24

A couple of minutes later and you're walking out the front door, the warm July air bursting to life with the smell of fresh flowers and mown grass. The walk into town is bright and colorful, and soon you're passing between the same familiar stores, recognizing the same familiar faces. The only thing different about the main street as you cross it is that Zoe's flower store now has a "For Rent" sign in the window. Tobias told you a few days ago that his parents decided to sell it, as business hadn't been great for a while.

At last, you reach your destination: the Town Hall. Inside the foyer there are already a few people streaming into the hall, and although once you get inside you see that the place isn't quite as busy as it has been for previous meetings, there is already a cluster of people all sitting near the front.

You take a seat yourself just as the members of the Town Council arrive. Today's meeting isn't quite as formal, so instead of filing onto the stage they simply stop just in front of where everybody is sitting.

It's then that you feel somebody tap you on the shoulder—and looking around, you see Robin, slightly out of breath, only just sitting down in the seat next to yours.

"Hey—thanks so much for coming," he whispers with a slightly anxious smile. "I was—"

But before he can say anything else, Dina clears her throat and gets the attention of the small crowd with a little wave.

"Hi, everybody—I'm glad you all could make it," she says. "Since it's such a nice day outside, I don't want to keep you all here for long; and besides, I'm sure nobody wants me to draw out the tension for too long."

By your side, Robin seems to hold his breath. For another second, Dina pauses—and then she smiles, and lifts up a hand towards the audience.

"I'm very pleased to announce that the person who had been awarded this year's full college scholarship is—Robin Larkin, for his commitment to preserving Silvertree's local history!" There's a gasp to your left—and then Robin get to his feet with a jolt, a hand covering his mouth. As he makes his way over to shake Dina's hand, you think you see tears shining in his eyes. is—Rana Farooqi, for all of her dedicated community activism over the past year!"

You hear a gasp from the other side of the hall—and then you see Rana stand up, covering her mouth with shock. As she makes her way over to Dina to shake her hand, Robin gives a tiny sigh of disappointment in the midst of the applause.

You don't get the chance to talk again until you're standing outside, Robin still speechless with shock.

When he finally manages to make a sound, you can hear that he's still struggling not to break down crying.

"I actually can't—I can't believe—"

He closes his eyes—and then he lets out a laugh that could also be a sob.

"Thank you, Huknock, for—everything. I don't even know how I could've done it if it wasn't for you."

You wait a little longer by the Town Hall entrance—and then, after a couple more words, you start walking together without quite knowing where. It just seems like the kind of day where you're happy just to be out in the sun.

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