It Ends with Us

shuffling cards just calms me down sometimes and gives me something to focus on.
Anyway, it was dark outside, so I noticed the light right away. It wasn’t bright,
but it was coming from that old house. It looked more like candlelight than
anything, so I went to the back porch and found Dad’s binoculars. I tried to see
what was going on over there, but I couldn’t see anything. It was way too dark.
Then after a little while, the light went out.
This morning, when I was getting ready for school, I saw something moving
behind that house. I crouched down at my bedroom window and saw someone
sneaking out the back door. It was a guy and he had a backpack. He looked around
like he was making sure no one saw him, and then he walked between our house
and the neighbor’s house and went and stood at the bus stop.
I’d never seen him before. It was the first time he rode my bus. He sat in the back
and I sat in the middle, so I didn’t talk to him. But when he got off the bus at
school, I saw him walk into the school, so he must go there.
I have no idea why he was sleeping in that house. There’s probably no electricity
or running water. I thought maybe he did it as a dare, but today he got off the bus
at the same stop as me. He walked down the street like he was going somewhere else,
but I ran straight to my room and watched out the window. Sure enough, a few
minutes later, I saw him sneaking back inside that empty house.
I don’t know if I should say something to my mother. I hate to be nosy, because
it’s none of my business. But if that guy doesn’t have anywhere to go, I feel like my
mother would know how to help him since she works at a school.
I don’t know. I might wait a couple days before I say something and see if he goes
back home. He might just need a break from his parents. Same as I wish I could
have sometimes.
That’s all. I’ll let you know what happens tomorrow.
—Lily

---

Dear Ellen,
I fast-forward through all your dancing when I watch your show. I used to watch
the beginning when you danced through the audience, but I get a little bored with it
now and would rather just hear you talk. I hope that doesn’t make you mad.
Okay, so I found out who the guy is, and yes, he’s still going over there. It’s been
two days now and I still haven’t told anyone.
His name is Atlas Corrigan and he’s a senior, but that’s all I know. I asked
Katie who he was when she sat next to me on the bus. She rolled her eyes and told me
his name. But then she said, “I don’t know anything else about him, but he smells.”
She scrunched up her nose like it grossed her out. I wanted to yell at her and tell her
he can’t help it, that he doesn’t have any running water. But instead, I just looked
back at him. I might have stared a little too much, because he caught me looking at
him.
When I got home I went to the backyard to do some gardening. My radishes were
ready to be pulled, so I was out there pulling them. The radishes are the only thing
left in my garden. It’s starting to get cold so there’s not much else I can plant right
now. I probably could have waited a few more days to pull them, but I was also
outside because I was being nosy.
I noticed as I was pulling them that some were missing. It looked like they had
just been dug up. I know I didn’t pull them and my parents never mess with my
garden.
That’s when I thought about Atlas, and how it was more than likely him. I