Resolution: Day 1

Word Count: 6,054

Summary of Events:

Shelton was required to stand at the door and greet all the guests who arrived for the graduation party his parents were hosting for him, which wasn't all that pleasant, seeing as most everyone said the same thing. Georgiana was forced to watch as Shelton danced at the party with Pearl — the girl who'd introduced them — not because Shelton wanted to dance with her, but because Pearl always seemed to want to dance with Shelton and only Shelton. Before the dessert course was brought out to complete the meal Shelton's father toasted the Class of 1950 and invited Shelton to give a speech, giving Shelton the opportunity to announce his and Georgiana's engagement . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

He looked at Georgiana, who looked frightfully nervous. He was starting to feel his stomach twist himself now that he was on the cusp of it.

“And it is that which brings me to an announcement,” Shelton said.

Mother started out the corner of his eye.

“I am very pleased to announce that, in one year’s time, I will be a married man,” Shelton said.

Quite a few people looked astonished and a smattering of applause sounded. He looked at Georgiana, whose face was already red.

“As of April tenth I and the lovely Georgiana Teagan have been engaged to be married,” Shelton said, his smile fixed on Georgiana the whole time.

Hilda let out a squeal of delighted surprise and Darlene immediately started clapping, which led the whole room into thunderous applause, although Shelton’s smile was tempered by the fact that he could tell his parents were applauding as if they had knives to their backs, loud and forced, almost as if they were more banging their hands together than just clapping them together.

Shelton slid away from the head table and moved around front of it. Immediately Hilda and Darlene urged Georgiana to get to her feet and go to him. Georgiana was reluctant and he could tell she was frightened.

He clutched her hand in his and pulled her close to him, basking in the congratulations.

Georgiana’s fingernails dug into the back of his hand and he rubbed his thumb across the back of hers in an effort to soothe her until the applause started to die down, then he let her go back to her table and he went back to his own, although he frankly felt like he’d walked into an icebox.

Dessert was served, but Shelton felt like he didn’t really have any appetite. Seeing as it was the chocolate cream pie he’d requested, though, he had to eat it.

Looking down at his friends, Shelton looked particularly at Wes, who gave him a dubious expression, looking first to one corner of the room ahead of him, and then the other.

They’d developed the secret communication for in school so they didn’t have to risk notes, and what Wes had told him in it was that things didn’t look good on both sides. He merely gazed back, telling Wes he wasn’t surprised in the least.

Shelton didn’t see what the problem was. Father and Mother had met Georgiana before. He’d brought her over to dinner a couple times over the years — in reciprocation for the times he’d been invited over to the much humbler, simpler Teagan home.

They knew Georgiana, and he was sure they couldn’t have missed the idea that he was romantically interested in her. Why were they suddenly seeming to be so upset? They hadn’t seemed to dislike Georgiana before either. They’d thought her nice and intelligent and whatnot; they’d said as much to his face.