Chapter 2 - Foggy Bottom Surprise

It was nearly midnight, and rain spurted down on Chip like hard bursts from a garden hose. He’d made a big mistake. A beating from Rolo would have been the better choice. He squinted through the streams of water, straining to make out a shape moving toward him. It should have given him the willies to see a stranger out in the black of night on spooky Foggy Bottom Road, except for one thing. It was holding a yellow umbrella.

“It’s about time Chip Cooley,” a voice said from beneath the sunny canopy.

He came to a dead stop, nearly flying out of his boots.

“What are you doing here?”
Goth Girl twirled her umbrella, spraying even more droplets on Chip.
“I wanted to see if you were lame brain enough to go through with the dare,” she sniffed.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” he choked out, sounding as if he was about to hawk up a hairball.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” she said with a bored yawn. Ignoring him, she looked up at the edge of her umbrella, watching with mild interest as the water bounced off in a dancing diamond display.
Chip stared in mute amazement, hoping the raindrops pelting him might drill some answers into his head. Goth Girl, or Evvie Tipton as the rest of the town called her, was standing in the road staring at him expectantly. The mayor’s daughter. He’d never said two words to her. She was dark, silent and most definitely unpredictable. What was she doing here in the middle of the night?
Like a sucker punch, it hit him. Rolo’s taunt from school.
“Uh, you didn’t come because you… you think what Rolo said was true?” He paused, stricken with horror at the thought. “Um… you know, about a crush,” he said clearing his throat.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped, sounding very much like Miss Morgan in third period math.
“Good,” he breathed a sigh of relief only to have it catch again as she stepped closer. They were now both under her umbrella, and Evvie’s face was just inches from his.
“This is a death dare Chip Cooley.” Her golden eyes were fringed in seriousness and something that looked like blue mascara. “Everyone knows you don’t jump off a cliff just because some bully told you to.”

Chip’s face began to burn.

“I’m not,” he said through gritted teeth. “Now that you’ve done your duty Miss Goody Two Shoes, go home.”

She examined her chipped black fingernails.

“Nah. You stay, I stay.” She looked up then, and he could have sworn she was laughing, but the only sound in the air was the whining wind.

“This is nuts!” he fumed. “It’s not your dare.”
“Wrong.” She smiled then, and Chip found himself distracted by the moonlight glinting off her braces. “Anyway, if you insist on being idiot boy, then I have to make sure you don’t do something stupid —like kill yourself.”
Thunderclouds looked like they were rolling across Chip’s forehead. He took a step closer.
“Go home,” he ordered. When she didn’t budge, his lips disappeared into a thin, straight line. “I don’t need any help. Especially from a little ‘ole girl."
Evvie leaned in closer and had the satisfaction of seeing him blink in surprise.
“Really Cooley, I’m taller than you so ‘little’ does not apply. Anyway, I’m as good as any ‘ole boy.”
“Right,” he snorted.
“Well look at you,” she shot back. “You’re not even prepared! You’re supposed to bring tools in case you need them. Ever heard of the Boy Scouts?”

Chip smirked and opened his barn coat wide, revealing a tool belt hanging from his waist.

“You’re looking at the most decorated veteran in Mariposa Grove,” he said proudly. “I’ve got rope, matches, my Swiss army knife, dental floss and some fig cookies.”

“That’s an unusual item,” she said through pursed lips.

“A man’s gotta eat!”
Evvie wrinkled her nose.

“Not the cookies noodlebrain. The dental floss. Why?”

“Um… well figs, you know, they kinda get stuck in your teeth.”

“Gross.”

“Yeah, well I don’t see you bringing anything useful,” he charged.

Evvie pulled out a brown paper bag and slowly counted out the contents.

“Beef jerky, mints, juice box, and oh yeah,” she paused dramatically and held up a rectangle wrapped in silver foil. “Chocolate.”
All of a sudden, Chip felt as if his head was floating around his shoulders instead of sitting there nice and secure like it was supposed to.
Chocolate.
He closed his eyes. He’d never tasted it, but in some weird way, he knew it was his favorite thing in the whole world. Creamy, yummy pieces of heaven you could break from a bar bit by bit. Mrs. Cooley wouldn’t allow chocolate in the house, or in the mouth of any Cooley kid. When asked why, she’d get a faraway look in her eyes and softly say, “Chocolate is for grown-ups – not children.” And that was that. Everyone in Mariposa Grove thought Mrs. Cooley a bit odd, and they all knew about her ban on chocolate.
Evvie tapped the silver bar impatiently.
“Well?”
Chip swallowed the urge to grab it and run. One thing he knew, although why he couldn’t say, chocolate was good luck and he could use some about now.
“Come on,” he said grabbing her hand.

“Wait!” Evvie demanded pulling back. “Where?”

Chip’s eyes glowed with purpose.

“Mud Falls of course.”

Copyright © 2000 by Nina Martin.  All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For information, address: info@cooleyscurse.com