think we planned it that way.”
Mom laughed. “Now, Cindy, they seem to be doing just fine without us interfering.”
“But isn’t that our job? To interfere in our children’s lives?” Cindy winked at me.
I saw Hannah roll her eyes; Bethany leaned over to whisper something in Hannah’s ear. The two of them looked at me and laughed. I wished I could stick my tongue out at them, but Mom was watching me. Plus, now that I was officially a high-school graduate, I thought maybe I should act like one.
I did, however, want to put an end to this line of conversation. It was clear that Cindy thought I was still dating her son. And since neither Mom nor Dad had corrected her, it was safe to assume that the only person who knew the relationship was off was me. I had to get Jason and Natalie together—the sooner the better. Maybe in this version of the river Mom and Cindy still expected me and Jason to end up together, but I knew in the real world that wasn’t supposed to happen. How many times was I going to have to break someone’s heart?
“Where is Jason?” I asked.
Cindy looked around, unconcerned that perhaps she had misplaced one of her brood. “Oh, he’s around somewhere, I suspect. He’s taking you out tonight, isn’t he? I heard there was a party . . .”
I swallowed, feeling the sour churn of acid in my stomach. The ripple of change was growing wider, reaching further.
“I already have plans for tonight,” I started, quickly tacking on “with Jason” when I saw Cindy’s eyebrows lift in an unspoken question. “Yes. I have a date with Jason tonight.” The words felt wooden and clunky. I hoped they didn’t sound that way to anyone else.
“Mom, can we go now?” Hannah said, shifting back and forth. “This is boring.”
“It won’t seem that way when it’s your graduation. And no, we can’t leave yet. Abby still needs to turn in her cap and gown, and the principal wanted to talk to her before we go.”
“Hannah’s welcome to come home with us,” Cindy offered. “It’s no bother.”
“If you’re sure—” Mom started, but by then Hannah and Bethany were already racing each other for the double doors.
“Well, I guess it’s time for us to go,” Cindy said, laughing. She reached over and squeezed my arm again. “Congratulations, dear. We’re all so very proud of you.”
Mom wrapped her arm around my shoulder in a quick hug. Dad headed out into the crowd, clearing a small pathway for us to follow.
“Do you know what the principal wants to talk about?” I asked.
Mom hesitated, then hugged my shoulder again. “No, but I’m sure it’s nothing bad.”
Well, that didn’t help calm my fears. I felt uneasy as we left the crowded graduation ceremony for the slightly less-crowded hallway outside the principal’s office.
In all my years in high school, I’d never been inside the principal’s office except for the interview I’d done for the school paper. I tried to still my nerves. So much had already changed today, I hoped that what was waiting for me behind Principal Adams’s door was good news.
***
Principal Adams’s office hadn’t changed much since the last time I’d been in there. He still had the same framed pictures on the wall, the same dark brown desk with a stack of bright yellow legal pads on the corner, the same chipped coffee mug next to his computer. Principal Adams himself hadn’t changed much either: brown hair, brown suit, tired eyes. I breathed a small sigh of relief. With all the other changes going on around me, it was nice to find a spot that seemed untouched.
“Ah, Mr. Edmunds, Mrs. Edmunds. Thank you for coming.” Principal Adams looked up as we entered and rose to shake hands with my mom. “I’m sorry this is on such short notice.”
“It was no problem,” Mom said, smiling.
“What’s this all about?” Dad asked. I wondered the same thing.
“Please, have a seat.” Principal Adams gestured to the empty chairs in front of his
Mom laughed. “Now, Cindy, they seem to be doing just fine without us interfering.”
“But isn’t that our job? To interfere in our children’s lives?” Cindy winked at me.
I saw Hannah roll her eyes; Bethany leaned over to whisper something in Hannah’s ear. The two of them looked at me and laughed. I wished I could stick my tongue out at them, but Mom was watching me. Plus, now that I was officially a high-school graduate, I thought maybe I should act like one.
I did, however, want to put an end to this line of conversation. It was clear that Cindy thought I was still dating her son. And since neither Mom nor Dad had corrected her, it was safe to assume that the only person who knew the relationship was off was me. I had to get Jason and Natalie together—the sooner the better. Maybe in this version of the river Mom and Cindy still expected me and Jason to end up together, but I knew in the real world that wasn’t supposed to happen. How many times was I going to have to break someone’s heart?
“Where is Jason?” I asked.
Cindy looked around, unconcerned that perhaps she had misplaced one of her brood. “Oh, he’s around somewhere, I suspect. He’s taking you out tonight, isn’t he? I heard there was a party . . .”
I swallowed, feeling the sour churn of acid in my stomach. The ripple of change was growing wider, reaching further.
“I already have plans for tonight,” I started, quickly tacking on “with Jason” when I saw Cindy’s eyebrows lift in an unspoken question. “Yes. I have a date with Jason tonight.” The words felt wooden and clunky. I hoped they didn’t sound that way to anyone else.
“Mom, can we go now?” Hannah said, shifting back and forth. “This is boring.”
“It won’t seem that way when it’s your graduation. And no, we can’t leave yet. Abby still needs to turn in her cap and gown, and the principal wanted to talk to her before we go.”
“Hannah’s welcome to come home with us,” Cindy offered. “It’s no bother.”
“If you’re sure—” Mom started, but by then Hannah and Bethany were already racing each other for the double doors.
“Well, I guess it’s time for us to go,” Cindy said, laughing. She reached over and squeezed my arm again. “Congratulations, dear. We’re all so very proud of you.”
Mom wrapped her arm around my shoulder in a quick hug. Dad headed out into the crowd, clearing a small pathway for us to follow.
“Do you know what the principal wants to talk about?” I asked.
Mom hesitated, then hugged my shoulder again. “No, but I’m sure it’s nothing bad.”
Well, that didn’t help calm my fears. I felt uneasy as we left the crowded graduation ceremony for the slightly less-crowded hallway outside the principal’s office.
In all my years in high school, I’d never been inside the principal’s office except for the interview I’d done for the school paper. I tried to still my nerves. So much had already changed today, I hoped that what was waiting for me behind Principal Adams’s door was good news.
***
Principal Adams’s office hadn’t changed much since the last time I’d been in there. He still had the same framed pictures on the wall, the same dark brown desk with a stack of bright yellow legal pads on the corner, the same chipped coffee mug next to his computer. Principal Adams himself hadn’t changed much either: brown hair, brown suit, tired eyes. I breathed a small sigh of relief. With all the other changes going on around me, it was nice to find a spot that seemed untouched.
“Ah, Mr. Edmunds, Mrs. Edmunds. Thank you for coming.” Principal Adams looked up as we entered and rose to shake hands with my mom. “I’m sorry this is on such short notice.”
“It was no problem,” Mom said, smiling.
“What’s this all about?” Dad asked. I wondered the same thing.
“Please, have a seat.” Principal Adams gestured to the empty chairs in front of his
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