Maybe to stop me from stirring trouble, they wired two hundred thousand into my account.
I paused for a moment, then took the money and dragged my suitcase to Portland by myself.
When Brielle came back, she shared over a hundred trip portraits.
I posted a picture of Cannon Beach with a note. [Wish fulfilled.]
My parents didn’t tap like. None of the Hopkins relatives did.
Only Brielle Hopkins commented, [Sister went out to have fun too?]
I returned the day she was getting ready for her enrollment party.
Everyone inside was helping her pick a custom gown for the event.
Pulling my suitcase, I stood by the doorway, facing a room full of bright faces.
Mom paused mid-tie on the ribbon of Brielles’s dress.
The designer they had brought in to take sizes looked at me with interest.
“We’re planning to hold a shared enrollment party for you two in a couple of days.”
Mom cleared her throat and passed me a sample gown from the designer’s rack. “This one looks proper for you.”
A deep red dress covered in overdone plastic gems, completely out of place next to Brielle’s sky-blue, fading floor-length gown.
The designer let out a sudden laugh.