Katy's Homecoming (17 page)

She became an audience member and watched the other students. Her chest got tight and achy when Bryce and Marlys performed their duet act. Maybe she’d tell Mr. Gorsky she’d like to do a duet act next year — it looked like fun. But maybe it only looked fun because Bryce and Marlys worked so well together. Katy hated to admit it because she really didn’t care much for Marlys, but their act was better than the other pair of students who did duet acting.

At the end of the hour, Mr. Gorsky said,“Remember we won’t have class tomorrow because of the homecoming assembly.”

Marlys sent a disdainful look around the classroom. “It is too weird having the assembly on Thursday instead of game day. Who scheduled a speaker on
homecoming day?
”

Katy stared at Marlys in amazement. The Kansas State Treasurer was making a special visit to their school, and Marlys wanted to complain about it? Katy could hardly wait to hear the man’s presentation.

Mr. Gorsky raised one eyebrow. “When hosting special visitors, we sometimes have to fit our schedules around theirs, Marlys.”

Marlys rolled her eyes.

Mr. Gorsky cleared his throat and went on. “Since the assembly is tomorrow, we have only one more practice before we leave Saturday. Some of you —” He looked directly at a boy who had forgotten a whole section of his presentation,“— should review at home as well.” Then he smiled. “But for the most part, we’re ready, and I look forward to a good meet. I’ll see you Friday.”

The class gathered up their things with the usual chatter. Katy retrieved her backpack and turned toward the door. Bryce stepped into her pathway. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“I don’t think there’s anything left to say, Bryce.” She didn’t know how she found the courage, but she spoke honestly and openly. “I was so excited when you asked me to homecoming because I liked you and I thought we could have fun. But like I wrote in my note, then you changed. I want to be friends, but friends don’t ignore each other one day and talk to each other the next. It’s too confusing. I told you to decide whether to be my friend or not, and you kept ignoring me. So I guess you made your choice. I’m sorry it worked out that way — I really hoped … hoped …”

Her bravery faded as disappointment welled up and threatened to emerge as tears. She sniffed hard and made herself finish. “I hoped you’d choose to be my friend, but friendship can’t be forced. So …”

“But, Katy, I wanted to say —”

She shook her head. “I have to go. It’s my dad’s wedding rehearsal tonight, and I can’t miss the bus. ‘Bye, Bryce.”
She dashed away, wishing her last words hadn’t sounded so final.

The wedding rehearsal reminded Katy of the homecoming rehearsal. A lot of talking about what everyone should do followed by walking in and standing for a long time, listening to more talk, then finally getting to sit down. The other thing the two practices had in common was very few people paid any attention to Katy. She understood that her dad and Mrs. Graber were the most important people and everyone should be focusing on them, but she couldn’t help feeling a little left out. She was an attendant after all.

Mrs. Graber’s daughter lived in Ohio, and she couldn’t come to the wedding because she was expecting a baby and her husband didn’t want her so far from home. If she’d come, she would’ve been the attendant instead of Katy. Katy felt bad that Mrs. Graber’s daughter wasn’t there, but Katy did appreciate having an important role in the wedding. Both of Mrs. Graber’s sons had driven over from Meschke. Katy was shocked at how tall and handsome they both were. She felt a little tongue-tied in their presence.

The oldest one escorted Mrs. Graber down the aisle and “gave” her to Dad. Katy got a lump in her throat when she watched the rehearsal. There was something in Dad’s eyes as he took Mrs. Graber’s hand, a tenderness Katy had never seen there before. Had he looked at Katy’s mother in the same way when they married? Katy supposed she shouldn’t be thinking about her mother during her dad’s
wedding rehearsal with someone else, but she couldn’t seem to help it.

Uncle Albert served as Dad’s groomsman, so he escorted Katy up and down the aisle. Uncle Albert stuck his elbow straight out for Katy to grab and pursed his face into a funny, overly serious expression that made Katy laugh. Uncle Albert was the opposite of Dad, who was rarely playful. Katy appreciated Uncle Albert’s silly antics during the practice. They helped take her mind off of her worries.

The church ladies had prepared a meal for the wedding party. When they finished rehearsing, they all went to the church basement to eat. The elder who would be performing the ceremony, Dad and Mrs. Graber, Mrs. Graber’s family members, Gramma Ruthie, and Grampa Ben sat at one table. There wasn’t a seat available for Katy. So Dad asked her to sit with Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Albert, and their kids.

Katy went without complaining, but she wasn’t happy. Much of the time Katy didn’t enjoy being around her cousins. Uncle Albert and Aunt Rebecca had five children, including fourteen-year-old twins. Since the twins were close to Katy’s age, they should have been able to be good friends. But Lola and Lori had never seemed to need anybody else since they had each other. Besides, they were a lot like their mother—too critical. So they weren’t always very much fun.

As soon as Katy sat down, Lori nudged her arm. “Mom says Uncle Samuel says you’re staying in Salina for the weekend while Uncle Samuel and Aunt Rosemary take a short trip.”

How odd that her cousins already referred to Mrs. Graber as Aunt Rosemary when Katy still stumbled over calling the
woman by her first name. She poked her fork into the broccoli, bacon, and onion salad on her plate. “That’s right.”

Lola leaned in from the other side. “And you’re going to a homecoming. But Mom didn’t know what that meant.”

Katy wished Dad wouldn’t tell Aunt Rebecca everything. She told the twins, and somehow Lola and Lori always managed to make everything Katy did seem wrong. Without going into too much detail, she explained the purpose of homecoming.

“So it’s just a basketball game with extra people there?” Lori made a face. “What’s so special that you have to go? Mom said you could’ve stayed with us except for homecoming.”

Katy wouldn’t have wanted to stay with Aunt Rebecca. If she’d stayed with anyone, it would have been her grandparents. But she didn’t mention that to the twins. She said,“It’s special because they crown a king and queen. Each class has representatives who sit on the royal court.” Katy tried to look humble as she added,“And I’m the representative for my class.”

“You?” Lola gawked, her mouth hanging open. “Why’d they pick you?”

Katy wasn’t about to tell Lori and Lola she’d been chosen as a joke. She shrugged.

“I guess that’s a good reason to go,” Lori acknowledged.

“I also have a forensics tournament on Saturday, so it’s easier if I’m just in Salina.”

“That makes sense,” Lola said. “But you’re staying home tomorrow, right? How can you go to school when you’ve got the wedding and everything tomorrow evening?”

Katy hadn’t thought about needing to miss school for the wedding. But Lola was right — the wedding ceremony would start at six o’clock, and Deacon Pauls advised them to be at the church an hour earlier. Katy didn’t get home from school until almost four thirty. She would need to stay home.

Which meant she wouldn’t be there for the homecoming assembly. Michael Evans would walk in alone. The seniors would think their prank worked. Katy’s lips twitched as she fought a grin. But they’d all be surprised when she showed up for the homecoming game and walked in with Michael.

Lola poked Katy on the arm. “What’s so funny?”

Katy looked at her.

“You’re sitting there smiling like someone told a joke.”

Katy shook her head. “Nothing.” She pretended great interest in picking the bacon pieces from the broccoli salad.

After a moment, Lola went back to eating, letting the question go unanswered. There was a joke coming, all right, and Katy wouldn’t be the butt of it — she’d be the instigator. She ignored the little pinch in her conscience and put a bite of salad in her mouth.

Because Katy didn’t have to get up to meet the school bus on Thursday, Dad told her she could sleep in. But she awakened early anyway. Her body didn’t seem to understand days off. She heard Dad rustling around, so she pulled on her robe over her nightgown and stepped across the landing to tap on his door.

The door popped open. Dad was dressed, but he hadn’t combed his hair or shaved yet. He looked so rumpled, Katy had to swallow a giggle. “What’re you doing up?” he asked.

“I thought I’d offer to milk for you this morning.”

His eyebrows rose.

She shrugged. “Consider it a wedding present.” She hadn’t gotten Dad anything else — what kind of gift did you give a couple who already had all the household items they needed?

Dad’s face broke into a huge smile. “That’s a super gift, Katy-girl. Thank you.” He tugged her against his chest for a rare hug then released her. He glanced at his wristwatch. “Caleb will be here in another twenty minutes — better get yourself dressed.”

Katy dashed for her bedroom, calling over her shoulder,“I’ll fix breakfast after we’re done with the milking, so just relax, Dad!” Amazing how good it felt to give a little something extra to Dad this morning.

Caleb arrived at six o’clock, right on schedule, and Katy immediately gave the truck’s horn a push to call in the cows. Caleb sent her a curious look as she bustled for the milk room. “Sure didn’t expect to see you this morning. How come you’re milking again? Is your dad sick or something?”

“No, just gave him the morning off since it’s his wedding day. C’mon, let’s get started. I’ve got lots to do today.”

Caleb shrugged and followed her in. He opened the doors, and cows entered on cue. Even though Katy hadn’t intended to talk to Caleb while they milked, a question rolled around in the back of her mind and finally she had to let it out.

She hollered over the noisy machines,“Annika said you’re taking her to the singing tomorrow night.”

Caleb didn’t look up from removing the suction cups, but she saw his head bob in agreement.

“But you told me taking her would give her ideas. Why’d you change your mind?”

Caleb gave the cow a smack on its hindquarters, and it wandered out of the room. He waited for the next cow to move into position and attached the suction cups before answering. “Didn’t want to go alone.”

Katy frowned at him. Her cow was finished, so she quickly released it and got another one ready before speaking again. “You shouldn’t invite her if you really don’t like her, Caleb. She likes you. You’ll end up hurting her if
you’re just asking her so you don’t have to go alone and she thinks it’s a real date.” It hurt her throat to yell over the loud machines, but she didn’t care. Caleb needed to use better sense.

He looked at her over the machines, his face innocent. “It’s a real date.”

“Are you sure? Because you just said you didn’t want to go alone.”

“I only said that so you wouldn’t feel bad.”

Katy frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”

He shrugged. “Well, I didn’t want you feeling like you got left out or something, so I said something stupid.”

Boys seem to say a lot of stupid things,
Katy’s thoughts groused.

Caleb went on. “But really, Annika’s okay even if she is a little pushy. I don’t mind going with her.”

Katy decided not to talk anymore. It was too hard to be heard over the machines. But she would be watching Caleb and Annika at the wedding — they would be there, because everyone in Schellberg always came to the weddings. If she thought he might end up doing something that would hurt Annika, she’d jump on him so fast he wouldn’t know what had hit him. The idea made her smile.

When the milking was done, Katy left Caleb to clean the milk room and feed the cows while she hurried back to the house to fix breakfast. Dad hadn’t come downstairs yet, so she took her time preparing waffles with cinnamon and chopped pecans, fried eggs, and crisp bacon. Her stomach growled in anticipation, and she could hardly wait to eat. Dad expressed his appreciation for the wonderful breakfast,
which made Katy’s heart lift. After today, Katy wouldn’t have to fix every meal. Mrs. Graber — Rosemary — would get the compliments. So Katy was glad she’d gone to so much trouble today and could savor Dad’s praises.

Dad finished eating and pushed aside his plate. “Katy-girl, I need to go over to the church to put up the arbor and help set up tables in the basement. The ladies will be there around noon to do the decorating. Do you want to come with me, or do you need to stay here and do some schoolwork?”

She had schoolwork to do, but she really wanted to be with Dad. She sighed. “I’d better do my assignments. But I want to help with the decorating, so can you take me to the church this afternoon?”

Dad nodded, pushing away from the table. “That’d be fine. I’m sure Rosemary will want you there too. Plan on taking your wedding clothes with you and dressing there with Rosemary.” He grabbed his jacket from the peg by the back door and hurried out.

By the time he returned at eleven thirty, Katy had finished her homework, packed her wedding clothes including a pair of white sandals and some flesh-toned hose, and fixed a light lunch of canned tomato soup and cheese sandwiches. Dad grinned when he saw the sandwiches and soup.