I lean back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest.
“I don’t know. It does bother me that Trevor confronted him. But what bothers me even more is Grant’s comment about me deserving better. Who does he think he is?” I slam my English book onto my desk in frustration and everyone near me turns to stare.
“Well, Syd, I hate to say that I agree with him, but you know I do,” she shrugs. Her lips twitch like she’s fighting off a smile. I sort of dislike my best friend right now.
I know how she feels about Trevor, but she has no good reason for it, so I refuse to listen. He’s never been anything but nice to her. Grant has just strolled right into my life and made a huge mess out of everything. From this second on, I refuse to let him do it any longer.
“Seriously, Quinn, give it a rest,” I say. My tone nears callous. Quinn, her eyebrows raised in shock, shakes her head before turning to face forward.
I sigh and let my tense shoulders fall, feeling more than defeated. Not only has Grant caused an argument between me and Trevor, but that sparked a fight with my best friend as well. Super.
-Eight—
The rest of the week is over before I know it. Trevor never brought up the Grant-situation again, and I smartly steered clear of it, too. I’ve been training harder and harder at gym in preparation for Nationals. Grant and I are barely speaking. Only a brief exchange of words while passing worksheets to each other, or an “excuse me,” if we accidentally touch.
Saturday morning, the day of prom is finally here. Unable to curb my enthusiasm, I am up and out of bed earlier than even I’m used to.
“Morning!” Dad calls from his office as I rush by the door. I quickly back up.
“Good morning!” I beam.
“You all set for tonight? Do you need anything?”
I shake my head. “I think I’m good.”
“And you’re still staying at Quinn’s house after the dance, is that right?” he asks.
My heart is racing already. I had to make up the story about Quinn last week. But at least I finally told him something, right?
“Yep. A bunch of us.”
“I’ll be home if you need anything,” he says. I smile at the sight of him tucking his drafting pencil behind his ear. I turn to walk away and he calls me back.
“Hey, Syd?”
I freeze, waiting for the interrogation.
“Be careful. And give me a call before you go to bed. Let me know you girls are safe, okay?” His concern touches me. And makes me feel like an even bigger jerk for lying.
“Sure Dad.” I nod.
“Love you, kiddo.” He pulls the pencil out from behind his ear and looks back down at his blueprints.
I have to get out of here. The guilt is palpable and growing by the second. I grab my bag and dress and hurry out the door.
Despite my best efforts to persuade him otherwise, Sam isn’t convinced that prom was a good enough excuse to miss a workout. I have to promise him that I’ll come in tomorrow morning and work out alone to make up for missing tonight’s workout.
Our make-up bags, dresses and shoes are strewn from one end of Tessa’s room to the other.
“So, is Grant going to be there tonight?” Quinn asks, swiping eyeliner along her eyelid expertly.
“I don’t have a clue. We don’t speak,” is all I offer.
“Oh!” Tessa gasps. Her outburst almost causes me to stab myself in the eye with my mascara brush.
“I finally saw him! Grant I mean,” she says. Her enthusiasm makes Quinn grin, and I roll my eyes.
“In my Library Science class,” she continues. “He was returning a book. Something about spoons. Weird. Anyway, I noticed his name.” She seems awfully pleased with herself for remembering the details of their minor encounter.
“And?” I say, trying unsuccessfully to mask my annoyance.
“Sorry, Syd. Quinn’s right. He is super delicious.”
Quinn chuckles. “Told you so.”
“I don’t mean anything by it, Sydney,” Tess insists. “I was just saying that I saw him, and he’s…attractive.”
I stare at my hands for a minute. Why are we even talking about Grant today?
“Your eye makeup looks amazing, Quinn,” I say softly. Unable to ignore the compliment of her skill, Quinn smiles and offers to do mine as well. Works like a charm.
“How is it possible that we’re running late? We’ve been at this all day,” Tess says looking at her watch.
We all dress as quickly as possible. Quinn is in her peacock dress with a green and gold necklace and large green ring. Tess’s jewelry is more my speed. Simple. Tiny diamond studs dot her ears, and a thin diamond necklace is clasped around her neck. I want to ask if her jewelry is real, since her mom has recently “married-up,” but I guess asking would be tacky.
My jewelry probably doesn’t match my dress the best that it could, but there’s no way I’d pass up a chance to wear it. A thin strand of freshwater pearls and matching bracelet. They had been my mothers. She and my dad had vacationed in Monterey, California for their anniversary a couple of months before she was killed, and Dad had bought them for her on the trip. The pearls are simple and beautiful, just like my mom was. I’d been waiting for a special occasion to take them out of my jewelry box. I keep them locked up. They were more valuable than any medal of any color I’d ever won.
“You look perfect,” Tessa says sweetly, gesturing toward the pearls. I smile back at her, just as Quinn stomps her foot on the wood floor impatiently with her hand resting on her hip.
“Easy, Quinn, we’re coming,” Tessa says.
Tess’s mom floats by excitedly as we hurry down the stairs.
“Come on! The boys are outside!” she says, grabbing her camera off the mantel. My stomach twists. This is it. I take a long, deep breath. This is the night I will always remember. The biggest night of my life so far.
Tessa’s family has a beautiful home. The back deck overlooks a large pond, the perfect backdrop for our photos.
I smile when I see Trevor with Quinn’s date Daniel, and Tessa’s date Oliver near the water. I feel a little guilty that Trevor is here with all of my friends, rather than with his before his own senior prom. We had compromised though-we’d meet here with my friends, since all of his would be at the lake house afterward.
For once I’m able to sneak up behind Trevor. I playfully grab his sides and he turns around, with a big, cheesy grin plastered across his face. He picks me up and whirls me around effortlessly. I feel like a giddy kid.
“You are stunning,” he says. He nuzzles his nose into the nape of my neck and holds me at eye level in his sturdy arms.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I murmur. I see the effect I have on him when the skin on his neck is covered in goose bumps. I never realized that I could make him nervous, too. I hear Tessa’s mom shouting directions of where to stand, and how to pose for the photos, but I ignore her and kiss Trevor instead.
“Seriously, guys, quit so Tess’s mom will shut up,” Quinn says.
“All right,” Trevor says. He kisses me lightly once more, then sets me down.
The photo shoot seems to go on forever before, thankfully, Tess’s mom’s camera battery dies. She tells us all to wait for her backup battery, but Tess finally convinces her that she’s gotten enough shots so we can leave.
As soon as Trevor tosses my overnight bag into his Range Rover, we’re on our way. Prom is being held at an historic theatre in downtown Atlanta. The theme is “A Night on the Nile,” mostly because the event was being held in the Egyptian ballroom of the restored theatre, and our prom committee was less than creative. I hadn’t been to the theatre since my mom took Maisy and me to see The Nutcracker about five years ago.
Trevor reaches over and takes my hand with his free hand, while the other rests on the bottom of the steering wheel.
“You really do look beautiful,” he says, kissing the top of each of my knuckles. “Are you ready?” he asks as we pull into the
parking lot.
“Totally ready.”
-Nine—
People are spilling out onto the streets of the theatre, waiting to get inside. I’m glad I have a little extra height, thanks to my heels, and am able to find Quinn and Tessa easily.
“Nervous?” Trevor asks as we make our way through the crowd.
“Nope. Not at all,” I lie. I look up to see if he buys my faux confidence, but he’s already surveying the room, looking for his friends.
The inside of the theatre is phenomenal. I guess I’d half-expected to see crepe paper and balloons, but, instead, the formal room overwhelms me. It looks like it was decorated for a real ball or a black tie wedding, not some high school kids’ dance.
There’s a grand marble stairway, trays of elegant finger foods, and most of my classmates are unrecognizable in their formal wear.
Trevor leads me to the dance floor, and my nerves return. I’m not that great of a dancer. I’m better at precise, choreographed movements, like in gymnastics, rather than things that require actual rhythm. Luckily, there are a few slow songs that I can manage.
When the loud, thumping bass returns, I start to pull away.
“I’m just going to…” I don’t even have to finish. Trevor nods with a grin. He’s such a good sport. “I’m going to see if I can find Quinn and Tess.”
“That’s fine,” he says. The cheesy smile hasn’t left his face all night. I can’t even imagine what it will look like in the morning.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing. I’m just happy. Go. Find your friends. I’ll be here when you’re done,” he says. Two of his lacrosse team mates have perfect timing and I leave him to catch up with them.
I survey the room looking for Quinn or Tess, but the crowd is too thick for me to see anything, even taking into account the high heels making me almost the height of a normal human being. I don’t know if it’s claustrophobia from the sea of people, or the fact that I haven’t really eaten today, but I start to feel shaky and weak. I make my way to the food tables and grab a piece of chocolate-covered honeydew. I glance across the table for something salty to pair with the sweet melon. The tasty looking crostinis remind me of something that Quinn made a while back and I reach for one, just as someone else reaches for the same.
“Sorry,” I say. I jerk my hand back.
“It’s all yours,” the polite voice says. He places the hors d’oeurve on my plate. Grant. Looking nothing short of dashing. His messy hair is slightly more tame than usual, but not by much. He isn’t wearing a tux like every other guy here. Instead, he’s dressed in a simple gray suit and thick black tie.
“Oh,” I say. I’m suddenly flustered.
“Sydney,” he greets me with a nod.
“Thanks,” I say, picking up the tiny piece of bread he just sacrificed.
“Don’t mention it. You look nice.”
I glance around the room, trying to place Trevor in the crowd, hoping to myself that he has his back to me somewhere.
“Thanks. Who are you here with?” I ask.
“Shayna Gillan,” he says. Of course. Shayna Gillan, the quintessential high school girl that has it all. She’s obnoxiously beautiful, wealthy, on every committee imaginable. And, naturally, a cheerleader. I’m actually surprised she’s here with Grant, only because she typically dates older guys exclusively. I guess if you were to make an exception to your rule, though, Grant would be worth it. I mentally scold myself for thinking about him like that.
“Huh,” I mutter.
“She asked, and I didn’t want to be rude,” he says, shrugging his shoulders.
“Of course not. Well, have a good time,” I say, turning slowly away from him.
“Sydney,” he calls after me.
I spin around, wondering what on earth there is possibly left to say between us.
“If I had my choice, I’d be here with someone else tonight.”
I feel my cheeks fill with color, and I just stand there speechless. He looks totally sincere, his deep eyes gazing at me thoughtfully. Hadn’t we already been over this, though?
I’m so dazed, Shayna manages to appear out of nowhere, linking her overly tan arm through Grant’s and clutching him close. I can’t be sure, but I swear he winced away from her touch. Shayna looks stunning. Her long, blonde hair flows into perfect curls down her back, and her dress is way too sophisticated for a high school dance. It’s gold and completely beaded, and the front plunges so low, I’m surprised it successfully covered anything at all. I’m certain there was some sort of tape involved.
“There you are,” Quinn says, walking up with Tess, both of their eyebrows peaked.
I nod. “Um, Grant, these are my best friends, Quinn and Tessa. And you guys both know Shayna.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Grant says politely.
Shayna is looking increasingly annoyed.
“Your dress is gorgeous,” I say to her.
Her lips form a tight line. She’s so damn unapproachable.
“It should be for what I paid for it. I had to have it made especially for me since I have a twenty-two inch waist, you know,” she states smugly. I will not roll my eyes. I will not roll my eyes. I will not roll my eyes.
Quinn scoffs. “Well, we can’t all be blessed with an overactive gag reflex,” she says.
I elbow her in the ribs, but it doesn’t remove the smirk from her face.
“Quinn!” I snap, just as Shayna squints her eyes at us and drags Grant away.
“What?” she asks, trying to sound innocent. She isn’t a very good actress.
“So, what’s going on with you and Grant?” Tessa asks.
Not her, too.
“Nothing, we were just saying hello,” I mutter and finally shove the crostini into my mouth.
“Is that allowed?” Quinn asks.
“Stop,” I say, swallowing. “Are you guys having fun?” I ask, trying to change the subject. This is becoming a common practice.
“Not really,” Quinn says. “Prom is pretty lame. I wish I was coming out to the lake house with the rest of you.”
I tense up again, realizing how close the big event is.
“How are you and Oliver getting along?” I ask Tess.
“Okay. He doesn’t talk much, though. We danced a little. I just don’t know if he’s really into me,” she says. I polish of the melon and throw my plate into the garbage. I look up and see Trevor headed our direction. The smile on his face leads me to believe he didn’t see me talking to Grant, and that relief is amazing.
“Hey you, wanna dance?” he asks.
We dance a few more songs. Every once in a while, I catch a glimpse of Grant and Shayna on the dance floor. They look like they’re supposed to be together, and that makes me cringe a little. Grant looks so at ease with a handsome smile on his face and his hand resting on her twenty-two-inch-waist. I can’t stop my mind from wandering back to how safe I felt cradled in his arms the night I fell asleep at his house.
“Syd?” Trevor says. I shake my head, dissolving the thoughts of Grant. “Hey, lost ya there for a second.”
“No way, I’m all yours,” I say.
“In that case, are you ready to get out of here?”
I look around the room. It has really cleared out.
“Sure, ready when you are. Just let me say goodbye to Quinn and Tess.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you out front,” he says, kissing me on the cheek and breezing past me.
I find Quinn and Daniel dancing closely near an archway. I run over and whisper that I’m leaving.
“Good luck, be safe,” she whispers back. Daniel smiles knowingly at me. Nice, Quinn, way to keep your mouth shut.
Across the room, Tess and Oliver are sitting comfortably side-by-side. His arm is draped casually across her shoulders, and she’s leaning into him, looking totally engrossed in their conversation. I turn back, glad that they’ve finally connected. I’ll catch up with her tomorrow.
When I finally make it to the
exit, my skin prickles with anticipation even in the warm, sticky Atlanta air. The streets are crowded, and Trevor and I sit in traffic for a long time before we’re able to make our way to the interstate. I stare out the window up at the clear sky. The moon is massive tonight. I always feel so small when I really take the time to look at the moon, like I’m such a tiny speck in a massive universe. Tonight, it brightens the dark night in a peaceful way. I wonder if things that have always looked the same to me, like the moon, will somehow look different after tonight. Will I be the same Sydney when I wake up? I wonder if Trevor will look at me differently after we sleep together.
As we pull on to the ramp, I glance over at the car next to us. Grant and Shayna are laughing together in his sleek, black car. I try to imagine what they’re talking about. Is it a lighthearted chat like he and I had while we worked on our project? I imagine all of the interesting things that Shayna will have to add. I turn my attention back to Trevor and squeeze his free hand in mine, just as he speeds around the convertible in front of us, leaving Grant and Shayna far behind. Exactly where they belong tonight. On our night.
-Ten—
The lake house is tucked deep back in the woods off of a narrow dirt road. I guess I’d sort of expected that Trevor and I would be the first ones to arrive, being that it’s his family’s house and all, but, surprisingly, when we pull down the drive, the place is packed. I barely recognize any of the faces we pass as we make our way into the house. They’re all Trevor’s friends from our school, and some from his league lacrosse team. I can’t help but feel a little out of place, even at his side.
He exchanged hellos with virtually everyone here, and introduced me. But I really wish that Quinn or Tess were here. After endless conversations in which I have zero participation in, the house starts to clear out. I’m standing in the doorway, watching the dozens of headlights disappear into the woods when Trevor comes up behind me. His touch signals a chill that starts at the top of my head and travels down through my toes. He brushes the hair off of the nape of my neck and presses his lips to it lightly.
“Well, hello there, stranger,” I say, turning to face him. I wrap my arms around his neck.
Delicate Page 5