The next day, while Paul was walking the dogs, Carl called John. Carl said, "Listen, John, Paul's birthday is in three days, and we're having a surprise party for him. Will you and your mates be able to come?" John said, "Yeah, I think we can make it. We'll be glad to sing for him, too." Carl said, "Great. He really likes the Beatles song, 'Birthday'. Do you think you can do that one?" John said, "We're not the Beatles, but we'll do our best." Carl said, "I'm sure Paul will still appreciate it." John said, "Well, I guess I better talk to my mates and get plane tickets to get to Tennessee." Carl said, "Awesome! I'll see you, John." Carl then talked to Erin and Lola. He said, "Okay. Here's the plan. Erin, you get Paul out of the house on his birthday. Lola and I will work on the decorations and set up for the surprise party. We'll be ready for him when he gets back." Erin said, "I'll take him out for dinner. He'll love that." Lola said, "That will definitely get him out of the house." Just then, Paul returned from his walk. He said, "I can't wait for my birthday. It's still three days away. It's as slow as Christmas." After Paul was no longer in earshot, Carl said, "It'll be a birthday he'll never forget."
When Greeley's birthday finally arrived, Leila went to Greeley's house. When she knocked on the door, Greeley answered. He said, "Hi, Leila." She said, "Hi, Greeley. Happy eighteenth birthday." She then handed him a card. He said, "Thank you." When he opened the card, the concert tickets fell out. He said, "You got me concert tickets!" She said, "Yes, and not just any concert tickets. I got tickets to see New Religion. They're having an outdoor concert this evening." He said, "That's bloody amazing. Thank you, Leila." He hugged her. She said, "You're welcome, Greeley." After dinner, they had some cake. Greeley said, "This is the best birthday I've ever had." Leila said, "It's not over yet." He said, "You're right. We have a New Religion concert to go to." She said, "That's right. We better go if we want to get good parking." He said, "Right." The two friends got into Greeley's car and headed to the concert.
Shortly after the incident, the members of The Devil Wants Peace were interviewed. The interviewer asked, "John, is it true that you overcame your fear of water before you saved Allen?" John replied, "It's true." The interviewer asked, "Is it true that the rest of you were surprised when John swam so quickly?" Stan said, "Yes. I knew that his girlfriend, Caryn, taught him how to swim, but I didn't know she taught him to swim so well." Peter said, "I was impressed at how brave he was, too." Allen said, "Yeah. I'll never forget what he did for me." John said, "Thank Caryn. She's the one who taught me how to swim." Caryn saw the interview on the news, and she was very touched. Later, John said to Caryn, "Thank you for everything you did for me this summer." She said, "You're welcome." He said, "Your love for me is what motivated you to help me, and in the end, I was able to help my mates. Love conquers fear. I truly believe that."
THE END
THE END