“You didn’t say ‘come in.’”
“Jupe, you don’t need to say ‘knock, knock’ and wait for the all-clear when the door is open.” I gestured for her to come in. She skipped into my dorm, her springy purple curls shimmering in the room’s yellow light.
A black-full length garment bag was tucked underneath her arm. It was so full, the zipper was almost bursting. We’d both done our hair and makeup already, but Kevin hadn’t finished the dresses until an hour ago.
Once he found out I was going with Clark, he had to start mine from scratch. Kevin said, given the news, he was getting rid of my little black dress and going for a more “come hither aesthetic.” His words.
“You are going to die when you see the dress Kevin made for you,” Jupiter said, excitement clear in her glossy-lipped smile. “Like, for real, you should get your affairs in order because this—” she clutched the bag to her chest “—is going to send you straight to the morgue. That’s how dead you’ll be when you see it!”
“Does it match yours?” I asked.
“Not this year,” she said, a sour look on her face. “Kevin said the shade of blue he used for yours would clash with my new hair, so mine is purple. Also poofier. Plus yours has a sweetheart neckline. I’ll be wearing a halter top with the rest of the itty-bitty titty committee. Once Kevin’s illusion magic gets past the fabric stage, I’m gonna have him illusion me at least a C-cup.”
She plopped on the bed. Her slight frame barely made a dent in the mattress.
“There is no itty-bitty titty committee, Jupe” I said, shaking my head with a smile. “You’ve got a great figure! Besides, breasts come in all shapes and sizes. Everyone’s body is beautiful.”
“Says the woman approaching a D-cup.” Jupiter rolled her eyes. “But, on the plus side, I don’t have to wear a bra all the time like you do, so I’m probably saving like a zillion dollars a year on crap from Victoria’s Secret.”
“More like a zillion and twelve,” I said. “That’s one hell of a bright side.”
“Damn straight.”
Jupiter pulled a wad of gems and chains out of her purse. The clinking metal covered our giggles with a sound like rocks hitting windchimes.
“What do we have here?” I asked, rolling the chair closer to the bed.
I leaned toward the shiny collection. She sorted through the mass of gold, silver, and brightly colored gemstones, apparently looking for something in particular.
“I brought my jewelry collection,” she said. “I can’t seem to find this one amulet I wanted you to wear... oh, screw it.”
She turned the bag upside down, and poured the necklaces, bracelets, broaches, and stray jewels onto the bed. She spread them out on the comforter, scanning with laser-eyed focus.
“Here it is!” She held up a giant sapphire inlaid in a silver setting, with a matching chain. She held it up to my face, studying me and it with academic scrutiny.
“Yup. I was right. This looks totally bonkers beautiful with your eyes. It’s gonna bring your look to a whole new level!”
“I appreciate it, Jupe, but I’m not much of a jewelry person,” I said. “I really don’t need a…”
“Tonight is not about necessity, darling!” Jupiter flipped her purple bangs and struck an elegant pose on the bed, draping the sapphire amulet over her shoulder.
Her fanciful impression made me laugh and roll my eyes. She spoke with the sickeningly posh voice of a debonair aristocrat: her theatrical tendencies were in full swing tonight. And I was more than down for the spectacle.
“Tonight is about all the finer things in life!” she went on. “No! The finest things! Tonight, we are queens! Until the clock strikes twelve, you are a princess bedecked in pure refinement! After that, you can plain Jane it for the rest of your life—scout’s honor.”
“You were never in the scouts, Jupe.”
“No, but I’ve had enough girl scout cookies to get the spirit of it.” The zipper made a ripping sound as its teeth parted. Jupiter undid it with a single swipe. A cloud of purple, pink, and golden tulle burst out of the opening. There was so much colorful fabric, it was as if a cotton candy factory went out of business and shoved its last remnants into Kevin’s garment bag: I sent up a silent prayer this one wasn’t mine. I could barely walk in heels, let alone in a certified ballgown.
“What do you think?” She pulled the dress up and draped it over her body. The bodice was purple, with a sparkly outer corset. The skirt was a poof of bright purple hues and glittery fabric. It was truly a sight to behold, one of Kevin’s more impressive creations. And it was absolutely perfect for Jupiter.
“That’s amazing!” I felt the skirt’s fabric between my fingers. “You’re gonna look incredible.”
“And I won’t be doing it alone!”
She shoved the garment bag at me. It felt virtually empty, but I saw sleek strips of dark blue fabric inside. Jupiter was already changing behind me. I figured, why wait? I threw off my T-shirt and slipped the elegant evening gown over my torso. It was soft, strong fabric that felt like satin and shimmered in the light. It didn’t glitter like Jupiter’s but it did shimmer in the right light. I wiggled out of my shorts and let the dress fall the rest of the way to the ground.
“Oh my God!” Jupiter said when I turned around. “Clark is going to eff-ing die when he sees you in that!”
“You think?”
I opened the wardrobe and looked in the mirror. The dress fit me like a glove. The sweetheart neckline pushed my cleavage up, and the slim fitted bodice hugged my waist. Truly, a gorgeous second skin.
Kevin is one talented man.
Her skirt made a buzzing sound. “Oh, that’s me.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket. I ran my hands down the dress’s long skirt, and was instantly hit with a case of pocket-envy. I had to remind myself that Kevin had probably chosen silhouette over convenience on purpose; he was the first person I’d told about Clark asking me to the dance.
Pretty sure he’s already planning the wedding, I thought.
True, Clark was a catch, but Kevin had dressed me like straight-up bait. The dress was revealing but left certain things to the imagination. I didn’t notice until I started walking back to Jupe, but there was a slit in the flowy skirt that ran all the way up my thigh.
“Kevin’s here,” she announced, gesturing to her phone. “Is Clark picking you up or can we all walk over together?”
“He’ll be here at eight,” I said. “You guys go ahead; I’ll be right behind you.”
“Okay.” She pumped her eyebrows thrice. “Good luck with Captain Clark.” She winked. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… or do.”
“Ha.” I followed her to the doorway. “If I manage to think of anything you wouldn’t do, I’ll alert the media.”
“Oh, whatever,” she said, dimpling into a smile. “I’ll see you late—oh, hey, I almost forgot.”
She tossed the sapphire at me. I caught it against my chest. The chain spiraled into my breasts.
“See you in a bit!” Jupiter darted out of the threshold before I could throw it back. I looked down. It was a magnificent gem, big as the whole pad of my thumb, and Jupe clearly thought it matched the dress. I clasped the silver chain behind my neck, turning my head to adjust to its weight.
I shut the door, went to the dresser, and stood on my tippy toes to get to the broken picture frame lying up top. Some glass stuck to the frame’s edges, but it wasn’t in danger of cutting me. I sat on the ground where I was, placed the picture in my lap. I took a deep breath, let it out, and looked into my mother’s eyes.
“Hi, mom,” I said.
I knew the picture couldn’t exactly give me the motherly advice I wanted, but it was better than not talking to her at all. One-sided conversations were better than silence. At least, where mom was concerned.
“I’m kind of going on my first date tonight, and... to tell you the truth... I’m a little bit nervous,” I went on. “There’s this guy, and I like him… a lot
I think. He’s really cute, smart, in my grade. He’s on the casting team too, and he’s good. Like, really good, but... there’s also this new professor, and... I can’t explain it, but he makes me feel things. I…” A frustrated sigh left my lips. “I’m not sure what to make of it, mom... I’m a little confused, happy, really happy to be going with Clark. It’s just... well, you know how it is...”
I bet she really would’ve known how it was. She seemed like the kind of woman that would have known every and anything.
“I wish there was some way to know how I’m supposed to deal with all this.” My thumb ran idly along the frame’s edge, avoiding the jagged remnants of glass. “Or at least, some way to know that what I’m feeling isn’t wrong... does that make any sense at all?”
Her cornflower blue eyes gave no answer, but I took comfort in them all the same.
BZZZZZZZZZZZ-CLNK
My phone vibrated itself off the desk. I reached for it and noticed a message from Clark: I’m downstairs! I’d come up, but the bouncers are pretty serious about the no boys allowed thing.
By “bouncers” he meant supervising professors; they were extra vigilant about dorm protocol on dance night. No one had ever needed to ask why.
Be right down! I responded.
I got up and held the picture in front of my face.
“Wish me luck,” I said to mom, then slid the frame back on top of the wardrobe.
###
“Emma…” Clark’s jaw dropped when he saw me walk down the stairs to the foyer.
His dark brown eyes widened. They were even more dreamy when he wore a sleek, three-piece suit the color of pitch night.
Clark looked down the length of my gown. Then up. Then back down again. Eventually, he managed to meet my eyes. I smiled, and his big, broad grin lit up the whole room.
“Hi, Clark.”
“You look amazing.” He shook his head as he said the words, smiling all the while. “That dress... is…”
“A Kevin Anderzaak original.” I twirled to show off Kevin’s handiwork. The long, dark blue fabric flowed around me. It moved like the wave of a dark tide.
Clark’s smile widened. He offered me his arm. “Shall we?”
I clutched the black fabric of his sleeve and nodded with a bright smile. “Lead the way.”
It was a short walk to the ballroom; the faculty had opened several direct portals for student convenience (and to ward off any students looking to use the dance as an opportunity to sneak off campus for the night). We found a portal not far from my dorm, and arrived in a massive ballroom, gorgeously decorated with flowers and twinkling lights shining off the marble floors. Giant columns gave the place a Roman sort of look, and a band played on stage, covered in an ever-changing array of lights. It was breathtaking.
“I’m going to get us some punch.” I nodded and watched Clark as he walked over to the refreshment table, after giving my hand a squeeze. I sauntered out onto the dance floor to wait for him, hoping to find Jupiter and Kevin somewhere in the fray. The current song was fast and loud, and the dance floor was full.
Fun as it looked, it made finding specific faces in the crowd a bit of a challenge.
The outfits all looked amazing: crisp black suits and a flurry of beautiful gowns. Like drowning in a loud, sparkling rainbow rave—in a hall decked out for a royal wedding. Not a bad way to spend a Friday night.
“Look who it is,” Ellenora said as my heart dropped to my toes.
She walked up with Trixie, Allegra at her heels. Ellenora wore a skin-tight, red minidress, and pointed black stilettos. Her cronies were both in fairly nondescript black mini dresses. It only cemented their image as the background to Ellenora’s fiery main event.
Her fire-hydrant red curls were tight, bouncing with every step.
She planted herself a few feet away and stared daggers into my eyes. Trixie and Allegra mimicked the action straight off.
“Hello, Ellenora,” I said. It seemed like the only thing to do or say. Although, sprinting in the other direction to avoid her did occur to me one second too late. “Are you enjoying the dance?”
“I’d be enjoying it more if a nasty slizz hadn’t shown up with my boyfriend.”
I didn’t even know what a ‘slizz’ was, but I had to guess it wasn’t good. “Is it just me, or did we already have this talk?” I asked, trying to sound genuinely curious. “I don’t know about you, but I’m having a major case of deja-vu right now. You were standing just about that far away, but on some stairs. There was a talking bird in a cuckoo clock...”
“Oh, you just think you’re soooo clever, don’t you, Balfour?” She sneered at me, ebbing closer. Allegra and Trixie followed, maintaining their exact distance like bitchy little magnets. “If you don’t back the hell off Clark right now, I swear to god I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” Clark walked up just in time. He handed me a small plastic cup, and Ellenora struggled to regain her powers of speech.
“Hey, Clark,” she said, suddenly very hospitable. “You look…” she started and looked him up and down. “Good.”
“That’s nice of you, Ellenora…”
“What are you doing here with her?” she interrupted, glaring at me.
“Emma is my date,” Clark managed, his tone of voice hard. “And if you don’t mind, I’m trying to enjoy the night with her.” He offered me his elbow again, and I took it like the life preserver it was. “Ladies.” He politely inclined his head to Trixie and Allegra and guided me toward the middle of the dance floor.
The band, as if in reaction to our conversation, started a slow song, soft and smooth.
Clark twirled me under his arm.
One spin, not enough to make me dizzy. Still, I looped my arms around his neck, leaning into him as if to regain my own balance. That would’ve been a bad plan if I had been dizzy because Clark’s hands on my body would’ve only exacerbated that dizziness even more. I was having a hard time keeping a clear head, as it was.
“Thanks for saving me back there,” I said, looking up into his face. He looked perfectly content, and my stomach fluttered at the sight. “You really know how to slide out of a kerfuffle, don’t you?”
“A what?”
“A kerfuffle,” I repeated.
He just shook his head as he chuckled. “You know what I like about you? One of the many things?”
“No, what?”
“That you say words like kerfuffle.”
I laughed. He laughed. Then he sighed. “As to Ellenora and the ‘kerfuffle’, spend a few years walking through minefields, eventually, you learn where not to step.”
The music was soft and slow. Clark smiled at me, bringing me closer with a hand on the small of my back. I was stiff at first. But, as the song went on, I relaxed into his strong, reassuring touch.
“Can I ask you something, Clark?” I asked.
“Shoot.”
“Why did you and Ellenora break up?”
Clark didn’t have to spend any time thinking before he answered. “Well, the long answer is that we don’t make each other happy anymore. The short answer is…” He craned his neck, looking across the room. “Right over there.”
I turned around to see Ellenora grinding against Justin Hawthorne in the middle of the dance floor.
“She cheated about a week back,” he said. “I ended it as soon as I found out.”
“Clark, I’m so sorry…”
“Don’t be.” He shook his head and smiled. “I think everything works out exactly as it’s meant to. Don’t you?”
Rather than answer, I pressed a kiss to his cheek and laid my head against his chest.
I let myself melt against him, supported almost entirely by his lean, athletic frame. We moved closer until we were pressed lightly against each other. My chin fell just below his shoulder. My eyes fluttered closed. I turned my head, laid it against his jacket and let his motion carry us both.
The music swelled. I opened my eyes.
And I saw him.
<
br /> Stone stood across the crowd, against the wall, staring at me.
I hoped the room was dim enough that no one saw me staring back. My heart thumped painfully against my rib cage. Stone’s gaze pulled at me, like some invisible tether. If Clark’s arms hadn’t been restraining me, Stone’s blue eyes might’ve pulled me into their orbit, dragging me all the way across the room and into his arms.
The song went on, and I tried to pull myself back in the moment, to be there with Clark and no one else. But the whole time I was trying to focus, my eyes never left Stone.
And I imagined, for a second, just a second, what it would feel like if it were Stone’s arms wrapped around me, his body against mine, his...
I had to get away.
It was this insistent and immediate feeling that overwhelmed me. But I couldn’t stand another second of Stone staring at me and me staring right back at him. Especially while I was in Clark’s arms.
“I’m thirsty again,” I blurted, pulling away. “I’m... uh... I’m going to get another drink.”
“Okay,” Clark’s killer smile was still very much in play. “Want some company?”
“Oh, I can get it—but, do you need anything to drink while I’m there?”
Clark shook his head, smile still playing at his lips. “I’ll just go say hi to some of my casting friends—see you in a minute?”
I nodded quickly. He squeezed my hand and left for the back corner of the dance floor where several of the too-cool-to-slow-dance athletes had congregated.
I turned on my heel and speed-walked the opposite way. Heat rose to my cheeks as I barrelled through the swaying couples.
The refreshment table had already been picked nearly clean—finger food wise—but there was still a considerable amount of punch. I ladled some into a cup and drank it in one swallow. My pounding heart and sweating hands aside, it did make me feel a bit better.
“Emma.”
My neck snapped up to the left.
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