Page 40 of Best Friends for Never

Parker:How dare you!

Me:Second, there is no reason Tinker Bell should have had those proportions for a kid’s movie! What did they expect to happen?

Parker:Pig.

Me:Butt lover.

Parker:What do you want, Noel?

Me:Was I supposed to write a speech for this thing?

Parker:No? Who said that?

Me:Gran.

Me:I knew she was just being mean.

Parker:But you panicked and bothered me while I’m trying to get this ceremony ready anyway?

I cringe. I didn’t even think about that.

Me:Oops?

Parker:Just be here at 9 and have a few words prepared.

Me:So itisa speech?!

Parker:No, you big baby. It’s just a few words. You’ll be fine.

Me:You know I hate public speaking.

Parker:You’re an actor. Fake it.

Me:That’s different.

Parker:Noel. . .

Me:Peter. . .

Me:Fine. I’ll see you at 9.

Parker:Don’t be late.

I grin. I like it when she’s all stern and bossy. It’s not a side of her that she used to show often, and getting her riled up so it would come out used to be one of my favorite things. I guess that hasn’t changed much.

Me:Or what?

Parker:Guess you’ll just have to see.

“Are you sure I’m not overdressed?” I ask Gran for the third time.

After her speech comment and Parker practically confirming Ididhave to give a speech, I started spiraling.

Just exactly how big is this event? How many people are attending? The whole town? Will there be cameras outside from theEmerald Grove Gazette? Am I overdressed? Underdressed? How long does my nonspeech speech need to be? How long is the thing going to run? Do I need to shake hands and kiss babies afterward? What, exactly, am I doing there?

“You’re fine.” Gran pats my arm with the hand she has looped over it. “You look great, bub.”

I smile down at her. “You always say that.”

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