*** In a Private Channel ***  

TREVOR: It was really cool hiking up Mt. Monadnock with you

PAIGE: Yeah! I had a really good time!

TREVOR: There's something about the air up there, I don't know, the view...

PAIGE: Yeah...it was breathtaking...

TREVOR: Uh, so...

...I, uh...

PAIGE: What is it Trevor?

TREVOR: So, I wanted to say...

...I'm really sorry for trying to kiss you...

PAIGE: Oh, yes...

...that...

TREVOR: Yeah, it was a really stupid move

...I don't know what I was thinking

...I mean I was reminiscing about my grandpa 

...and you were talking about how you really missed your grandmother since she passed

...and the light from the sunset was really cool and...

PAIGE: Yeah, yeah, I know

...I get it

...we were in the moment

...got carried away

...plus you have a girlfriend

TREVOR: HAD a girlfriend

...I HAD a girlfriend

PAIGE: Oh...?

...you and Mackenzie broke up?

TREVOR: Yeah

...last weekend at Peter Donaldson's party

PAIGE: Oh...hmm...I see.... 

...I didn't go to that party

TREVOR: You never go to ANY parties!

PAIGE: And how would you know?

TREVOR: I just never see you at them, that's all

PAIGE: Wait, what?

...like you look for me?

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TREVOR: Not exactly...

...I...umm...

...I just...

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...hey, why don't you ever go to parties?!

PAIGE: I don't like parties

...I don't like people

TREVOR: Ouch!

...that's harsh

PAIGE: No, I mean I don't like being around lots of people, all at once

...not when they've been drinking and are really loud and stuff

TREVOR: We really don't have a lot in common, do we, huh?

PAIGE: I wouldn't say that...

...I just don't think we've spent enough time together 

...to really know

...plus, people are often more than the labels... 

...OR the stereotypes that get slapped onto them, you know?

TREVOR: Yeah...

...I'd like to get past the stereotypes

PAIGE: What? With me?

TREVOR: Uh...yeah

...I thought maybe we could catch a movie 

...and maybe get some dinner afterwards?

PAIGE: Does it have to be an action or a superhero film?

...I'm not really into those kinds of movies

...they give me a headache

TREVOR: I don't know...

...does it have to have subtitles in it?

PAIGE: LOL!

...no, I promise, no subtitles

TREVOR: Okay then, yeah! That'd be cool!

PAIGE: Great! 

...Well, I've got your number from the project sheet

...I'll text you and we can plan something, sometime...

TREVOR: That would be excellent!!! 

...I'd like that. :')

*** Later That Day ***

ZOE: Okay, so you bid us all here claiming that you have big news

...Paige, Trevor

...this better be good!

TREVOR: It will be but we have to wait for Jace

BIANCA: I am soooo excited!! (ʘ‿ʘ)

ZOE: Oh, Lord... 

...look what you've done

...you've set her off

BIANCA: Oh, Zoe!

...you're just a big 'ol pooh bear

...but I still 'wuv you!  (~˘▾˘)~

ZOE: Stop it!

BIANCA: (づ￣ ³￣)づ

ZOE: Seriously! Stop!

BIANCA: (づ￣ ³￣)づ(づ￣ ³￣)づ

ZOE: No! No! No!

BIANCA: (づ￣ ³￣)づ(づ￣ ³￣)づ(づ￣ ³￣)

ZOE: Ugh!!  

PAIGE: Okay, Jace better get here soon

...Zoe's gonna have an aneurysm 

JACE: Yep! Yep! I'm here!

ZOE: Thank you, Jace!!

...you're my hero!

JACE: Wait, what??

ZOE: nvm

PAIGE: Okay, Trevor 

...everyone's here

...do you want to do the honors?

TREVOR: Gladly!

...so Paige and I hiked up Mt. Monadnock and went to the place where I was pretty sure Major Batchelder hid out back in 1776

...we looked around for a long time and were about to give up

...when we found a bunch of papers hidden under a boulder

PAIGE: We couldn't believe our luck!

JACE: You found Batchelder's diary?

TREVOR: Yeah! 

...I guess no one really goes up there to overturn giant rocks 

PAIGE: So, it's probably been sitting there, undisturbed, for all these years

TREVOR: A lot of the pages were unreadable

...but in the back, there were a few entries that were really well preserved

...honestly, he talks a lot of crazy talk about how the town is totally evil 

...and everyone hates him for being a Loyalist and supporting the British

...but then you get this

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ZOE: HOLY COW!!!

TREVOR: Yeah, I know! 

...Batchelder put a curse on the town, its people, and Captain Arnold and his family!!

JACE: Wow, you did it!

...you hit the jackpot!

BIANCA: Oh, my goodness!

...do you guys realize what this means???

ZOE: That were gonna get an "A"?!

PAIGE: No, I think what she means is we've not only uncovered...

...but solved, the biggest mystery this town has ever known!

JACE: Yeah, but what do we do with this information?

...I mean besides the report

PAIGE: Oh, that's a good question...

...it's not like we can go to the police or anything

BIANCA: And we're certainly not taking this to Reinhardt!

PAIGE: I really, really want to find out if this curse is real

...I mean this town has suffered an unusual number of disasters

...there was the blizzard of 1888, the floods of 1927 and 1936, the hurricane of 1938, and the blackout of 1942.  

TREVOR: It does feel like the town is kinda cursed

JACE: So what do you guys want to do?

...like keep researching

...keep investigating?

PAIGE: Yeah, and maybe talk to some of the old-timers, besides our grandparents, who are still around

...this is not for the report or anything, but to get to the bottom of this little mystery of ours

...prove whether or not the curse is real

JACE: Okay, I'm in

TREVOR: Yep! Me too!

BIANCA: Me three!!!  \ (•◡•) /

ZOE: Okay, look. I'm with you guys

...gypsy curse and town tragedies aside

...people just don't disappear from history

...so clearly there's more to this story

...but while it's great that our sleuthing has solved this particular part of the puzzle

...I've got to say this, 'cause no one else will

...we're headed into some pretty freakish territory, like strange, creepy, supernatural stuff

...I've got a little bit of experience in this department (long story, don't ask)

...so before we go any further with this, I just have to check...

...are you really ready to move forward

...because, folks...

...it's gonna get wild!

*** The End...Well, for now ***

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Aaah! I didn't mean to end it on a cliffhanger like that. Honestly! Sorry!!

BUT I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE STORY!!!

As far as continuing it, there were other photographs I could have used, but they would have taken the story in a different direction and I didn't feel like going down that road.

HOWEVER, I've grown quite attached to these characters and I 💕 LOVE 💕 the idea of writing a YA Mystery that's a combination of "The Breakfast Club" meets "Veronica Mars" and has the kids uncovering the town's darkest secrets.

SO, I think I'm gonna turn this into a script, like an actual script, for a television movie or a TV pilot, I don't know. I may even post it on Wattpad, we'll see. 

In any event, I just love how this all turned out! I hope you did too!!! And if you're a post-Wattys reader, please let me know what you think. You've been great at voting but I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

Please don't forget to vote and comment and share the story with your friends and put it in your reading lists or library! Help support a writer who's trying to do something different on the platform. 😀

❤️ ~ Paula