and she liked it that way. Up until a few months ago, Deborah had been a part of the same group of friends, but she hadn’t been at any of the singings this fall. “I’ve never been to one of these parties.”
“I have, and trust me, you’ll have a gut time. It’s at James Schrock’s house, back in his barn. You know how huge that thing is. It can hold over two hundred people.”
Elisabeth frowned. She’d heard through the grapevine that James was a shady character. He was eighteen, and since they’d all left school, he’d turned wild, cutting his hair short and even getting a car. His parents did little to curb his bad behavior. “I heard one of his parties got broken up by the police.”
“ Nee , that was just a rumor. Look, I really want you to come. You can meet some of my new friends.”
“New friends?”
“ Ya . One of them just moved into Middlefield. He’s really nice. We can all just hang out for a while.”
“I don’t know,” Elisabeth said, biting her lower lip.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to come back. Someone can even take you home early if you want.” She moved to stand next to Elisabeth and linked her arm through hers. “I miss you. We haven’t done anything together in a long time.”
Elisabeth had to admit that she’d also missed her friend. “There’s a barn raising at the Bontragers’ on Saturday. Why don’t you come to that?”
“I can’t make it Saturday.”
“Why not?”
“I have to work.”
“Then stop by after work.”
“I can’t.” She released Elisabeth and stepped away. “You know, you’re being a little snobby about this.”
“Snobby?”
“Yeah.” Deborah rubbed her finger under her nose. “Like you’re too gut to geh to the Schrocks’.”
Elisabeth shook her head, appalled her friend would think that. “That’s not it at all. I don’t think I’m too gut for anything.”
Deborah shrugged. “I’m just saying that’s how it seems to me.”
“All right. I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” She tugged on the bow of her black bonnet before climbing into her buggy. “Chase and I will be by to pick you up around eight tomorrow.”
“Chase?”
“ Ya . He’s the one I want you to meet. Just started working at the restaurant. We’ve been hanging out. And he has the sweetest car you’ve ever seen. I have no idea what kind it is, but it’s so cool!”
Elisabeth took a step toward her friend. “Wait, I haven’t said I’d geh .”
Deborah merely grinned and grabbed the horse’s reins. “See you tomorrow night!”
Elisabeth half waved to Deborah as she pulled her buggy out of the driveway, wondering at the change in her friend. Sweetest car ? So cool ? Since when did Deborah talk like that?
She turned around to head inside, only to see Aaron standing there. Her heart leaped to her throat, and she put her hand over her chest. “ Gut grief! You scared me! I didn’t know you were standing there.”
His blue eyes, normally void of emotion, were chips of ice, and his mouth was set in a thin line. “You’re not seriously thinking about going to that party, are you?”
“You were eavesdropping?”
He leaned forward, ignoring her question. “Are you?”
She’d spent half a year wishing she could elicit some kind of reaction from Aaron Detweiler, but overbearing disapproval wasn’t it.
He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Doesn’t matter. You can’t geh .”
Her hackles rose. “Excuse me? Since when do you tell me what I can or cannot do?”
“Since you’re considering doing something stupid, that’s when.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Number one, you shouldn’t have been eavesdropping on a private conversation—”
“It’s not private when you’re standing out here two feet from the Dumpster. Anyone could have heard you. What if Moriah had come outside? Do you think she’d be happy to know you were going to a Yankee party?”
“It’s not a Yankee party.
“I have, and trust me, you’ll have a gut time. It’s at James Schrock’s house, back in his barn. You know how huge that thing is. It can hold over two hundred people.”
Elisabeth frowned. She’d heard through the grapevine that James was a shady character. He was eighteen, and since they’d all left school, he’d turned wild, cutting his hair short and even getting a car. His parents did little to curb his bad behavior. “I heard one of his parties got broken up by the police.”
“ Nee , that was just a rumor. Look, I really want you to come. You can meet some of my new friends.”
“New friends?”
“ Ya . One of them just moved into Middlefield. He’s really nice. We can all just hang out for a while.”
“I don’t know,” Elisabeth said, biting her lower lip.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to come back. Someone can even take you home early if you want.” She moved to stand next to Elisabeth and linked her arm through hers. “I miss you. We haven’t done anything together in a long time.”
Elisabeth had to admit that she’d also missed her friend. “There’s a barn raising at the Bontragers’ on Saturday. Why don’t you come to that?”
“I can’t make it Saturday.”
“Why not?”
“I have to work.”
“Then stop by after work.”
“I can’t.” She released Elisabeth and stepped away. “You know, you’re being a little snobby about this.”
“Snobby?”
“Yeah.” Deborah rubbed her finger under her nose. “Like you’re too gut to geh to the Schrocks’.”
Elisabeth shook her head, appalled her friend would think that. “That’s not it at all. I don’t think I’m too gut for anything.”
Deborah shrugged. “I’m just saying that’s how it seems to me.”
“All right. I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” She tugged on the bow of her black bonnet before climbing into her buggy. “Chase and I will be by to pick you up around eight tomorrow.”
“Chase?”
“ Ya . He’s the one I want you to meet. Just started working at the restaurant. We’ve been hanging out. And he has the sweetest car you’ve ever seen. I have no idea what kind it is, but it’s so cool!”
Elisabeth took a step toward her friend. “Wait, I haven’t said I’d geh .”
Deborah merely grinned and grabbed the horse’s reins. “See you tomorrow night!”
Elisabeth half waved to Deborah as she pulled her buggy out of the driveway, wondering at the change in her friend. Sweetest car ? So cool ? Since when did Deborah talk like that?
She turned around to head inside, only to see Aaron standing there. Her heart leaped to her throat, and she put her hand over her chest. “ Gut grief! You scared me! I didn’t know you were standing there.”
His blue eyes, normally void of emotion, were chips of ice, and his mouth was set in a thin line. “You’re not seriously thinking about going to that party, are you?”
“You were eavesdropping?”
He leaned forward, ignoring her question. “Are you?”
She’d spent half a year wishing she could elicit some kind of reaction from Aaron Detweiler, but overbearing disapproval wasn’t it.
He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Doesn’t matter. You can’t geh .”
Her hackles rose. “Excuse me? Since when do you tell me what I can or cannot do?”
“Since you’re considering doing something stupid, that’s when.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Number one, you shouldn’t have been eavesdropping on a private conversation—”
“It’s not private when you’re standing out here two feet from the Dumpster. Anyone could have heard you. What if Moriah had come outside? Do you think she’d be happy to know you were going to a Yankee party?”
“It’s not a Yankee party.
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