The Mystery of the Mystery Meat (18 page)

“Come on up here, Freekin!” the coach urged him. “And Lilly, too. We have something for you.”

Lilly looked at Freekin, and he returned her gaze. Then they walked together past all the cheering people in the gym and climbed onto the stage. The question mark decorations turned and glittered, and Lilly’s blond hair gleamed.

At a signal from Coach Karloff, Deirdre walked from the back of the stage. She was carrying two golden crowns, also decorated with question marks, on a little purple pillow. She held it up to Coach Karloff, who picked up the smaller, daintier of the two crowns and held it above Lilly’s head.

“I give you Lilly, Queen of the Nonspecific Winter
Holiday Dance!” he announced, and placed the crown on her head. Lilly’s eyes glittered as she excitedly covered her mouth with her hands.

“And I give you Freekin, your king!” the coach added. Then he placed the larger crown on Freekin’s head.

“Wow,” Freekin murmured to Lilly as they waved at everyone. Below, on the gym floor, Pretty was bouncing up on her tentacles, cheering and waving at him. Scary briefly popped a wing and waved at him, too.

“Wow,” Lilly echoed. She took both his hands in hers and faced him. “Wow, Freekin Ripp.”

Kiss her,
he told himself.
Kiss her now.

But he didn’t.

This is Belle. Uncle Chris, you have got to be kidding me.

This is Elvis. I think he is kidding us.

Dear Girls and Gentle Reader, I would never kid you on a matter as serious as this. For as you recall, Freekin’s one requirement for remaining in the Land of the Living for the rest of his natural unlife was to kiss Lilly Weezbrock. But he didn’t.

Instead, he let
her
kiss
him.

“You kissed me,” Freekin whispered.

“I kissed you,” she said. “Now kiss me back.”

A cheer rose up all around the gym, and the music
swelled. And Freekin thought…although he wasn’t positive…that his heart might have beat just then.

I get to stay,
he thought. He smiled over Lilly’s shoulder at Pretty and Scary.
We get to stay.

And then he kissed Lilly back. The way heroes kiss heroines. The way true love kisses. The way that makes life worth living.

And so we leave them together, kissing. And maybe Pretty shed a tear, but she was cheered up by Tuberculosis, who told her she was the prettiest girl in the room, and Scary-tiara gave her a tender little butterfly kiss on the top of her head.

Awwww! This is Belle. This is such a happy ending!

This is Elvis! That is soooooo sweet!

Indeed. It is sweet. But it’s certainly not an ending.

It’s a beginning.