Mom Hung Up on My Call for Help to Toast My Cousin, So I Vanished novel · Chapter 3 of 19

Chapter 3: What the File Said

At the reception, Cass makes Laurel admit she hung up when Cass called for help, exposes Dale's guilty plea, and arranges for Tyler to bring his party video to the Hartwell family table.

My mother, Laurel, stepped between Brynn and the guests and told me to stop before I embarrassed the family.

'Cassidy, please. We can discuss this without an audience.'

She was already facing the audience, keeping me behind her shoulder.

A guest pointed at the EpiPen in my hand.

'Why did Brynn call you a thief?'

Brynn turned toward her with the mild smile she used when people were watching.

'I was upset. Cass has a way of making things sound worse than they are.'

'You said I stole it,' I said.

The guest kept looking at Brynn.

'You said it in front of everyone,' she said.

Brynn's smile thinned, and her eyes went to Laurel.

The reception had printed programs for every chair. My name was not on one.

I had hoped someone would ask about the scholarship letter sticking out of my bag.

Laurel had asked me to stand by the entrance and keep the welcome table clear.

A guest glanced at my duffel.

'Are you helping with the event?'

'I am the Presidential Scholar,' I said.

She looked at my letter. 'I didn't realize.'

Brynn's program listed her name in larger type than the other students'.

Laurel looked at the EpiPen.

'Mom, take it from her,' Brynn said.

Laurel reached for my hand.

I pulled it back.

Her fingers closed on empty air.

The guest who had asked about the accusation watched Laurel's hand fall.

Laurel looked from me to the people around us.

'Cassidy called me after she ate the dessert,' she said. 'I hung up because the party was underway, and I thought she was upset.'

The guests heard her admit it.

My fingers shook around the EpiPen.

I pressed my thumb against its label until the shaking eased.

I had called because my throat was closing. Laurel had heard me and ended the call.

A volunteer carried a fresh glass of water to Brynn. My paper cup sat empty beside the welcome table.

'We were trying to keep the evening from becoming worse,' Laurel said.

'For whom?' I asked.

She looked at Brynn.

Brynn had been given the chair beside her. I was still standing by the entrance.

The reception board showed two scholarship announcements. Brynn's name had one. Mine had none.

I could have shown them the photograph on my phone. The EpiPen was already in my hand.

I wanted Laurel to say my name and admit what she had done without checking the faces around her.

She did neither.

The guest who had challenged Brynn stepped away from her.

Two others followed, leaving Brynn beside Laurel with nobody speaking for her.

Nate stood beside Dale with his father's file beneath his arm.

Brynn turned to him. 'Nate, you don't have to bring that into this.'

I looked at the guests who had watched her reach for the pen.

'Nate, open the file beside Dale. Let them see it.'

Nate placed it on the table.

Dale stayed beside him.

Nate opened the first page.

Dale's name appeared beneath the account of the crash that killed Brynn's parents.

The page said he had been driving drunk.

A guest leaned closer to read it.

She looked up at Dale and lowered her program.

Nate turned the page.

The next sheet showed Dale's guilty plea.

Dale reached across Nate and tried to close the file.

Nate held it open.

'Dad, this is what you left out of our family story.'

Dale's hand stopped above the page.

The guests watched him lower it.

One person moved away from him. Another set her program on the table.

Brynn stood beside Laurel.

'We should have kept that file buried,' she said.

Laurel turned away from her.

Brynn looked at the guests, but no one stepped in to answer for her.

I had wanted Laurel to hear Brynn's name from the people who watched her reach for the file.

Now they had heard Brynn say it herself.

My phone was in my pocket. Tyler's name sat near the top of my recent calls.

I called him while Nate kept the file open.

Tyler answered. 'Cass?'

'Bring your party video to the Hartwell family table tomorrow at noon.'

He paused.

'You mean the dessert table video?'

'Yes. Bring the whole recording.'

'Okay,' Tyler said. 'I'll bring it.'

'Bring it where Brynn can't stop everyone from seeing it.'

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