Smile for Me by T.J. Dell

look like drifts snow against the wals, and above that the wals have been decorated with that plastic scenery wal paper with pictures of snowmen and snow covered trees, and for some reason one wal has a picture of an old fashioned cottage. Sparkly stars and snowflakes are hanging from the ceiling and doorways—a few of them have already falen to the floor and have footprints on them. Okay, so you have to use your imagination a little, but someone must have put a lot of effort into it.
    Jason and his friends are al waving obnoxiously from a table with two open chairs. I take a step towards them, but Mandy threads her arm around mine and puls me in the opposite direction. She is walking too close to me and I am glad when we find an empty table, because I was afraid we were going to trip. “So, I guess you didn’t want to sit with Jason?”
    “Nope. Dances are for dates. ” She over emphasizes the last word and I have to quickly look away because I am afraid she and I are on two very different dates.
    “Should we get some punch? Snacks?” I ask.
    “Sure, let’s go.” Mandy and I go and join the line for the punch bowl and smal buffet line. I am already ready for this night to be over. Mandy is fun and beautiful, and I hate being here with her.
    “Helo, Marshal.”
    Turning around quickly I find Kim and Paul in line behind us. Kim is wearing beige. But let me tel you that a beige dress is nothing like beige pants. The dress clings to her every incredible curve in a way none of her granny clothes ever have. Instead of being neutral and boring the color of her dress is only a shade or two darker than her skin making my imagination go into overdrive. My brain stals. The thing that gives me the kick start I need is when I notice her hair. Instead of one thick braid down her back she is wearing her hair in one thick braid over her shoulder. Even at a dance in a pretty... beautiful… knock out of a dress she can’t let go enough to wear her hair loose. I find this a little annoying and I prefer annoyed to the way I was feeling half a second ago.
    “Hey, Kim.” I respond in my most cool, casual, oh-fancy-meeting-you-here tone of voice. “Paul.” I nod slightly in the direction of her date who is standing behind her fiddling with his phone. He grunts a response.
    “Kim! I love your dress! You must be Paul.” Mandy jumps in and starts shaking hands. “Do you have seats yet? Marshal and I have plenty of room at our table.”
    I want to clamp my hand over her mouth, but that doesn’t seem very gracious. “Sure, sit with us.” I say instead.
    “Okay.” Paul agrees and I am a little gratified when Kim shoots him a horrified look. Good. This should be uncomfortable for her.
    “So, Paul. How do you like colege life?” Mandy finaly breaks our uncomfortably silence after we’ve been sitting at the table eating our crappy appetizer type foods for at least ten minutes.
    “It’s fine.” He is so boring. What does Kim see in him? Paul Arnold isn’t bad looking, but that’s the best I can say for him. He’s not very tal, and Kim is probably a half inch or so taler. As far as I know he’s never been involved in athletics, and it shows. While he isn’t that big of a guy, every inch of him looks a little soft. Kind of like my dad’s old Gumby dol, only not green. Green skin would be much too interesting for Paul Arnold.
    “Wel that’s nice.” Mandy isn’t one to give up so easily. “What sort of major are you interested in?”
    “Business and finance.” Boring and more boring, I am thinking to myself. But it is certainly more steady and dependable than anything in the theater or film industries.
    Mandy looks like she is giving up on drawing any sort of conversation out of Paul. I could have told her that was a bad idea before she started.
    “So, how’s the play coming? Only six days left.” She looks back and forth from my face to Kim’s.
    I take pity on poor Mandy and try and concentrate on the