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Chapters (67)
  1. Big Boned
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. One Month Later
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. About the Author
  62. Copyright
  63. About the Publisher
  64. Backad 1
  65. Backad 2
  66. Backad 3
  67. Backad 4

And then the woman on the stage was crying as two people were called up. They were Natasha’s parents, and soon there wasn’t a dry eye around. Not even mine. I was also crying. Softly at first, but then harder and harder until I was falling into the arms of total strangers as we hugged and linked hands, bound together by this one common thing. As I stood there, my arm around the woman next to me, my hand slipped into the person’s to my right, and I felt a part of something and I couldn’t help but think, I had helped do this.

Me!

Things I Like about Myself by Lori Palmer

I’m a good sister.

I’m a real artist (despite what Blackwell says!).

I, Lori Palmer, am officially good with parents!

I have a voice. There is power in my art.

I am brave!

I am a great kisser!

I’m a good friend (even if I don’t really want to be just a friend).

My voice can start a movement!

44

Thembi called the next day to say my dress was ready.

I arrived at her house and she greeted me excitedly. “My parents are out, so we have the whole house to ourselves.” There was such a sense of relief in her voice, I could relate.

“Have they found the person who trashed your mom’s billboard yet?” she asked as we walked up the stairs.

“No. Shame,” I said, trying to make that sound genuine.

“I wish I knew who did it though, I’d be rich.”

“Why?”

“Haven’t you seen the reward she put out?”

“No?”

“It’s on her YouTube channel, and she posted it on Facebook.”

My stomach lurched. I pulled my phone out and went to her business page and there it was, my mother talking to the camera offering up a R10, 000 reward for information leading to the capture of the scandalous vandal.

“Crap,” I whispered under my breath as we reached Thembi’s room. I’d hoped it would have blown over. But I should have known better. My mom was like a pit bull when she got an idea into her head.

Thembi looked at me excitedly. “Are you ready?”

I looked at the dress stand in front of me. It was draped in white cloth and I couldn’t see a thing.

“I guess,” I said softly, not so sure I was.

“You’re going to look amazing in it,” she announced, and then in one swift movement she pulled the sheet off and revealed the dress.

“So I know I said something shorter would be better, but I decided to make it long, but look here.” She pulled the bottom of the dress. “I’ve put a really high slit in it, so when you walk it will open up and give this sense of movement, so it’s like this long/short hybrid.”