Ruby Reinvented

by Ronni Arno

  I can’t believe I’m doing this. Two hours before the Spring Fling and I’ve turned into a babbling mess. Something about her hug and the way she looks at me. Summer’s the best friend I’ve ever had. I can’t lose her. I have to tell her the truth, and I have to tell her now.

  “Summer, I haven’t been completely honest with you.” I take a deep breath and hang my head. “My parents aren’t really dead.” I’m surprised at how small my voice is.

  Summer just stares at me for what feels like days. The words that finally come out of her mouth almost knock me over.

  “I know.”

  Chapter

  26

  I JERK MY head up and look at her. “WHAT?”

  “I know.”

  “You know?”

  “Yes. I know your parents aren’t really dead.” She rolls her eyes, and her head bobs up and down as she talks.

  I stare at her, my mouth hanging open. I finally find the word I’m looking for. “How?”

  Summer scoots back on my bed so her back is against the wall. “I’ve known since the weekend you stayed at my house.”

  I nod for her to go on.

  “Remember when I went to the dentist?”

  I nod again.

  “They had one of those celebrity magazines in the waiting room, so I was flipping through it. There was a picture of Zack Miller and Celestine Cruz. It looked like they were running from photographers. The caption said their daughter was with them. Her face was covered by Zack Miller’s jacket, but her dress wasn’t. It was a beautiful silver dress. It was your dress. I recognized it immediately.”

  Sarriette’s. The night of my birthday.

  Tears roll down my face. “You’ve known for all this time?”

  “Yep.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything? Yell and scream? Ban me as your friend forever?”

  Summer shrugs. “I was pretty upset at first, but then I talked to my parents—”

  “Your parents know?” I swallow the lump in my throat.

  “Yeah. We talked about it, and they told me you’d tell me when you were ready. They figured you had your reasons.”

  “I did have my reasons. I was afraid if you—or anyone—knew, you’d only want to be friends with me because of who my parents are.”

  Summer scrunches up her nose. “Why would you think that?”

  “Because that’s what happened at my old school. My best friend Sophie—my former best friend Sophie—was only friends with me because she wanted to meet my parents. I overheard her saying it, and it was terrible.”

  “That’s awful,” Summer gasps. “Who cares that much about celebrities anyway? Aren’t they just people with public jobs? That’s what my dad says.”

  “Yes, they are, but people still freak out about them. I know now you’re not like that,” I blurt out. “But I didn’t know when I first met you.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re sure now.”

  “You’re nothing like Sophie.” I pause. “So you’re—you’re not mad?”

  “I’m not mad, really,” Summer says. “But I am hurt. I understand why you didn’t tell me right away, but I thought after a few weeks you knew you could trust me.”

  I hang my head. “I know. I’m sorry. I know you’re a true friend.”

  “I hope you can be honest with me from now on. No more lies?”

  “Never.” I hold my hand up in a solemn vow, relief washing over me.

  “Good,” Summer says. “So what about Connor?”

  “You didn’t say anything to him? When you saw the picture of the dress?”

  “I didn’t say anything to anyone. I wanted to wait until you told me yourself. Anyway, it’s not like everything about you was fake. It was just this one little part of your life, right?”

  “Yes!” I jump off the bed. “Yes, that’s so true, Summer. Everything else about me is totally real. Except for the fact that my parents are alive—and famous. But the rest of me is truly me.”

  I suddenly feel hopeful. The weight of dread has left me, and I feel like maybe I’ll be able to keep my new life after all.

  “Oh, Summer.” I lean over and hug her. “Thank you for being such a good friend.”

  “You’re a good friend too, Bea.”

  I let go of Summer and slump back on the bed. “I guess I have to tell Connor.”

  “Yeah, you should. The sooner the better.” Summer nods.

  “I know.” I lie down, hands over my face. “I just don’t know when to do it.”

  Summer looks at me sideways, eyebrows raised.

  “I know I should tell him tonight, but I don’t want to ruin the Spring Fling.”

  Summer bites her lip. “I’m not sure, Bea. . . .”

  “I will tell him. Just not tonight.”

  “Okaaaaay.” Summer drags the word out, and I can tell it’s peppered with doubt. “I say the sooner the better, but it’s your call.”

  I sit up and squeeze my eyes shut for what feels like hours while Summer gets ready for the dance. When I open my eyes, the first thing I see is my dress. I can’t imagine telling Connor tonight, at the Spring Fling, while wearing that dress. I worked so hard to make it. I can’t have my dream dress filled with unhappy memories. And anyway, Connor wouldn’t want me to ruin the Spring Fling for him, either. We can have a great time at the dance, and then I’ll tell him first thing in the morning. What’s one more day?

  That’s it. It’s decided. I’ll tell him first thing tomorrow. I should feel better now that I’ve made a decision, but I don’t. Something doesn’t feel right. The pit in my stomach is getting bigger, and I swallow the lump in my throat, hoping that will fill it up—at least for the next twelve hours.

  Chapter

  27

  SUMMER’S WEARING MY silver dress. I sewed on a hot pink sash to add a splash of summer. She’s spinning around in front of the full-length mirror behind our door.

  “This dress is awesomesauce.” She turns to the side and admires another angle.

  “It really fits you.” And it does. It’s sparkly and sassy, just like Summer. “You should keep it.”

  Summer turns to look at me. “Keep it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Like forever?”

  “Sure.”

  “Oh, Bea, I couldn’t.” She shakes her head.

  “You should.” I nod. “It looks way better on you than it does on me.”

  “You mean it?”

  “Definitely.”

  Summer wraps her arms around me and squeezes. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” I’m happy that I could do something to make Summer happy, especially because she’s been such a good friend to me.

  “Now.” Summer steps back. “You’d better get dressed!”

  While Summer continues to admire her dress in the mirror, I step into my own dress, careful not to rip the linen. I French-braid my hair and tie it with a ribbon made from the same fabric as my dress. I’m about to put on some of Sophie’s lip gloss when I stop and chuck the tube into my drawer. I don’t want any reminders of my old life as Ruby, daughter of the amazing and talented Celestine Cruz and Zack Miller. Tonight, I am just Bea.

  There’s a knock on the door, and I almost jump out of my shoes. Summer opens it, but it’s just Katie and Antoinette. Katie’s flipping out over our dresses, but I don’t hear much of what they’re saying over the butterflies flapping around in my stomach.

  Connor should be here any second.

  Another knock. Summer opens the door, and there’s Connor, dressed in a dark blue suit with a red tie. He’s whispering something to Summer, who nods and pulls something out of a box behind the door. I can’t even pretend to talk to Katie and Antoinette because they’re staring at Connor, squealing and giggling and elbowing me in the side.

  “Bea.” Summer steps back from the door. “Connor’s here for you.”

  I take a deep breath and walk toward him. I glance back to look at Katie and Antoinette and immediately wish I hadn�
��t. They’re not even pretending to look away. They’re staring right at us.

  I’m pretty sure my face is as red as Connor’s tie in the three seconds it takes me to reach the door.

  “Hi.” I give a little wave.

  “Hi.” He waves back. “That’s a really pretty dress. Did you make it?”

  “Oh, yeah.” I’m happy for the excuse to look down at my dress because at least I don’t have to look at him. “Thanks.”

  “Here.” Connor shoots out his arm and shoves a rose in my face. “This is for you.”

  “For me?”

  “Yeah, you had mentioned that your dress had roses, so I thought it would—you know—match.”

  “Wow.” I take the rose from him. The stem is covered in a thin plastic tube filled with water. “Thanks. It’s really pretty.”

  Connor nods.

  “I should put it down somewhere so it doesn’t get ruined.”

  Connor nods again, and I walk to my desk as gracefully as I possibly can. I find an empty water bottle to put the flower in. Antoinette and Katie are sitting on Summer’s bed staring at me with saucer-shaped eyes while Summer tries to find her shoes in her closet. It looks like she’s pulling everything else out of there except for shoes.

  “Here they are!” Summer emerges from the depths of her closet, hot pink shoes in hand.

  “So, you wanna go?” Connor asks.

  I glance over at Summer.

  “Oh yeah, you guys go.” Summer shoves a foot into her shoe. “I think I have to fix my hair again from crawling around in the closet. We’ll meet you there.”

  “Are you sure?” I raise an eyebrow in her direction.

  “Totally.” She nods. “We’ll see you there in a few.”

  “Okay,” I say, and follow Connor down the hall and out of the dorm.

  A group of ninth graders run past us, and then, straggling behind them, are a boy and a girl I recognize as two of Holly’s friends. They’re holding hands, and as much as I want to hold hands with Connor, my hand is so sweaty that his hand would probably slide right off. I never in a million years thought I’d do this, but I say a silent prayer for Connor not to hold my hand right now. It must work because he shoves his hands into the pocket of his suit jacket.

  “So, is this your first dance?” Connor says.

  “Yeah, I only went to my old school for a few months, and before that—” I stop myself before I continue my sentence. Before that I was tutored because I spent a lot of time on the road with my parents.

  “Before that?” Even though it’s nighttime, the lampposts light up the pathway through the campus, and I can see that he’s looking right at me.

  “Before that I didn’t go to a school that had dances.”

  “This is my first dance too.” Connor looks down at his shoes.

  We stand behind a bunch of other kids shuffling through the gym doors. When we finally get inside, I gasp.

  Midcoast’s gym has been transformed into a blossoming meadow. Flowers and plants line the walls, and paper vines hang from the ceiling. A silver disco ball also hangs from the ceiling, turning the air in the gym into beams of sparkles. It looks like the set of a movie, only it’s real life.

  “So, you want some punch or something?” Connor shoves his hands into his pockets again.

  “Sure.”

  I scan the gym for Summer or Katie, just in case they snuck in behind us, but I don’t see them. I also don’t see Holly, so I jump when she calls my name from behind me.

  “Whoa, Bea.” Holly spins me around to face her. “That dress is so amazing.”

  “You really think so?” It’s so important to get a real teenager’s opinion of my designs.

  “Totally.” Holly turns to a group of girls talking behind her. “You guys, come check out Bea’s dress.”

  I try to stand completely still as the five older girls stare at my dress. I bring my shoulder blades as far back as possible so the dress hangs nicely.

  “You made this?” I recognize the girl from campus. Her name is Tess, I think. She’s wearing a pretty silk dress, but it would be way cuter with a V-neck and a fishtail skirt.

  “Yeah,” I say, but it sounds more like a question since I’m not sure if she loves it or hates it.

  “Spectacular.” Her voice is practically a whisper, but I hear it loud and clear in my head. “I would kill to wear something like this for my cousin’s wedding next month.”

  “I’d lend it to you, but it may not fit right.” She is a good four or five inches taller than me.

  “Hey.” Holly bounces on the balls of her feet. “Why don’t you make her one, Bea? You can have your own little side business.”

  “Omigod, would you?” Tess puts her hands on my shoulders. “I’ll totally pay you to do that.”

  “Sure!” My heart is beating a trillion miles a minute. I can’t believe someone, especially a high schooler, wants to pay me to design a dress for her.

  “Make sure you go to Bea’s fashion show this weekend. It’s this year’s Spotlight Project,” Holly says.

  The older girls are still huddled around when Connor comes back, holding a cup of punch for me. Holly gives him a huge hug, and a little bit of punch splashes in her hair.

  “Look at you, handsome,” Holly says. Connor’s cheeks turn the color of the punch. “Did you hear that Bea’s going to open up a dress shop?”

  “That’s awesome,” Connor says. He looks at me and smiles, and now my face is the color of the punch.

  Thankfully, Summer, Katie, and Antoinette run up to us at that very moment, giving my face the chance to get back to its normal color. Shane and Timmy arrive just as the band starts playing Katie’s favorite song. She screams and drags us all out on the dance floor with her. We dance like crazy—until the slower music comes on—and then we go sit down. Some of the older kids stay on the dance floor for the slow songs.

  The next song the band plays is a cover of the number one hit song, “Hear It from You.” Katie squeals, and we’re all back on the dance floor. I never paid much attention to the lyrics before, but now they’re loud and clear. Oh baby, baby, baby, we’ve got some talking to do. I know you’re lying to me. I need to hear it from you.

  Ugh. I never did like that song.

  Summer gives me a lopsided smile, and I look back at her and wince. Now that Summer knows the truth, I feel more obligated than ever to tell Connor. And I will. I just have to find the right time.

  I ignore the lyrics, which seem to be screaming at me, and focus on dancing. Maybe it’s the energy from the song, or the fact that we’re all whirling around the dance floor, but the pit in my stomach slowly disappears. If Summer understands, maybe my other friends will too. If Summer understands, maybe Connor will understand.

  “Hear It from You” ends, and the band goes into a slow song. I’m about to follow Summer and the gang off of the dance floor when Connor taps me on the shoulder.

  “You, uhhhh, you want to stay and dance?” He looks at me for a minute, then looks down at his shoes.

  “Oh, yeah. Sure.”

  The older kids are back on the dance floor, so I look at them to see how you’re supposed to dance to something this slow. They look like they’re doing a combination of dancing and hugging, which looks kind of nice and kind of weird. Connor takes a step toward me and puts one hand on my waist. He takes my other hand with his other hand, and then quickly drops it. He wipes his hand on his pants and then picks my hand up again. His hand is warm and a little wet, but not icky wet—more like a warm washcloth.

  We sway to the music, and my heartbeat speeds up as I realize that this is my first real dance with a boy. Unfortunately, my heart isn’t the only thing that speeds up. My feet do too, and I step on his toes.

  “Sorry!” I step back, which causes his arm to fall off my waist.

  “That’s okay,” Connor says. “This isn’t a great song, anyway.”

  I force a smile. There’s a sour taste in my mouth as I realize he doesn’t really w
ant to dance to the slow song. He probably wants to hang out with Shane and Summer and everyone—

  “Hey, would you like to take a walk to the tennis court?” Thankfully Connor interrupts my thought.

  “The tennis court?”

  “Yeah, I hear they have some cool decorations out there.”

  “Sure, but don’t you want to get back to Summer and Shane and those guys?”

  Connor’s smile immediately fades. “Do you?”

  “No,” I say. “Not unless you want to.”

  “No, I don’t. Not right now, anyway.” Connor wipes his hands on his pants again. “If it’s okay with you.”

  “Oh yeah, it’s okay with me.”

  We zigzag around the other dancers to the back door of the gym, which opens up to a lighted path leading to the tennis court. A bunch of other dressed-up kids run by us. When we reach the tennis court, I blink. If it weren’t for the green surface, I’d never know that it’s actually a tennis court. The nets are gone, and instead the court is covered with a bunch of small, white wrought-iron tables, complete with a bright bouquet of flowers in the center of each one. The fence surrounding the court is lit up with strings and strings of white lights.

  “This is amazing,” I say.

  “It’s really cool,” Connor says. We’re standing next to one of the white tables. Connor looks up and points to the sky. “See the Big Dipper?”

  I squint at the sky, searching for the sideways question mark.

  “Just over there.” Connor points up and to the right.

  “Oh yeah.” I clap my hands together. “I see it.”

  I can’t believe I’ve never really looked at the sky before Connor pointed it out. It’s so magical it almost looks fake.

  “I could show you more constellations, if you want.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  Connor doesn’t answer, and I mentally slap myself in the head. Maybe he just said that he’d show me more constellations to be nice. Maybe he doesn’t really want to show me more constellations at all, but I said yes, so now he’s got to. Maybe—

  “Bea, I just want you to know how much I like you.”

  I can barely hear the music coming from the gym over the sound of my heart. I didn’t even know it could beat that loud.