Page 27 of Outcast
She flipped her hair. “Thank you, darling.”
Marty put one of the pizzas on the table, then retook his seat between us.
“A little room, please?” He elbowed me to shove over. “And you wonder why people think you two are about to tie the knot.”
“I’ll tie a knot around your neck,” Allison singsonged.
“Kinky,” he said.
“Okay, let’s get on with this,” I said. “I’ve got work in the morning, and I’m sure you’ve all got better things to do with your time.”
“Not really,” Todd said. “I’m just gonna hit the bar after this. You all wanna go?”
“No thanks,” Allison said. “I also have work.”
“Me too,” Marty said.
“I could go for a drink,” Sasha said.
“But what the hell?” Marty added with a chuckle. “Could be fun.”
“You poor schmuck,” I muttered.
“I know,” he said under his breath. “Kill me now.”
“So, I was thinking the parade float was a good idea,” Allison said, surprising me. “I even think Todd donning the uniform would be good.”
“Yes! Knew it was smart. Suck it, Sasha.”
“Uh, maybe don’t saysuck itto a woman,” Marty suggested.
Sasha snorted a laugh. “Believe me, I’ve heard worse. Sucked worse too.”
Oh, boy. Things were getting saucy now. Maybe Marty’s prediction hadn’t been so far off the mark.
“I didn’t mean it likethat,” Todd said, backpedaling fast.
“Anyway,” Allison said loudly to regain their focus. “I was thinking we should represent a lot of different types of students. The reunion should be about celebrating all of us, not just the popular kids. And maybe, along with thehigh schoolversions of us, some of us could represent our careers now. It could be a display ofthenandnow.”
“Huh. That’s actually a really cool idea. Just a group of us dressed in our student attire, then a group as executives, doctors, plumbers, and farmers?”
“One side of the float could have a banner with the year of our graduation, and the other side with this year?” Sasha suggested.
I nodded. “Okay, that’s an idea to work with. Todd, can you be in charge of figuring out the float construction?”
He looked surprised at being given an important role. “Sure, man. One of my best friends works construction.”
It’s almost as if I knew that. I smiled. “Awesome.”
“Sasha can line up volunteers to be on the float,” Allison added. “Since she works at the school and has access to everyone’s phone numbers.”
“Yay me,” she said.
“I’ll help,” Marty offered. “We can divide and conquer.”
We continued divvying up job duties until we all had something to do. It was still the early stages, so we were mostly lining up venues, figuring out our budget—my job—and recruiting more volunteers.
A server stopped by to take some of our half-empty plates. Jody was a down-to-earth, freckly woman in her forties. “Did I hear you talking about a high school reunion?”
