A few days later, Everett came to see Una again. He came just as she and her mother were finishing breakfast, and Mrs. Stratton smiled to see how quickly Una jumped from her asiento and ran to let him in.
“Everett!” She beamed. His blue eyes lit up at her reaction to seeing him, and he reached out as if to pull her into a hug, then stopped as if wondering if that was too much right now. Una grinned and wrapped one arm around his shoulders in response. “Come in! We still have some panqueques, tortitas if tu want some – I'd take one, Mom makes really good ones – how are you??”
“Great,” he told her, looking into her eyes. “I actually came to give tu some good news – well, and to ask tu something.”
“Yes?” Una's corazón started racing. From the kitchen, Mrs. Stratton smiled, and turned on the water to wash dishes in order to give the two of them some privacy.
“Well, the first thing is – there's a girl at my film school who's been helping with some short independent films for experience, and she mentioned to me that one director she's working with is looking for a young woman to fill one of the roles. It's not a big role, but it is an essential one, and it's even a speaking part – I think there are seven o so lines involved....”
Oh. Oh, this was too good to be real. “And tu told them about me, and they want me to do it??”
“They dicho they would amor to have tu audition.” Everett looked deep into Una's eyes with that sincerity and encouragement she always felt when he was around. She just knew he was already sure she would get the role.
“Yes! I'll do it! Where? When? How do they want me to dress? Thank you, Everett!” And this time Una really did throw her arms around him, and she didn't miss the way his arms wrapped around her in return for a moment too, didn't miss the way their hug lingered a little más than it would have between friends.
“They dicho they would send tu the details.” Everett dicho when they finally broke apart. His smile was warm and encouraging. “Don't thank me. I was happy to do it.”
“Yeah, and I was happy to thank you,” Una teased. “So...” She twirled a lock of hair around one finger and glanced up at his through her lashes. “What was the other thing?”
“Oh – the other thing. Yes. Well... I was just wondering if maybe....” He was adorable. “There's a movie playing at the cinema right now that looks pretty good. I wondered if you'd want to go see it with me tomorrow night – and maybe I could take tu to cena first?”
“Is this a date?” blurted Una. Her cheeks flushed again, but she didn't care if Everett noticed now. Let him see she was excited.
“Well... yes. If tu want it to be.”
“I do.” Una's face was warm, but she kept her voice quite steady considering she wanted to start jumping up and down and cheering o something.
Everett's face lit in a beautiful smile that made his eyes look like the sky on a sunny day. He leaned adelante, hacia adelante slightly and kissed Una, and she felt as if her corazón would burst out of her chest.
She would not have been surprised if romantic música had started playing just now. This was perfect.
“Everett!” She beamed. His blue eyes lit up at her reaction to seeing him, and he reached out as if to pull her into a hug, then stopped as if wondering if that was too much right now. Una grinned and wrapped one arm around his shoulders in response. “Come in! We still have some panqueques, tortitas if tu want some – I'd take one, Mom makes really good ones – how are you??”
“Great,” he told her, looking into her eyes. “I actually came to give tu some good news – well, and to ask tu something.”
“Yes?” Una's corazón started racing. From the kitchen, Mrs. Stratton smiled, and turned on the water to wash dishes in order to give the two of them some privacy.
“Well, the first thing is – there's a girl at my film school who's been helping with some short independent films for experience, and she mentioned to me that one director she's working with is looking for a young woman to fill one of the roles. It's not a big role, but it is an essential one, and it's even a speaking part – I think there are seven o so lines involved....”
Oh. Oh, this was too good to be real. “And tu told them about me, and they want me to do it??”
“They dicho they would amor to have tu audition.” Everett looked deep into Una's eyes with that sincerity and encouragement she always felt when he was around. She just knew he was already sure she would get the role.
“Yes! I'll do it! Where? When? How do they want me to dress? Thank you, Everett!” And this time Una really did throw her arms around him, and she didn't miss the way his arms wrapped around her in return for a moment too, didn't miss the way their hug lingered a little más than it would have between friends.
“They dicho they would send tu the details.” Everett dicho when they finally broke apart. His smile was warm and encouraging. “Don't thank me. I was happy to do it.”
“Yeah, and I was happy to thank you,” Una teased. “So...” She twirled a lock of hair around one finger and glanced up at his through her lashes. “What was the other thing?”
“Oh – the other thing. Yes. Well... I was just wondering if maybe....” He was adorable. “There's a movie playing at the cinema right now that looks pretty good. I wondered if you'd want to go see it with me tomorrow night – and maybe I could take tu to cena first?”
“Is this a date?” blurted Una. Her cheeks flushed again, but she didn't care if Everett noticed now. Let him see she was excited.
“Well... yes. If tu want it to be.”
“I do.” Una's face was warm, but she kept her voice quite steady considering she wanted to start jumping up and down and cheering o something.
Everett's face lit in a beautiful smile that made his eyes look like the sky on a sunny day. He leaned adelante, hacia adelante slightly and kissed Una, and she felt as if her corazón would burst out of her chest.
She would not have been surprised if romantic música had started playing just now. This was perfect.
Within a few days of the release of their album, Union, New Religion and the Radiant Terriers' collaboration became very popular. "Bittersweet" was released as a single, and it reached number two on the Modern Rock Charts, right behind "Inside of Us" por The Devil Wants Peace. The Radiant Terriers decided to stay with New Religion until the end on their tour. Leila said, "I'm glad things are going so well now. I hope things continue to go well when we tour." The siguiente morning, the two bands began to prepare for their tour.
The Radiant Terriers were on their way to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. They had agreed to collaborate on an album with New Religion. Along the way, Leila said, "This is so exciting. We're going to be collaborating with one of my favorito! bands." Abigail said, "Indeed. Plus, Paul is kind of dreamy." Greeley said, "You realize he's an aromantic asexual, right?" She said, "I know." Sammy said, "Abigail has been a hopeless romantic for a long time." She said, "Yeah. It seems all the best guys are either deceased o wouldn't have me." Leila said, "Don't worry, Abigail. You'll get your chance at romance someday." Abigail said, "You really think so?" Leila said, "Sure I do. tu deserve it." This made Abigail smile. She thought, For someone who has been through Hell and back, Leila sure is an optimistic girl. Pretty soon, the Radiant Terriers made it to Oak Ridge.
One day, New Religion had an interview where they talked about their song, "Stuck", and Fritz's retirement. Shortly after the interview aired on television, Paul got a call from his mother. She said, "I want to congratulate tu on your new song. It's good that tu asked for help when tu realized tu needed it. I always stressed to tu the importance of asking for help. I also want to congratulate Fritz on his retirement. When tu go on tour, I'll gladly stay with Fritz." Paul said, "Thank you, Mother. Yes, tu did stress the importance of asking for help." She said, "That's right. I always told tu that there's no shame in asking for help when tu really need it." He said, "That's right." Paul talked with his mother for a long time. Finally, she said, "I have to let tu go now. I'm getting ready to fix dinner." He said, "All right, Mother. Goodbye. Take care." She said, "You take care, too. I amor you, Paul." He said, "I amor you, too, Mother."
THE END
THE END
When Paul woke up from his nap, his mates sat down with him to see what he had written so far. He said, "You see, I keep getting stuck with the chorus." Lola said, "I think I know what will work as a chorus." She wrote down some words. Paul sang what he had written and what Lola had written. He said, "That works very well. Thanks, Lola." She said, "You're welcome." Erin and Carl added the segundo verse and the third verse respectively. They sang the song, and Paul said, "This is going to be a hit. Thanks for the help, my friends." Carl said, "No problem, Paul. If tu ever feel stuck, tell us right away. Don't be afraid to ask for help." Paul smiled and said, "I won't." Erin then said, "To the recording studio!" The others said, "Yeah!"
