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Authors: Riley Adams
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them.”
“And thank heavens for them,” said Evelyn. “I couldn’t have abided staying dressed up as Ms. Priscilla Presley the whole time. That getup was way too hot to wear for very long.”
Derrick’s face lit up with the praise. It was amazing, thought Lulu, how long the process of restoring a child’s self-esteem took. His mother had really done a number on him before Sara and Ben took Derrick in to live with them and the twins.
“That’s great,” he said with relief. “I felt kind of bad that we didn’t win the tee shirt contest.”
“Pooh on those judges,” said Cherry stoutly, waving around her spatula in a threatening manner. “They wouldn’t know a winning tee shirt if it came up and bit them on the behind. I’ve heard tons of compliments, too, Derrick. Thanks so much for doing that design for us.” She gave him a one-armed but enthusiastic hug.
Derrick looked like he might float, he was flying so high from the praise. If people looked past the tattoos and the piercings and the tough exterior, they’d find a really sweet and insecure boy.
“Well,” Derrick said gruffly, “I guess I’d better head on out. I’m meeting Peaches here in a few minutes. Andafter we hang out here for a while, I’ve got some other stuff I need to do.”
The Graces beamed at him. Peaches was absent Grace Peggy Sue’s step-granddaughter and they doted on her. “Isn’t that nice that you and Peaches are going to hang out together,” said Flo. “Oh, I am so glad to hear that y’all are still dating each other.”
Lulu found her pocketbook and opened her fat wallet to find a little money, which she shoved in Derrick’s hand. “Here. Buy her some food and a drink. And have fun, sweetie.”
The festival was absolutely jam-packed with people. The fact that it was the weekend combined with a rare period of sunshine meant that the crowds had arrived in droves. Ella Beth and Coco had come to the festival hungry, so Lulu was soon digging in her purse again for money. They ended up eating funnel cakes, washed down with slushies.
“Mercy,” said Lulu, “I think we need to go home and brush our teeth now, girls.”
“Oh, Granny Lulu. We’ll be fine. It wasn’t all that much sugar,” said Coco.
The entire snack had been constructed of sugar.
“Look! The show’s starting!” said Ella Beth.
It was a transfixing show, and the girls and Lulu happily spent more time than Lulu even realized had passed, watching the different contestants try to claim the prize.She glanced at her watch. “Girls, it’s time for us to head back to the booth. Y’all are pretty pink and I am, too. Do you have sunscreen on?” Of course they didn’t. Ben and Sara were scrambling too much at the restaurant, and teenage boys didn’t think about stuff like sunscreen. Nor did nine-year-old girls.
“Guess what, Granny Lulu?” asked Coco, carefully skirting a tremendous mud puddle. “I can Hula-hoop one hundred and fifty times!”
“Mercy!” said Lulu again. Unfortunately, she’d somehow managed to step right in the tremendous mud puddle. There was now a squelching noise coming from her sensible sandals.
Ella Beth said, “That’s only because it wasn’t a real Hula-hoop. It was on the Wii, so it doesn’t count.”
Lulu wasn’t one hundred percent sure that she knew what a Wii was.
“Does, too! You’re jealous because you couldn’t make it go around that many times,” said Coco.
Ella Beth didn’t appear to have an answer for this. Instead, she abruptly changed the subject.
“Did you know we saw one of our waiters at the festival yesterday?”
“Did you, sweetie? I’m amazed he was able to get away with the restaurant being so crazy,” said Lulu.
Ella Beth said, “It was that waiter, Tim. You remember him. Pale and skinny? Sort of sad all the time?”
Ella Beth had fond hopes of becoming a detectivewhen she was older. “Yes, I think I know who you’re talking about.”
Coco said, “Yeah, but when you
“And thank heavens for them,” said Evelyn. “I couldn’t have abided staying dressed up as Ms. Priscilla Presley the whole time. That getup was way too hot to wear for very long.”
Derrick’s face lit up with the praise. It was amazing, thought Lulu, how long the process of restoring a child’s self-esteem took. His mother had really done a number on him before Sara and Ben took Derrick in to live with them and the twins.
“That’s great,” he said with relief. “I felt kind of bad that we didn’t win the tee shirt contest.”
“Pooh on those judges,” said Cherry stoutly, waving around her spatula in a threatening manner. “They wouldn’t know a winning tee shirt if it came up and bit them on the behind. I’ve heard tons of compliments, too, Derrick. Thanks so much for doing that design for us.” She gave him a one-armed but enthusiastic hug.
Derrick looked like he might float, he was flying so high from the praise. If people looked past the tattoos and the piercings and the tough exterior, they’d find a really sweet and insecure boy.
“Well,” Derrick said gruffly, “I guess I’d better head on out. I’m meeting Peaches here in a few minutes. Andafter we hang out here for a while, I’ve got some other stuff I need to do.”
The Graces beamed at him. Peaches was absent Grace Peggy Sue’s step-granddaughter and they doted on her. “Isn’t that nice that you and Peaches are going to hang out together,” said Flo. “Oh, I am so glad to hear that y’all are still dating each other.”
Lulu found her pocketbook and opened her fat wallet to find a little money, which she shoved in Derrick’s hand. “Here. Buy her some food and a drink. And have fun, sweetie.”
The festival was absolutely jam-packed with people. The fact that it was the weekend combined with a rare period of sunshine meant that the crowds had arrived in droves. Ella Beth and Coco had come to the festival hungry, so Lulu was soon digging in her purse again for money. They ended up eating funnel cakes, washed down with slushies.
“Mercy,” said Lulu, “I think we need to go home and brush our teeth now, girls.”
“Oh, Granny Lulu. We’ll be fine. It wasn’t all that much sugar,” said Coco.
The entire snack had been constructed of sugar.
“Look! The show’s starting!” said Ella Beth.
It was a transfixing show, and the girls and Lulu happily spent more time than Lulu even realized had passed, watching the different contestants try to claim the prize.She glanced at her watch. “Girls, it’s time for us to head back to the booth. Y’all are pretty pink and I am, too. Do you have sunscreen on?” Of course they didn’t. Ben and Sara were scrambling too much at the restaurant, and teenage boys didn’t think about stuff like sunscreen. Nor did nine-year-old girls.
“Guess what, Granny Lulu?” asked Coco, carefully skirting a tremendous mud puddle. “I can Hula-hoop one hundred and fifty times!”
“Mercy!” said Lulu again. Unfortunately, she’d somehow managed to step right in the tremendous mud puddle. There was now a squelching noise coming from her sensible sandals.
Ella Beth said, “That’s only because it wasn’t a real Hula-hoop. It was on the Wii, so it doesn’t count.”
Lulu wasn’t one hundred percent sure that she knew what a Wii was.
“Does, too! You’re jealous because you couldn’t make it go around that many times,” said Coco.
Ella Beth didn’t appear to have an answer for this. Instead, she abruptly changed the subject.
“Did you know we saw one of our waiters at the festival yesterday?”
“Did you, sweetie? I’m amazed he was able to get away with the restaurant being so crazy,” said Lulu.
Ella Beth said, “It was that waiter, Tim. You remember him. Pale and skinny? Sort of sad all the time?”
Ella Beth had fond hopes of becoming a detectivewhen she was older. “Yes, I think I know who you’re talking about.”
Coco said, “Yeah, but when you
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