What a rotten luck. I have to go. I hope to see you again, Sophia,” Daniel said. He walked out of the door.

“Bye.” My answer was too late by the time the door shut behind him, leaving Sam and I in the house.  

“Daniel looks nice. Where are the others?” I asked.

“Out for dinner, I guess. Want to see my room?” I nodded in reply. I knew he tried to lie to me. He led me to his room. It was huge and office-like. He had a king sized bed and a huge wardrobe. I sat on the bed and noticed a guitar at the corner of his room.

“You play the guitar?” I asked.

“I learned it by myself. Adam bought me that guitar two years ago …” he trailed off. The guitar must have reminded him of his late mentor, Adam. He hovered to the guitar and brought it to me.

“Play for me,” I requested. He sat on the bed and started playing.

“When I see you in the eyes,

 I found what I need now,

 So what, if I ask,

 Will you be mine, no matter what,

 I’ll promise you anything you want.

 You are the one,

 No one will be,

 No one but you.”

“That was beautiful,” I murmured.

“I’m not even finished writing that song.” He strummed the last notes and put the guitar down.

“It’s still beautiful. You have got to teach me to play a guitar!” I always wanted to play a guitar but dad always thought that guitars are expensive. I tried to play once when I was in school in London but I didn’t get a chance to learn.

“Maybe . . . if you are willing to trade for something worth my time in exchange.”

I frowned. “That’s mean,” I grumbled. I scanned his room again. A funny looking hat was on his table. I recognized that hat. I squinted so I would see the hat clearer and hoped it wasn’t what I saw. How did Sam get a beret?

A beret was a hat that was given to French soldiers who risked their lives in wars. Sam’s an Australian so how did he manage to get a French beret? Must be a present given to him but the beret was an honor and I don’t think anyone would give away their beret.

He grinned. “Take it or leave it. It’s a one deal shot.” All of a sudden, his cheeks turned a little red. “The song is meant for you.”

“Pardon? Wait, you wrote this song for me?” I was touched.

“Yeah, I started writing it the day I picked you up from the airport.” I cupped my hands at his cheeks. He looked out the window and then I realized it was dark by the look of the house. It was darker than before. “Now you’re going to know another of my secret. Do you prefer Asian or American?”

“You cook? You must have spent your time watching reruns of Masterchef.” He laughed and guided me to the kitchen.

“Oh no,” I said, looking outside. It wasn’t just dark. It was raining heavily. What if Alice and Val come home early and know I was gone? They will kill me if they found out I’m at Sam’s house.

“You can sleep with me tonight, if you want,” Sam offered. I looked at him. He had got to be kidding me.

“Are you sure? What will you do when Alice kicks the door open like a taekwondo master and find you sleeping with me? Fire you?”

“I’ve had worst. Plus, I told you, they will be home on Monday so you could skip school.”

That was actually a great idea when I thought it through. I felt so bored sleeping alone. Sam cooked Chinese food and it was so good that I finished whatever he put on my plate. I realized he wasn’t eating with me. He didn’t even drink a glass of water. He must have had his dinner earlier.

“Will Daniel tell Alice that I’m sleeping with you tonight?” I asked, still looking out of the window for some signs for the rain to come to an end. It was very late.

“He doesn’t mind. You can sleep on my bed. I can crash on the floor.”

“Okay,” I replied. I was so tired that I nearly fell asleep when Sam turned off the lights. For a second, I couldn’t sleep any longer. I felt Sam shivering.

“Come up here. I couldn’t sleep when you’re shaking my bed in the cold,” I said to him in the darkness.

“Are you sure? You may be right about Alice kicking the door open and see us sleeping on the same bed.”

“Do you want to freeze to death or not?” I snapped. He stood up and lay beside me. With Sam by my side, I finally get a peaceful sleep without nightmares interrupting for the first time since I could remember.

The first thing I was aware of in the morning was that Sam was sleeping on the floor. He must have shifted to sleep on the floor after I was asleep. The second thing was that Alice and Val didn’t know. If they did, I was dead meat. I quietly went to the toilet and brushed my teeth with a new set of toothbrush. No one was in the house except for the both of us. When I went back to the room, Sam was awake.

He made pancakes for breakfast. The pancakes reminded me of mum. Sam sent me home so I could change as he had to finish an unfinished business.

Sam brought me to Melbourne as he promised. I watched the kangaroos, pandas and dingo in the desert on our way. I bought Philip’s Nintendo and Victoria’s boots. Sam and I ate lunch at a Japanese restaurant called ‘Sakae Sushi’. Before we got back home, we went to a beach.

No one was around so we have the beach all to ourselves. We walked bare foot on the sand near the water. Sam found a beautiful seashell and gave it to me. We still had lots of time so I bought a beach ball at a store nearby and played football with Sam using imaginary goalpost. He was surprisingly a good player and beat me 16-0.

“You know what, Sam?” I asked as I looked at the sun setting. He was sitting by my side under a tree. His brownish blond hair was reflecting under the sun and his beautiful blue eyes that were on me were hard to resist.

“What?”

“You are my best friend.”

He looked at me and flashed me a dazzling smile that I will never forget. “Really?”

I nodded in reply. “I can’t believe you lie to Alice to bring me here, so thanks a lot. I doubt she will let me come here with you.”

I was so exhausted on that day. He drove me home while I slept in the car.

There was a knock on the door on a Monday morning. I was in my room. Sam must have carried me in.

“Come in,” I said as I was too tired to walk to the door.

It was Val. “Can you come down, please?” I had almost forgotten that they were already back. I thought I could skip school today. I hoped they didn’t know that I went out with Sam yesterday.

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Her voice changed, deeper. It didn’t sound like her at all. “We have to talk.”

“About?”

“The legend.”

This was what I was waiting all this time. I could finally get an answer to this riddle. An answer that could get me killed.