Page 1 of Emerald Moon
one
“Comeonthistripwith me, Wil.Please?”Jo pushed the plate of light pink raspberry macarons across the rug in their bedroom towards their packmate sitting across from them.“I made you macarons.”They made as pitiful of a face as they could manage.
Wilma sat cross-legged with her skirt arranged neatly around her.“And I appreciate the beautiful gift, but I am not going camping with you and Cass.”Picking up a macaron, she looked at it carefully and gave Jo a pleased smile.“You’re really improving.”
”Thanks!Are they good enough to convince you to abandon your pack Gamma duties and come with me?”
She took a bite and waited until she’d swallowed to continue.“Our ancestors started building houses for a reason.Why would I sleep outside on purpose?”
“But it’s going to be so awkward!Krista has to work, so it’s just going to be Cass and me.It was supposed to be a way for me to hang with Krista and one of her packmates from the Crooked Creek pack, but now it’s just going to be camping with a complete stranger from a different pack.”
“Cass isn’t a stranger.She tends to keep to herself, but you met her when we were at their pack house before.”
“And I don’t remember her.That’s a million times worse than being a total stranger, actually.”
“You really don’t remember her?Cropped black hair?Muscular?Tall?Well, everyone’s tall compared to you.”She chuckled.
“Ha.Ha,” Jo replied with a deadpan tone.“What if I ask you again, but I’m more pitiful this time?”
“As much as I love you, my answer will not change.Camping sounds horrible.”
“But camping is the best!”Jo grabbed a macaron and popped it into their mouth whole.They chewed just enough not to choke before continuing, “It’s the only time you’re allowed to be gross, and it’s expected!No one cares if you have dirt under your fingernails or you didn’t shower.And it’s great to just melt into nature.If I could, I’d walk out into the woods and never come back, just become one with the moss.”
“I support your moss dreams, but I would miss you.”Wil laughed.“Maybe Cass will want to become moss with you.”
“Maybe.”Jo groaned, falling backwards to lean against the edge of their bed.“I’ve got to bail.”
“Why?Just because of some perceived awkwardness?What if you have a great time?”
“What if it’s awful?”
“Then it’s two weird days and one weird night and that’s it.No big deal.”
Jo threw their arms wide.“The biggest deal!The social anxiety is real.I’m, like, already sick about thinking about it.How am I supposed to act?Should I pretend I remember her?Do I admit that I don’t?What are we going to talk about?I’d have to plan all these conversation topics and who knows if any of them will work.”
“Or you could just go and enjoy yourself.”
“If only it were that easy.”
“I know, Jo.”Wil tilted her head to the side.“Sorry it’s so tough.If you need to bail, that’s fine, too.Boundaries exist for a reason and if that’s a hard line for you, then that’s what it is.”
Jo reached forward to get another macaron.“The weird thing is, I was looking forward to the trip, so I do want to go.I just wanted it to be the three of us.Now that it’s changed, I’m being all weird about it.But I feel like I’m going to burst if I don’t get to go outside and immerse myself in the forest soon.I’ve got to shake off life for a bit.”
“I wish I could make the choice for you.”
“Me, too!”Jo laughed.“Can’t you be my external brain?The one that’s inside my skull is busted.”
“For what it’s worth, I think the pros outweigh the cons and you should give it a try.You’ve got nature, hiking, being gross and dirty.There’s just the social awkwardness and, who knows?That might not be so bad.You’re an easy person to talk to.Your personality makes everyone around you feel comfortable.”
“Thanks.That’s sweet of you to say.Just wish I could make myself comfortable, too.”Jo sat up and took a deep breath.“You know what?You’re right.I’m having a pity party and I’m tired of it.I’m going to go.What’s the worst that could happen?”Jo chuckled weakly, already imagining all the worst-case scenarios, but pushing them out of their mind.Sometimes they got so tired of their brain and lived life in spite of it.
Cass pulled up to the front of the Pitch Mountain pack house in a mud-splattered hatchback.She hopped out of the car with her cropped black hair pushed back, wearing a light blue button up shirt covered in bright, tropical birds.She had every button fastened, all the way up to the top.Jo wondered how she could breathe in the late-summer heat.It might be early in the morning for a werewolf, but it was still warm and humid.They were in the mountains, but summer lasted a long time in Hickorywood.Jo was much more comfortable in their black band t-shirt with short, brown hair that hadn’t seen a brush in days.
From the driver’s side of the car, Cass gave a salute of sorts that morphed into a wave before opening the trunk for Jo.“It’s good to see you again,” she said as Jo approached.
Jo tossed their backpack into the trunk.“Yeah, good to see you, too.”The plan was to fake remembering Cass as long as they could.
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
