Pretty soon, Paul got tired of just sitting in his bedroom. He decided to go for a walk through the neighborhood. He went up the hill that overlooked the neighborhood. It was where he liked to go if he felt the need to cry. It was a place he could cry where no one would hear him. He often cried because he felt as if he had lost his best friend. He missed the days when he and Hank were close. Paul used to could confide in Hank without judgment, and now, Hank would accuse him of being "too emotional" and "weak". Hank's new friends were such jerks. Paul's friends were all right, but they didn't understand his situation. They either didn't have siblings, were still close with their siblings, or were never close with their siblings. His mother was no help either. He once told her that he still loved Hank and couldn't understand why Hank didn't love him anymore. His mother told him, "Of course Hank still loves you. He's just hiding from his insecurities." It sure didn't feel like love. As a result, Paul felt alone. He cried for an hour or two. He then dried his tears and walked back home so that his family wouldn't know he had been crying. That evening, Paul was very quiet at dinner. His mother asked him, "Are you all right, dear?" He said, "I'm fine." She said, "Are you sure? You've hardly touched your food." He said, "I'm just having trouble with my new song." She said, "Don't worry. I'm sure it'll come to you." He said, "I know." She then said, "I'm sure with a good night's sleep, it'll come to you again." He said, "Yeah, but school starts tomorrow." She said, "You can work on it after school, then." He said, "Yes, mother." That night, Paul struggled to fall asleep. He was dreading what might happen tomorrow. Hank never joined in with his friends when they'd bully Paul, but he never stopped them. Eventually, Paul drifted off to an uneasy sleep.
After Everett received his discharge papers and his crutches, Una asked him, "Are you hungry?" He said, "Yes, very." She said, "Okay. We'll get something to eat, then I'll take you home." After they ate dinner at a burger joint, they went back to Everett's apartment. Una decided to stay with Everett so that she could help him with whatever he needed. Mrs. Stratton approved of Una's decision. Everett's knee healed in a few days. After that, he and Una decided that they would start planning their wedding. It is a day that they are both looking forward to.
THE END
THE END