True Places(68)

Iris stood beside Sam for one photo. He was even more attractive in person than on the computer. His smile made her stomach feel the way it did after riding in the car for too long.

“We finally meet!”

He slipped his arm across her bare shoulder, which felt terrible and delicious at the same time. She had to stop herself from wriggling away.

Suzanne went inside to get Reid, then asked Iris to be in a few photos with the whole family. Brynn said something in private to Whit. He handed a phone to Iris and asked her to take the photos, and she understood Brynn didn’t want Iris included. It didn’t matter, though, because Reid left before they’d finished.

Iris, overwhelmed by the noise and activity, retreated to her room and settled in with her coloring books.

A bird whistle came from under her pillow where she’d hidden the phone Brynn had given her.

BRYNN: I’m leaving now. Back later. Wait up for me?

Iris typed slowly, using her index fingers, worried about making a mistake. When she was done, she couldn’t find the send button. The blue arrow?

IRIS: I will. Have fun. Send me photos.

BRYNN: (yellow cartoon face blowing a heart)

Iris smiled. She searched the screen for where the pictures might be. Maybe her phone didn’t have them. Finally she found them.

IRIS: (yellow cartoon face blowing a heart; rainbow icon)

She went back to coloring for a while, checking the phone every few minutes for texts from Brynn. She felt guilty about having a secret phone, but it seemed everyone in the family had secrets. Brynn sent secret photos to Robby, Suzanne had asked Iris not to mention what had happened to her in the woods, and Reid had told Suzanne he was going to be at Alex’s tonight, but Iris had heard him talking on the phone about a party. Iris came to the conclusion that keeping secrets and telling lies was the only way people could manage their complicated lives. It took too much time to explain your choices, so you just did whatever you wanted and fixed the problems later, or ignored them, as Brynn had done by dressing up Iris.

Iris had drifted off when Brynn texted her that they were coming back. Iris checked her clock: almost eleven p.m. She slipped her penknife and phone into the small bag Brynn had loaned her and waited until she saw the lights of the limo in the driveway before going downstairs. Suzanne and Whit were watching TV and drinking wine. They both looked tired—and surprised to see her.

“We thought you’d gone to bed,” Whit said.

“I’m waiting for Brynn.”

Whit smiled, but Suzanne just sipped her wine. A moment later, headlights swept the wall of the entry. Brynn rushed through the front door, holding her shoes by the straps, her friends in a small herd behind her, each carrying a bag of some sort. They ran up the stairs.

“Be right back!” Brynn shouted.

Iris hung by the living room doorway, wondering where the boys were. Maybe they didn’t change their clothes.

Reid came in from the kitchen, half a sandwich in his hand. “Hey, Iris.” He was looking at her dress. She crossed her arms in front of her body. Reid spoke to Suzanne and Whit. “I’m going to Alex’s now.”

Suzanne said, “Text us if you decide to go anywhere, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

“Or if you need a ride somewhere,” Whit said. “It’s never too late to call.”

Reid let out a grunt and bit into his sandwich.

A stampede of feet on the stairs. The girls, led by Brynn, rushed past Iris into the living room.

“How was the dance?” Suzanne asked.

“Great!” Brynn was acting like a squirrel. “Daddy, can Iris ride in the limo with us? Just for a bit?”

Suzanne frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“It’s a lousy idea,” Reid said.

Brynn swung her hair. “Who asked you?”

Whit looked past the other girls at Iris. “Do you want to, Iris?”

Reid stepped over to where Suzanne was sitting. “Mom, this is so wrong.”

Whit ignored him. “Iris, do you want to ride in the limo?”

She looked from Suzanne to Reid to Brynn to Whit. Everyone was staring at her. “Yes.”

Whit turned to Suzanne. “Let her go for a half hour. No big deal.”

Iris wondered if Brynn felt the way she did at this moment when her parents didn’t agree about what was right for her. Iris was thrilled that Whit was sticking up for her and excited that she might be able to go. But Suzanne’s reaction worried her. If it was no big deal, then why didn’t Suzanne just agree? Brynn was always saying her mother tried to suck the fun out of everything. Maybe that’s what this was. At first Brynn’s anger with Suzanne had confused Iris. Now Iris understood something about what Brynn felt.

“Please, Suzanne?” Iris drew out the “please” the way Brynn did.

Suzanne sighed.

“Jesus, Mom,” Reid said.

It had worked.

Whit came out and spoke to the driver. Iris climbed inside. It was darker than she’d thought it would be, but her eyes adjusted quickly. The boys were there but not in their dress clothes.

Sam was in the back seat, the one facing forward. “Hey, Iris. Sit next to me. Riding sideways can made you sick.”

His eyes were glassy and bloodshot. Iris squeezed in next to him, and the rest of the girls found seats, talking all at once. The limo started to move.