Oh my gosh, are we seriously over halfway done with season 3?

I’ve had such a blast! Can I just give a HUGE thank you to all you incredible commenters? Your encouragement and the fact that you like Hang on to Hope seriously makes my entire week every time I read one of your amazing comments! You guys are THE. BEST. No joke.

I never imagined anyone would like Hang on to Hope this much. I’m so blown away! And there are still four more parts to go! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did making them. ♥

This week, there will be three HOTH parts (so each will be just a tad shorter, but don’t worry, this one is the shortest). GASP. Part 7 will be on Wednesday, and part 8 on Friday! To get a complete posting schedule for season 3, just click…

Here! Or click the picture, too. ?

Previous parts from season 3:

Prologue
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

A quick refresher from part 5:

“Three!”

We all surround Emma, and she finishes dialing.

“Two!” Lexi lunges for the phone again, but Emma only presses the green call button and struggles against Lexi’s flailing arms to hold it to her ear.

“One!”

And without further ado!

Issa’s POV

All four of us freeze as Emma listens to the other line.

When it rings several times without anyone picking up the phone to answer, she slams it down on the ground with an angry cry of exasperation.

“You fools!” She cries at us. “I can’t believe you!”

She turns around to face Lexi. “Any of you! Can you believe what you just did?”

“I can’t believe it!” I gasp, jumping up and down in my excitement. Lexi ignores her sister and jumps with me, and Connor beams as happy tears brim in his eyes. He’s safe.

Lexi and I squeal and hug while Connor stands there grinning. Emma simply steams and glares at us.

When we pull apart, I turn to Connor and smile. He’s my friend now. I couldn’t hate him if I tried.

Right before we can hug, Jackson and Amy walk in with pure… I honestly can’t describe the look on their faces. They look appalled, aghast, and struck dumb as they no doubt have walked through the house, riddled with the pranks and destruction we’ve brought upon it.

“What is going on here?” Jackson asks angrily.

“Mr. Taylor, I can explain,” I begin.

Emma cuts me off with brimming tears. “I can’t believe them!” She cries. “They did all of this! The house is an absolutely wreck because of them and I’ve missed my call! They all planned this!”

“Honey, slow down,” Amy says in worry. “We all need to sit down and talk about this.”

“What’s the use?!” Emma screams. “It’s past seven! The freaks ruined everything!”

“Issa?” Jackson turns to me. “You explain.”

I blush a little. “We—ah—we tried to keep Emma from calling the authorities!”

Jackson bends down to swipe a little of the whipped cream off the floor that that dripped off Emma.

He holds it up and raises his eyebrows. “With pranks?”

“Well—yes—”

Amy sighs in sadness. “We’ll discuss this later. I’ll just go call the after-hours number.”

Emma looks crushed. “But Mom!” She whines. “You said I could be the one to call them.”

Amy gives her a tired and exasperated look. “I’ll give you all the credit.”

Emma closes her eyes to hold back tears. Her hopes and dreams have just been destroyed.

Not that I feel sorry for her.

Amy begins to walk off as Jackson opens his mouth, and I run after her. “Mrs. Taylor! Don’t call them!”

Amy turns around and frowns at me. “Issa, please.”

“No, you ‘please’! Please don’t call them! I don’t want Connor to leave!”

Amy sighs again. “I don’t want him to leave, either. But I have to call them or I’m outside of the law. And that’s wrong, Issa.”

Lexi looks horrified. “What are they doing to do?!” She cries.

Jackson turns to look at her. “Long story short, police are going to come and take Connor.”

Connor’s face pales as his lips begin to tremble, but he forces himself not to cry.

“No!” I shout. Part of me wants to grab Connor’s hand to keep him from leaving, but instead I just clench my fists. “You’re not taking him away!”

“Where’s my phone?” Amy’s voice sounds from her room.

“Oops,” Lexi says.

“Alexis Taylor!” Amy shouts, returning back into the kitchen. “Show me where my phone is right now!”

Lexi sighs and opens a cabinet in which we’ve confiscated and hidden all the phones.

“Please don’t!” My voice rises high in volume. “Don’t do this!”

Amy dials a number and holds the phone up to her ear. “Not another word, Issa.”

I fight tears as Connor fights his. Lexi bows her head a little, shamed from both parties.

The other line picks up, and my heart sinks. We stands in silence, grieved at Amy’s words as she explains the situation.

“Okay,” the other line—the police—says after Amy gives them the directions to our house. “We’re coming.”

To be continued… in HOTH Season 3, Part 7 (coming Wednesday)!

What do you think Issa, Connor, and Lexi are going to do? :o

P.S.

Don’t miss out! There are only 17 days left to enter my free American Girl Create-Your-Own doll giveaway and claim as many bonus entries as you can!