Within the half-hour, the fort was complete. Una and Everett had draped a blanket over two chairs they had pushed together, and used pillows and wadded-up sheets for extra coziness. The whole thing took longer than it might have, because Una threw a bantal at Everett and started a bantal fight.
Finally, the fort was up, and they sat under it on some folded sheets, Una flopped down and laughing, Everett sitting up beside her and laughing too.
"Let's tell stories," Una said.
"Okay," Everett agreed readily. "There's a good one from a short movie I've been practising editing in film school."
So Everett told Una the story of a boy taking a girl out on a date, and everything goes wrong as he tries to make it just right, until the girl reveals she doesn't need a perfect date, she just needs him. "It reminded me of someone," he confessed, grinning at Una. She laughed.
"My turn!" And Una made up a long, complicated story that started out as two bunny rabbits looking for a carrot patch but quickly spiralled away from that. "I used to do this when I was little," Una said, "and my father and I would act them out." She grew a little mellow here. "Sometimes we would take turns making up parts of the story until Mother called us for dinner. It was never actually done, anda know...."
Everett touched her shoulder. "Want to do that now?"
Una brightened again. "Yes!"
And so the seterusnya couple of hours was spent on a long, run-on story that got lebih and lebih convoluted the longer it went, and many times Una and Everett laughed so hard they had to let themselves stop before they could continue.
Finally, the fort was up, and they sat under it on some folded sheets, Una flopped down and laughing, Everett sitting up beside her and laughing too.
"Let's tell stories," Una said.
"Okay," Everett agreed readily. "There's a good one from a short movie I've been practising editing in film school."
So Everett told Una the story of a boy taking a girl out on a date, and everything goes wrong as he tries to make it just right, until the girl reveals she doesn't need a perfect date, she just needs him. "It reminded me of someone," he confessed, grinning at Una. She laughed.
"My turn!" And Una made up a long, complicated story that started out as two bunny rabbits looking for a carrot patch but quickly spiralled away from that. "I used to do this when I was little," Una said, "and my father and I would act them out." She grew a little mellow here. "Sometimes we would take turns making up parts of the story until Mother called us for dinner. It was never actually done, anda know...."
Everett touched her shoulder. "Want to do that now?"
Una brightened again. "Yes!"
And so the seterusnya couple of hours was spent on a long, run-on story that got lebih and lebih convoluted the longer it went, and many times Una and Everett laughed so hard they had to let themselves stop before they could continue.
"What do anda mean?" Una once again prepared to listen. Everett replied, "While my immediate family was supportive of my dream to go into film editing, not everyone was kind. Lots of people told me that I couldn't do it: most of my schoolmates, some teachers, even my extended family." She said, "How awful!" He said, "I know, but I didn't let that keep me down. My father even told me that I should go for it, no matter what anyone says. I looked at different film schools, and I got accepted into one that is fairly close to where I grew up. Upon graduating, I started preparing to go to film school. I started that fall, and I got a job at the local makan, kantin to help my parents cover the apartment rent." Una added, "And that's where we met." Everett smiled. "Yes, Una. My life only got brighter from there." She said, "Aw! I say the same to you, Everett." With that, they kissed.
Some time later, Una and Everett were settled in a cozy small cafe eating sandwiches and sipping labu spice lattes while foil cutouts of cute ghosts and pumpkins hung from the walls around them.
"Thanks again, Una," Everett berkata after a time. "I just... I don't like small spaces very much."
Una smiled at him and reached across the meja, jadual to touch his hand. "Hey, anda 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 utama 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 berkata after a time. "I just... I don't like small spaces very much."
Una smiled at him and reached across the meja, jadual to touch his hand. "Hey, anda 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 utama 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.