Una had lunch with her mother. As they ate, Una asked, "Mother, what was your wedding like?" Mrs. Stratton smiled. She said, "It was nothing fancy, but it was beautiful. Our wedding just had family and close friends, so it was small. Still, the flowers were beautiful and blue, since blue is my favorite color. It was also your father's favorite color. Anyway, before we got started, my father asked if I was sure this was what I wanted, because if I wasn't, I didn't have to do it. I said that I wanted to get married, so once the music started, he walked me down the aisle. Your father and I got married, and just like any other wedding, we had cake, and we went on our honeymoon." Una said, "That's lovely." Her voice then trailed off, as she started feeling sad. She just realized that her father wouldn't be there to walk her down the aisle. She wanted to cry, but she didn't want her mother to worry about her. Mrs. Stratton noticed Una's sudden silence and asked, "Are you all right, dear?" Una said, "Yes, Mother. I'm fine." Mrs. Stratton asked, "What's wrong?" Una said, "I just have a lot on my mind. There's a lot to do before Everett and I get married." Mrs. Stratton said, "I understand. Don't worry, though. I'm sure everything will work out, no matter what." Una said, "Thanks, Mother." Once they finished eating, she said, "I'm going to see if Everett's had any luck finding a wedding venue." Mrs. Stratton said, "Okay, Una. I'll see you later." Una said, "Bye, Mother." Una then went off to be alone, so that she could find a place to cry where no one would hear her. She then headed back to Everett's apartment, hoping he wouldn't notice her looking sad.
When Greeley's birthday finally arrived, Leila went to Greeley's house. When she knocked on the door, Greeley answered. He said, "Hi, Leila." She said, "Hi, Greeley. Happy eighteenth birthday." She then handed him a card. He said, "Thank you." When he opened the card, the concert tickets fell out. He said, "You got me concert tickets!" She said, "Yes, and not just any concert tickets. I got tickets to see New Religion. They're having an outdoor concert this evening." He said, "That's bloody amazing. Thank you, Leila." He hugged her. She said, "You're welcome, Greeley." After dinner, they had some cake. Greeley said, "This is the best birthday I've ever had." Leila said, "It's not over yet." He said, "You're right. We have a New Religion concert to go to." She said, "That's right. We better go if we want to get good parking." He said, "Right." The two friends got into Greeley's car and headed to the concert.
Shortly after the incident, the members of The Devil Wants Peace were interviewed. The interviewer asked, "John, is it true that you overcame your fear of water before you saved Allen?" John replied, "It's true." The interviewer asked, "Is it true that the rest of you were surprised when John swam so quickly?" Stan said, "Yes. I knew that his girlfriend, Caryn, taught him how to swim, but I didn't know she taught him to swim so well." Peter said, "I was impressed at how brave he was, too." Allen said, "Yeah. I'll never forget what he did for me." John said, "Thank Caryn. She's the one who taught me how to swim." Caryn saw the interview on the news, and she was very touched. Later, John said to Caryn, "Thank you for everything you did for me this summer." She said, "You're welcome." He said, "Your love for me is what motivated you to help me, and in the end, I was able to help my mates. Love conquers fear. I truly believe that."
THE END
THE END
During the 4th of July celebration in Oak Ridge, the members of New Religion decided to take Klondike out with them to get him used to noise and crowds. Lots of people stopped them and asked to pet Klondike. He was very happy getting petted. One person said, "He's a beautiful dog. What kind of dog is he?" Erin said, "He is a cross between a German Shepherd and a Siberian Husky." Another person asked, "How old is he?" Paul replied, "He will be three months old later this month." Klondike enjoyed all the attention he was getting. He didn't seem to mind the noises during the parade. That night, he wasn't even bothered by the fireworks. Carl said, "I think he's mascot material. He doesn't have a problem with crowds or noises." Lola said, "Yeah. He will do well when he starts touring with us." The members of New Religion knew that they got the perfect dog to be their new mascot when Fritz retires. Klondike will have big shoes to fill, but he'll certainly fill them.
THE END
THE END