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Wake-Up Call
Hanna sat at the frontof her father’s house, trying not to seelanced at her phone one more ti, crossed her ankles, and adh; she’d had to practice walking in the in her floor-length Marchesa gown so that she didn’t trip over the hem She’d fixed her prom crown so that the sides didn’t pinch her head, and the scepter leaned against the couch, its faux jewels sparkling Everything looked perfect She was, literally, all dressed up with no place to go
"Still nothing from Mike?" her father asked
Hanna shook her head Mike hadn’t called her all day They hadn’t spoken since the weird pseudo- conversation while she was at the burn clinic, right before Hanna saw Noel He hadn’t written to say he’d picked up a tux He hadn’t texted toa li to show at all
Her father turned a page of the National Geographic he was pretending to read There was a clang in the kitchen; surely the pot roast Isabel hadcold They’d already seen Kate off with Sean, taking a zillion pictures If that didn’t prove to Mike that Hanna wasn’t into Sean, ould? Why didn’t he just believe her?
And ith Noel telling on Hanna? That see to do
Her old phone beeped, and she pounced on it It was an e-ht?
Hanna paled The wolad to have a legitimate excuse
"Honey, are you okay?" Mr Marin asked, noticing Hanna’s stricken expression
Hanna quickly exited the e- her eyes "Not really"
Mr Marin walked over to her "You know, I bet a lot of beautiful proo alone to the Oscars--it’s really no different It’s alluring, actually It means you can stand on your own" He picked up the cordless phone from the coffee table "We’ll call my driver I’ll have higest corsage money can buy"
That just e, solid body, inhaling the sne All of a sudden, it felt like the old Hanna and Dad, the relationship in which she could tell hi Before Isabel Before Kate Before A
She took a deep breath and pulled away "It’s not really about proh It’s aboutother stuff" She shut her eyes "Things are kind ofa mess"
"What do you mean?"
Hanna licked her lips If only she could tell hi she said as horrible retted and that she’d never ain If only he could track down A and justIf she told hi, not only would his political career be ruinedhis next job would be bending metal in a prison yard
"Is this about proently
Hanna cocked her head "Why would you ask that?"
Mr Marin shifted his weight, looking guilty "Don’t beto Mike the other day about how you’d rather die than caainst Chassey Bledsoe" His brow furrowed "That’s not really a nice thing to say, Hanna Every rival is worthy of a good can"
Hanna’s h her--betrayal, guilt, regret, embarrassment, frustration at A
"It’s not what you think," she admitted "I didn’t really hed at Chassey as a competitor Suddenly, Chassey’s teary-eyed face when she’d lost flashed in her mind
Mr Marin put his hand over hers "You knohat I do think? That you’re a good person That you do the right thing--when you win and lose"
Then his gaze lighted on so out theMike’s car had pulled up to the curb He stepped out of the driver’s seat, dressed in a tux He held a huge bouquet of roses in his hand
Hanna shot to the mirror in the hallway and checked her makeup She smoothed her dress and adjusted her crown When the doorbell rang, she whipped it open "Where have you been?"
Mike shrugged "Sorry, I was running a little late There was a crazy line at the florist’s"
Hanna placed her hands on her hips "Haven’t you heard of calling? I’ve sent you a !"
Mike looked her up and down and shed "I told you I was co, Hanna And you always ju" Then he eyed Mr Marin, who had drifted into the kitchen "I shouldn’t have been so mad about the burn clinic, either I talked about it a little bit to Aria, and she ht be with Sean I should have just believed you"
Hanna eyed the roses They were purplish-black, her favorite Mike had a worried, pleading, please-love- expression on his face, too Maybe he did feel bad Then she glanced at her father lurking in the kitchen She did sort of want to take pictures
"Fine," she said, priiven" And then she turned to grab her dad so he could take all those aard pictures she’d alanted