“I don’t see how you can practice without the shoes. You don’t want to fall on your face in front of the entire school tomorrow, do you?”
“I …” The words, the excuse, everything froze in my mouth.
“Ms. P?”
“Yes, Aiden?”
“I’m pretty sure those are the shoes Camy’s planning to wear tomorrow.”
Oh, ha ha. Just when I thought I couldn’t hate him more. He had to be the one who’d started the wiki.
Ms. Pendergast fiddled with her hair for a second before turning back to me. “He’s not … you’re not really going to …”
I rolled my eyes, which didn’t seem to score any points with her.
“I guess you’ll have to manage.” She sighed, as if my shoeless self was the bane of her existence, and went on. “Let’s line up.”
Everyone headed toward the gymnasium doors except Gavin, who fell in beside me.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“For what?”
“For being the worst homecoming queen candidate ever. Really, there should be a rule that gets you a better girl to escort or something.”
“Just because you forgot your shoes?” he said.
I nodded.
“You remember the important stuff. That’s what counts.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Well, did you ever forget your cleats?”
Then, despite the fact that the rest of the guys (and Clarissa too) were still snickering about me, and despite the way Mercedes and Sophie looked at me with pity, and even despite Elle’s obvious disappointment in me, I smiled.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Tell you what,” he whispered back. “Meet me here early tomorrow, before school, and we’ll practice with your shoes.”
Chapter 16
FRIDAY MORNING AT SIX FORTY-FIVE, I pushed open the front door of my house. I had my dress on a hanger, my book bag on one shoulder, and a tote bag filled with homecoming essentials on the other. I also had the phone glued to my ear.
“Pantyhose,” Mom was saying. “Did you pack an extra pair? I always put a run in mine. That could be hereditary.”
“I have two extra pairs,” I told her.
Dad locked the door behind us, then headed for the car.
“Oh, baby, I should’ve come home for this,” Mom said.
I froze on the steps. “Really, it’s okay. Dad will take a ton of photos and shoot some video, and—”
“What kind of mother sends her little girl off to a situation like this over the phone?” She sniffed and I could tell she was starting to cry.
Dad started the car and pointed to his watch.
Gavin in ten minutes. Or Mom right now? I swallowed back a sigh that I hoped she didn’t hear.
“Um, the kind of mom who has a job?” I tried, but that just brought on a fresh round of sniffles. “Look, Mom, I’ve got to go. Can we talk about this later?”
“Sure, baby. Camy? I promise I’ll make this up to you. When you come for fall break, we’ll spend some time on campus and … you are coming for fall break, right?”
I hadn’t even thought about break, or about what I’d do when it came time to choose a college, for weeks. And I couldn’t think about it now. “My signal is breaking up,” I lied. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
She was still apologizing and telling me how much she loved me when I hit the disconnect button. And, yeah, I know that made me the worst daughter ever. But what else could I do?
Dad pulled the car into the school parking lot and stopped in front of the main door. “I’ll be back in time for the ceremony,” he said. “Plus, as the father of a homecoming candidate, I get to sit in the grandstand for the parade.”
“There’s a grandstand?” I asked. Leave it to Dad to know more about homecoming than I did.
“No,” he said. “I just made that up.”
I groaned. “I’m leaving now.” From the back seat, I grabbed my dress, my bags, and most importantly, my shoes.
I stood at the foot of the stairs, looking up at the school. My watch said five minutes to seven. Was Gavin in the gym already? Waiting for me? My heart sped up before my feet landed on the first step. The thought that maybe he wouldn’t show made my heart beat even faster. Get it over with quick, I decided, and raced up the rest of the stairs, my dress fluttering behind me.
The gym doors were closed. I wondered if I’d gotten everything wrong, not only with Gavin, but with homecoming in general. Maybe it wasn’t today? I mean, I knew the parade was always on Friday afternoon before the game. And I knew that after the game, everyone went to the dance. Right?
I fought the urge to drop everything right in the lobby and pull out Ms. P’s calendar to check. Instead, I cracked open one of the gym doors, just an inch. The space inside was lit with strands of twinkly blue and white Christmas lights. It made everything look different, like it was the kind of place where something magical could happen.
I set my bags and my dress on a bleacher seat. Even if Gavin didn’t show up, I could still practice walking in my heels. I’d just kicked off my Chucks when the gym door flew open.
It was Gavin. When he saw me holding my shoes, he grinned. “They’re not cleats, but I think they’ll do. Ready?”
I wobbled a bit on the heels, then nodded. We started up the ramp and the plywood planks creaked beneath our feet. I placed each foot carefully, hoping I wouldn’t stumble.
Instead, Gavin was the one who fell. I grabbed for the football jersey he was wearing when I felt him slip, but it wasn’t enough. He landed hard and the thud echoed through the empty gym. My own landing wasn’t much more graceful. I ended up sprawled halfway across his lap.
“Sorry,” I said.
“I’m not.” Gavin moved a hand to my cheek and guided my head onto his shoulder. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.” His fingers traced my neck to my shoulder. The sensation sent sparks through the rest of my body.
I looked up into those amazing amber eyes. I’d imagined every detail of what it would be like to be this close to him a million times, but I was surprised at how soft his breath was, with a hint of cinnamon, and how right this felt, like we’d always sat like this.
“Yes?” I said. Whatever Gavin wanted to say, I was here to listen.
“Oh, Camy, there you are!”
I looked up to find Ms. Pendergast standing in the now-open gym door. Behind her, Elle, Mercedes, Sophie, and Clarissa were all standing, each lugging armfuls of dresses and makeup bags.
My face went hot. “We were just—” I began.
“Practicing,” Gavin finished.
“Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Under the twinkling lights, with the suggestion of a laugh in her voice and the start of a smile on her face, Ms. Pendergast looked almost friendly. Then she flipped on the lights and the magic died.
Clarissa’s smile looked cruel. Elle seemed lost in thought. Mercedes bounced and made a silent clapping motion. Sophie gave me a thumbs up, not what I needed at the moment.
“Let’s get this thing going,” Ms. Pendergast said. “We need to take all the photos before this morning’s assembly. So, it’s off to the girls’ locker room with you.” She held her arms wide, like she was shooing a flock of chickens.
I had to run by my math class first to drop off my calculus homework. By the time I made it back to the locker room, everyone else was in full homecoming prep mode. The air was hazy with hairspray and perfume. The combination of Juicy Couture, Cover Girl, and AquaNet stung my eyes.
Something else was floating in the air too, a conversation that seemed to stop in mid-sentence. About me and my lap-tastic moment with Gavin?
Both Clarissa and Elle were wearing hot rollers in their hair. Mercedes’ braids were glimmering in an elaborate new pattern studded with silvery beads. Sophie had her hair pulled up in a twist and already looked like the queen I hoped she would be.
“I can’t believe we get out of
all our classes today,” Mercedes said. Her words sounded loud and forced, like she was covering for someone.
Elle and Clarissa exchanged glances and rolled their eyes, but Sophie said, “Tell me about it. Hidden benefit of homecoming court.”
“I know,” I said, sounding just as forced. I sat on a bench and shook out a pair of pantyhose. I couldn’t believe I’d be wearing those things for the entire day. “I’m going to have to study all weekend just to get back on track. Good thing Rhino is picking up all my assignments for me.”
The locker room went silent. I was about to squirm out of my jeans, but with everyone staring at me, I was too self-conscious to move.
Then Mercedes laughed. “Oh, Camy, you’re so silly. Besides, this weekend, we need to catch up in AcreRage. I haven’t seen my sheep in forever.”
Sophie snorted. Elle and Clarissa went back to work on their hair.
Something changed once we’d all wriggled into our dresses, though. It wasn’t exactly a Cinderella moment, but everyone’s eyes got a little wider.
“Oh, my God.” Mercedes panted and waved a hand in front of her face. “I’m going to hyperventilate.”
“Breathe,” I said. With my dress on, and a mirror finally available, I swooshed over (no, really; I swooshed) and took out my supply of makeup. A little mascara, some lip gloss. What more did a girl need?
“You’re kidding me, right?” Sophie said.
“What?”
“That.” She pointed in disgust. Her eyes were all smoky; her lips were a sophisticated shade of pink. For once, that explosion of glitter that she always wore seemed like the perfect accessory. She looked amazing.
“We’re getting our pictures taken,” she said. “Are you even wearing any foundation?”
“Was I supposed to?”
“A little help here?” Sophie called out.
“What’s up?” Mercedes bounced over as much as her heels would let her.
Sophie pointed to my face.
“Oh, wow, yeah.” Mercedes nodded sagely. “This is an emergency.”
Sophie pushed me onto the bench. “You. Sit.” To Mercedes, she said, “If we mix some of my foundation with some of yours, we can maybe match her skin tone.”
“I don’t think—” I began, but Mercedes was already rummaging in her makeup bag.
“Do you want to look like a zombie?” Sophie swirled the two foundations in her palm until they blended, then she dotted my face.
“You’re sure this will help?” I asked.
“Makeup 101. The flash from the camera will pull all the natural color out of your skin. I thought everyone knew that.” She moved on, pulling out eye shadow, blush, and lipstick.
When she hauled out a giant brush and a big container of shimmery stuff, I held up my hand to stop her. “Geeks don’t sparkle,” I said.
“I thought that was vampires.”
“Oh, no, Sophie. Vampires do,” Mercedes said. “It’s their skin. They have—”
Elle spoke up from across the room. “Actually, real vampires don’t sparkle.”
“Yeah, they do,” Clarissa responded.
“Don’t.”
“Do.”
“Don’t.”
“Do.”
I was certain one of them was about to whip out her tweezers and start pulling eyelashes off of the other one when Mercedes interrupted.
“What about Ms. P? All the makeup she wears? She’s got to be hiding something under there. Maybe she’s a vampire.”
Sophie laughed. “Or a witch,” she said.
Just then the door of the locker room cracked open. “I heard that,” Ms. Pendergast said. But if she was embarrassed by the comment, it was hard to tell. It didn’t stop her from pausing in front of a mirror and adding an extra coat of lipstick. “All right, girls!” she said as she tucked the lipstick away. “It’s time!”
I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked nothing like myself. Or maybe, I did look like myself, only if you jacked up the volume real loud.
I trailed after everyone else. Partly because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing in the mirror, but partly because my book bag had gotten knocked over in the shuffle of dresses. All my folders, my assignments, and my textbooks were on the floor. It almost looked deliberate. I glanced around to figure out who’d done it, but everyone had already streamed out the door after Ms. P. I scooped up armloads of stuff, trying not to mess up my makeup or my dress, then hurried after them.
“This time, I promise not to trip,” Gavin said as he slipped his arm through mine.
That wasn’t as easy as you’d think, considering that all ten of us were crammed into the athletic office. The smell of sweat socks mingled with perfume. Dresses rustled around me. Someone yawned.
“You nervous?” Gavin said. The sounds of the jazz band warming up and students stomping up the bleachers filtered in from the gym. I wanted to say something, but none of the other girls were talking to their escorts. The air in the office was thick and warm, but at the same time, the mood was icy.
“Yeah, I’m nervous, but not for me,” I said quietly.
“So you don’t want to win?”
I shook my head. “I’m hoping someone else will.”
“Who?” he asked.
A finger poked the center of my back. I peeked over my shoulder at Mercedes. She nodded toward Elle, who drew a line across her throat. Either she wanted me to shut up … or kill someone. I turned back around and held my shoulders straight. I didn’t even look at Gavin.
“I’m getting you in trouble,” he said.
I didn’t dare respond.
“Any rule against yes-no questions?” he asked.
I shrugged.
“Didn’t think so,” he said. “There’s always a loophole. So, did I get you in trouble?”
I pretended to be checking my pantyhose and stole a glance at Elle. She looked like she was waging some kind of silent battle with Aiden and keeping her eyes on Jason, Kyle, and Lukas at the same time. I thought I was safe, but the girl was an expert multi-tasker. Just before I turned back to Gavin, she managed to toss a frown in my direction.
“Yes. You’re getting me in trouble,” I whispered.
“Do you mind?”
I thought for a moment and shook my head.
“Will you walk the track at tonight’s game?”
I blinked, wondering how Gavin knew I did that. Wasn’t he too busy warming up and going over the playbook to notice me before the games? I held out a foot and inspected my shoes. We were required to wear the dresses all day, so I was guessing we had to keep the shoes on too. By the time the game started I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk at all.
I nodded toward my shoe and shrugged again.
“I’d lend you my spare cleats, but I think they’d be too big.”
I covered my laugh with a fake cough. Things got quiet again.
“Did you know it’s tradition that homecoming queen candidates always dance the first dance with their escorts?”
Before I could even twitch in response, the door to the athletic office creaked open. Ms. Pendergast and Coach Cutter ushered us to a partition that hid us from the rest of the gym.
“It’s time, everyone,” Ms. Pendergast said. “Girls, today all eyes will be on you. Be elegant. Be regal. Be Trojans! And, boys, no tomfoolery.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Gavin mouth the word, “Tomfoolery?”
Again, I had to cough to cover my laugh.
Coach Cutter stepped forward to speak to the guys. I don’t know what I was expecting him to say, but, “All right, men, remember, this isn’t about you today. So don’t screw it up,” caught me by surprise.
We lined up in the order our names had originally been called. Jason checked me out from my toes to the top of my head, then shoved Gavin on the shoulder.
“Dog,” he added before turning back around.
“Sorry, but I don’t speak Ab,” I whispered to Gavin. “Can you translate?”
Gavin cleared his throat. “He says he thinks you look monumentally hot and he wishes he was your escort.”
“But Sophie’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah, and lethal. She’ll probably kill him before the end of the day. He figures you’re nicer.”
“He shouldn’t count on that,” I muttered.
Jason threw me a wicked look at the same moment Ms. Pendergast hissed some last-minute instructions. The jazz band launched into something regal and processional.
We inched forward as each couple stepped onto the carpet that led to the ramp. Maybe I was biased, but I thought Sophie got the most oohs and aahs for her dress. I know she got the most applause. Gavin and I waited alone, and I found myself holding his arm so tight, I was afraid I’d cut off his circulation.
I let my fingers relax and whispered, “Sorry. And it’s your throwing arm, too.”
“It’s not like I’ve been getting any good use out of it lately,” he said.
I swallowed hard. The football team had lost every game this year and I couldn’t shake the idea that it was all my fault.
“Another thing to apologize for,” I said. Really, the list seemed endless.
Gavin turned me toward him then and took my hands in his. “Look, I’m the one who should apologize. It’s something I’ve needed to do for a long time.”
The junior class president picked that moment to call out, “And now, our fifth and final candidate for homecoming queen, Camy Cavanaugh, and her escort, Gavin Madison.”
I swear, Gavin and I walked on air. I couldn’t feel the floor, or even my own feet. I scanned the crowd for Dad and Rhino but saw nothing but a blur of faces, camera flashes, and Kevin’s quick, steady movements as he filmed our climb up the ramp and onto the platform.
Midpoint in our walk, Gavin gave my hand a squeeze. “Hey, this walking thing isn’t so hard.”
I tried to let my smile absorb the laughter bubbling from my throat, and I caught his grin. A thought struck me then. Of all the couples on the platform, we were the only ones who looked happy.
Dating on the Dork Side Page 19