Year two, the ending.

     "Josh, before we get going, can I talk to you?"

Josh nodded slowly, looking at his mom confused through the reflection of his mirror. Ties and shirts surrounded the two as they were preparing Josh for his date and Tyler was next to him sharing the same expression.

"About the place you were at when you were... missing," she started, looking carefully at the boys for any reaction. Josh felt bad seeing his mom like this, knowing very well that she wished none of the events had happened. "Did you go to school when you were there?"

Josh was a little caught off guard by the question. "Yeah," he said, carefully. "but it's not like it was a real school. It talked about this weird religious stuff mostly."

"I talked to your counselor for school about all the credits you'll need to make up in order to graduate since you're technically a senior this year, but she said you're already caught up in your school record. She said that some classes were put in while you were missing and no one really noticed."

Josh tried not to let the last four words hurt him as much as they weren't intended to. "Does it say what school I went to? Does it say where I was cause if I thought about it, I don't think I was even in this country."

Tyler was silent and just sat off to the side. He felt as if it wasn't his place to listen in to this but he couldn't help it. Josh had rarely talked about what happened when he was gone or about where he was, this was the extent of what he knew for now.

"No, it doesn't," she said. "But I'm also here to tell you not to wear that tie, the blue one looks better on you."

Josh groaned, "Mom..."

"And your hair, at least look presentable for Debby." His mother cried, "Tyler I thought you were supposed to be helping him!"

"Hey, I say that he looks hot!" Tyler countered, "Debby is lucky she's getting a full meal for diner tonight." Mrs Dun rolled her eyes at the two, already grabbing a different tie and shirt.

"You're doing that mom thing again," Josh complained. "I'm eighteen, I'm pretty sure I know how to get ready for a date."

"Who have you dated besides Debby?" She asked, shocked.

Josh's cheeks turned pink in a moment and realized that he was caught in an unintentional lie. "Okay well I technically haven't dated. More like holding a girl's hand and then never talking to her again."

"Josh!"

"It's my fault," Tyler said, "I tried to get Josh a girlfriend since he helped me with Jenna and that was the day that I learned that Josh doesn't know how to communicate with double X chromosomes."

Josh coughed at Tyler's words with no one quite sure why they made him smile in a way. "Hey, at least I actually love Debby." Josh said, not realizing how much those words made his mom happy to hear.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tyler dismissed, pushing Josh out of his room. "You two are cute together, we get it. Now don't have to much fun at dinner, and remember to text me when you're done, okay?"

"Jenna already gave me this speech, Tyler." Josh laughed.

"Oh my goodness, they grow up so fast." Tyler sighed, holding his hand to his heart. "It's seems just like yesterday that he was brought into this world—"

"I'm older than you!"

"Sometimes I still hear him yell at me..." he wiped away fake tears.

***

"I'm sorry. I can't help it if I'm nervous." Josh spoke quietly, looking down into his lap.

"Oh c'mon, Josh," Debby laughed. "I'm pretty sure I'm as or even more nervous than you." She put down her menu and reached across the table to hold his hand, "this is the most normal

"Well you got the part saying that you were pretty correct." Josh glanced up to see her smiling playfully at him. "Okay, before things go way too sappy, what are you gonna order?"

"I'm thinking..." Debby looked at the menu for a moment before deciding. "A lemonade and pasta?"

"Sounds great." Josh put his menu down, glancing at the table in the back where their moms were pretending to be in a deep discussion. He then looked back at Debby, wondering how on earth he got so lucky to meet her and eventually date her. It was like every bad thing in his life had suddenly disappeared and led up to this moment where he sat across from her in a local diner in Ohio.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Debby asked, turning her head slightly to get a better view of Josh.

"You," Josh responded, smiling like a little kid, "and how I'm happy to be sitting here with you."

"I guess we're back to the sappy part, huh?" Debby laughed playfully. Josh, knowing that he never wants her laughter to end, smiled.

They were only halfway done with their food when Josh noticed something off. It was Debby's voice, it sounded clear as day compared to the other conversations in the restaurant. He noticed her yawning and he checked his watch, only seven thirty. "You okay?" He asked, but his own voice sounded as if it was trapped in an endless echo.

"No," Debby said honestly. She herself felt like her whole brain got hit by a bus. She looked down into the food, thinking she may have eaten something bad. She scanned her eyes around the diner and saw no sign of their moms being there. "Josh..." she looked over at him to see a frightened expression that she's seen one too many times. "I think I'm gonna pass out," she breathed heavily.

Josh however was having a more strange reaction. Everywhere he looked he saw the same daunting figure dressed in a scarlet robe. It stood still with one pale hand outstretched towards him. He couldn't find enough courage in himself to respond to Debbys panic. He couldn't even feel himself grab the hooded figures hand until it was too late.

Book two is up.