Page 81 of The Friend Game

“Of course. It was my idea to lie about your certification so it’s only right that I stand up there and admit that.”

“Wow, George.” I reach over and squeeze his hand gently. “Thank you.”

“Don’t get me all choked up before my speech,” he says, clearing his throat and walking away from me. But another person approaches in his wake—Sheila, Zach from flag football’s mom.

“Our family is behind you 100 percent,” she tells me before heading off to grab a seat. Etta is behind her, here even though she doesn’t have kids at the school.

“I’m just here because I want to support you,” she tells me with a hug. Will comes next, apologizing for not being able to stay due to having worship team rehearsal but then leaning in for a hug so that he can whisper that he thinks I’m good for Luke.

And it keeps going. Person after person steps forward to offer me words of encouragement or to let me know what a great teacher they think I am. I’m completely floored by the realization that this crowd isn’t gathered to see drama unfold or to gleefully watch my demise. They’re here for me.

Debbie, the mom of Bella, the little girl who once told me mistakes are okay as long as we learn from them, finishes telling me how happy they are to have me at Grace Canyon, then Jill appears at my side.

“Can you believe this?” I whisper to her, my heart full of love for this community. “All of these people rooting…forme?”

“Of course,” she says. “Haven’t you realized by now that you’re someone worth rooting for?”

Good grief. The emotional punches just keep coming. No, not punches…that has a negative connotation. Maybe high fives? Yes, the emotional high fives just keep coming.

“Order! Order!” A woman sitting at the front of the room calls, banging a gavel against the table she’s standing by.

I hear Brooke exclaim to Sydney, “See, I told you it was a trial!”

All around the room people find their seats and stop talking. I head toward the front, since I know they’ll be calling me up to talk. I scan the room as I go, but there’s still no sign of Luke. Or, Inote with surprise, Lexie. There’s an empty seat at the long table where the board members are all sitting. It must belong to her. So where is she?

I pull out my phone hoping for word from Luke on his whereabouts. There’s a text from him about ten minutes ago, letting me know that he’s so sorry, but he’s running late on his way from the hospital but that he’ll be there soon.

I let out a relieved breath. Even with all of these people here supporting me, Luke is the one who matters most.

My relief dies on my lips when I notice another text that arrived around the same time.

It’s from an unknown, yet somehow familiar number.

All it says is: I told you things between us weren’t over.

Anxiety starts to churn in my stomach because it’s obvious who this is: Marshall. It has to be. I deleted his number when we broke up, but now I wish I’d blocked it. He was so furious with me when I ended things, though, that I never considered he would try and reach out to me again.

Hands shaking I delete the text without replying. I have no interest in interacting with the man. I’m about to block his number when the same woman who shoutedOrderstarts to speak.

I put my phone away, forcing myself to concentrate on the meeting at hand. I’ll deal with Marshall later.

This is what I tell myself, anyway, but my nerves are back in full force. All of the feelings of hope and encouragement from only seconds ago have vanished. Why did Marshall have to text me tonight of all nights? It almost feels…intentional.

But no, Marshall doesn’t know about this fiasco. Does he? I mean, he did somehow find out about me teaching at Grace Canyon. Which suggests he’s been keeping tabs on me.

I shudder at the thought.

“As you all know, the primary focus of this meeting is discussing the subject of our long-term substitute teacher, Hannah Garza, and whether or not she should be hired full-time despite not having the proper certification,” the woman is saying as I stare stupidly at her.Focus!I chide myself. “Now,” she glances to her left at the empty seat beside her, “we had planned on having our president open the night for us with her opinion on the matter, but as you can see, Lexie isn’t here.” She coughs, seeming nervous to point out this obvious fact, like somehow it might get back to Lexie that she was the one who outed her for something we can all see with our own two eyes.

Is Lexie really not coming? I tap my fingers along my knees, unease gripping me. I’m not surewhy, but I have this terrible feeling that everything is about to fall apart.

Jesus, I murmur His name in my head. Always the best lifeline.

“I suppose what we’ll do is have the case in support of Miss Garza open for us instead. I know Principal Novak had planned to speak, then Jill Bernard,” she looks down at her meeting notes, “and, of course, Miss Garza herself.” Her gaze flits to mine, and I nod. “Principal Novak,” she goes on, “would you–”

“Actually would it be okay if I went first?” A familiar deep voice speaks from the back of the room and my head swivels around to see Luke entering the room.Luke!He’s here! A smile spreads across my face. He’s here!

“Pastor Abbott?” The woman at the front continues to have an air of frazzlement about her, but she nods. “Of course. You’re not on the docket, but of course.” She nods again and Luke makes his way to the front of the room. Gosh, he’s so handsome. Like my own personal knight in shining armor.

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