Seven Times They Chose Him. The Last Time, They Lost Me novel · Chapter 21 of 24
Chapter 21: After
My father's hand stayed in the air for a moment.
"Zack," he said again.
"No, Dad. I'm not going to stand up there."
I said it to him, but it carried, because the room was so quiet.
"I didn't give up my birthdays. You took them. Nobody asked if I wanted to be the quiet hero, and I wasn't being brave. I just didn't know I was allowed to say no."
I took a breath.
"I like drawing herons. I like tomato soup. I'm twelve, and I'd like to be asked what I want."
Nobody clapped.
It wasn't that kind of room.
My father lowered his hand.
He stood on his stage, in front of his banner, with his headset in his fist, and for the first time I saw him have nothing to say.
Then he walked to the microphone stand and bent to it.
"The committee," he said, and his voice broke on the second word. "The committee will return every dollar. To every donor."
The pastor was standing beside the steps with the letter in his hand.
"Russ," he said, not unkindly. "I think you should step down from the stage."
My father looked at him.
He looked at the room.
He stepped down.
The gymnasium came apart slowly.
People stood up, and sat down again, and stood up, and nobody seemed to know where to put their hands.
A woman who had told me I was so modest at the church dinner came down the aisle toward me with her handbag clutched to her chest.
"I'm so sorry," she said. "I didn't know."
"It's okay," I said, and then I stopped.
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