(I was tempted to continue from the Rest of the Year episode, but I wanted to leave the timeline open for changes or for other magical shenanigans to have occurred. That said, I liked the entry so feel free to assume that most or all of what was described in that episode did actually happen.)
I gave one last look at the retreating form of the girl that had been my best friend. Maybe it was just the wind, but I could swear I heard muffled giggling from her and Sarah as they retreated from view. Exhaling a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, I picked up the crumpled wad of paper and unfolded it, smoothing it against my shirt.
Meet me at you-know-where as soon as you can. P.S. I'm sorry I broke it
For the first time today, I smiled. What Karyn had written would have been meaningless to anyone else. But to me, it meant I still had my friend.
When we were much younger, Karyn and I had discovered an old deer stand abandoned in a clearing in the woods behind her home. Not exactly being safety-conscious children, it had seemed the ideal place to waste summer afternoons. One day, Karyn stormed the watch tower I had been guarding. I had an especially nice nerf gun that I'd won in some contest, and she'd grabbed it as I turned it on her. In the ensuing struggle, it had ended up being flung off the side of the deer stand, and the shoddy plastic had shattered on the ground below. I was devastated. Yet some time later, Karyn had presented me with a new one. She'd saved up every part of her allowance for weeks to replace it.
Maybe things were going to be ok.
