I can tell she’s itching to take a glance. But she’s saved from answering when we hear the door open again.
“I forgot to give you your receipt,” Paul says, coming back into the kitchen. His eyes widen as he stares at me, trying to process the blinking robe and halo veil.
“Oh, thank you,Paul,” she says with a quick glance to me. “And it’s too bad you have a girlfriend. I was going to set you up with my granddaughter Sophia.” Nonna gestures at me with a huge smile on her face.
Paul is speechless. He nods and sputters and basically runs from the house like it’s on fire.
“I cannot believe you just did that,” I say.
Nonna laughs, then turns toward the front door when she hears it open. “You better prepare yourself, I think Patrice is here.”
“I’m just telling you now, if my date is in middle school, it’s a forfeit.”
A small crowd has gathered to witness my humiliation. Mom’s spies, Aunt Lisa and Uncle Bruce, are sitting in the front room with Nonna and Papa, but they have their chairs turned toward the foyer. All they’re missing is a tub of popcorn. Of course, Olivia, Charlie, and Wes wouldn’t miss this. Uncle Michael is staying in one of the other guest rooms, so I’m not surprised he’s here, but Jake and Graham stopped by and acted like they were looking for Graham’s sunglasses, even though Papa pointed out his glasses were perched on the top of his head. Oh, and Uncle Sal and Aunt Camille were “just walking the dogs” and thought they’d pop in.
Yeah, right.
Aunt Patrice and Uncle Ronnie are standing in the foyer, flanking a very young, very short boy who I assume is my date. He’s dressed in robes similar to mine, but no one has turned his lights on yet.
Or—oh God. Maybe itisjust mine that blinks.
“Sophie, I would like to introduce you to Harold Riggs. He’s a freshman at Eagles Nest High School.”
A freshman.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
I turn to Nonna, throwing her a pleading look, but she moves to Harold and scoops him up in a hug.
“So nice to meet you, Harold!” she says, way too enthusiastically.
He nods and then looks at me. “Hi,” he says. I don’t think his voice has changed yet. “What grade are you in?”
“I’m a senior,” I mumble. I can hear Olivia, Charlie, and Wes snickering behind me, so I throw a death glare over my shoulder at them. All three of them are red in the face and have tears in their eyes from holding back laughter. Jake and Graham are just as bad on the other side of the room.
Harold’s eyes light up. “A senior! That’s so totally cool!”
I want to dissolve into the floor right now.
Turning to Nonna, I say through clenched teeth, “You said the dates had to be my age. He is clearly not my age.”
She waves a hand in front of me. “You’re both in high school. Close enough!”
I hold up a finger to the group in the front hall and say, “Can you give me a minute?” I pull Olivia to the kitchen, Charlie and Wes following behind us.
I spin around once we’re out of earshot.
“One hour. You will pick me up from this middle school in one hour.” I point to all of them. “None of you will take pictures, or mention this in any way for the rest of our lives or I will murder you in your sleep.”
Olivia and Charlie can’t even answer me through their laughter. Wes gives me a salute and says, “Whatever you say, Disco Mary.”
I push past them and head to the front door. As we walk down the front path, Uncle Michael yells, “You kids have fun tonight!”
Aunt Patrice is driving because, of course, at fifteen, Harold Riggs doesn’t have a license.
We’re in the backseat, and Uncle Ronnie is up front with Aunt Patrice. I’m as close to the window as I can get, and Harold sits as close to me as his seat belt will allow. There are precious few inches separating us.
Aunt Patrice looks at me in the rearview mirror. “Sophie, you should probably turn your lights off until we get there. I’m not sure how long the batteries will last.”
