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Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning
“"Well, come on up here and let everyone get a good look at you,”" Pastor says.
As they pass, I notice the man has on a full suit, right down to the polished shoes. The lady’'s dress flutters at the hem when she walks. She'’s wearing some kind of summer dress made of a gauzy material, and she has a white hat on top of her perfect hair. The girl is dressed just like her, but she doesn'’t smile or look around like the lady does. She walks like a sandhill crane, kind of floating, but with her nose up in the air.
Everyone in church watches them pass like this is a wedding or something. I can'’t really blame them; we don'’t always have strangers walking down the aisle, so it’'s kind of interesting. I just hope this don'’t make church run longer than usual.
Pastor greets them like they are long-lost friends. “"Folks,”" he says, “"I want to introduce our new neighbors, Brad and Meagan Gold, and their beautiful daughter, Melissa.”"
Everyone claps but me. I don't know these people or if they deserve a clap.
Momma elbows me. "Violet," she says. We must make them feel welcome."
I sigh and clap as ordered. But my clap is soft; my hands barely touch. If the whole church was silent and it was just me clapping, you wouldn't hear anything, that's how quiet my clapping is.
Pastor starts saying a few words about how they just moved down from a big city up north when Lottie shoves a note into my hand: Don't you think she's pretty? She looks like a model! I wonder how old she is! Let's try to meet her after church!
I scrunch my lips together. Three exclamation points in Lottie's note. I don't think the new girl is that pretty.
She looks like a goose neck, I write and pass the note back. Lottie reads it, shoots me one of her looks, and slides the note into her Bible.
When church is over, everyone rushes outside. As we walk out of the shade, the sun burns the part in my hair. Dust puffs up from the dirt parking lot and sticks to my legs. My head prickles with heat. I scratch it, but it's still prickling. I scratch again and then I hear Eddie laughing behind me.
I whirl around and almost bump into him, he's that close behind me. "What are you doing?" I say. I have to look up because he's taller than me.
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