Deborah decided to change the subject before Lia’s makeup ran. “Let’s grab a spot at one of the table and sit down.” She looked over to their dates. “James, would you and Derek get us some punch?”
Lia and Deborah went and sat down at the table and watched everyone dance. “Look,” said Lia, “there is Evan Fiscus and Julia Grass.” Julia hung on Evan’s arm as they walked across the dance floor. “It looks like she had to do last minute dress shopping too.” Julia wore the exact same dress as Deborah. It looked just as hideous on her as Deborah thought it looked on herself.
“Now they’re coming over,” said Deborah. She hoped she would keep her promise to be nice.
“Hi, Lia,” Julia said. “I’m so sorry about your father.” Julia took Lia’s hand in both of hers. “I’m glad you could still make it to prom.”
Lia looked confused about Julia’s behavior.
“She’s been really nice since Tuesday,” said Deborah.
“Thank you,” said Lia.
“Oh, Alison,” said Julia through a big fake smile. “I’m so mad at you. You stole my dress. I searched for weeks to find a dress that was unique and made me look beautiful.”
“I’m sorry,” said Deborah, “I got it last minute and it and another dress with a big ink stain were my only choices.” She took some satisfaction in saying in not so many words that it was the last dress she would even want to be seen dead in. “I wasn’t going to go to prom, but Lia wanted me to, so I am here.”
Julia gave no indication that she was insulted by Deborah’s comment. “You’ll have to introduce me to your date. I didn’t know you had gotten another one.”
“It’s a friend of Lia’s from outside school,” Deborah said.
“My dad’s boss’s son,” said Lia.
“Well I can’t wait to meet him,” said Julia.
“I bet she does,” whispered Lia.
The band began to play a slow dance song and Evan must have sensed things were going to get out of hand between Julia and Deborah. “Julia, let’s dance.” He dragged her off to the dance floor.
“Well that wasn’t awkward at all. Thank you for coming. I know you don’t like to dance and you would have to see Evan and Julia together. Thanks for putting up with it all,” said Lia. She pointed to the guys. “At least our dates are back.”
“Here are your drinks,” said James. Derek and James handed them each a glass of punch and sat at the table beside them. “So do you think Julia got the most votes for prom queen, or do you think it is Marcy Phillips?”
“I’m hoping Marcy. Even though Julia was being nice the past few days, she still is a ho,” said Lia.
“Which one is Julia?” asked Derek.
“That girl there,” said Deborah as she pointed at Julia, “the girl in the hideous green and yellow dress.”
“Pot. Kettle. Black,” said James.
“I think you look rather nice in that dress,” said Derek.
“Then you have as good of tastes as Julia,” said Deborah. She giggled and put an arm around Derek. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“How about we dance?” Derek suggested when the song changed to a Latin number. “You do know Salsa, I hope?”
“Of course I do,” said Deborah. She looked over to Lia who was waving her hands in the negative and mouthing, “No.”
“She’s going to embarrass herself,” Lia said to James.
“More than before?”