After dinner, one of Cameron's friends suggested a game: everyone would tell two stories—one true, one false—about either the bride or groom, with the others guessing which was which. Jennica and Cameron were excluded to prevent easy guessing; the game was purely for good-natured teasing.
Next to Keeley, Valentina wore a look of intense concentration. Keeley wanted to laugh; her friend loved these kinds of games. Embarrassing stories…Keeley knew plenty, but which would be the most fun to share? And what believable lie could she concoct? Impromptu fabrication wasn't her forte. She'd likely use a true story about someone else instead of Jennica.
Jennica's actress friend went first, recounting how Jennica burped before a singing audition and how she kicked someone in the face while dancing, then laughed so hard she fell over. Keeley knew her friend—the dance story was too improbable. "The burp story is true," she said confidently.
Jennica's face flushed crimson. "Nope. The dance one happened when I first moved to New York."
Everyone laughed, moving on to Cameron's childhood next-door neighbor. He dramatically recounted how Cameron's brother hid in a grocery store freezer for fifteen minutes, requiring an emergency room visit. His second story involved Cameron knocking out a kid's tooth with an accidental headbutt in P.E., the tooth lodging in his hair for hours unnoticed. The neighbor's vivid storytelling made the truth impossible to discern.
"The tooth story?" Aiden guessed.
The neighbor grinned, shaking his head. "The freezer."
Jennica looked at her fiancé in alarm. "Which brother was this?!"
"Chase."
"I can totally see that."
It was Aiden's turn. He shared how Cameron dumped his lunch tray on himself and how he'd drunkenly called, crying, because his dog smiled at him.
Aaron, speaking for the first time in over thirty minutes, said, "The lunch tray is true. He came into my office covered in spaghetti sauce asking for a spare shirt."
"Did you have one?" someone asked.
"Why would I keep a spare shirt in my office? I called him an idiot and sent him home."
Cameron's friends found this hilarious, but Keeley narrowed her eyes. It was Aaron's turn. What stories would a true best friend share?
Prompted by Aiden, Aaron spoke monotonously: "Cameron was too lazy for a real job in college, paying his expenses with poker and blackjack until he got banned for winning too much. He also listens to electronic pop music on business trips." Everyone who knew Cameron guessed correctly.
"How could you slander me like that, Aaron? I only listen to classic rock!" Cameron protested good-naturedly.
"I'm not creative," Aaron mumbled.
Keeley suppressed a snort. He wasn't. His only creative feat she remembered was a Star Wars poem in high school.
A pang of something struck her. When had he watched those videos? After her death? After his rebirth? That moron. It didn't matter; he wasn't part of her life anymore—not after this wedding. She needed to talk to Jennica about pairing them in the wedding party.
She tried to focus on the remaining stories, mostly spacing out until her turn arrived. A deer in headlights, she froze, momentarily forgetting her stories. They returned after a minute of awkward silence.
"There was the time Jennica held my cat like Simba, singing 'The Circle of Life'…and the time she mixed every Kool-Aid flavor and made me try it. We both puked in the sink."
Aaron surprised her. "The Lion King story is true. Your brother mixed the Kool-Aid."
How did he know that? She'd never told him.
"You're right," she said, questioning.
He explained, seemingly oblivious to others. "You mentioned it once, drunk."
Odd. She hadn't been drunk around him since their early marriage. Yet he remembered decades later.
Valentina shared stories about exploded ranch dressing and a perceived murderer, prompting a comical defense with rolling pins and a music stand. Keeley barely paid attention.
The next few months were going to be exhausting.