Wedding Drama Read Online Free

with raising money, so they’ve had to let some people go—just for a while,” Auntie adds quickly.
    Deja wonders if Auntie Dee is one of the “let go” people. She holds her breath.
    â€œI’m afraid they’ve had to let me go.” Auntie smiles slightly. “Just for a while. I’m sure I’ll be back to work in no time.”
    Deja thinks about this. “Does that mean we won’t have any money?” she asks carefully.
    â€œWe won’t have as much,” Auntie Dee says.
    Deja thinks some more. Finally she asks, “Are we going to be homeless?” That last word is so scary. She’s seen lots about homeless people on the news. Maybe they’ll have to live in Auntie’s car and wash their clothes in a gas station bathroom. Maybe Nikki’s parents will let them live with them. Even that thought isn’t very pleasant. Anyone would get tired of having extra people in the house after a while.
    â€œNo, sweetie,” Auntie says, laughing. Deja feels a little better. “We’re not going to be homeless.”

    Still, Deja wonders. How can Auntie really know that?
    â€œWe’re just going to have to tighten our belts.”
    Immediately Deja thinks about what this could mean. She doesn’t think it will allow for a new dress and new shoes and a wedding present. She doesn’t think it will mean anything good. It could mean just eating out of their garden. Or maybe they’ll only be able to eat the food that you dig out of a bin with a shovel at the health food store—like beans and yucky grains. No more good-tasting stuff that comes already measured and packaged.
    That night, Deja goes to bed picturing Auntie sitting at one of those big looms, weaving cloth for their clothes. Deja is pretty sure “tightening our belts” is not going to be fun.
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    She’s still pondering this over her oatmeal the next morning when Nikki knocks on the kitchen door. She’s come by to walk with her to school. Auntie is in her office doing something on the computer. Deja feels she has to tell Nikki, who seems eager to get to school. Deja can tell this from the way Nikki’s staring at every bite of oatmeal Deja puts in her mouth.
    â€œOh, I have something for you,” Nikki says.
    Deja looks up. “What?”
    From her backpack, Nikki takes out a piece of folded paper. She unfolds it and places it on the table in front of Deja. “I tried to draw a picture of Ms. Shelby’s fiancé. This is kind of what he looks like.”
    Deja looks at Nikki’s drawing. Nikki’s right. She really can’t draw.
    â€œOoh, ooh...” Nikki continues. “Guess what? I get to buy a new dress and get my hair done, and on Saturday my mom and me are going to Rendells, where Ms. Shelby is registered—you know, where they have a list of what she wants for a wedding present—and then we’re going to look at the list and get her something from it. Like a blender or a Crock-Pot or maybe a fancy vase. Something like that—”
    Deja cuts her off by sighing loudly. “Do we all the time have to be talking about Ms. Shelby’s wedding?”
    Nikki looks a little hurt. “We haven’t been all the time talking about it.”
    â€œYes, we have. And I’m getting tired of it.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with you?” Nikki asks.
    Deja shakes her head. “Nothing.”
    â€œDid you tell your aunt about Ms. Shelby?”
    In a small voice Deja says, “Not yet.”
    â€œYou didn’t tell her about the drawing and how Ms. Shelby picked our names and how we get to go to her wedding? And how you get to take your auntie as a guest, and I get to take my mom?”
    â€œNot yet,” Deja says again.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI just haven’t told her yet.”
    Nikki looks at her closely. “What is it, Deja?”
    â€œI don’t know if I want to