The Map of Us

Written by S. A. Fanning
 
The sound of her voice pitches me forward. I nearly go head over heels before I catch my balance and whirl around. My gaze climbs with wonder, from the sneakers to the smooth, shapely legs, to the tight-fitting t-shirt, and eventually to a face I’ve dreamed about almost every night for the past three years.
 
Another stumble, this time back a step as I wipe my eyes, fix my hair, and stand before her. Lia’s smile drops, and her eyes widen. I can’t say what my face is doing because I’m not sure that what I’m seeing is real.
 
She recovers with a laugh. “Hi,” she says with a little wave, like she’s been gone for a weekend.
 
It’s been three years.
 
Three summers ago, Lia arrived in Matt’s neighborhood and turned his world upside down. They spent the days down at old Preacher Higgins' property, canoeing in the pond, roaming the woods, and chasing fireflies into the night. Then she left without a trace.
 
Now a senior, Matt Crosby has a cute girlfriend, plenty of friends, and is on his way to a football scholarship when Lia returns out of the blue, claiming to have found clues that will lead to a treasure on the preacher’s property. Telling himself he’s helping an old friend, Matt drops everything to join the treasure hunt, but is soon struggling to juggle the past with the present as a childhood crush becomes something much bigger. And when it happens all over again, and Lia has to leave without a goodbye, Matt is caught between following his senior plans or his heart.