by N. C. Reed
“Yeah,” Donny backed his sister up.
“My mom isn't any better,” Angie agreed.
“My folks are worse,” Alvin said glumly. “After they got through blaming all of your parents, they turned on each other last night. I'll be surprised if they manage to get through the day without ruining their business.”
“Well, they can't stay made forever,” Angie announced, as if making a royal decree.
“I'm sure mine can try,” Alvin snorted. “But I hope you're right.”
“Of course I'm right,” Angie shot back, then stuck her tongue out. Alvin laughed, and the others joined him.
“Well, the important thing is that we managed to fix it, and we're all okay, and nothing bad happened to anyone in town,” Donna added her own proclamation. “Right?”
“Sure.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Whatever.”
The mumbled responses came out one atop the other.
“Oh, come on guys!” Donna exclaimed. “We saved the world Saturday night! I mean, sure, it was our fault to begin with, but still! We get points for making that right. Right?”
“Absolutely,” Angie nodded. “No matter what our stupid parents say.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Alvin nodded. “We did do a good thing, didn't we?”
“We did,” Donny nodded. “And Chip was awesome! Man, you got ba. . .er, guts, dude!” he managed to catch himself, but Donna slapped the back of his head anyway.
“Watch your mouth!” she ordered from her lofty position of being the oldest by a full two minutes and change.
“Whatever,” her brother shot back, rubbing his head. “Anyway, Chip you are the man, no doubt!”
“I have to agree,” Alvin nodded. “I would never have had the courage to do that, Chip. It was all I could do just to mutter the lines.”
“I couldn't move, even when the monster was right over us,” Donna admitted. “I was too scared to move. My feet wouldn't do what I told them.”
“My mom was breathing down my neck the whole time,” Angie noted. “I'm sure if I'd tried to do anything, she would have grabbed me in a second.”
“I just did what I had to,” Chip shrugged, uncomfortable with his friends' praise. “I felt responsible.”
“Well, at least it's behind us now!” Donny said cheerfully. “Now we can think about doing something new!”
His friends, and his sister, were still hitting him when the bell rang announcing it was time for home room.
Still laughing, the five of them walked inside. They were still in trouble, and they would still face irate parents at home, but they had each other.
And they had put the Monster of Creasy's Hollow back where it came from. After all that, whatever life had left to throw at them would be a piece of cake.