The Boyfriend Brigade | Chapter 37

by Samantha in Texas

THIRTY-SEVEN

            “Wear this.”

            I stop rotating my thumbs around each other to look up at Melanie who’s holding up a blue babydoll dress that she dug out from Lillian’s closet. They’ve convinced me to go to the Fall Formal because it’s part of the ‘high school experience’, even though I can go every year. But they convinced me to go.

            So I guess I’m going.

            “It’ll bring out your tan.”

            I look down at my arms. “It’s fading.” I say in a somewhat gloomy tone. They all look at each other with sympathy in their eyes. I told them everything—from mine and Erik’s kiss to Stacy using Erik to Sydney telling me the truth. Surprisingly, I didn’t cry when I was telling them. Eventually, we had to leave the restroom and give the keys back to the janitor they stole them from. I think she took one look at me and felt bad or something because she let it slide.

            I wish she didn’t feel bad for me.

            Lillian takes the dress from Melanie’s hands and holds it up to my face. “You’re going to look so pretty, Jessie.” I sigh and rake my fingers through my tangled hair that Stephanie took out of its braid and ponytail. “You’ll have a good time, I promise.”

            I nod and watch all of them smile.

            They’re so happy.

            Little do they know that the minute I can, I’m getting out of the stupid dance.

…

I look different.

            The dress does bring out my fading tan and kind of makes my legs look longer. Lillian straightened and curled my hair so now it’s cascading in big curls over my shoulders and just below my shoulder-blades. Melanie found a pair of silver heels for me to wear and Stephanie did my makeup while Darcy searched for accessories.

            I look at myself in Lillian’s floor-length mirror and smooth the dress down. Stephanie used some metallic eyeliner that makes my eyes look…well…really sea green.

            I feel something glide across my neck and notice Melanie in the mirror putting her most favorite piece of jewelry around my neck. It’s a thin silver chain with a real sapphire heart pendent dangling from it. No matter what outfit, Melanie always wears it because her mom’s mom gave it to her mom when she married Melanie’s dad. Her mom gave it to Melanie because that’s what her grandmother asked her to do.

            “I never told you the story behind this necklace, did I?” She asks, clasping it behind my neck. I shake my head. Melanie smiles, “It’s supposed to bring love. My grandmother believes that anybody who harbors it will have good, healthy relationships. That’s why she gave it to my mom and that’s why my mom gave it to me.”

            I touch the sapphire pendent. “I—I can’t wear this Mel. What if I loose it? What if I get it dirty? What if—”

            Melanie giggles. “Just wear the freakin’ necklace Jessie before I change my mind.” I turn around and look at my best friend since we were five.

            “I can’t.”

            She grasps my shoulders and spins me around to look at myself in the mirror. The necklace is by far my favorite part.

            “Yes, you can.”

            But I know I can’t, because relationships just aren’t my forte.

…

They’re dancing.

            Jake and Stacy are dancing.