The next morning, Erin and Paul took Fritz and Klondike for a walk. Paul said, "It feels great to walk with two dogs again." Erin smiled and said, "It really does." He said, "I really missed walking behind two fluffy butts." She giggled and said, "Me too." He said, "Klondike is a great addition. He's brought so much joy the past two days." Erin said, "Yes, Paul, he really has. I'm also glad he slept all night and did not have to get us up to go outside and use the bathroom." Paul said, "That's the advantage of getting a puppy at twelve weeks or two and a half months instead of eight weeks or a little less than two months." Erin said, "I've heard that around two months is the best time to get a puppy." Paul said, "That's because puppies learn important lessons from their mother and siblings, such as being gentle while playing." She said, "Yeah. He doesn't even play bite like my first dog, Rusty, did." Erin and Paul soon arrived back home with Fritz and Klondike. Lola asked, "Did you have a nice walk?" Erin said, "Oh, yes." Carl said, "I'm sure it's nice to be walking two dogs again." Paul said, "Definitely. I also think two is a good number of dogs. If we have to be gone, they can keep each other busy." The members of New Religion relaxed and watched the new puppy settle into his crate and take a nap.
When I had entered the fifth grade, I was dreading it. I had heard rumors that the teacher was really mean. When I met her before school started, she seemed really nice. On the first day of school, I was wearing one of my Beatles t-shirts. She noticed it, and she said, "Darling, I love you already!" I said, "Okay, then." She would take up for me all the time. The other kids often called me glasses. She heard them and said, "She has a name, guys. Her name is not glasses. It's Winter." There was one day when another girl kept picking on me. I finally had enough and said, "I might look sweet and innocent, but that shit is for suckers, and I'm no lollipop." I looked at the teacher. She winked and said, "I heard nothing." I would have had her for the sixth grade, too, but unfortunately, I moved to Tennessee as soon as the school year was over. We both cried. We promised to keep in touch with each other, and we've kept in touch to this day.