guys in Grease? And he wears this old bomber jacket?”
“I missed him,” Neely said. “I was lining my lips, which is hard in this car, I might add.”
“Drewsky, do you know who I mean? Is he a senior?” Merry asked then.
“I don’t know every senior guy, but I’d know if there was somebody new,” Drew said.
“Weird,” Merry said with a sigh. “Oh well.”
They pulled up to school just as the Winter Princess, Angela DiJordano, was getting out of the car with her mom and dad. A surprise choice: Because she was in a wheelchair from an accident, Angela was one of those lucky picks—a girl who was both a sort of hero and one of those types who would look drab in the movie until she whipped off her glasses and morphed into a beauty. She couldn’t feel anything below her thighs due to a spinal injury from falling when a dock collapsed at Sugar Moon Lake when she was nine or ten.
Merry said, “I wish I had slowed down to say hi to that guy.”
“Why?” Mally demanded. “Just being cute doesn’t make you a good person.”
“I still would have liked to meet him and talk to him. There’s something about him.”
Drew said, “I’m so going to stop on a dark street so you can talk to some random hitchhiking killer. I can feel your dad’s hands tightening around my windpipe.”
The huge glass wall that formed the foyer had been decorated with mermaids and whales and starfish for an under-the-sea theme. Inside, hanging from the middle of the gym, where there normally would be a glass disco ball, was a red paper Chinese dragon at least ten feet long with streams of green and blue tulle radiating out from it likes waves. Twinkle lights swayed among the faux waves.
“How is that symbolic of sea life?” Mallory asked her twin, as Neely lined up with Pearson Ainsworth, who was assigned to escort her as one of the Winter Princesses on Angela’s court.
Merry, who had gone so far as decorating the gym to snag a last-minute date, said, “You never know what’s down there. It was cheap and it looks good.”
Everyone began to applaud as the girls were presented.
“It’s so unreal that I’m not even on the Rose Court,” said Meredith. “Next year I’ll be over the hill.”
“Yep, I can already see fine lines,” Drew said. “Silken Smooth can reduce the appearance of fine lines in just six weeks of continuous use, although side effects can include nausea, dizziness, seizures, muscle weakness, and a kind of liver tremor resulting in death.”
“Shut up,” Meredith told him.
Angela’s parents were crying, and her little sisters were jumping up and down. A photographer from the Ridgeline Reporter snapped pictures as Angela beamed and twirled around with her real-life boyfriend, Danny Sutton.
The first song began to play, and Mallory was grateful, despite all her push-down-and-step practice, that Drew was tall enough to basically move her around like a life-sized chess piece. Gradually, Neely slipped into Pearson’s arms with what looked like something other than an obligation. Kim and Allie and the others were gossiping happily at one of the net-draped tables.
The disc jockey played three slow songs in a row and, thankfully for the girls and guys who were there single, finally spun some old ’90s music.
Mallory glanced around the gym. She had learned to put faith in her funny feelings.
Merry’s posse was all present and accounted for, but where was Merry?
“Do you see my sister?” Mallory asked Drew.
“She has to be in the bathroom. We’ve been here a full half hour. I’m surprised she lasted this long.”
“But she would never go to the bathroom without her gang of peeps,” Mallory said. “They can’t respirate alone.”
“That’s true enough. But look, Mallory, you’re not your sister’s keeper, and this is a dance, not the treacherous mountain path with a killer on the loose.” Drew made claw motions with both hands and then slipped them back around Mally’s waist.
“I missed him,” Neely said. “I was lining my lips, which is hard in this car, I might add.”
“Drewsky, do you know who I mean? Is he a senior?” Merry asked then.
“I don’t know every senior guy, but I’d know if there was somebody new,” Drew said.
“Weird,” Merry said with a sigh. “Oh well.”
They pulled up to school just as the Winter Princess, Angela DiJordano, was getting out of the car with her mom and dad. A surprise choice: Because she was in a wheelchair from an accident, Angela was one of those lucky picks—a girl who was both a sort of hero and one of those types who would look drab in the movie until she whipped off her glasses and morphed into a beauty. She couldn’t feel anything below her thighs due to a spinal injury from falling when a dock collapsed at Sugar Moon Lake when she was nine or ten.
Merry said, “I wish I had slowed down to say hi to that guy.”
“Why?” Mally demanded. “Just being cute doesn’t make you a good person.”
“I still would have liked to meet him and talk to him. There’s something about him.”
Drew said, “I’m so going to stop on a dark street so you can talk to some random hitchhiking killer. I can feel your dad’s hands tightening around my windpipe.”
The huge glass wall that formed the foyer had been decorated with mermaids and whales and starfish for an under-the-sea theme. Inside, hanging from the middle of the gym, where there normally would be a glass disco ball, was a red paper Chinese dragon at least ten feet long with streams of green and blue tulle radiating out from it likes waves. Twinkle lights swayed among the faux waves.
“How is that symbolic of sea life?” Mallory asked her twin, as Neely lined up with Pearson Ainsworth, who was assigned to escort her as one of the Winter Princesses on Angela’s court.
Merry, who had gone so far as decorating the gym to snag a last-minute date, said, “You never know what’s down there. It was cheap and it looks good.”
Everyone began to applaud as the girls were presented.
“It’s so unreal that I’m not even on the Rose Court,” said Meredith. “Next year I’ll be over the hill.”
“Yep, I can already see fine lines,” Drew said. “Silken Smooth can reduce the appearance of fine lines in just six weeks of continuous use, although side effects can include nausea, dizziness, seizures, muscle weakness, and a kind of liver tremor resulting in death.”
“Shut up,” Meredith told him.
Angela’s parents were crying, and her little sisters were jumping up and down. A photographer from the Ridgeline Reporter snapped pictures as Angela beamed and twirled around with her real-life boyfriend, Danny Sutton.
The first song began to play, and Mallory was grateful, despite all her push-down-and-step practice, that Drew was tall enough to basically move her around like a life-sized chess piece. Gradually, Neely slipped into Pearson’s arms with what looked like something other than an obligation. Kim and Allie and the others were gossiping happily at one of the net-draped tables.
The disc jockey played three slow songs in a row and, thankfully for the girls and guys who were there single, finally spun some old ’90s music.
Mallory glanced around the gym. She had learned to put faith in her funny feelings.
Merry’s posse was all present and accounted for, but where was Merry?
“Do you see my sister?” Mallory asked Drew.
“She has to be in the bathroom. We’ve been here a full half hour. I’m surprised she lasted this long.”
“But she would never go to the bathroom without her gang of peeps,” Mallory said. “They can’t respirate alone.”
“That’s true enough. But look, Mallory, you’re not your sister’s keeper, and this is a dance, not the treacherous mountain path with a killer on the loose.” Drew made claw motions with both hands and then slipped them back around Mally’s waist.
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