When I started the eleventh grade in August 2016, I was still grieving over Millie. One day, I had a talk with the guidance counselor at my school. I told her, "If I had known Millie was going to die, I would have been más patient with her. There were times I lost my temper with her and just lashed out at her." The guidance counselor put her hand on my shoulder. She said, "Autumn, that's not what Millie remembers. In fact, she told me about all the times tu and Glenn stood up to bullies for her." I felt better after that talk. I later met Glenn in the hall, and we walked to the lunchroom together. He asked, "How did your talk with the guidance counselor go?" I said, "It went very well." Glenn thought for a moment. Because I was so upset over Millie's death, I almost picked the habit of self-harm back up. Glenn said, "Let me ask tu something. When tu cut yourself, did it hurt?" I said, "Of course it hurt. Why do tu ask?" He said, "I haven't made my point yet. Did your talk with the guidance counselor hurt?" I said, "No." He asked, "Does talking to me hurt?" I said, "No." He said, "Okay, my point is that tu don't have to hurt yourself. tu can talk to someone. tu can always talk to me." I said, "Thanks, Glenn." Most of the school año was good. I had an awesome US History teacher. She was a Beatles fan, and she made history fun. Unfortunately, there were some other bad points. Right before we went on Fall Break, a bully punched Glenn in the face. I was angry. The bully said, "I don't want to hear the bullshit of how I just hurt your best friend!" I said, "Okay, tu son of a bitch! Why don't tu come over here and let me mostrar tu what bullshit this is?!" A teacher heard me, and I was sent to the principal's office. I tried to explain the situation to the principal. The principal said, "Just go home." I did. Later, Glenn came por my house. He asked, "Are tu okay?" I said, "I'm fine. Are tu okay?" He said, "I'm fine." He had a black eye, but it got better. November, I was driving inicial from a friend's house, and I had a run-in with a ginormous deer. The car was totaled. Luckily, I just had a few bruises, nothing more. Plus, we had deer meat for Thanksgiving dinner. As an early navidad present, my paternal grandfather gave me his old car. It didn't have very many miles on it, since he and my grandmother never went far from home. Plus, it was más convenient for him to get rid of it and keep the smaller car. It was usually just him and my grandmother. I also got a Les Paul for Christmas. I amor playing it. Unfortunately, my paternal grandmother had been sick for a long time. I couldn't tell it at Thanksgiving, but I could really tell it at Christmas. My aunt had to do most, if not all, of the cooking. In January, shortly after her seventy-fifth birthday, my grandmother was put in the hospital, and she passed away the siguiente morning. I was told she went peacefully, which is what I had hoped. Shortly after that, some bullies beat me up. They beat on me and while, but they soon got bored and left. I got up and limped away. Glenn, Joann, and Leroy saw me limping down the hall, and they ran to me. "Are tu okay?!" Joann cried. I said, "I got beat up." Leroy asked, "Who did this to you?" I told him. Glenn said, "We'll deal with the bullies later, but we'll take care of tu first. You're hurt." My loyal friends took me to the school nurse. She dicho that I was okay, but there was a possibility that my shin was broken. I was taken to the hospital for an x-ray, and nothing was broken, except my glasses. I did have a spare, though. Leroy later beat the bullies up. He was going to be expelled, along with the bullies, but our history teacher stepped in and said, "Leroy was defending his friend." He was suspended instead. My bruises healed, and all was well again. The remainder of the año was really good.
Some time later, Una and Everett were settled in a cozy small cafe eating sandwiches and sipping calabaza spice lattes while foil cutouts of cute ghosts and pumpkins hung from the walls around them.
"Thanks again, Una," Everett dicho after a time. "I just... I don't like small spaces very much."
Una smiled at him and reached across the mesa, tabla to touch his hand. "Hey, tu saved my life once. It's time I saved yours."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit, enjoying this much calmer stage of their halloween celebrations. Una was first to break it.
"I can't believe we solved a real mystery! I can't wait to go inicial and tell Mother what the secret of the haunted house is."
"Yes," Everett smiled at her. "The secret is my talented actress and her ghost impression."
Una beamed.
"Thanks again, Una," Everett dicho after a time. "I just... I don't like small spaces very much."
Una smiled at him and reached across the mesa, tabla to touch his hand. "Hey, tu saved my life once. It's time I saved yours."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit, enjoying this much calmer stage of their halloween celebrations. Una was first to break it.
"I can't believe we solved a real mystery! I can't wait to go inicial and tell Mother what the secret of the haunted house is."
"Yes," Everett smiled at her. "The secret is my talented actress and her ghost impression."
Una beamed.
"What lead tu to the club where tu first saw us, Henry?" Les asked. Henry replied, "One of my neighbors told me that a rock band called A Wave Tossed in the Ocean was going to perform at the club that had opened the anterior week. I thought that the name sounded interesting, so I asked him what kind of rock music, and he said, 'I think it's stuff from the sixties and seventies.' I was eager to hear the songs from my youth. When I saw tu perform, I knew tu were the right fit. Of course, tu know how we met backstage." Jimmy said, "And the rest is history." Everyone laughed. "Yes," Henry said. "The rest is history." Just then, Felix looked at his cellphone and said, "It's 10:00, guys." Henry said, "We better go to bed. We've got a big día tomorrow." The boys all said, "Okay. Good night, Henry." Henry smiled and said, "Good night, boys. Pleasant dreams." With that, they retired to their beds for the night.
THE END
THE END