By the time the sun began to set, the Compound had settled into its usual evening rhythm.
The smell of dinner drifted through the air as people made their way towards the dining hall.
Children chased each other around the square while several adults sat chatting on benches outside their cabins.
I had changed back into my new jeans and green jumper, carefully hanging my white dress inside the wardrobe.
I must have opened the wardrobe door three times already.
Just to make sure the dress was still there.
I smiled to myself.
It still didn’t feel real.
There was a gentle knock at my door.
“Lilah?” Jace called.
“You ready?” I grabbed my hoodie from the chair.
“Yep!” As I stepped into the corridor, I found Jace, Peter and Nelly waiting outside.
Peter looked up and smiled.
“Good.” “I was worried you’d changed your mind.” “About what?” “Our first official meeting.” I frowned.
“What meeting?” Nelly laughed.
“Our secret den.” “Oh!” I grinned.
“I forgot.” Jace folded his arms dramatically.
“You forgot about our headquarters?” “I’ve only had one for about twenty-four hours.” “Still.” He shook his head.
“I’m disappointed.” Peter nodded solemnly.
“I expected better.” I laughed.
“I’ll try harder.” we all laughed The four of us wandered towards the woods, the evening air pleasantly cool after another warm day.
As we reached the changing huts, I instinctively stopped.
Jace noticed.
“We’re staying human tonight.” “Oh.” I smiled.
“Good.
I don’t think my legs could survive another race.” Jace smirked.
“That’s because you cheated.” “I did not!” “You definitely did.” Peter looked between us.
“Least you’ll be giving the wildlife a break.” I groaned.
“They’ll only call me Thunder Paws again.” Peter smiled innocently.
When we reached the cave, it already felt different somehow.
Familiar.
Like we’d been coming here for years.
Peter ducked inside first before placing his backpack on the floor.
“I brought supplies.” “What supplies?” I asked.
He unzipped the bag.
Four blankets.
A torch.
A pack of biscuits.
A deck of cards.
And…A tiny kettle.
I blinked.
“You brought a kettle?” Peter looked offended.
“Of course you can’t have a headquarters without tea.” Jace nodded seriously.
“He’s got a point.” Nelly laughed.
“I don’t know whether to be impressed or concerned.” Peter proudly placed the little camping kettle onto a flat rock.
“I’ve been planning this all afternoon.” Jace disappeared outside for a few minutes before returning carrying some pillows and random pieces of furniture he’d nicked from around the compound “i borrowed these earlier.” he laughed We all burst out laughing.
While the boys busied themselves rearranging the cave, Nelly quietly sat beside me.
“I nearly forgot.” She reached into her hoodie pocket.
“I got you something.” She placed a tiny wrapped parcel into my hands.
I looked at her in surprise.
“Nelly…You didn’t have to.” “I know.” “I wanted to.” Carefully, I peeled back the paper.
Inside was a delicate silver bracelet.
Dangling from it were four tiny charms.
A wolf.
A bird.
A crescent moon.
And…A little star.
Just like our markings we made on the wall, i looked at her.
“It’s beautiful.” My eyes began to sting.
“I…”.
I couldn’t find the words.
Nobody had ever bought me a present before.
Ever.
Nelly noticed the tears immediately.
“Oh no.” “Don’t cry.” “I’m sorry.” I laughed through the tears.
“I’m not crying because I’m sad.” “I’ve just…never had anything that was mine before.” Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around me.
“You do now.” “What’s all this then?” Jace’s voice made us both turn.
Nelly quickly stood up.
“Nothing!” Peter looked suspicious.
“That’s never the answer.” I smiled and held up my wrist.
The bracelet caught the light from the cave entrance.
Peter’s smile softened.
“It suits you.” Jace walked over for a closer look.
“The little wolf charm.” He grinned.
“Nice touch.” Nelly shrugged.
“I thought every headquarters needed an official friendship bracelet.” Peter immediately looked offended.
“Where’s mine?” She laughed.” I only had enough money for one today.” Peter clutched his chest dramatically.
“I’ve been emotionally wounded”.
“I’ll get you one next time.” For the next few hours, the four of us laughed, made the cave more homey and argued over where everything should go.
By the time darkness settled outside, the cave had transformed.
The blankets covered the benches.
A lantern glowed warmly in the corner.
The biscuits had mysteriously disappeared.
Peter denied eating them.
Nobody believed him.
As we sat together looking around our little den, Jace smiled.
“I think…this is officially home.” I looked at the little drawings we’d left on the cave wall.
The wolf.
The robin.
The moon.
The star.
Then at the three people sitting beside me.
For the first time in my life…Home wasn’t a place.
It was the people beside me.
The four of us sat in comfortable silence for a while, admiring our handiwork.
Our little cave already felt different.
Even the lantern hanging from a hook in the wall made the cave feel warm and welcoming.
Nelly smiled proudly.
“I think we’ve done a pretty good job.” “I’d say so,” Jace agreed, leaning back against the wall.
“I officially declare this headquarters open.” Peter raised an imaginary glass.
“To the Secret Den.” “To the Secret Den,” we all echoed together.
I smiled.
Peter suddenly sat upright.
“Oh!” “I nearly forgot.” “What?” I asked.
He looked at me.
“Remember Susan saying she wished she had yellow hydrangeas?” I nodded wondering where this was going.
“She said they’re her favourite.” Peter smiled mischievously.
“I’ve been thinking.” Nelly’s eyes lit up immediately.
“I know that look.” “So do I,” Jace laughed.
“It normally ends in trouble.” Peter ignored him.
“We’re trying to get Tony and Susan together.” “Correct.” “So…” He rubbed his hands together.”…why don’t we help Tony without him knowing?” I tilted my head.
“How?” “We take him to the garden centre.” Nelly grinned.
“Oh…I like where this is going.” “Yeah, to the garden centre apparently”.
Joked Jace Peter continued.
“We tell Tony we want to buy some plants for the Secret Den.” Jace nodded slowly.
“That’s believable.” “Exactly.” “Then…”Peter smiled proudly.”…while we’re there…..we convince Tony to buy Susan some yellow hydrangea seeds.” I blinked.
“Seeds?” He nodded.
“They’re easier to transport than full-grown plants and Susan would absolutely love growing them herself.” Nelly clapped her hands excitedly.
“That’s actually really romantic.” Jace pointed at Peter.
“Hang on.” “When did you become the romance expert?” Peter shrugged.
“I talk to robins they mate for life they know things.” I burst out laughing.
“You genuinely get relationship advice from birds?” “Sometimes the robins are hopeless the swans are much better, feisty though.” Nelly laughed so hard she almost fell off the bench.
“I can’t believe that’s a real sentence.” I thought about Susan’s face when she’d talked about the flowers.
She hadn’t just said she liked them.
Her whole face had lit up.
“I think she’d cry.” Everyone looked at me.
“If Tony surprised her with yellow hydrangeas…” “I think she’d actually cry.” Peter nodded.
“Exactly.” Jace scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“The only problem is…..how do we stop Tony realising we’re setting him up?” Silence.
Then all four of us slowly turned to look at one another.
Peter smiled.
“I’ve got it.” “No…”Jace laughed.
“I don’t like that smile.” “We tell him…”Peter paused dramatically.”…that Lilah wants to learn about gardening.” I blinked.
“What?” “You’ve never seen a garden centre before.” “True.” “You’ve never planted flowers.” “Also true.” “You’ve never even seen hydrangeas.” “I suppose…” Peter pointed triumphantly.
“So it makes perfect sense.” Nelly nodded enthusiastically.
“It really does.” Jace looked impressed.
“I hate admitting it…..but that’s actually a brilliant plan.” Peter bowed dramatically from his seat.
“I accept your apology.” “I didn’t apologise.” “You were thinking about it.
“I laughed.
“So…” “When do we go?” Nelly thought for a moment.
“Tomorrow?” Peter looked at Jace.
“You busy?” Jace shook his head.
“Nope.” “I’ve got training in the morning.” “But I’m free after lunch.” Peter looked at me.
“What about you?” I smiled.
“I’ve never been to a garden centre.
so…I’d love to go.” Nelly grinned.
“It’s settled then.” Jace rubbed his hands together.
“Right.” “So tomorrow’s mission.” Peter stood up, pretending to address an invisible audience.
“Operation Hydrangea.” Nelly laughed.
“That’s the worst name I’ve ever heard.” “It’s memorable.” “It’s terrible.” “I like it,” I giggled.
Jace nodded.
“I’m voting for Operation Hydrangea.” Nelly threw her hands into the air.
“I’ve been outvoted.” Peter punched the air triumphantly.
“Excellent.” “Operation Hydrangea officially begins tomorrow.” He pointed dramatically towards the cave entrance.
“Our objective…..make Tony accidentally romance Susan.” I couldn’t stop laughing.
“You make it sound like we’re planning a bank robbery.” Peter looked thoughtful.
“that would probably be easier than getting tony to accidently romance Susan”.
As the laughter echoed around the cave, I looked at my three friends.
Only a week ago…I’d had nothing.
Now I was sitting in a secret den, planning a fake gardening trip so we could secretly help two people fall in love.
Life was strange.
Wonderfully…Wonderfully strange.
I honestly hoped it never changed.