Mavis couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such an adventure.
Once, back in Georgia, when Jonelle Bolt was sleeping over, they had sneaked out of the house after her mother went to bed and gone up to the 7-Eleven to buy candy. But on the way back home, the cops had stopped them and told them that two little girls shouldn’t be out alone so late at night. They had taken Jonelle and her home in their patrol car and then woken her mother up. Hoo boy, that had been a scene. No wonder Jonelle never wanted to come over to her house again.
But that had been nothing compared to this adventure.
Amanda had agreed to leave her bike for them beside her garage, so now Rose and Mavis were walking the bikes through the woods on their way to the highway. Rose had a million questions, and Mavis had an answer for every one of them.
How were they going to get across the highway?
Easy. They’d walk along the edge until they got to a stoplight.
How were they going to find Palmetto Road?
No problem. There weren’t that many roads in Landry. It shouldn’t be hard.
What were they going to do when they got to Wonderland?
They’d find somebody in charge and tell them they wanted to see Henry.
On and on and on.
A million questions.
Mavis led the way, pushing Amanda’s bike through the woods, weaving in and out of prickery brush and occasionally lifting the bike over fallen trees, until they reached a clearing. There, below a grassy ravine, was the highway.
Her insides swirled with excitement.
But one look at Rose told her that Rose’s insides were not swirling with excitement. Rose looked like she was ready to turn her bike around and head for home any minute.
Mavis knew she had to act fast.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s ride down to where the stoplight is.”
Then she jumped on the bike and pedaled as fast as she could down the ravine and along the edge of the highway. Every now and then she glanced behind her to make sure Rose was following.
“Hurry up!” she called to Rose, who was falling farther and farther behind.
When she got to the stoplight, she waited for Rose to catch up.
If everything went according to her plan, they would find Wonderland over there on the other side of the highway. Then they would find out where Henry was.
She was sure that everything about her plan was perfect.