Nearly half an hour after talking with Liam, Ian and Emmett found Ellie. She was by herself so they went up to her and asked where Kevin was.
"Kevin went to get some treats for me. He should be back any minute now," Ellie explained. She seemed annoyed at the mention of Kevin's name.
Ian was annoyed with Ellie and the way she was acting, but he was more excited to tell her about the news they just received. But he and Emmett decided to wait for Kevin to get back so they could tell them at the same time.
After a few minutes, Kevin finally came running back towards them. He was carrying a couple of things in his arms. He had a large cup filled with a frozen drink, a container with a slice of cake, and three bags filled with different items.
Once he reached the group, Kevin immediately handed Ellie the frozen drink and the slice of cake. Afterwards, he stepped back and gave Ian and Emmett an angry side eye.
"Okay, that'll be enough for today. Ian and Emmett seem to need you for something so I'll let you go," Ellie said before taking a sip of her drink.
Emmett stepped in and said, "Actually, we need to talk to you both. Ian and I got some fantastic news and we want to tell you two at the same time."
Ellie and Kevin both raised an eyebrow and asked, "What news?" They were both curious about what Ian and Emmett had to say.
Ian and Emmett looked at each other with a big smile before turning to Ellie and Kevin and saying, "We got accepted into the academy."
Ellie and Kevin's eyes open wide at the news. They stared at Ian and Emmett in astonishment before turning to face each other. A few seconds later, the news finally hit them. They jumped up in joy before hugging each other. They bounced around happily over the news before finally realizing what they were doing. They let go of each other and looked away in opposite directions in embarrassment.
Afterwards, the two of them turned to Ian and Emmett and asked, "So when do we leave?"
Emmett excitedly said, "We leave in less than two months. Most of the school has finished being remodeled so they'll be opening it soon."
"That's great to hear. We should tell Mom and Dad. I'm sure they'd love to hear the news," Ellie said excitedly.
"I agree, we should tell them and everyone else. I'm sure that the word will be spreading soon or Liam will make an announcement about it, but we should at least get the ball rolling," Emmett said. His excitement was starting to get to him.
The four talked for a bit until ultimately, they decided to go into the village and spread the word. They didn't know if Crystal and Erik were still busy so they thought it would be safer to wait before telling them.
The four of them went into the village and told a few people who they knew liked to spread news and gossip. Afterwards, they told a few of their other friends before heading home. Now that they got the ball rolling, it would only be a matter of time before everyone in the village knew. Once the four of them finished telling a few people about the news, they headed home to tell their families the news.
When Kevin got home, he went up to his sick grandma and told her about the news. But she didn't respond. She just kept staring out of the window with a sad and tired look on her face.
When Ian, Emmett, and Ellie got home, they were surprised to see Crystal washing dishes. Ellie went up to her and asked, "Where's Dad?"
Crystal turned to Ellie and said, "Your father is outside. He's out there reflecting on his life choices and isn't allowed back inside."
"Oh, that's a shame. Ian, Emmett, and I had something really important to tell you both. But if Dad's not allowed to be in here, then we'll tell you two some other time." Ellie slowly turns around looking disappointed.
Crystal stops washing dishes and takes a moment to think before saying, "How important is this news?"
Ellie turns back around and says, "Life-changing news. This is probably one of the most important news you guys will ever receive."
Crystal once again takes a moment to think. Her face shows how much she's struggling with this dilemma. Eventually, she says, "Fine, your dad is allowed back inside to hear the news. But you three have to go get him, Okay?"
The three siblings don't argue with Crystal and do as they're told. They quickly walked to the backyard to look for their dad, but what they saw was beyond anything they could have thought.
In the backyard, they found Erik hanging from the clothesline alongside some other pieces of clothing. His shirt had been clipped onto it, making him dangle off the ground. He looked completely defeated and deflated. The once powerful Erik had been reduced to nothing more but a piece of clothing that was blowing in the wind.
When Ian and Emmett saw Erik hanging on the clothesline, they felt terrible for him. They could only imagine what happened to him while they were gone.
Meanwhile, when Ellie saw him, she thought to herself, "He probably deserved this."
The three siblings walked up to Erik, who still hadn't noticed them. When they got close enough to him, Erik opened his eyes and finally saw them.
"Kids, what are you guys doing here? I thought you were all out," Erik said.
Ellie spoke up and said, "We were, but now we're back. We came out here to get you since Mom said you could come back inside. We actually have something important to tell you both. That's why we came to get you."
"Oh really? Then can you guys help me get down so I can head inside?" Erik said in an ashamed tone.
Ian and Emmett quickly went up to Erik and unclipped him from the clothesline. As soon as they unclipped him, he fell flat on the ground. Erik tried to stand up but he seemed to be low on energy. The terrifying presence they would usually feel emanating from Erik had been reduced to practically nothing.
Ian and Emmett quickly helped Erik up on his feet and helped him get inside. Once they got inside the house, Ian and Emmett sat Erik down on his recliner before sitting on the couch. Ellie went to the kitchen and got Crystal.
Once everyone was seated in the living room, Ellie pointed at Ian and Emmett, to let them know that they should say the good news. Ian and Emmett nodded in agreement before starting.
"Well, we went to talk to Liam but ran into some trouble. He needed some life-saving help so we did that first." Ian spoke first.
Then Emmett stepped in and continued by saying, "After we helped him, he told us some fantastic news."
The two brothers turned to each other before both saying, "We got into the academy! All of us. Every single person that applied for enrollment got accepted."
Upon hearing this, both Erik and Crystal jumped out of their seats and said, "Really!?"
The three siblings nodded their heads. "Yes. The academy will be opening in less than two months from now," Ian said.
Erik and Crystal were overjoyed to hear the great news. Crystal, for the time being, forgot about what Erik had said earlier. And Erik forgot that Crystal was mad at him.
The family of five sat down and talked about the news in greater detail. This news has lifted everyone's spirit, making them forget about everything else that had happened.
The following, the news about everyone being accepted into the academy spread throughout the village. Every family was overjoyed over the news.
The news was so grand that every family who had someone getting into the academy celebrated by going to Zoey's. Dave was not expecting to be swamped by so many customers all of a sudden. But he was too overjoyed as well by the fact that Zoey also got into the academy.
Because of this, he decided to make a special offer for all of the families. Anyone who had someone getting into the academy would be offered a celebratory special.
The special consists of two shareable mains, three shareable sides, and drinks for everyone. The offer could be adjusted based on the family size. This offer was only available for three days.
Due to how massive this deal was going to be and how much work it was going to take, Dave asked Ian to help out. In return, Dave would give him a bonus and a reserved table for his family on the last day of the offer, and it would be free of charge. This would be a thanks for helping him and a gift to him, Ellie, and Emmett for getting into the academy.
For three whole days, Ian worked hard helping Dave make all the special orders while also serving the usuals who also came to celebrate the news. The town was riled up which led to more customers than usual.
On the last day, once most of the customers left, Dave told Ian, "Alright Ian, I think it's time for you to relax and enjoy your time with your family. I'll be closing the restaurant soon for the final serving. This one is going to be the biggest order yet."
Ian was confused. He did know what Dave meant by that.
Dave could see the confusion on Ian's face and said, "This last order is an extra special one. Mainly because it's for a big group. The group will have your family, Liam and Frida, Kevin, and Zoey and I."
Ian was surprised to hear that such a large group was going to gather. He looked at Dave and asked, "Are you sure you don't some help? I don't mind lending a hand."
"Nope. I got this under control. You should go and enjoy yourself." Dave softly pushed Ian out of the kitchen before getting to work.
Ian sat down patiently, waiting for everyone to show up. A few minutes later, his family showed up. They walked up to him and sat down at the table he was at.
Not long after, Liam and Frida showed up, followed by Kevin. Once everyone was there, Dave quickened his work speed so he could serve everyone.
Half an hour later, Dave finally finishes and, with the help of Zoey, brings out the biggest order he's ever made for a group. He brought out six main meat dishes and ten different sides.
Once the food was placed down and everyone was seated, the whole group started eating. They passed around all the different types of food and happily talked with one another.