radar.”
The longer skirts and flats haven't fooled anyone. Every guy in school knows the kind of body her clothes are covering. Me most of all. “Whatever it takes to keep our principal happy,” I say.
Two blocks from my house, she rolls to the curb. I make for the door, but she stops me.
“You had a good time today, didn't you?”
“I had a great time.”
“Good.” Her smile is cheerful. “I want you to always have a good time with me.”
I watch her drive off. Then I jog home, where Dad's waiting to grill me about my day at the Underground.
•••
The problem with a high school dance in the gym is that it's so…well, so high school. The pep club has decorated the place with murals, glitter and balloons, but it's still a gym. A disc jockey, a senior who has a part-time job at a local radio station, is spinning tunes onstage, and whirling rainbow-colored lights are spraying the room and the mob of kids who've shown up with bright colors.
I'm glad I came. For the first time in a long time, I feel like my former self. Just Ryan. Honey looks good, too. I hadn't figured she'd be as pretty as she is tonight. When she first came down the stairs at her house, I took a step backward because she looked like a model or something.
Truth is, all the girls look pretty, even the ones who seem ordinary in classrooms and halls.
“Whoa!” Joel says. “Look thataway.”
We all turn and my heart lurches. Lori's standing there and Coach Mathers is practically slobbering on her. She's wearing a short, low-cut black dress and superhigh heels that sparkle in the lights.
Taylor grabs Jess and Honey. “Come on. Let's get a close-up. I'll bet ten bucks that dress is designer. I swear I saw it in Vogue. ”
“I'd rather not,” Honey says, holding back, but Taylor won't be put off.
The three of us guys trail after our dates, me last because I don't know how to act around Lori. Not in front of everybody.
“Hello, Ms. Settles,” Taylor gushes. “You look fab!”
“Thank you, Taylor. All you girls are lovely.” She's using her soft teacher voice, her eyes warm and friendly. She doesn't even look my way.
“Hey, Coach,” Honey says.
“My star player,” he says to Lori.
“So I've heard,” Lori says. “You're one heck of a basketball player, according to the newspaper. Good for you. Girl power.”
Honey smiles, but I know she doesn't like being singled out. And I know she doesn't like Ms. Settles. She squints and I notice that she's looking hard at Lori's throat. “That's a pretty necklace,” she says.
Lori touches the silver knot on the hammered silver chain resting against her skin. “Thank you. It was a gift from a friend. For Christmas.”
Taylor and Jess agree that the necklace I gave Lori is “really pretty.” It surprises me that she's wearing it, but so what? No one knows who gave it to her.
“You all have fun,” Lori says, and she and Coach walk toward the food tables.
A slow song begins to play and Taylor and Wade peel off to the dance floor. Honey turns to me and she's white as a ghost. “You okay?” I ask.
“Just a little sick to my stomach,” she says. “I didn't eat dinner.”
Sure came on sudden, I think.
Jess grabs her arm. “To the girls' room. We'll see you guys in a few minutes.”
I watch them weave through the dancers, the lights reflecting bright spots of color off the backs of their dresses and hair until they disappear into the shadows on the far side of the gym.
Honey
The bathroom is foggy with hair spray. Girls are preening at the mirrors, smearing on lip gloss and gobs of mascara. The mix of so many different perfumes makes me more nauseated, and I rush into an empty stall, lock the door and lean against the cool metal wall, fighting for control.
Jess bangs on the door. “You okay?”
“I will be,” I lie. My stomach is churning, my heart beating hard. When I close my eyes, all I see is Lori Settles' necklace—the Celtic love knot on its silver chain
The longer skirts and flats haven't fooled anyone. Every guy in school knows the kind of body her clothes are covering. Me most of all. “Whatever it takes to keep our principal happy,” I say.
Two blocks from my house, she rolls to the curb. I make for the door, but she stops me.
“You had a good time today, didn't you?”
“I had a great time.”
“Good.” Her smile is cheerful. “I want you to always have a good time with me.”
I watch her drive off. Then I jog home, where Dad's waiting to grill me about my day at the Underground.
•••
The problem with a high school dance in the gym is that it's so…well, so high school. The pep club has decorated the place with murals, glitter and balloons, but it's still a gym. A disc jockey, a senior who has a part-time job at a local radio station, is spinning tunes onstage, and whirling rainbow-colored lights are spraying the room and the mob of kids who've shown up with bright colors.
I'm glad I came. For the first time in a long time, I feel like my former self. Just Ryan. Honey looks good, too. I hadn't figured she'd be as pretty as she is tonight. When she first came down the stairs at her house, I took a step backward because she looked like a model or something.
Truth is, all the girls look pretty, even the ones who seem ordinary in classrooms and halls.
“Whoa!” Joel says. “Look thataway.”
We all turn and my heart lurches. Lori's standing there and Coach Mathers is practically slobbering on her. She's wearing a short, low-cut black dress and superhigh heels that sparkle in the lights.
Taylor grabs Jess and Honey. “Come on. Let's get a close-up. I'll bet ten bucks that dress is designer. I swear I saw it in Vogue. ”
“I'd rather not,” Honey says, holding back, but Taylor won't be put off.
The three of us guys trail after our dates, me last because I don't know how to act around Lori. Not in front of everybody.
“Hello, Ms. Settles,” Taylor gushes. “You look fab!”
“Thank you, Taylor. All you girls are lovely.” She's using her soft teacher voice, her eyes warm and friendly. She doesn't even look my way.
“Hey, Coach,” Honey says.
“My star player,” he says to Lori.
“So I've heard,” Lori says. “You're one heck of a basketball player, according to the newspaper. Good for you. Girl power.”
Honey smiles, but I know she doesn't like being singled out. And I know she doesn't like Ms. Settles. She squints and I notice that she's looking hard at Lori's throat. “That's a pretty necklace,” she says.
Lori touches the silver knot on the hammered silver chain resting against her skin. “Thank you. It was a gift from a friend. For Christmas.”
Taylor and Jess agree that the necklace I gave Lori is “really pretty.” It surprises me that she's wearing it, but so what? No one knows who gave it to her.
“You all have fun,” Lori says, and she and Coach walk toward the food tables.
A slow song begins to play and Taylor and Wade peel off to the dance floor. Honey turns to me and she's white as a ghost. “You okay?” I ask.
“Just a little sick to my stomach,” she says. “I didn't eat dinner.”
Sure came on sudden, I think.
Jess grabs her arm. “To the girls' room. We'll see you guys in a few minutes.”
I watch them weave through the dancers, the lights reflecting bright spots of color off the backs of their dresses and hair until they disappear into the shadows on the far side of the gym.
Honey
The bathroom is foggy with hair spray. Girls are preening at the mirrors, smearing on lip gloss and gobs of mascara. The mix of so many different perfumes makes me more nauseated, and I rush into an empty stall, lock the door and lean against the cool metal wall, fighting for control.
Jess bangs on the door. “You okay?”
“I will be,” I lie. My stomach is churning, my heart beating hard. When I close my eyes, all I see is Lori Settles' necklace—the Celtic love knot on its silver chain
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