Prom Queen of Disaster (25 page)

My mom left a note on the fridge to say she’d taken Maddie to the supermarket with her. They weren’t going to be home for another hour at least. On the note was also the plan for dinner, she’d planned on making pasta carbonara since my dad was coming back from Europe.

I stomped up the stairs to confront Kaleb, something had to have happened for Ava to believe we hooked up. I knocked on his door before storming inside. He was wrapped in a towel, laying on the bed looking up at the ceiling.
That
was probably why Ava thought we hooked up.

Covering my eyes with a hand. “You broke up with Ava?”

Soft laughter came from him. “Why are you covering your eyes?”

Moving my hands, I huffed. “Did you tell her we hooked up?”

“No,” he laughed again, “why?”

“Apparently she thinks that’s why you broke up with her,” I said.

He stood from the bed and flexed. Above his navel there was a silvery scar. I looked past to see the towel wrapped loosely, almost like he was directing my eyes. I shifted my gaze back to his face and held my hands up. “I never knew she’d slept with my brother,” he said. “I didn’t tell her that,
but
it made me uncomfortable, and I—I didn’t want to give that excuse.”

I’d forgot he’d found out. I’d told him at the New Year’s Eve party. “Sorry,” I said.

He sat, deflated. “She told you she thought I cheated?”

“She said we might as well have hooked up,” I said, sitting beside him.

“You are single now,” he laughed.

It was awkward. I turned slightly. “Can I ask you a question?” He nodded. “How did you get your scar?”

“This one?” he pointed to his abdomen. He rested back on his elbows and flexed the stomach muscles again. “From a fire about five years ago, it was a piece of really hot metal that cut through my clothes.”

“Holy shit!”

He grinned. “I got out alive.”

“What happened?”

“You know I had a shitty life,” he said. “Brought up to do what my brothers told me, and, part of that meant burning buildings down for insurance money.”

“That’s not true,” I said. “Is it?”

He nodded. Glossy tears covered his eyes. He inhaled. “It was infected,” he added. “They wouldn’t let me go to the hospital. It was expensive, and they’d ask me how I got it.”

I grabbed his hand. “It’s okay,” I said, squeezing it. “Did you get back at them? And there’s been worse things they’ve done?”

He nodded. “It’s not always about that, your mom’s taught me there’s good in the world, and I don’t want to bring trouble for your mom. All she’s given to me.”

“You helped me get back at Dylan,” I said. “And compared to what you’ve been through; I don’t think your brothers should get away with it.”

“I’m learning to deal with the anger.”

I understood that. If there was one thing I understood in these past few weeks, it was anger and pain, but it only cut the surface of what Kaleb had been through. I squeezed his hand again, and he squeezed back. I craned my neck to his and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

We kissed, back and forth, getting heavier. A fire burned inside, an electricity in my fingers as the palms of my hands sweat, I grabbed a hold of his torso.

“Zoey! Kaleb! I’m home,” my mom called.

Immediately, I jumped back, almost rolling from the bed. I glanced back at Kaleb, he shuffled on the bed, taking a tight grasp of his towel.

“Sorry.” I walked out, looking back only slightly as I closed the door.

“Are you up there?”

“Yeah,” I called, “is dad there with you?”

“No. Should be here in an hour or so.”

Kaleb walked out of his room, pulling a t-shirt over his head. “That was close,” he whispered to me. “What was it?”

I didn’t have an answer. My heart still pounding, almost a prophecy Ava set in motion. I pounded a fist on his shoulder gently. “I don’t think that can happen again,” I said.

“Why not?” he said. “It was the most excitement I’ve felt.”

I smiled. “Excitement? Get back at your brothers,” I said. “That could be exciting.”

“Is Kaleb up there with you?” my mom shouted.

“Yeah, I’m up here Mrs. Jensen,” he called back.

I opened my bedroom door as Oreo ran in. Kaleb followed me inside.

“I haven’t told you yet. What I’ve got planned for Char,” I said.

“Her windows too?” he laughed.

“Not too loud.”

“So, what’s your plan?” he asked, sitting at my computer chair. He stroked Oreo’s back. “How bad is it?”

I laughed and sucked in a deep breath. “We’re fixing prom,” I said, the grin on my face growing wider. “So I need to choose an extra special dress, and Char’s going to
blow
up like a balloon with being pregnant.”

“Oh,” he said. “I thought you were going
deep
.”

“Like?”

“Steal her clothes, shave her hair, have a man walk behind her shouting
shame
,” he said.

“This isn’t
Game of Thrones
,” I said. “I wouldn’t even compare her to Cersei, although when we watched it, she definitely identified with her the most.
Bitch
.”

He was silent for a moment, glaring at me, looking at me in thought. His lips parted to speak and his eyes squinted slightly. “I’ve been thinking.”

“All three seconds?”

He chuckled to himself. “Yeah. About getting back at my brothers.”

I nodded. “I told you I’ll help.”

“Burn that bar down,” he said. “That’s all they have.”

“Oh.”

“It’s crazy,” he said. “I know, but you gave me something the other night. I want to feel that again. Okay, it’s not smashing windows and they say play with fire and you’ll get burnt.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to
physically
hurt anyone,” I said, picking at my fingernails. “Maybe just smash their windows a little.”

“I know when they’re all out, I even have keys now,” he said. “And what better way at getting back at them than taking everything they have.” He took a breathy gasp. “Like they did to me.”

“You own part of the bar now.” I laid back on my bed and gazed up at the ceiling. “But I’m in,” I said. “I’m not going inside, and I’m not coming home smelling of smoke.”

“I do, but it’s not
really
mine, none of it
.
You sure?”

“If this helps,” I said, turning my head to him. “Then yeah.”

He jumped on the bed beside me and kissed me on the lips. He lingered for a moment. I liked it. I didn’t want him to leave, or I was still clinging to the need of having someone to be with in the way Dylan had been.

“They’re out in over a week,” he said. “We’ve got time to get ready.”

Neither of us mentioned the kiss, and we didn’t kiss again. Part of me wanted more, and the other part wanted to climb back under a comforter and scrape the bottom of an empty ice cream sundae.

Kaleb’s brothers’ bar, the
Fat Cat
had a flashing Cheshire cat smile and a winking eye. It was all kinds of cheesy and creepy. I’d been there several times before, with Char and the other girls. This time, I drove by it a couple times to remember. The sleazy men in their rusted pick-up trucks with cheap whores as they danced circles around their wallets.

It was almost time. Kaleb insisted we take his bike again, wearing all black. It was 1 AM when we rolled the bike out of the garage. Kaleb packed a bag full of lighter fuel and matches. We were rogue vigilantes, preparing for battle.

“You sure?” I asked him as he handed me a helmet.

“I’m sure,” he said. “Are you?”

“I’m ready.”

It was black out, including the sign for the
Fat Cat
bar, the only sign read CLOSED. It was Wednesday. The only night of the week it was closed, and Kaleb’s brothers were both out in San Francisco at a party.

“Nobody’s home,” he said, throwing gravel as he parked the bike in the empty lot outside the bar. “Like I said.”

I locked eyes with the security cameras above the door. “Do they?” I pointed.

“They haven’t worked since they were installed,” he said. “Mainly to stop thieves trying to break in.”

I almost asked who’d want to steal from them, but I held my tongue. We moved the bike around the building to the apartment door. All the living space was on the floor above. We moved quietly, even though there was nobody around for miles. We unzipped the bag with everything inside.

“Have you taken your stuff out?” I asked as he unbolted the front door.

“Ages ago,” he said. “We never had family photos or anything, so nothing sentimental.” He flicked the switch on for the lights at the bottom of the stairs. From the foot of the stairs, the path was lit.

“My mom has lots of pictures anyway,” I smiled. “We need to be as quick as possible.” I twist the watch on my wrist. It was 1:32 AM. “What’s the plan?”

He laughed. “It’s going to smell like gasoline,” he said. “So once we’re done, I’ll throw these clothes away, or I’ll be in the line-up at the precinct tomorrow morning.” He laughed again at the comment, but I wasn’t too sure it was funny.

“I can’t have that,” I said. “You can’t get caught.”

He smiled. “This isn’t the first time I’ve done this, Zo,” he said. “Remember.”

I’d seen the scars. The smell of fuel filtered through the air as he uncapped it. “Where did you get the gasoline from?”

“What do you mean?” He turned before heading up the stairs.

“They just sold you that stuff?”

He laughed. “Pretty much!”

I left him to continue as I covered my mouth with the sleeve over my hand. The sound of gas glugging as he poured it over everything, the splash as it chugged out of bottles on the floor.

“Is that it?” I shouted up the stairs. “C’mon, it’s cold out.”

“It’s gonna heat up soon,” he shouted back, poking his head out of the hallway. “Any minute now!”

The smell was strong, sharp as it hit the back of my throat. I coughed on the fumes. I noticed the bright amber light reflect on the walls. It flickered. I took a couple steps back to see the same light, flickering in the windows of the apartment.

He jumped down the stairs with a bag swinging on one shoulder. “I stole a few things too,” he said. “Things my parents gave them.”

“They’re yours now,” I said.

“They should’ve always been mine,” he smiled, shutting the front door and wiping the door handle with a sleeve. “Let’s go.”

“Agreed.” I grabbed the helmet.

“We should stop somewhere, maybe a gas station to get changed.”

Kaleb made sure to pack extra clothes. He changed in a gas station bathroom. I sprayed myself with perfumes, but I wasn’t getting changed until I was home. We passed several fire trucks headed to the bar.

“Hope it burns down before they get to it,” Kaleb said.

“I’m sure it will,” I said. I could feel his heart racing as I wrapped my arms tight around him. This was nothing compared to Dylan, there was no adventure, only a continuous cycle of the same, but it was safe. Dylan was safe. I’d enjoyed that about him. The beating in my chest, the thunder racing in my heart that Kaleb gave me wouldn’t compare.

The fire department never came that day, or the day after, they never came at all. Kaleb worried they’d be here with the police and take him away. They were far from it, they would’ve thought it was an insurance job, it had been done in the past.

Kaleb was called when both his brothers were in custody. He ignored their calls and was happier for of it. I’d noticed smiles for no apparent reason, sitting at the dining table with my younger sister, doing his homework.

“Honey,” my mom called out to me from the kitchen before school. Standing at the counter. “Have you decided on your birthday?”

I shrugged. I was turning 18 in a few days. “Can we open the pool?”

“And a barbeque?”

“I’ll invite some friends over.”

She rushed over to squeeze my cheeks. “Aw I’m glad. I thought you were going to spend it alone in bed.”

“That’s a good second,” I laughed, hugging her back.

“My little girl, almost 18,” she said, kissing my head. “You’ll be in college before you know it.”

I hoped, at least. I’d written, and re-written my college essay several times already. The only people I’d shown it to were Kaleb and the cat, and he shoved his nose up to anything that wasn’t tuna.

Kaleb waited for me in the car. We enjoyed each other’s company, and nothing had happened since that kiss. He nudged the back of his hand against my arm. “They’ll tell me if I have enough credits to graduate next week,” he said. “Or GED city, here I come.”

“You can go to college with a GED,” I said, adjusting myself in the driver’s seat. “What do you want to do?”

“In life?” He took a sharp breath. “I haven’t given it much thought. Anything.”

“You’ve got the money from the bar,” I said.

He laughed. “The insurance paid out and my brothers have community service.”

“Dream big!”

Most of all, Kaleb wanted a normal life. A few weeks ago, my dad had taken him to where his dad once worked, although a lot had changed since then, and nobody really knew him from back then, but a few people did, those who hadn’t relocated or changed aircraft company.

Before I parked up in the school parking lot Kaleb kissed me. I moved my head away, cautious of anyone watching.

“Don’t,” I said. I didn’t want people to make this awkward. Although I’d made it awkward plenty of times, just from the signals I’d given him.

“I have something for your birthday,” he said.

Part of me wondered if he was working with my mom on a birthday party. It had been crappy since New Year’s Eve. I didn’t know how long it had been, before I knew it, it was time for finals.

I walked into the art studio. I’d completed most of my pieces already; they were painted now, waiting on their final touches. They were black and white, and the central piece of each was a blood red prom crown. It was a story of fiction, but all true to what was happening. In one image, it depicted a queen being dethroned, while the other showed the happiness of crowning.

“I never asked,” Mrs. Galloway said. “Is the character based on anyone?” She pressed her hands together. “It’s an interesting collection.”

I hummed, glancing at them together. “How long do I have to submit?”

“For consideration in the gallery, until the end of next week,” she said. “But if you don’t have it done by then, the school will show it.”

I hadn’t worked this hard to be with everyone else in the school. I smiled at her and continued to finalize the pieces. There were five easels lined up in the way they would if they were hung for a showing.

“Make sure to get your essay in as well,” she said. “Your final grade depends on it.”

I’d been writing my essay; I’d written most of it before painting. I knew what I was doing and the inspiration I was pulling from; it was a social study on the extremes we would go to become prom queen.

All the cheerleading girls had split. They still cheered, but Char and Ava sat with some of the younger girls. Libby and Hannah sat beside me at lunch. “Your mom invited me to your party,” Libby said. “I didn’t know you were having one.”

“She only asked today,” I said. “It’s a pool party.”

I saw the excitement on their faces.

Kaleb sat on his own at lunch. He wouldn’t sit beside me, he was scared of Ava and the scene she would make if she saw us together.

“Char’s really packing it away,” Mila laughed, taking a seat beside me. “Is it legal for her to cheer like that?” Hannah and Libby glared, although we were being civil, it didn’t stop us taking digs at each other.

I looked over to see Char resting her hands over the baby bump she was hiding behind a thick layer of hoodies. “How far is she?” I locked eyes with Dylan for a moment, his eyes bulging in apology, like he’d cry. I hated it. Heather, Brittany, Delilah, and Kirsten joined us at the table.

“The doctor said it’s growing fast,” Hannah said.

“Or it’s not Dylan’s,” Mila said.

My heart skipped a beat. “Hope her ankles swell.”

“Ugh,” Libby groaned. “Can we talk about someone else?”

“Zoey,” Brittany said. “It’s your birthday this weekend.”

I nodded. “You’re all invited. I have a pool and a barbeque,” I said. “It’s supposed to be warm out.”

“I thought it was a surprise,” Heather said. “I got your mom’s invite.”

Libby and Hannah were both unaware of what I’d set up with Mila. They knew I was planning on going for prom queen, even without a date. But I didn’t need one, I’d be the first girl who wins without her king.

“All the fun starts when you turn 18,” Kirsten said.

Turning 18 meant being an adult, although I’d only strayed from the plan I’d set myself. I was no longer on the cheer squad, I didn’t have a boyfriend, but I was on track to be prom queen. Plus, I had a car and my estimated grades were looking at a 3.5 GPA.

Saturday came, and I woke to Oreo clawing my arm. I was another year older now, but it felt like only yesterday I was in Dylan’s car talking about our futures together.

The smell of the birthday cake Yankee candle traveled into my room. My mom had a candle for every celebration, of course, my favorite was birthday cake, it was sweet like frosting, without the calories.

“Happy birthday!” I heard outside my bedroom.

I wrapped myself in my nightgown before opening the door. My mom held a tray with breakfast, and behind her my dad and younger sister, Maddie, grinned. I noticed Kaleb too at the side.

“Happy birthday!” they repeated.

“Sit back down,” my mom said, walking in with her tray. “We’ve got scrambled eggs and waffles, and I couldn’t choose, so you have orange juice and coffee.”

Back in bed, I let them spoil me with food. They told me to stay upstairs, although I heard them quietly at the stairs. I knew they were setting up for the party. I heard knocking at the door and familiar voices of my friends. My mom told me to shower and get dressed, giving me the bag of new clothes I’d bought last week.

“Go see what they’re doing, Oreo,” I said before I went for my shower.

It was noon when I was ready, waiting by the bedroom door. I took the time to go through pictures on my phone, texting to see if I could see what they were doing. They wouldn’t tell me. My mom came to join me, sitting beside me on my bed.

“My little baby girl,” she kissed my forehead. “I don’t want to see you grow up. You’ve always been my baby, and although today you’re an adult, I don’t want you get any big ideas.” She chuckled.

My dad strolled into my room, almost on cue. He presented me a blown up picture of me on my 6
th
birthday blowing out candles on a birthday cake. I had two front teeth missing and ice cream around my mouth. “There’s my little girl,” he said. He sat at the other side. “We’re proud of you.”

They were rarely sentimental, I felt their warmth inside, the pure love they gave. They hugged me together, I was the centerpiece to their family sandwich.

“All your friends are downstairs, they’re waiting for you, and there’s also quite the pile of presents,” she said.

I was excited to see what Kaleb had got me, he’d told me it was a secret.

The presents sat on the table outside. Everyone shouted
“happy birthday”
in my face. I was surprise as I clapped my hands together. They rushed over from where they stood. It wasn’t a large party of people, just those who hadn’t hurt me in the past few months.

Libby wrapped her arms around me first. “I have something to tell you later,” she pulled me close and whispered.

They watched me unwrap my gifts. I thanked everyone, squeezing them with hugs. My mom already lit the barbeque when Kaleb came out with a large mint green box. There was a pastel pink bowl wrapped around it.

Everyone came to a halt. My parents stood beside him, presenting it to together.

“I bought this,” he said.

It was a flat box. Immediately, I recognized it was a dress box. “What is it?” I asked, impatient to see, trying not to get my hopes up. I didn’t want it
not
to be a dress now.

“Open it,” he said.

I placed the box on the table. I waited a moment, looking up at their faces. Almost like they knew, the anticipation was killing them. The ribbon slipped out as I pulled on a loose end. Inside was pink tissue paper, folded over a dress. I rubbed it between my fingers for a moment before pulling it away.

It was a coral dress. The fabric soft to touch. The chest area decorated with patterns and jewels. I brushed my hand across them. “It’s beautiful,” I said.

“It’s for prom,” Kaleb said.

“How’d you get my measurements?” I asked. The question was met with laughter. I must’ve been oblivious, but he obviously had help. “Mom?”

She nodded and held a hand up. “Guilty.”

“I had
nothing
to do with that,” my dad admitted. I wasn’t at all surprised.

They asked me to try it on, but I didn’t. I kept it in the box, of course, before holding it up against myself and moving around, careful not to ruin it.

Mila felt the fabric. “That’s good,” she said. “You’ll kill it on prom night.”

“Right,” Heather said. “Is this custom made?”

I turned to Kaleb. He shrugged. “It was tailored,” my mom jumped in. “To remove some of the height. It was
long
.”

I hoped it’d fit, with the amount of pigging out I’d been doing and I would do as I smelled the burgers on the barbeque. I had a good month to get back to my cheer weight, the way I was when I could fit into those cheer uniforms and show my stomach knowing I’d worked hard for it.

“Burgers!” my mom called out.

A full table had been set with condiments and plates. I packed my burgers with cheese and ketchup, stuffing my face as it dripped down my chin.

There was a knock at the front door. I heard it as I walked through the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Soda wasn’t a good choice to wash burgers down with. The knock came again.

Dylan stood at the door with a box in hand.

“I’m sorry,” he said, the first words from his lips.

“Sorry?”

“And happy birthday,” he said. “I have something to tell you.”

“Zo?” Libby called through. I turned. “I was going to tell you,” she said.

“Tell me?” I asked. “What?”

“Char was pregnant before she hooked up with Dylan,” Libby said.

“I didn’t know,” Dylan said.

“What?”

“I was going to tell you,” Libby said. “I didn’t want to ruin your birthday.”

“What a way to bring Char up,” I huffed, turning back to Dylan. “I suppose you’re here because you’re expecting to form some kind of relationship, or kiss me and tell me everything is good?” I laughed in his face. “You’re a joke.”

“Zo, I didn’t mean what I did.”

“I’m sorry, Zo,” Libby said. “I only found out today.”

I took a deep breath and pushed Dylan and his gift back. “Only she could make today about her,” I said. “I take it your engagement is off then?” I smiled at the thought, even though I saw the devastation in his eyes, he was probably stoned.

I closed the door and turned back to Libby.

“I was going to tell you,” she said.

I wiped my eyes, careful not to smudge my mascara. “No, I get it,” I said. “You didn’t want today to be about her.” I pulled her into a one-armed hug and squeezed her close. “Thank you.”

As Libby walked outside Kaleb walked in. Immediately, he gave me a hug.

“What’s up?” he said.

I grumbled. “Dylan.”

“I heard them talk about it outside,” he said. “You’re okay though?”

“Yeah,” I smiled, and hugged him back. “Thanks for the dress. It’s perfect.”

“What if people see?”

“Friends hug,” I said.

“Do they kiss?” he asked.

“Sometimes.” He kissed me on the lips. My face flushed, the thought anyone could walk in and see us. “A lot of sometimes,” I said.