Chapter 5 - The Night Before Graduation
By Friday evening, word of the argument had spread through the family.
James had received four phone calls.
Simone had received eleven messages.
Most were from relatives who hadn't been present.
Some wanted to know whether Mia's expensive handbag had really been burned.
Others suggested Simone should forgive her stepsister before graduation.
A cousin wrote that everybody needed to stop making a family disagreement so public.
Simone sat on her bed reading the messages.
She wondered how the story had become about a handbag when she was the one who had watched her graduation dress burn.
There was a knock.
James stood in the doorway.
"Can I come in?"
She nodded.
He sat beside her.
"Something bothering you?"
She handed him the phone.
He read several messages.
His jaw tightened.
"I'll speak to them."
Simone took the phone back.
"Can I do something first?"
"Of course."
She opened the family group chat.
For several minutes, she typed and deleted.
Then she wrote:
Mia deliberately burned the graduation dress I bought with my own money. Celeste told me I was overreacting. Dad destroying the bag was also wrong, but it doesn't erase what happened to me. I'm graduating tomorrow, and I don't want anyone bringing this argument to my ceremony. Please respect that.
She showed James.
He read it carefully.
"That's clear."
"Is it rude?"
"No."
"Celeste will say it is."
"She doesn't get to decide whether you're allowed to explain what happened."
Simone pressed send.
Then she muted the conversation.
She looked relieved.
"I should've done that earlier."
James shook his head.
"You shouldn't have had to."
They went downstairs to prepare dinner.
A little after seven, the doorbell rang.
Mia stood on the porch.
Celeste was beside her.
James opened the door but didn't invite them inside.
"What are you doing here?"
Celeste looked past him.
"We came to settle this before tomorrow."
Mia was holding a department-store shopping bag.
She looked uncomfortable, but not particularly sorry.
"I bought Simone something."
Simone appeared behind her father.
Mia lifted the bag.
"Here."
Inside was a white dress.
It had a large bow at the waist and shiny fabric that Simone didn't like.
Mia pushed it toward her.
"There. Now you have another dress."
Simone didn't take it.
"I already bought one."
"Then return it."
James looked at Mia.
"Why did you come here?"
Mia shifted her weight.
"To apologize."
"Then apologize."
She rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry about the stupid dress."
Simone looked at her.
"Why did you burn it?"
Mia stared at the porch floor.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, she muttered, "Because you were acting like graduation was the biggest thing in the world."
Simone frowned.
"What?"
"Everybody was talking about you. Your scholarship. Your grades. Your college plans."
Celeste stepped closer.
"Mia, you don't have to explain yourself."
James held up a hand.
"Let her answer."
Mia's voice grew sharper.
"You get one little achievement, and suddenly everybody treats you like you're perfect."
Simone felt her face grow hot.
"I worked hard to graduate."
"So did I!"
"You've already graduated."
"That's not the point!"
Mia looked toward James.
"You never looked at me the way you looked at her when she got that scholarship."
James stared at her.
He had known Mia struggled with her first year of college.
He had offered to help when she considered changing programs.
He hadn't realized how much resentment she'd built toward Simone.
But whatever Mia felt, it didn't justify destroying something her stepsister loved.
"Mia," he said, "being jealous doesn't give you permission to hurt somebody."
She wiped her eyes.
"You burned my bag."
"Yes. And that was wrong. I intend to repay the damage I caused."
Mia looked surprised.
James continued.
"But I won't pretend your behavior was acceptable because I responded badly."
Celeste folded her arms.
"Can we please stop with the lectures? Graduation is tomorrow."
She turned toward Simone.
"Just let us come. People will think something terrible happened if we're missing."
Simone looked at her stepmother.
For five years, she'd been asked to make things easier for Celeste.
Smile for pictures.
Ignore comments.
Share what belonged to her.
Accept apologies that changed nothing.
And now, after watching her dress burn, she was being asked to pretend again.
"Something terrible did happen," Simone said.
Celeste's expression hardened.
"Don't exaggerate."
James started to speak.
But Simone touched his arm.
"I've got this, Dad."
He stepped back.
Simone looked directly at Mia.
"I don't need you to buy me a dress. I needed you not to destroy the one I already had."
Mia looked away.
Simone turned toward Celeste.
"And I needed you to care."
For the first time, Celeste seemed unable to produce an immediate answer.
The silence lasted several seconds.
Then she said, "We're still family."
Simone swallowed.
"Being family should have meant you treated me better."
She reached for the shopping bag and handed it back to Mia.
"I don't want this."
Mia's face tightened.
"What about tomorrow?"
Simone took a slow breath.
"I don't want either of you at my graduation."
Celeste stared at James.
"You're going to let her say that?"
James looked at Simone.
Then back at his wife.
"She's telling you what she needs. I'm listening."
Celeste turned away.
Mia followed her down the steps.
As they reached the car, Mia glanced back.
For a moment, Simone thought she might say something sincere.
Instead, she simply climbed into the passenger seat.
James closed the door.
Simone remained standing in the hallway.
Her hands were shaking.
"Did I do the right thing?" she asked.
James put an arm around her shoulders.
"You told them the truth and made a choice about your own graduation."
She leaned against him.
For the first time, she didn't ask whether everyone else would be okay with that choice.
May you like
Tomorrow, she would walk across the stage.
And she had decided that nobody who made her feel small would be allowed to turn that moment into another performance.
