Katy's Homecoming Read Free

had hoped to see him, a part of her was almost relieved. She wasn’t sure she could handle finding out she was the sophomore attendant
and
get asked to homecoming by a boy she really liked without melting into a puddle on the floor. By tomorrow, she would be used to the idea of being the attendant, then she could deal with Bryce’s invitation. Assuming he really did ask her.
    And why had the seniors chosen her? Even Trisha and Cora — although they acted happy for her — expressed their amazement that Katy had been given such an incredible honor. Katy didn’t really care why she’d been chosen. She was just thrilled to have the chance. Finally — even if it was for only one day — she would be noticed. Accepted. A part of the popular crowd. Goosebumps broke out across her arms, and she hugged herself in delight.
    She looked out the window as the bus approached the intersection. Instead of Dad’s blue pickup, Mrs. Graber’s black, old four-door Buick waited. The sight didn’t surpriseKaty. Since Mrs. Graber and Dad would soon be husband and wife, Mrs. Graber had begun taking some responsibility for Katy, including picking her up at the bus stop if Dad was really busy with the dairy herd. But today Katy wished Dad were there. She wanted him to be the first to know about her being chosen as homecoming attendant. Even though she was starting to like Mrs. Graber and had given Dad her blessing on getting remarried, Dad would always be first as far as Katy was concerned.
    The bus creaked to a stop, and Katy hopped out. She dashed to the car and realized Gramma Ruthie was sitting in the front passenger seat. So she climbed in behind Gramma and gave her an awkward hug over the seat’s high back. Then she acknowledged Mrs. Graber. “Hi. Thanks for picking me up.”
    Mrs. Graber turned the car around and headed down the dirt road that led to Katy’s farm. “Hi, Kathleen. Did you have a good day?”
    Mrs. Graber always asked the same question when she picked up Katy from the bus stop. Katy wondered if she was still a little uncomfortable or just unimaginative. Either way, Katy answered politely,“I did, thank you.” But she didn’t explain how good the day had been. Resting her arms on the front seat, she leaned close to Gramma Ruthie. “Are we going to your house, Gramma?”
    Gramma shook her head, the black ribbons from her cap swaying next to her wrinkly cheeks. “No, Katy-girl, I’m coming to your house. Rosemary and I are making mints for the wedding. You have that big deep freeze in the basement to keep them in, so it makes more sense to make them at your place.”
    Katy nodded. Usually the bride’s family prepared the food for a wedding celebration, but since Mrs. Graber moved to Schellberg from Meschke, Kansas, and didn’t have any family close by, Gramma Ruthie had promised to help. Katy had offered to help too, but most of the time, the women shooed her out of the kitchen. In a way, she didn’t mind — she usually had homework to do. But in a way, it bothered her. It felt strange to have another woman working in the kitchen that had been Katy’s ever since she was old enough to cook for Dad.
    “Are you making the same kind of mints Ron and Taryn Knepp had at their wedding?” Katy had enjoyed attending the wedding for Annika’s older sister in mid-January. She hoped she would end up having fun at Dad and Mrs. Graber’s wedding.
    “The very same recipe,” Gramma confirmed.
    “Awesome! Those were epic.”
    Gramma Ruthie tipped her head and gave Katy a look that was a cross between amusement and disapproval. “Really, Katy-girl, the things you say.”
    Katy slid back in the seat. She tried not to bring school words home to Schellberg, but sometimes they flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. As Annika and Katy’s cousins Lola and Lori often pointed out, Katy needed to be careful, or the deacons would worry she was picking up too many worldly habits. Then she’d have to stop attending