Prom Queen of Disaster (28 page)

“As for the two remaining girls, Ava and Charlotte. Someone came forward earlier this morning with some damning information. It turns out, you were responsible for spiking the punch at homecoming,” he said. “This is a disgrace. I hope you’re all pleased with yourselves.”

Char and Ava walked off the opposite side of the stage. Char now moving in a waddle. She walked past the guys, trying to smile while they stood awkwardly. Waiting for instruction. Kaleb’s hands clenched in fists. They were beside each other, and next to Dylan was Benny, I could see him closing his eyes and trying to relax.

“You can leave,” he turned to the guys. “We had runner-ups, so I’d like you to give a warm round of applause to the deserving king and queen of the 2016 Marin County High School prom. Libby Danforth and Jarred Pine!”

They walked right by us up the stairs. I took a hold of Libby’s hand and smiled at her. “Good luck,” I said as the tears fell down her face.

“Do you have any words to say?” Principal Sanders asked.

Libby took the microphone as she was crowned. “As much as I love you guys, and I really do love you guys. I’m happy you destroyed each other.”

Principal Sanders took the microphone back. “That’s one way to put it,” he laughed.

“I thought you were a decent person,” I said to Mila.

She glared, her eyes red and glassy. If I hadn’t watched her sob for the past few minutes, I would’ve been convinced she was a stoner. “I tried,” she said. “I still got what I wanted.”

Before I could slap her again, Kaleb took me away. “There you are,” he said, spinning me around in my dress and kissing me. “You know I told you, you’re my prom queen, even if you’re not
theirs
.”

“You’re my king,” I said.

We danced through the evening. Although we weren’t crowned, and nobody got to watch us in the center of the floor as he spun me around and I twirled into one of his arms. He held me close.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” he asked, my head now on the lapel as the slow dance music started. He asked me again.

“I don’t know, do you?”

“The first time I saw you in the bar, I asked myself what the hell you were doing. You had that glow, and trust me, that’s a difficult feat to achieve in that cesspit,” he laughed. “But the first time I saw you, I wanted to kiss you.”

“The body wants what it wants,” I said. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find you attractive, but I was with Dylan then. And we know how that went.”

“If we could go back, knowing what you know now, would you kiss me?”

“You wouldn’t have to ask me twice,” I said, lifting my head from his shoulder to kiss him. “That’s probably why I
pretended
to hate you.”

“Pretend?” he laughed. “I thought it was some weird foreplay.”

I playfully slapped his chest. “Fine, I really did hate you. But if we could go back, and I could be with you, maybe we’d be in those crowns.”

“Maybe,” he said. “You know you’d planned everything for so long?” I nodded. “Because, I booked us a hotel room, and it overlooks the ocean. But it’s about 30 minutes from here.” He stroked circles on my skin. “We don’t have to go.”

“No,” I said. “That’s perfect.” Tears bubbled in my eyes. “Damnit, my makeup is gone to shit now.” I laughed.

“Do you regret what you did?”

“Tonight?”

He nodded. “I don’t want you to live with regrets.”

I smiled. “I regret trusting them, but they gave me the option and we played each other.” We danced and twirled some more.

“I have a car outside now,” he said, kissing me. “We don’t have to stay here. They’ve crowned the king and queen, we’ve taken our pictures, and Dylan almost knocked himself out. What more could you want?”

I kissed him. “You.”

As disappointed as anyone who’d been disqualified from being prom queen, I was at least upbeat about finals. With graduation only a few weeks away, I had a few exams to study for, and an art exhibition in the city—turned out, they approved it for the gallery over the school hall.

Most periods at school were dedicated to study hall. I’d been helping Kaleb study for his GED as well, after finding out he could get into college if he passed his GED with an excellent personal essay, which he would, through everything life’s thrown at him, there were no excuses, he’d have something to tell them.

I went home for lunch, especially with the amount of free time I had. I couldn’t keep myself in the stuffy library. My dad sat around the table at home with a letter in his hands. The debate over whether or not to open it was in his eyes.

“Zoey,” he said. “Home early?”

“Come to grab some lunch, and my English books,” I said, eyeing the letter. “Who’s that from?”

He stumbled over his words before handing it over. “UCLA,” he said.

“Shut up! Did you open it?”

He shook his head. “I wanted to,” he chuckled. “Fingers crossed. Gonna open it now?”

I didn’t want to. I wanted to go upstairs, sit on the floor and open it carefully. To read the letter completely before any of it sunk it. “Yeah,” I said, weakly.

“Go on,” he laughed nervously.

I nodded. The peaceful setting I’d laid out for myself disappeared and I tore the letter open. It went flying over the table. “
Dear Zoey Jensen, Congratulations,
” I said, stopping to take a breath. “Oh—oh, oh my god.” I handed it over to my dad.

“
We are pleased to inform you of your admission to the University of California, Los Angeles, within the school of arts and architecture for the fall semester, 2016,
” he said, handing the letter over. “You’re going to UCLA!”

I was crying. I slumped into the seat. After everything this year, I was just happy to have my first choice school.

“I’ll let you tell your mom,” he said.

I wiped my eyes. “She’ll probably get it out of you, or I’ll cry and won’t be able to get it out.” I wrapped my arms around him.

“And we’re looking forward to the gallery opening,” he said. “We’re so proud of you.”

They’d finally planned to attend something I was doing. Of course, I wasn’t going to be in any revealing clothes or jumping around for anyone’s attention or amusement.

“Thanks dad.” I hugged him again.

I grabbed lunch, re-reading the letter before collecting things I needed to study. On the way back, I called my mom to tell her the news, with the acceptance letter sitting on the passenger seat of the car. I pulled to a stop in the parking lot at school and phoned her several times before she finally picked up.

“Honey, what’s wrong,” she asked.

I burst out in tears again. “I got into UCLA,” I said.

She screamed. “Oh my god, that’s amazing,” she said. “We’ll have to celebrate. I’ll have to invite everyone over. I have to tell the neighbors. We’re going to need banners and
oh my god
, that’s amazing, Zoey.”

“Thanks, mom,” I giggled. If I didn’t know where my dramatic side came from, my mom was a pretty good indicator.

“Does your dad know?”

“Yeah, he was there when I opened it.”

She controlled herself, hyperventilating down the phone. “I’m so happy for you. After everything that’s happened. You’ll be leaving it all behind soon.”

“Still a few weeks until graduation,” I said.

“Okay, hon,” she said. “I need to get back. I thought you were in trouble.” She laughed.

Study hall was for quiet study only, so I texted Kaleb to meet me by the lockers. He rushed out, worried. I stood, frantically with the letter in my hands.

“I got in,” I said.

“You did?” He smushed his face up at mine with a kiss. “That’s UCLA, right?”

I nodded. I’d read the letter at least ten times now, they’d taken the time to look through the portfolio I’d supplied and the personal statement I’d attached. “They liked my work ethic and believe I’ll be an asset to the course.”

He kissed me again. “Good,” he said. “Even if I don’t get in, at least you’ll be in the same state, maybe I’ll get a job and do some open courses, but I’ll still be able to see you.”

We walked back into the study hall holding hands with the largest grin on our faces. I couldn’t tell anyone why, except I could, and within moments I’d posted it online, several times over in excitement. Alongside the quiet study rule, there was also a strong
no phone
policy, but it was rarely enforced.

“How many practice papers have you done now?” I whispered to Kaleb between the stacks of work books.

“Social studies keeps getting me,” he said. “I got the mathematics, science, and language arts down, well I passed them, six times out of seven.”

To pass the GED, you had to pass each section. If any section was to fail, the test itself was considered a fail. I wasn’t sure if I could’ve been any help with social studies; history, geography, and politics had never been my strong suit.

“What if I write you some flash cards from the books,” I said, pulling his books to me.

“No, you’ve got your studying to do,” he said, taking his books back.

“Let me help,” I said. “This is what I do before exams.” I took the books back, this time without any objection.

His GED was before my finals, and I had a place at UCLA, although it didn’t mean I could slack, it did mean I didn’t have to stress over finals uncertain about my future, not in the way I felt Kaleb was.

My mom wasn’t lying about inviting the neighbors over. She’d been grocery shopping especially for it, setting the dining room table with sandwiches and savory food snacks. As I walked in, a few of my neighbors were there to congratulate me, and following that, Libby and Hannah walked in.

“Congrats, Zo,” Hannah said, hugging me. “I saw the post, I’m still waiting on mine, but I’m planning on going out of state.”

“Nursing?”

“Yeah. In medicine,” she laughed.

“Are you still coming to the gallery opening next week?” I asked.

“I am, definitely,” Libby said. “I’m bringing, Jarred, is that okay?”

“Yeah, bring everyone,” I said. “I’m worried nobody will show.”

“Well I’ll bring Max,” Hannah said.

My art teachers even showed up at my house, it must’ve been a teacher thing to contact all other teachers, even when they’d only met in passing at a parent teacher meeting. Mr. June, my former cheerleading coach showed up with Mrs. Jennings, now an item, and both of my art teachers, Mrs. Galloway and Mr. Brooks.

Being around so many people was exhausting. I laid in bed with Oreo as he stole most of the pillow. I stared up at the moonlit ceiling, wishing my life away, wishing for time to move faster; to graduate, to move to the college campus and have Kaleb with me, I wished for so much. I’d begged myself to forget the past and only think about the future, but the past was the person I’d been, and the future was the person I would become. Right now, I was a work in progress.

Most nights I helped Kaleb study. He was getting there, each one was a different length, and two of them over two hours. They were split up over two days.

“You’re gonna be fine,” I told him, again and again. “I believe in you.” It’s like he’d never heard those words before. I didn’t doubt that. He smiled when I told him how much I believed in him.

“My final test is in the afternoon before the gallery opening,” he said.

“That’s fine, it means you’ll be able to celebrate twice as hard.”

His first two tests had gone well; they were the ones he felt strongest in. He walked out of the exam hall with a huge smile on his face. I greeted him with a hot chocolate and a hug.

“See,” I said. “Just one more day.”

“Perfect.”

“It will be.”

“No, you are.”

I stayed up with him until 1 AM, running through practice questions and flash cards. His exam was at 1:30 PM. I spent the night on his chest, laying on some flash cards where ink had transferred to my face. My mom woke us.

“C’mon,” she said. “That’s a cute one.” I rubbed at me eyes to see her taking pictures with her phone. “I’m getting a jump start on a photo album for the two of you,” she said.

I was in school all day in study hall revising notes I had for finals, but I couldn’t hold down anything from the excitement I had of Kaleb’s final GED test. I’d split my time to spend in the studio to prepare myself for the gallery.

“The opening is at 6 PM,” Mrs. Galloway said. “They’re only exhibiting another two students. Two from Mr. Brooks’ class.”

“Only three of us?” I asked. “I only have a small collection.”

“Powerful pieces.” she laughed. “But be there before opening. All work is behind a curtain until the reveal.”

I still hadn’t received a final grade on the art work. It was going to be in the final report with all my other classes. Kaleb would find out his grades at the same time, just before graduation. My robe had been ordered already in anticipation.

The finished pieces felt like a prophecy all of their own. I didn’t win a crown, no matter how bloodied the paintings were. The school had been a war zone and everyone involved got burned.

“Finished,” Kaleb said, walking into the art studio.

“I thought it was another 30 minutes yet,” I said, glancing down at my watch. I was wrong. Time had escaped me. “How was it?”

He smiled. “Did okay, I think.”

“That’s great. Think you’ll be graduating with the rest of the class?” Mrs. Galloway asked.

Kaleb’s jaw clenched. “I hope so.”

I smiled. “We need to get changed for the gallery,” I said to him.

“Aw, you two lovebirds have fun,” Mrs. Galloway said as we left.

My mom was waiting in the parking lot. She’d brought clothes for use to change into. “We won’t have time to get home and have food, so here’s your clothes, we’re going for food to celebrate.”

She’d brought the dress I’d picked out for tonight. On the mention of food, I had fast food in mind. My dad had booked us a table at his favorite pizzeria.

“I’m proud of you,” my dad said. “You too, Kaleb. You’ll have done your parents proud.” I noticed Maddie looking up at my dad.

“And Maddie, you’ve been there, and I’m sure high school won’t be half as dramatic as it was for me,” I laughed.

“I’ll make sure to put my foot down then,” my mom said.

“Zoey, don’t ruin high school for me,” she whined. “I promise not to get a boyfriend.”

“That’s a promise I’ll hold you to,” my mom said.

We ate at the restaurant in the city, it was only a couple minutes away from the gallery. They left the car in the parking lot of the restaurant after we ate to go to the gallery.

We arrived 15 minutes before the grand reveal. I wasn’t allowed to look, but I hoped they were all in the correct order. They’d placed a red-rope around each piece. People arrived at six, but they weren’t planning on revealing the art until everyone was inside and the room was packed. They served flutes of champagne for the over 21s, and orange juice for everyone else. My mom gave me her champagne, I needed the bubbles to stop the nerves.

“Just the one,” she said.

We stood, ready for the reveal. I was front and center for my pieces. They were last, after both other pieces. They tugged at the rope to part the curtains as I screwed my eyes shut.

I heard them gasp over the five pieces I’d slaved over for the past few months.

I heard gasps. I’d kept my eyes closed. My heart racing through me.

“Zoey?” my mom said, whispering in my ear. “Did you do that?”

I wasn’t looking.

She nudged me. “Look.”

Acid from my stomach found my throat as I looked. Not what I remembered. Red paint with the word WHORE, one letter per painting. I went dizzy, dropping the glass. I ran off with the words of Kaleb trailing behind me, telling them that wasn’t my work.

I found the bathroom, sobbing with my head in my hands and sucking back breaths.

Standing at the sink washing paint off her hands was Ava. She smiled with pride. “You did it?” I asked.

“Think I’d let you get away?” she asked, scrubbing at her hands with soap. “If you did, you’re delusional.”

I wiped my eyes. “Okay, I get it,” I said. “You have nothing, and you’re clinging to some last ditch effort to hurt me.”

“I almost had a scholarship,” she said. “Then they told me I wasn’t eligible because I had a mark against my name. I wonder where that fucking mark came from.”

I ignored her and blotted my eyes with a tissue. “I did them a favor then,” I said. “Now they don’t have to put up with you for the next four years.”

She laughed. “Well, what are you going to do now?”

“I already have my acceptance letter, and these have already been graded,” I said. “You haven’t done anything to me but vandalize a piece of work in a public gallery.” I wiped my eyes, coming to terms with what had been done, I was oddly okay with it now.