Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana Page B

Kheelin try to keep up with Georgie and Sealy while they all ran around like fools, chasing leaves that were blowing off the trees. The whole while, I was thinking that this was turning into the worst birthday ever. Didn’t anyone understand the importance of what day it was?
    Everything was headed in the right direction when Mama made me birthday biscuits for breakfast, and Sealy woke up singin’, “It’s your birthday, it’s your birthday!” over and over again. But, just ’cause of some annoying storm, everyone wanted to go half-stupid and cancel my party. I hated Hurricane Katrina. I didn’t care where the idiot storm went. People can’t just go around canceling other people’s birthdays.
    I was fixin’ to go back inside to point these things out to Daddy when he opened the screen door. As soon as the twins seen him, they ran to him with their pudgy arms reaching for the sky. He scooped one twin up in each arm, giving each of them a raspberry on the fatpart of their necks. I pretended like I wasn’t dying on the inside to know if I was still having my party or what.
    Daddy sat down on the swing beside me. I scooched the tiniest bit away from him. The twins slid down off Daddy’s lap and went back to running about.
    â€œToday’s important to all of us, Armani.” I let myself look over at him. “We’re going to have your party.”
    â€œOh, Daddy! Thank you!” I threw my arms around him the best I could from a sit, smiling as big as my mouth would go. Relief spread through me from my head to my toes.
    â€œLet me finish, Armani.”
Uh-oh
. I settled back on the seat. A big chunk of the happy I was feeling fell like concrete to the bottom of my stomach. I had to fight the urge to cover my ears to block out whatever he was fixin’ to say.
    â€œYour mama’s on the phone calling your friends. We’ve decided that it’d be best for them to stay home.”
    â€œStay home?” There went my head—throbbing again. “But why, Daddy?” The answer popped in my head. “It’s because of Memaw, ain’t it?” I was so mad at her! I had never in my life been mad at Memaw, and I didn’t like how it felt. It reminded me of how my stomach gets all tangled up and twisted right before I puke.
    â€œYou watch your tone, miss, or there won’t be a party at all. And stop saying ‘ain’t.’ ” Now Daddy was mad at
me
. “It’s my decision, Armani, so if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me.”
    â€œBut, Daddy, seriously, it ain’t—I mean—it’s
not
gonna be a real party without my friends. I don’t understand.” Mama’s wind chime was just a-clanging around. We both turned and looked at it.
    Daddy stood up. He took a long, deep breath and pushed it out slow. “The hurricane’s changed its course, Armani. It’s coming closer to Louisiana now.” Daddy walked over and took Mama’s chime down.
    â€œWhat does that mean? Is it coming here? But . . . you said we didn’t need to worry.” Some of my mad blew away with the wind when I seen the way Daddy flinched when the words came flying out of my mouth.
    â€œIt means that we’ll definitely be getting some bad weather.” He paused and glanced up at the swirly sky. He sat back down beside me. I scooched closer to him. “It would be irresponsible for us to have your friends over when the weather’s so unpredictable.” He put a hand on my bouncy knee. “Uncle T-Bone’s still coming, and of course TayTay will be here.” He gave my knee a ticklish little squeeze. I swiped at his hand and bit my bottom lip, holding in my smile.
    He stood up and brushed teeny bits of white chips off the back of his faded jeans. “Your mama’s right. I need to paint this old chair.” He stole another look up at the busy sky. “Don’t