Liars and Losers Like Us(67)

Kallie steps forward, squaring off with Jane. “This is my dress. I ordered it months ago. I have no idea how this happened. If this is another way for you to steal something that’s mine, it’s not happening. Not today. And not for Prom tomorrow night. Feel free to wear it Sunday. You can wear it all summer long for all I care.” Kallie takes another step up, practically into Jane’s nose.

Molly, Laura, and I stand there waiting. I’m not sure whether we’re hoping it does or doesn’t come to blows. It’s that close and that heated.

“You don’t scare me Kallie.” Jane takes a step back. “I’m wearing the dress.”

“Fine. I can’t rip it off you. But I promise you; I will not back down. Wear it. If you’re up for a game of ‘Who Wore It Best,’ I’m in. You look presentable, Jane,” Kallie narrows her eyes with a syrupy evil smile. “But next to me, in the same dress, you’re a joke. A plastic, trashy, lonely, and desperate knockoff.”

A pit forms in my stomach. Maybe Jane did this on purpose but she doesn’t deserve this. “Hey,” I say. “Maybe if you guys sit on opposite ends of the stage it’ll be okay?”

Jane does a quick spin out of Kallie’s glare, tears springing to her eyes.

“Fuck you. All of you.” She grabs her bag and runs out of the locker room door.

“Don’t let it hit ya,” laughs Molly.

“That was so mean.” Laura shakes her head. “And so awesome.”

“I’ve never seen her back down like that,” Molly says.

“Do you think she’s coming back?” I ask.

Kallie snorts, “I don’t give a shit.”

Shandy peeks her head in the door waving a clipboard. “Prom Queens! Five minutes to showtime! I’ll be back to line you up, alphabetically escorted by the Kings.”

“Damn,” I say. “That girl’s such a type A freak about everything. Kal, does my hair look okay?”

“You’re fierce. Sean’s gonna faint. But what about your shoes? You can’t go barefoot.”

“She’s right,” laughs Molly. “Hillbilly chic is so last year.”

I run over to grab my heels but they’re not there. “Shit. Shit. Shit!” I yell, ripping through my dress and accessory bags. “They’re not here. Has anyone seen my silver heels?”

Everyone scours the room. The benches, the unlocked lockers, the stalls, everywhere. Jane rushes back in with an enormous garment bag, a hoop, and a tight smile. She disappears behind the lockers, then emerging, like superman, in a new candy pink dress. A loud, shiny strapless ball gown leading to layers upon layers of ruffles. Supported at the bottom with a hoop.

Jane spins and rests her hand on her hip. “You guys have nothing on me. You were right, Kallie. That red dress was cheap. I’ve won two titles in this dress and I plan to win another. Thanks for setting me straight.”

“Give it a rest, Jane. You look like a quincea?era cake topper. Where the hell are Bree’s shoes?” Kallie asks.

I stride over and snatch Jane’s bags, swiping a pile of her clothes from the bench onto the floor.

“I swear to god if you took my shoes …” Huffing through my nostrils, I rifle through her bags and piles of clothes scouring every crevice for my silver heels. “She took my shoes, she took my freaking shoes.”

“Let’s go girls! Get out here! Time to line up!” Shandy’s voice echoes into the locker room.

Jane looks at me, “I didn’t touch your shoes. This isn’t a teen movie. Get over yourself.”

Molly offers me Belmont’s tiniest pair of green flats. “This is the most dressy pair we have between us. C’mon, we gotta go.”

I run over to my stuff one last time, fighting angry tears. I double-check my bags. Still no shoes. I look down at the shoes I’d purposely mismatched this morning. One yellow and one purple Converse is all I’ve got.

We rush outside, following Shandy to the double doors of the gymnasium. The boys, like a raft of penguins, stare in awe.

“Ohhhh pretty shiny things,” says Justin, wriggling his fingers.

“Hi-yo.” Todd grabs toward Kallie’s waist.

Kallie swerves from him. “Don’t even think about it.”

Chris kisses Laura on the cheek and says she looks nice while Sean stands, shuffling his hands in and out of his pockets, looking down at his feet.

Jane mumbles something to Sean about her dress.

Shandy eyes her clipboard and says, “Okay, Molly. You’re with Justin …”

I mentally alphabetize. Chapman, Conner all the way to H … I’ll come before Jane and then … Mills before Monroe. Mills. I’m with Sean. I take a deep breath.

“Bree’s next to Sean, Jane with Chris, Laura and Brian, Kallie and Todd. C’mon, c’mon, let’s go.” Shandy herds us into a line, two by two.

I put my hand over my heart, as if it will slow it down or make it beat softer. Sean grabs my hand and places it in the crook of his elbow.

“Hi.” My fingers tremble on his arm.

He smiles, slightly. “Hey,” he whispers, staring at my fingers. “Relax Breeze–Bree, it’s just a pep rally.”

While we wait for Principal Finley’s cue, Molly tries to sweet talk Shandy into letting her help with the Prom decorations. “Well, I just thought maybe you’d need some help. I mean, with all the gloom and doom colors and the weird cutouts, maybe you just need another set of eyes? I’m going to college for interior design, you know.”