THE FINAL HOURS

Early one morning, Gio and his mother, a tall thin lady with blond hair, are getting ready for the day ahead of them.
“Gio please wear the new plain green shirt and blue shorts I got you this weekend,” Gio’s Mom yells from her room.
“Ok mom,” Gio yells from his bathroom as he brushes and flosses his teeth.
“Thanks sweetie,” Gio’s mom says who is now in the kitchen preparing two bowls of cereal for Gio and herself.
As Gio pulls off his red dotted pajamas and pulls on his new plain green shirt and blue shorts he thinks about what daycare will have in store for him today. He goes to the kitchen window and look yonder to the daycare down the long wide street called Fifth Avenue.
“Mom when do we get to leave because I really want to go play with Tessa,” says Gio “She is my best friend in the whole wide world”.
“As soon as you finish your cereal buddy, “says Gio’s mom.
Gio hurries over to the kitchen table and climbs into his chair with his back now to the window and eats his cereal as fast as he can. However, Gio finishes his cereal in about 2 and half minutes.
“I’m done can we go now please please please, “says Gio with great excitement.
“Ok buddy lets go,” says Gio’s mom as she opens the door and shuts of the lights.
She closes the door behind herself and follows Gio to the elevator down the long narrow hall. As Gio and his mother come down form the 78th floor of their apartment. They are joined by John the apartment plumber on the 17th floor who gets off on the 4th floor. When they reach the 1st floor Gio is anxious to get out and make his way to the daycare. As Gio walks out the main doors he is greeted by the gold touch of snow. Gio quickly tries to hide his shivers and runs around happily. However, Gios mom can tell and packed his sweater in her purse.
“Here buddy I knew you would forget, “say mom as he hands Gio a red sweater.
“Thanks MOM, “say Gio happily.
Then Gio and his mother walk the rest of the way to the daycare in a type of awkward silence. When they arrive they spot Gio’s best friend Tessa and her father walking back to the apartment.
“Is the daycare closed? “says Gio’s mom so that Tessa’s father can hear.
“Yes sadly, but I can take Gio and Tessa to Mrs. Lombardo’s house, “says Tessa’s father.
“Ok that’s fine, now Gio you be good for mommy and I’ll come get you later ok?” says Gio’s mom as Gio runs across the nearest cross walk and goes and high fives Tessa.
“HI, “Tessa and Gio yell happily at the same time.
The walk back they have a long conversation about a new game called pocket frogs, a game you can grow frogs and sell them for more coins. When they reach the apartment Tessa’s father explains that they need to behave and stay put and do exactly what she says. Tessa doesn’t really listen and pretends to chew gum. When Tessa and Gio make it up to Mrs. Lombardo’s she is waiting because Tessa’s father called her and let her know he was coming. Gio and Tessa go inside and sit on the couch. When Tessa’s father leaves the old lady goes to take a nap. When Tessa is sure the old lady is asleep she gets up and goes to the fridge. She grabs all the sweets she can find and stuffs them in her pockets.
“What are you doing…….,”says Gio looking at her confused.
“I’m not sitting here all day,” says Tessa “I’m going to the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING”.
While Gio is still confuse with what Tessa just said Tessa makes a run for the door. She reaches it and runs out before Gio can even comprehend what she is doing. Tessa has made it then he suddenly jumps up and rushes after calling for her to stop. Gio has never seen this side of Tessa, and doesn’t like it. When he steps out the door he sees Tessa inside the elevator jumping up to press the buttons. Gio runs as fast as he can but still doesn’t make it in time to stop the door from closing. His instincts for his own safety kick in and he bolts for the emergency stair door. He slowly opens the door because of how heavy it is, and jumps from stair to stair 2 at a time. However, he soon realizes that it would have been faster to have waited for the elevator. He feels a great disgust for how stupid his friend is behaving. Wait no his BEST friend. About ten minutes later he reaches the first floor panting and craving a good long drink of water. He sits down and begins to feel light headed. After a short rest he jumps up and sprints out the main doors of the hotel. He runs down the street looking in all directions in hope of spotting her brown hair full of curls. By the time he is a block away from the hotel he gives up in search of her and decides to just find her when he arrives to the Empire State Building. As he walks down the wide New York street he takes in the smells of everything around him. He smells the mustard of hotdogs and the pepperoni of greasy pizza. Gio then realizes that he is already in front of the tower by the sight of two door men at the door with shirts that say Welcome to the Tallest building in the world. He tries to walk in by himself but the door man on the left takes him by the waist and lifts him up.
“Hay little guy are you lost?” says the door man.
Gio gives a shake on the door mans firm grip and bites his arm. The door man drops him and he runs into the building and finds the stairs. As soon as he steps on the second one he thinks about how tired he is and how can he climb so many. He decides to go up till he isn’t being followed so he can get a quick easy ride to the top. However by the time he makes it to the elevator they have small search parties of security searching and waiting in elevator. So he lours the security out the elevator by screaming for help behind a vending machine and they come running past the vending machine so he has just enough time to slip into the elevator and go to the floor he believes he will find Tessa. The highest accessibly spot in the building, and he has to climb on the railing around the elevator to even reach the button. On hit long wait ahead he hopes for his own life that Tessa is up there because if she is not he and Tessa will be caught and get into a lot of trouble. When Gio makes it to the top there is a large crowd of people there which can keep him from being notice, but harder to find Tessa. He walked around the corner and searches for her. He sees all different kind of people wearing all kinds of different clothes and accessories, but out of nowhere he sees her. Tessa a little shorter than him with brown hair and her green eyes staring right at his. She panics but then realizes that it’s time to go home. Gio walks coolly to her and she smiles.
“Sorry,” she says with a slight smirk on her face.
“We have to make it home before our parents come home or we are busted” says Gio looking at the time on the man’s watch next to him.
“O OM O MY GOODNESS NOOOOO, its 10:19,” says Gio fearfully, “My mom comes home every day at 12:00 to check on us remember”
Tessa starts to panic and realizes what she has done is horribly horrible. Gio then rushes her out of the crowd next to the edge where there is a huge drop. Gio immediately feels sick and closes his eyes and turns around. When he opens his eyes he pushes his way to the nearest elevator and gets in quickly while Tessa follows him. Then the elevator doors close and an old man presses the button for the bottom floor. When they reach the bottom floor Gio and Tessa step out the doors and sneak across the lobby and get to the main doors. Gio then rushes Tessa down the streets to their apartments. When they make it Gio and Tessa sneak in through the main doors and go straight for the elevator. They sneak in and jump to press the 78th floor. Gio then looks at the elevator clock and is amazed to see that it’s only 11:02 and his muscles relax. When they reach their floor and they sneak down the hall and enter Mrs. Lombardo’s apartment. They quickly rush to the TV and sit on the couch as if nothing ever happened.
“Man that was a close one,” says Tessa happily.
“Be quiet,” says Gio annoyed.
They sit on the couch in silence for the rest of the time till Gio’s mother comes to check on them. When she arrives she doesn’t knock on the door knowing that the old lady is probably asleep.
“Hi buddy” Gio’s mother says in a hushed voice.
“Hi” Gio and Tessa say both trying to not sound guilty.
“Have you guys been good for Mrs. Lombardo?” she says.
“Yes mother we are the best children ever” Gio says as there is a knock on the door
Gio’s mother walks over to the door and opens it up to find the hotel manager with a phone in his hand. He gestures for her to come outside and she follows him outside. Gio and Tessa did not see the man and thought it was just a visitor who needed help locating one of her friends. However, when the man and Gio’s mother re enter the room she looks furious.
“YOUR IN BIG TROUBLE YOUNG MAN!,” screams Gio as she raises her hand to him.
THE END