Chapter 6: Same Board, Ten O'Clock

By ten on Sunday morning, the free board had a crowd around it three people deep.

Shelby's fake apology had done what she wanted.

People had come to watch me crawl.

Dean stood at the front in a pressed blue shirt with a camera crew of friends behind him.

Shelby held the organizer's megaphone like a prize.

She saw me coming and smiled, and I saw her check her phone to make sure the filming had started.

Giles walked on my left.

Phyllis walked on my right, in her good coat.

"Tillie!" Dean called out, arms wide. "You came. Everyone, she came."

A few people clapped, because they thought they were supposed to.

"I knew you'd be back," he said. "It's all right. We've all been under pressure. Come here."

"I'm not coming there."

"Tillie."

"I came for my money."

I held out my hand to Shelby.

"The megaphone, please."

"Why would I?"

"Because the rule sheet is taped to that pole," Phyllis said pleasantly.

"Megaphones go to the organizer, not to a volunteer. I read it yesterday."

The organizer, a stout man in a lanyard, stepped out of the crowd and held his hand out.

"She's right. Shelby, I'm going to need that back. I let you use it for an announcement, not a roast."

Shelby handed it over with a hard look.

He passed it to me.

I held it in front of my mouth, and my voice came out steadier than I felt.

"Yesterday I told you my fiance listed me for one cent. Today I'm going to tell you what else he did."

Dean laughed loudly.

"Tillie. This is a lovers' quarrel. People don't need our private business."

"You made it public, Dean. I'm only finishing it."

I pulled out my phone and read from the bank screen.

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