Acting Out by Katy Grant

can’t wait to see you dance tonight.”
    â€œOh, please. I bet none of those guys can move at all,” snorted Lauren. She had shown us some dance moves this morning when we first heard there might be a dance tonight. She was an awesome dancer. “I’ve been taking lessons since I was four,” she’d told us with a little smile.
    â€œWell, I’m ready,” Mei announced, coming over to Side A. She had on a pink skirt and a white shirt, and she looked adorable. “Think these guys will actually dance with us?” she asked, trying out some of the steps Lauren had shown us. “Or will they stand around and ignore us?”
    â€œThey’ll ignore us. They’re all jerks,” we heard Katherine say from Side B.
    â€œWay to look on the bright side, Katherine,” said Mei over her shoulder.
    â€œI always get nervous before dances. I’m not good at talking to boys,” Amber admitted.
    I slammed my trunk shut. “Why would you be nervous talking to boys? Boys are . . .” I tried to think of the right words. “Boys are like dogs. They’re smelly and playful and they scratch themselves a lot.”
    â€œOmigosh, JD!” gasped Amber. “You always crack me up. ‘Boys Are Like Dogs.’ That would make a great title.” She grabbed a spiral notebook from beside her bed and jotted something down. Maybe I’d given her inspiration for a new poem.
    â€œSo you’re saying you don’t get nervous around boys?” asked Courtney, looking at me skeptically.
    â€œNo, I don’t. Remember, I have two brothers, and their friends are always hanging around our house at all hours of the day. I know how to talk to boys,” I said. Justin and Adam had two friends I was totally in love with—Ben and Ryan. They thought of me as just a little sister, so I could tease them and punch them in the arm and pull their hair. I never got nervous around those guys.
    Lauren turned away from the mirror. “So, you want to give us any advice?”
    â€œJust watch a pro in action tonight,” I bragged. “I’ll have a boyfriend before the night is over.”
    â€œOh, really?” said Mei.
    â€œOkay, JD. If you say so,” Lauren said.
    Obviously they didn’t believe me, and I couldn’t really blame them. What was I saying? But now I had to follow through.
    â€œWhat about Nick?” asked Courtney.
    I came so close to asking “Nick who?” until I remembered that in my fantasy world I was going out with Nick D’Angelo. “Well, what Nick doesn’t know won’t hurt him, will it?” I said.
    Michelle and Alex came in and asked us why we were all dressed up. “Do you guys know something we don’t know?” asked Michelle with a sly grin.
    No one had said for sure yet that we were having a dance. They worried that if they made it definite, we’d all be so excited we wouldn’t go to any activities all day, so they kept us in suspense until the last moment. At least if there wasn’t a dance I’d be off the hook for finding a boyfriend.
    â€œWe were tired of looking like slobs all week,” said Courtney, batting her eyelashes at Michelle.
    â€œI seriously have nothing to wear!” I yelled.
    â€œWant to borrow something of mine?” asked Michelle, saving my life.
    â€œOh, you mean there is a dance tonight?” Lauren said.
    Michelle looked at me and smiled. “I never said that! JD can borrow my clothes anytime.”
    We looked through her clothes until we’d picked out a pair of chocolate-colored cargos and a tan tank. I rolled the pants legs up so they didn’t look too short. “Then layer this on the top.” She handed me a short-sleeved shirt with a tiny flower print. “Leave this shirt unbuttoned. What do you think, everyone?” She spun me around for inspection.
    â€œYou look great, JD!” said