This is the story of the wrong pen which I grabbed when I was going to write a postcard to my best friend Abby while vacationing on Sao Beach in Vietnam.

“Mudfoot, Ogre Extraordinaire” read the business card. I raised one eyebrow, and opened my mouth to speak. But I couldn’t phrase the question politely. “I know I look like a teenage human,” Mudfoot said. “It’s a terrible curse.”

Josh paced back and forth. He had never felt more nervous in his life. He knew Olivia loved him, but would she be ready for marriage? He felt in his pocket for the fifth time that afternoon, as if the ring would have magically disappeared while he was waiting for her.

"No!” I shouted. “You can’t leave! Not now!” But my cries were barely audible over the roar of the sirens. My vision was blurred by tears. I couldn’t take it. I wanted to run after the ambulance and tell the doctors that he would be okay, but I knew he wouldn't.

I stand at the bottom of the stone steps and look up. Ridgegate Academy is tall and wide, almost grand, with pillars and columns reminiscent of old Roman architecture. I look around at the other students. Some are like me. Others are sitting and talking in groups.

I can’t stop thinking about the boy next door. He moved into town a few weeks ago and hasn’t said one word to me. He seems to live by himself and doesn’t talk much. I often see him playing with his golden retriever in his front yard or reading on his porch while the sun sets.

A mysterious figure cut through the haze-distorted beach horizon: long beard, tan skin, jeans, no shirt, bracelets for miles. Amazingly, his name was Ted Americano and the waterfront would never be the same after his arrival.