Page 101 of The Wedding Favor

“This place is bringing back memories,” Abe said. Along with Hallie, we were sitting in the back.

“Me, too.”

“We’d get sent here if we tried to get in class after the tardy bell. Had to stay the entire class period and write out sentences. ‘I will not be late to class.’”

“Dad,” Hallie said. “Where you a bad kid?”

“Not bad… just misunderstood.” He gazed around the room thoughtfully. “To be honest, I might have spent more time in here than in class. I carved my name on the back of one of these seats.”

“How ever did you graduate?”

He shrugged. “I’m still trying to figure that out.”

“Iris, do you think we’ll get to stay together?” Hallie asked, concerned. She’d been talking non-stop about this, waffling between anxiety and anticipation. This experience better be a good one for her or I was going to hurt someone.

“I’m not sure. But if we aren’t, it will be okay. We can do this, right?” I held out my fist.

She bumped it with hers. “Girl power.”

Abe leaned closer. “Thanks again for doing this.”

“Feel free to show your appreciation in other ways. For instance, I will take chocolate in any of its forms.”

With a grin, he pulled one of those chocolate kisses from his shirt pocket. He held it out to me. “For you.”

“Flirt.” But I stuffed the chocolate in my mouth.

He chuckled and patted the pocket of his t-shirt. “I always come prepared.”

After a big, inspirational meeting which included singing the Founder’s Day song, reciting the town motto, and being lectured about what a great honor it was to be a pageant participant, all the age level directors were introduced, and then we were split up by age.

Hallie’s face paled when she realized we’d be separated. She wrapped trembling arms around my neck and hung on. “I know this is hard, Hal. I’m kind of scared, too. How about I’ll give you some of my brave parts and you give me some of your brave parts and then we’ll have a little piece of each other.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

I walked her over to her age group. Megan Tillman was there, as director of this age level.

“Hallie, Iris, so glad to see you both participating,” she said, all fake smile and insincerity. “Hallie, go get in line, please.”

A nervous Hallie slowly walked to the end of the line. I stepped closer to Megan, uncomfortably close. Her perfume made my nose itch. “Do you remember that time I punched you in the face in high school?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Well, I’m bigger and meaner now. Remember that and make sure Hallie has a great time.”

She gasped. “Did you just threaten me?”

“Excuse me? Of course not. What I did was promise you. There’s a difference.” I winked and went to catch up with Abe.

“That woman is trying to kill you with her eyes,” he said. “Why’s that?”

“Maybe she’s having a bad day,” I said innocently.

He made a sound of disbelief as I left to join my group. For the record, I wouldn’t actually hit her. Probably.

My group ended up in one of the science classrooms. I’d had biology in this very room. The room still smelled the same—rotten eggs and the tears of teenagers.

All nineteen of us sat at two-person lab tables perched on uncomfortable metal stools. I sat in the very last row; no one sat next to me. Again, I’d missed the dress code announcement. While the others wore summer dresses or business casual slacks and full makeup and hair, I wore a t-shirt, jeans, and a ballcap to hide the fact I hadn’t showered today.