The dance portion mercifully over, Sara emerged from the wings. Her dress wasn’t quite as sparkly as the contestants’ were, but she was still wearing her Miss Pine Grove sash and tiara from five years ago.

Pushing her dark glossy hair back off her shoulders, Sara smiled out at the audience. “Good evening, y’all!” she drawled, the words nearly echoing throughout the room. When there was no reply, she tilted her head a bit, that bright smile stretching even further.

“I said good evening!” she called again—and I guess once head cheerleader, always a head cheerleader, but I resolved right that second to never, ever be Sara Plumley. In fact, I might turn in my uniform first thing Monday morning.

After the audience gave her the response she wanted, Sara beamed harder, taking a sip from the water glass on the podium, leaving a bright red lip print on the rim. “All right, folks, we’re going to go ahead and get started,” she announced. “First we’ll give y’all a chance to meet these lovely ladies before proceeding to the talent portion and then the evening gown competition. And before we leave tonight, one of these very lucky girls will be Miss Pine Grove.”

There was a round of applause for that, and I bit back a sigh. The whole night seemed to stretch out in front of me, and I suddenly wondered what David was doing tonight. Was he sitting all alone in his room, listening to that whiny music I hated? Was he thinking about me?

Rebecca Shaw had completed her circuit of the stage and answered the judge’s question—the ever-so-original “What would you do if you won the lottery?”—but I hadn’t heard Rebecca’s answer. I assumed it was something equally original, like “Give it all to charity.” It wasn’t until she slid back into place next to me that I remembered I was next.

I broke off from the rest of the line, walking to the front of the stage as Sara rattled off my name, age, and who my parents were. The lights nearly blinded me and my smile felt frozen on my face as I walked, but I tried to keep my head high and my shoulders back.

The Aunts and my mom and dad were sitting in the front row, and seeing them, my smile felt a little more natural. But then, in the row behind them, I could see David.

What was he doing here? My eyes met David’s, and it might have been the lights, but I was sure that his eyes were glowing faintly behind his glasses. Not only that, but his whole body was drawn up tight in his seat.

Maybe he was weirded out from seeing me after the last time we’d talked, but I wasn’t sure. What I was sure of was how my heart thudded painfully against my ribs when I saw him.