Page 80 of It's in the Contract
Suzy takes a look at the pic. “Perfect.” She heads to the back of our area, fingers tapping away.
I wonder what she’s up to, but I don’t have much time. We’re kept busy by customer after customer. I hardly have a moment to notice Zeke, brushing up against me in the tiny space, or how his smile lights up every time we make another sale. The way he turns that smile on me, and my heart pounds like I’ve done a hundred back handsprings.
The traffic only increases, and soon we’re so busy I can’t even think. What did Suzy do?
People leave Amanda’s stall and flock to ours, and she looks flabbergasted and stunned. Upset, even. I smile.
Suzy joins me and helps me box up a whole dozen chocolate chip cookies. We only have a few left.
“What did you do?” I ask under my breath, handing off the box to a happy family while Caroline swipes their card.
“Oh, I just worked a little social media magic.” Suzy pulls out her phone to show me the post, the pic of us with the caption, “Callie Carter bakes for a church fundraiser. Come support a local church, and Monte Ville High don’t forget to vote for your Homecoming Queen.”
“I love it. Suze, you’re a genius!”
Brielle finally deigns to notice us when her eyes follow the trail of shoppers leaving her mom’s stall and coming to ours. The glare she gives me sends a chill up and down my spine, but I just smile and wave. She pulls out her phone for a selfie, and I get the bad feeling that she’s also putting her social media powers into play.
The rest of the afternoon goes by in a blur. I don’t have much time to pay attention to Amanda and Brielle, so it’s hard to say who drew more of a crowd. But we sell out of every kind of cookie and the cinnamon rolls, which has me wishing I could’ve made more, but a side hug from Zeke makes it all better. We’re almost out of the blueberry muffins and the s’mores bars when the time is up and people trickle away. The gym slowly empties of its crowds, and vendors begin packing up their wares.
An older gentleman wearing jeans, a red collared shirt, and a cowboy hat walks up to the podium at the front of the room.
“This is it!” Caroline says. “Pastor Steve is going to announce who sold the most.”
Zeke and I look at each other, and there’s a burst of hope in his eyes. “Could it be us?”
“I don’t know.” We did well, but so did Amanda and Brielle. I want to beat them so bad I can taste it.
Pastor Steve starts by clapping, and the vendors join in. He speaks into a mic with a gruff voice. “Thanks so much to all of you who have worked so hard and given of your talents to make this fundraiser the best the church has ever had.”
Applause breaks out, and we join in. I shift my weight, just now noticing that my feet are aching from standing so long. We hardly got a break.
It has to be us. It has to.
“Callie,” Caroline says in a low voice as Pastor Steve continues to talk. “You did amazing, darling. Whether we won or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m so, so proud of you.”
Unexpected tears fill my eyes. I don’t have time to process the feeling because Pastor Steve says, “In third place we have . . . Zach Daniels and his daughter, Dahlia Daniels, selling their LEGO minifigures.”
Zeke elbows my side. “I told you those things are popular.”
I grin, watching an adorable little girl in brown pigtails follow her dad up to the podium to receive their prize.
“Congratulations, you two! You’ve won a gift card to our local trampoline park.”
The girl squeals and jumps up and down so hard that one of the pink bows in her hair falls to the ground.
The crowd applauds and then goes silent as Pastor Steve continues. “In second place we have . . . Caroline Harris, Zeke Harris, and Callie Carter, selling delicious homemade baked goods.”
My heart sinks to the floor.
Caroline shrieks and grabs my arm to drag me and Zeke up to the podium with her. I look out over all the people clapping for me and my treats. I should be happy. Second place is really, really good. I take my place at the front next to Zeke and force a smile to my face.
Pastor Steve hands Caroline a gift card to Ivar’s, a nearby seafood restaurant, and then we return to our stall. I hold my breath as Steve announces the first-place winner.
Please don’t be her.
“And in first place for raising the most money for our church, we have Amanda and Brielle Williams!”
Brielle sneers at me on her way up to the podium with her mom.
