by Siera Maley
We stopped swaying and just stood out on the gym floor, mouths moving together. My hands didn’t wander and neither did hers, and we kissed slowly, for seconds or minutes or maybe half an hour. It felt safe to let go again, and so I did, feeling instead of thinking and following Chelsea’s lead. Her hands pressed into my back but stayed in place, and I didn’t push things further either. This was different than when we’d kissed on the couch; this felt like a commitment, or a promise.
She smiled against my lips and pulled away, finally, resting her forehead against mine with her eyes still closed. I tried to exhale evenly but my breathing was shaky. She tilted her head and placed a gentle kiss against my jaw, which only made me feel even more light-headed.
“Come dance at Prom with me?” she whispered, so quietly that for a moment I thought maybe I’d misheard her. When she didn’t say anything more, I pulled back and nodded.
“Okay.”
She beamed at me. “Really?”
“I’d love to,” I said, and for a moment I forgot what was going to happen there.
For a moment, I meant it.
My parents beat us home. It wasn’t surprising in hindsight, given how long we’d gotten lost in dancing and kissing each other, but that didn’t stop the overwhelming panic I felt when we pulled into the driveway and saw their car already parked in the garage.
They’d pretend they didn’t care that I’d disappeared without any warning until just before my curfew, and under normal circumstances they’d probably be genuinely happy that it was Chelsea I’d been out with instead of Skylar. But I’d dressed up. Even my parents would take one look at me and know that I’d been out on a date.
“You have to stay in here,” I warned Chelsea in the car, already craning my neck to try to see if my parents had spotted us through a window.
“I know,” was all she said.
I gave up on searching for my parents and turned to look back at her, an apology already on my lips.
“It’s okay,” she insisted before I could speak. “I get it. It’s alright that you don’t want your parents to know anything. You can tell them when you’re ready. Or never. I want whatever you want.”
I bit my lip, feeling ashamed that she’d accepted the situation so readily when it was so much worse than she knew. I decided to be honest. “I told them you have a boyfriend.”
She furrowed her eyebrows and took in my confession for a few seconds. Then she seemed to settle on a response with a shrug of her shoulders. “That’s okay.”
I shook my head. “It’s seriously not.”
“I’ll come meet them soon. Some other time when we haven’t just been out on a date. As your friend. They’ll like me.”
I couldn’t help but laugh despite the circumstances. “You want to meet my homophobic parents?”
“I’ll make them like me,” she insisted. “Then when they find out the truth, maybe they’ll think twice about everything.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that she was being naïve. They’d liked Alex too. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.”
She grinned. “Good. Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to Ian’s party? His sister can let us borrow clothes. Your parents wouldn’t know you went on a date.”
Ian was apparently throwing some wild party with dozens of students from Brooks at his house despite it being a Wednesday night, and I’d already told Chelsea that house parties weren’t exactly one of my favorite pastimes. Though the part about my parents made it a tempting offer, I shook my head.
Chelsea seemed unsurprised that I’d turned her down. I could tell she wanted to kiss me goodbye, but another glance at my house had her rethinking it. Instead, she just squeezed my hand and then watched me get out of her car.
“You should go before I go in,” I warned her. “Just so they don’t see your car, either.”
She nodded and I closed the door and watched her back out and pull away. I waited until she was out of sight before I went to the front door.
Mom and Dad were both in the living room, and they took one look at my dress and exchanged surprised looks. I saw Mom open her mouth to speak and cut her off firmly. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
I moved past them to head to my room, where I collapsed on my bed with my laptop and a pair of headphones and listened to the Beatles until I fell asleep, thinking of Chelsea’s lips and eyes and smile all the while.
10
Skylar cornered me at my locker the next morning, eyes alight with excitement and a knowing grin pulling at the corners of her lips. “How’d your hot date last night go?”
I kept my eyes on the inside of my locker, rummaging through it aimlessly just to avoid looking at her. I was sure if she got a good look at my face she’d see right through me in an instant.
I’d gone to sleep fantasizing about a world where Chelsea and I could just dance and kiss until the end of time and had woken up to the harsh reality that I was falling for Chelsea, it seemed like she was falling for me too, and I was supposed to break her heart in just a few short weeks. And even if I didn’t do it in the way that Skylar wanted me to, it’d happen regardless when I told Chelsea the truth. I couldn’t in good conscience just let things go on forever without telling her the whole story, and even if I was willing to, Skylar would never allow it.
And then there was the matter of how Skylar would react when she found out how I felt. She’d been right about me all along. And not only did my best friend hate the girl I liked, but soon both of them were going to hate me. And I’d probably deserve it.
“It was fine,” I mumbled.
Skylar tried to get a better look at me, and out of the corner of my eye I could see her frowning. “Are you okay? Did something happen?” She placed a hand on my arm. “You guys didn’t break up, did you?”
“Nope,” I said flatly. “Your plan’s still on track.”
“Our plan,” she corrected, studying me carefully. “Right? Zoey, what’s wrong? C’mon, look at me.” She tugged me around to face her and I took a deep breath and tried my best to look neutral. “What happened last night?”
“Nothing,” I insisted, shrugging my shoulders. “She took me to her school’s gym, we talked and danced, and she asked me to her Prom. So, everything’s great, actually.” I forced a smile. “Perfect.”
“So then why do you look like someone just murdered your pet hamster?” she asked me, crossing her arms. “If she did something—”
“She didn’t do anything, Skylar,” I huffed out. “Look, I’m just dealing with a lot right now. My parents saw me when I came home, and I was all dressed up…”
“Shit,” she breathed out, and her body language changed instantly. “I’m sorry, Zoey. I honestly just forgot about your parents, with everything else that’s been going on.”
“She wants to meet them, and they think she’s a guy, and I’m just…” I hesitated, and then went for it, hoping Skylar would take pity on me. “I’m wondering if maybe this is all too much. This whole plan.”
She furrowed her eyebrows, confused. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just that I know why she did what she did to you, and—”
“Wait, what?” She raised a hand to silence me, looking aghast. “She told you that? When?”
“Just on Saturday.” My mind raced for a way to backpedal. I could tell I’d said the wrong thing.
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I’ve just had a lot on my mind. I meant to. I can tell you today, after school.” I swallowed hard at the stony look on her face. “And then maybe I can just tell her the truth soon. Maybe this weekend. She’ll still be upset, so you’ll get what you want.”
Skylar scoffed. “But she won’t be ‘dumped at Prom’ upset. Not the way I was. I thought you agreed she’s a total monster! What is she telling you to suddenly make you feel sorry for her?”
“I don’t feel sorry for her,” I knee-jerked. “I just don’t think she was lying. She was really upset and really s
cared to tell me, and…it just seemed real.”
Skylar was already shaking her head, visibly offended. “I can’t believe she actually opened up to you. She hardly knows you. She never told me anything and we were together for way longer.”
I stared at her, open-mouthed and uncertain. “I don’t know what you want me to say to that, Sky. A week ago, this would’ve been a good thing.” I paused and the silence between us felt uncomfortable. “We can cut it short.”
She looked exasperated. “I know your parents suck, but we can’t cut it short. Not when we’re so close.” Then her tone grew stiff. “It’s just annoying.”
“What is?”
She seemed to struggle with getting the words out, and still wouldn’t look at me. “That you can really just have anyone you want.”
Inwardly, I groaned. We were back to this again. “Skylar, you know that’s not true.”
“Do you want her?” she asked abruptly. Her eyes snapped up to meet mine, sharp and accusing.
“No,” I said.
“So break her heart on Prom night. If you’re really my friend and you really want Alex and Wes back, you’ll do it.” She pressed her lips together coldly. “No matter what her excuse for what she did to me was.”
“So it doesn’t matter at all?” I pressed, alarmed. “That’s not what you said when we started this. You wanted an explanation, Sky. I’m telling you she has one.”
“And I’m telling you that it doesn’t matter. What I want is for her to get hurt. I want you to go to her Prom and tell her everything right there on the dance floor in front of all her friends. And then she’ll feel what I felt.”
“Skylar,” I tried, but she left without another word. I watched her go with a pit in my stomach, unsure if I recognized my own best friend anymore.
With Skylar’s new attitude, my parents convinced that I had a mystery boyfriend named Cole, and my realization that I not only really liked Chelsea but was also doomed to hurt her, I thought things couldn’t get any worse. So, naturally, they did.
My parents were cooking dinner that night and I was setting the table and dodging questions about my date when our doorbell rang. My first instinct was that it was Chelsea, and then I realized that that was silly, and she’d have texted me to ask if she could come over. My second thought was Skylar, but that was strange, too, because I hadn’t spoken to her all evening and she wasn’t exactly my biggest fan at the moment.
My mom asked me to go get the door, and when I opened it, I saw the last person I’d have ever guessed on the other side.
Cole grinned at me and started to hold up a piece of paper in his hand, declaring, “You’re not the only one who can find stuff on the—!” before I cut him off and quickly stepped outside to shut the door behind myself.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I hissed at him. “How do you know where I live?”
“Well, you didn’t let me finish,” he said. “The internet.”
“Honey!” I heard my mom call distantly from inside. “Who’s at the door?” I heard her voice growing closer and glanced back to see a shadow heading toward us.
Immediately I faced Cole, resisting the urge to strangle him, and told him hastily, “We went out on a date yesterday and if you say otherwise I’ll tell Gina you tried to break up me and Chelsea.”
“What?” He looked taken aback, but before he could respond, the front door had opened and my mom was grinning out at the two of us.
“Oh, what a pleasant surprise! Is this the boy you went out with yesterday, honey? Cole? Come on in! We have enough food for four, I think. Zoey, I wish you’d told us he was coming!”
She backed away to hold the door open for us, and I forced a smile at Cole, who shot me a strange look and asked hesitantly, through gritted teeth, “How does your mom know my name?”
“We actually need to talk upstairs, if you’ll give us a minute,” I said too sweetly. My dad had abandoned his cooking and was beaming at us from the kitchen. He waved at Cole, who lamely waved back.
“Don’t close the door!” Dad joked, and I directed Cole to the stairs as quickly as I could before he gave anything away, then tugged him upstairs and into my bedroom.
The second the door was shut behind us I rounded on him, furious. “What the hell is wrong with you?! Creepy!” I gestured toward him vaguely, too upset to speak clearly. “You’re so creepy!”
“Uh, you found my phone number online, Nancy,” he shot back. “I’m just returning the favor.”
“Why are you here?” I snapped at him.
“Why are you straight?” he replied with a laugh. “You seriously told your parents I’m your boyfriend? And I’m the creepy one?”
“I didn’t—” I started, exhaling hard, and then shook my head and moved on. “Listen, it’s complicated. I went out with Chelsea, and they think it’s you because they’re in denial and I name-dropped you on the night we met up for burgers. Now,” I grit my teeth. “Why are you here?”
“Alright, alright. I guess I owe you a favor anyway, given what you’re doing.” He looked smug.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, I was trying to show you at the door. So, you know how I’m on yearbook? I was picking out photos, and I was looking at some of the pictures that were taken last fall at one of our team’s football games. Specifically, an away game where we played you guys. And I found this.”
He offered me the paper and I felt my stomach tying itself into knots as I looked down at what was on it. Cole had printed out a photo of some students from the home section of the stands, and dead center were Wes, Alex, me, and Skylar, sitting together in a row. When I looked up, Cole was grinning at me.
“You’re gonna be a legend,” he said to me. I looked back down at the photo, then promptly ripped it in half. “Hey!” Cole exclaimed, offended. “I have that saved digitally, you know. But I’m not planning on ratting you out.”
“You can’t show that to anyone,” I warned him. I felt sick.
“I won’t!” He raised his hands palm-out in surrender. “It took me a minute to figure it out, but we’re on the same side. That blonde girl in the photo is Chelsea’s girl. The last one. And then you just happen to come along right after Chelsea ditches her and you start dating Chelsea too? Doubt it.” I kept my mouth shut tight. My mind was racing to try to find a way out of this. “No, you guys planned something. No wonder you wanted info about Chelsea’s exes.” He grinned and clapped his hands together. “I want in. How can I help? What’s the plan?”
“There is no plan, Cole,” I said, coming up empty. “It’s a coincidence; I like the same girl that my best friend did, and I really don’t want anyone to know, especially her, so I’d appreciate it if you could just—”
“Whoa, whoa,” he interrupted, shaking his head. “Zoey. You can lie to your parents, but you’re not gonna lie to me.” He winked at me and gestured over his shoulder, toward my bedroom door. “I mean, so long as you want me to lie to your parents.”
I took a deep breath and shook my head, seething. “You’re an asshole,” I said. “Wow.”
“If you say so.” He wandered around my room for a moment, examining everything, and then held up a picture on my desk of me and Skylar. Turning to me with a triumphant smile, he said, “I wanna know everything.” I chewed on my bottom lip silently, and he pressed, “C’mon. You let me in on it, and I’ll be the perfect boyfriend. I’ll keep your parents off your back. That’ll make your life easier, and you’ll have help with this Chelsea stuff.”
“I don’t need a boyfriend; my parents know I’m gay,” I blurted, and he sat down on my bed and laughed at me.
“Uh…doesn’t seem that way.”
“Like I said: it’s complicated.” I felt frozen, like my feet were stuck to the floor. I wanted to scream and cry and collapse all at once. Cole was in my house. My parents thought he was my boyfriend. And now I had to juggle another person caught in this massive web Skylar and I had weaved.
; “Okay, fine. If you want a boyfriend, I’ll be it. If not, no problem.” He paused, waiting for me to speak, and then sighed when I didn’t. “Alright, I’ll tell you what my best guess is. So, you’re pretty hot; a lot of girls probably like you. Your friend’s cute, too, but she’s not like you, right? She’s kind of a nerd. Chelsea probably ate her for breakfast. Like, totally destroyed her heart. But Chelsea wouldn’t be able to do that to you, Nerd’s best friend. So, your friend sends you in to turn the tables. Only you guys should know that there’s no way that’s gonna work.”
“You don’t know that,” I couldn’t help myself from arguing.
He grinned. “Awesome, so I did figure it out. I thought so. But I know her way better than you do, and I’d be an inside man. I see her at school every day. Trust me, you need my help or you’re screwed.” He shifted, curious. “So, what’s the timer on this thing? You’ve been going for at least a few weeks already, right?”
“I think you don’t know her at all.” I was trembling, I knew, and I clenched my fists at my sides to try to get ahold of myself.
He raised his eyebrows. “Oh, and you do? What, you think it’s actually working or something? Do you know what she said about you last night? Ian threw a huge party at his place and she went there after your date. And didn’t invite you.”
“Actually, she did,” I said. “I chose not to go.”
He scowled at me but recovered quickly. “Well, that wasn’t the important part, anyway. She got totally wasted and I overheard her talking to Gina and Marie in one of the bathrooms.”
“Creep,” I muttered under my breath again, shaking my head.
“She said she took you to our school gym yesterday and asked you to Prom and you said yes. All true so far, right?” He waited for an answer, but I didn’t give him one, so he continued, “But she and Gina got into this fight because Chelsea had been just going on and on about how you guys were guaranteed gonna have sex at Prom and how good she knew it was going to be because of some time you made out last weekend.”