Claudia left around noon on Saturday. I stretched out on the couch, prepared to start my Algebra II homework, when the phone rang.
Claud and I had been up late last night, and I was super tired. I could barely manage to stuffle my yawn when I answered with a "Hello?"
"Stacey! How's my boontsie?" It was my dad.
"Aww, dad," I groaned at the use of his baby nickname for me.
"Well, the wedding's a week from now, and I wanted to know something."
I furrowed my brow. I thought everything was prepared. "What's that?"
"Is there anyone else you'd like to have at the wedding?" he asked. I'd invited my friends to the wedding. After all, at the wedding of Dawn's father and stepmother, Kristy, Claudia, and Mary Anne had attended. And, of course, I was inviting Ethan. My dad hadn't always been fond of Ethan; he'd thought Ethan was too old for me. But now he saw that I was growing up, and he decided that Ethan was a pretty nice guy, especially after he'd heard from Laine's father about the guys Laine went around with. Laine and I had grown apart, but my parents and Laine's parents were still friends.
Anyway, I had an answer to Dad's question. "Yes," I said, surprising myself. "Kristy Thomas."
"Kristy," Dad said. "I always liked her. She'll make a great businesswoman someday."
Dad and I talked for a while more, about wedding plans and what I was going to wear and et cetera. I wasn't going to be a bridesmaid; Dad and Samantha were having a simple and elegant wedding, without attendants. Just friends, family, and a chic reception afterwards.
After we'd said goodbye, I picked up the phone again and dialed a number I hadn't even thought of for a long time.
"Hello?" an vaguely familiar male voice said.
"Hi, this is Stacey McGill. Is Kristy there?" I asked, my heart pounding.
"Stacey! It's Sam."
"Oh, hi, Sam," I said, not all that enthusiastically. Sam and I had gone out, briefly and unofficially, when I was in the seventh grade.
"How're you doing?" he asked, obviously not eager to go get Kristy for me.
"I'm fine," I answered hastily. "My dad's getting remarried next week."
"Cool!" he said.
I was starting to get impatient. "Look Sam, I reeaally need to speak to Kristy. Can you get her for me?"
"Uh, sure," he replied, sounding disappointed.
I heard him yell upstairs. Kristy picked up the extension. "Hello?" she said.
"Hi Kristy, it's me, Stacey."
"Stacey!" she said, sounding genuinely surprised. Well, of course she was surprised, I chided myself. I'd been treating her like shit for months.
"Kristy, can you come over?"
"When?" she asked.
"Um, right now," I answered.
"Uh, sure," she answered. "I can get Nannie to drive me."
Look, I said to myself. You invited Kristy, and she didn't try to strangle you through telephone wires.
Things were going well. "Great," I said. "See you soon."
"Bye," and there was a _click_.
I sat down on the couch and sighed deeply. What was I going to say to her? Just a simple, "Hey, can you come to my dad's wedding?" or should I apologize and talk about my problems and all that sort of thing?
My mother came into the den at that moment, putting on some earrings. "Stace, can you come down to the store with me?"
"I would if I could," I answered.
Mom looked puzzled. "Why can't you come?"
"Kristy's coming over."
Now she just looked surprised. "Kristy? I thought you were angry at her."
"I was," I answered simply. "But I realized I was wrong."
"I'm glad you're going to patch things up."
"Me, too," I said honestly. "Me, too."
Mom smiled and headed out the door, destination: Paradisa.
Claud and I had been up late last night, and I was super tired. I could barely manage to stuffle my yawn when I answered with a "Hello?"
"Stacey! How's my boontsie?" It was my dad.
"Aww, dad," I groaned at the use of his baby nickname for me.
"Well, the wedding's a week from now, and I wanted to know something."
I furrowed my brow. I thought everything was prepared. "What's that?"
"Is there anyone else you'd like to have at the wedding?" he asked. I'd invited my friends to the wedding. After all, at the wedding of Dawn's father and stepmother, Kristy, Claudia, and Mary Anne had attended. And, of course, I was inviting Ethan. My dad hadn't always been fond of Ethan; he'd thought Ethan was too old for me. But now he saw that I was growing up, and he decided that Ethan was a pretty nice guy, especially after he'd heard from Laine's father about the guys Laine went around with. Laine and I had grown apart, but my parents and Laine's parents were still friends.
Anyway, I had an answer to Dad's question. "Yes," I said, surprising myself. "Kristy Thomas."
"Kristy," Dad said. "I always liked her. She'll make a great businesswoman someday."
Dad and I talked for a while more, about wedding plans and what I was going to wear and et cetera. I wasn't going to be a bridesmaid; Dad and Samantha were having a simple and elegant wedding, without attendants. Just friends, family, and a chic reception afterwards.
After we'd said goodbye, I picked up the phone again and dialed a number I hadn't even thought of for a long time.
"Hello?" an vaguely familiar male voice said.
"Hi, this is Stacey McGill. Is Kristy there?" I asked, my heart pounding.
"Stacey! It's Sam."
"Oh, hi, Sam," I said, not all that enthusiastically. Sam and I had gone out, briefly and unofficially, when I was in the seventh grade.
"How're you doing?" he asked, obviously not eager to go get Kristy for me.
"I'm fine," I answered hastily. "My dad's getting remarried next week."
"Cool!" he said.
I was starting to get impatient. "Look Sam, I reeaally need to speak to Kristy. Can you get her for me?"
"Uh, sure," he replied, sounding disappointed.
I heard him yell upstairs. Kristy picked up the extension. "Hello?" she said.
"Hi Kristy, it's me, Stacey."
"Stacey!" she said, sounding genuinely surprised. Well, of course she was surprised, I chided myself. I'd been treating her like shit for months.
"Kristy, can you come over?"
"When?" she asked.
"Um, right now," I answered.
"Uh, sure," she answered. "I can get Nannie to drive me."
Look, I said to myself. You invited Kristy, and she didn't try to strangle you through telephone wires.
Things were going well. "Great," I said. "See you soon."
"Bye," and there was a _click_.
I sat down on the couch and sighed deeply. What was I going to say to her? Just a simple, "Hey, can you come to my dad's wedding?" or should I apologize and talk about my problems and all that sort of thing?
My mother came into the den at that moment, putting on some earrings. "Stace, can you come down to the store with me?"
"I would if I could," I answered.
Mom looked puzzled. "Why can't you come?"
"Kristy's coming over."
Now she just looked surprised. "Kristy? I thought you were angry at her."
"I was," I answered simply. "But I realized I was wrong."
"I'm glad you're going to patch things up."
"Me, too," I said honestly. "Me, too."
Mom smiled and headed out the door, destination: Paradisa.