Accordance by Shelly Crane

time,” Kyle said and grinned.
    “Sounds good, I’ve never been very good at those things. Remember, Bish, your first Christmas with us they bought us a PlayStation? I don’t think I ever won a single game we played.”
    “I remember,” Bish said with a chuckle and I saw in his mind a memory of us sitting on the living room floor together playing. “You were pretty terrible.”
    “You didn’t teach me much back then,” I countered.
    “You were too busy with Beck. She was over everyday and pulled you away to play dress-up.”
    “Actually, she pulled me away to talk about you. She said you were dreamy,” I sang in a sing song tone to irritate him.
    He scoffed and turned to look out the window as Kyle and I laughed.
    “She did not. You’re just saying that to piss me off.”
    “She did. She was practically in love with you. She used to write your name with little hearts beside it and Mrs. Rebecca Masters,” I said grinning.
    “You’re lying,” he said like he really didn’t believe it.
    No frigging way.
    “Nope, of course, that was when we were in six grade. By high school, you were just a phase,” I said flippantly.
    “Well...good,” he said uncomfortably.
    “Dude,” Kyle said with a look. “Beck’s hot. I’d go for that if I were you.”
    “I’m like seven years older than her. It’s not cool.”
    “You’re too late anyway,” I said. “She’s with Ralph now.”
    “Great. No concern of mine,” Bish brushed off and nodded toward my window. “Good. Caleb’s back.”
    “Hey,” Caleb said as he got in his seat. “Sorry it took so long.”
    He was thinking about Math. Prime numbers, multiples by four, math problems, over and over. I looked at him curiously but didn’t say anything.
    We pulled into the driveway and got out. Bish and Kyle ran in together to start the game. I thought what an unlikely friendship that was. Bish was older and Kyle was pretty immature. It didn’t seem like a good match-up but there was no one else so, maybe they were just making do.
    As I closed the door I heard Caleb’s mind still running through subtraction. I gave him a weird look and then remembered that he hadn’t come back to the Jeep with a package. What had he been doing? Then it hit me. He was using math to keep his head busy so he wouldn’t think about something. There was something he didn’t want me to see.
    “Dang it, Maggie,” he whined. “You couldn’t let me have my little secret? You are going to be impossible to buy presents for.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “I-” he started but the doorbell rang.
    He went to answer it and I heard Peter’s thoughts of happiness about seeing Caleb before I saw him turn the foyer corner to the living room where I was. And then Rachel, then my dad, then Jen...then Bella, Caleb’s Sheepdog, all walked in right behind him.
    I gasped in happiness and dread both. What were they all doing here? Then I blushed in shame. They’d been worried about me running away? This seemed a little extreme.
    Caleb petted and crooned to Bella for just a second as he ushered her to the backyard. He was anxious to be with me when we started all this. And it didn’t take long.
    Peter made his way to me.
    “Magnificent.”
    I knew what he was going to do but I couldn’t muster up the gall to tell him no, though I wanted to. I didn’t want to be disrespectful as he kissed my fingers and then touched my hand to his head.
    Then to my horror, Rachel did the same thing. I cringed and tried not to pull away but when Jen made her way to me I could no longer take it.
    “I-”
    “Maggie doesn’t want you to do that,” Caleb explained softly and came to stand in front of me like a guard. “Remember, Dad, on the phone we talked about this. Maggie wants none of the bowing or protocol, she wants to just be herself.”
    “I’m sorry, my dear, but you have to understand that this has been foretold since I was a child. It’s just such an honor...”
    “I know. And