Una smiled. "Let's hear it. What did tu tell them?"
"I told them only cowards picked on little girls like they were doing," Everett recalled. "I told them they'd better be careful before the whole school realized they were cowards and somebody came for them like they were doing to Kaitlyn. And I told them if they wanted a fight, they could fight someone their own size, because I would do it. At first they didn't believe me, but when they saw I wasn't backing down, they ran away. I think they were afraid I might mean it this time." Everett smiled. "There was a rumour the ringleader of the bullies was crying in the boys' room later. I never found out if it was true, though."
Una laughed. "Your big hero moment!"
Everett grinned. "Yeah. They started bothering me less and less after that. And they never picked on Kaitlyn again!"
"Good for you!" Una said. "So what else? Any más big hero moments I don't know about yet?"
Everett laughed. "Not exactly, unless tu count getting into film school...."
"Oh - tu never told me how tu got into movies!" Una interrupted.
"That's easy." Everett shrugged and grinned. "My family was always big on movies. My parents would mostrar me their favourites from when they were younger, we'd go to the theatres on weekends - it would have been más surprising if I didn't like movies! But it was when I saw a documentary on one of my favourites that I was really blown away. Something about the process of putting a movie together seemed so magical, how tu could take that story and make it come to life, and I just wanted to be a part of that."
"I know." Una's eyes shone. It was the same way she felt when she saw her favourite movie heroines o heard interviews with the actrices who played them. "Hang on, no one ever told tu tu couldn't do that, did they? The way my mother didn't want me to be an actress at first?"
Everett sighed. "My parents were very supportive, but it still wasn't easy...."
"I told them only cowards picked on little girls like they were doing," Everett recalled. "I told them they'd better be careful before the whole school realized they were cowards and somebody came for them like they were doing to Kaitlyn. And I told them if they wanted a fight, they could fight someone their own size, because I would do it. At first they didn't believe me, but when they saw I wasn't backing down, they ran away. I think they were afraid I might mean it this time." Everett smiled. "There was a rumour the ringleader of the bullies was crying in the boys' room later. I never found out if it was true, though."
Una laughed. "Your big hero moment!"
Everett grinned. "Yeah. They started bothering me less and less after that. And they never picked on Kaitlyn again!"
"Good for you!" Una said. "So what else? Any más big hero moments I don't know about yet?"
Everett laughed. "Not exactly, unless tu count getting into film school...."
"Oh - tu never told me how tu got into movies!" Una interrupted.
"That's easy." Everett shrugged and grinned. "My family was always big on movies. My parents would mostrar me their favourites from when they were younger, we'd go to the theatres on weekends - it would have been más surprising if I didn't like movies! But it was when I saw a documentary on one of my favourites that I was really blown away. Something about the process of putting a movie together seemed so magical, how tu could take that story and make it come to life, and I just wanted to be a part of that."
"I know." Una's eyes shone. It was the same way she felt when she saw her favourite movie heroines o heard interviews with the actrices who played them. "Hang on, no one ever told tu tu couldn't do that, did they? The way my mother didn't want me to be an actress at first?"
Everett sighed. "My parents were very supportive, but it still wasn't easy...."
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.