Page 19 of A Tinsel Tale

We turn as a deep male voice calls out, “Bobby!” and rushes to his side.

“Daddy!”

“I’m here Bud. I’m sorry it took so long.” He looks at Katie and me and smiles gratefully. “How is he?”

“We’re about to take him back for an exam, but Jamie,” she gestures towards me, “was the EMT at the scene and did the initial assessment. He’s stable with no apparent injuries except a scrape on his head. We’ll do x-rays and anything else the doctor deems necessary.”

“I’m going to duck out and find those Skittles, my man. I’ll catch up with you soon.” I ruffle his hair. “You are so brave.” His dad holds out his hand for me to shake and I take it.

“Thanks for taking care of my son.”

“He’s a great kid. I promised him some candy. I’ll scout that out, then come and say goodbye.”

An hour later, after delivering some Skittles, Sam and I are heading back to the station.

11

EVIE

“Ican’t believe I let you talk me into this,” I complain to Dee as I lean forward and apply mascara in front of my vanity.

“You need to lighten up. We’ll have fun. You love football as much as me and it’s practically a sin to miss a game like this one.”

“Dad and I do have a television you know,” I grouse.

“And deny your dad a chance to hang out with his ballers? Plus, it’s more fun to watch a big rivalry like this with a group.”

I stand and pull my University of Michigan t-shirt over my head then comb my fingers through my mussed hair. I tuck in my shirt and slip a belt through the loops of my low rider jeans. “Should I braid my hair?” I ask.

Dee tilts her head and appraises me. “You could. Or I could French braid it for you.”

I grab my ballcap with the U of M emblem and stick it on backwards. I face Dee. “Well? Braids or down?”

“Two braids. Sit. I’ll do it.” I obediently plop back down. She weaves my hair into two thick side braids then hands my hat back to me. I stick it back on and look at myself. My eyes look huge in my pale face which makes my spattering of freckles stand out even more.

“You look adorbs,” Dee declares. “Jamie will be eating his heart out.”

I glare. “Like I care.”

She shrugs grinning impishly. “Even if that were true, which is doubtful, revenge is still satisfying.”

“Does Jamie know you’re plotting against him?”

“You’re both my friends, but he knows I’m a girl’s girl and we’re besties.”

“Do these jeans look alright?” I say, standing and turning from side to side in front of the mirror.

“You look drop-dead gorgeous.”

I bite my lip. “I’m nervous,” I admit.

“You’ll be fine. Jamie won’t know what hit him. Let’s go. The guys are waiting for us.” Dad and Caleb are watching the pre-game football coverage, but spring up the second we appear.

When we pull into Jamie’s place and park in the grass beside one of a dozen or more vehicles already lined up, I’m shocked to see what he’s done with the old Plyler place. It was a run-down dump when we were kids. I know he’s been slowly fixing it up since he bought it a few years ago. I heard he’d practically had to gut it… but wow!

What used to be a small concrete stoop at the side entrance is now a huge deck attached to a new room addition. The deck has a hot tub, arbor and double French doors leading inside. Some winter-dormant vines wrap around the trellis, and there’s steam rising from beneath the hot-tub cover. The keg sits in a plastic tub outside and Tank is standing there filling a pitcher with beer.

“This way,” Dee says. I follow her up the steps that run the entire length of the deck. Dad and Caleb take up the rear. We can hear the partiers before we even get inside.

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