“Babe, come zip me up, please?” I yelled at Josh from my bedroom, where I had just spent three hours getting ready.
He came speeding in like a ghost was at his heels. His jaw dropped when he saw me. He had been in the living room playing games on his phone the whole time I’ve been getting ready, so he hasn’t seen any progress.
“You look so gorgeous right now, I’ll never see anything more beautiful in my life,” he told me.
“Thank you, but can you please zip me up? We really need to get over to Este’s,” I said.
He nodded and immediately zipped up my bodysuit. He took a step back and looked me up and down (I could see his face from the mirror we were standing in front of) then he slapped by butt and started laughing.
I turned around super quick and I watched his face stiffen like he just got caught doing something bad. I looked at him like (I’m assuming) how a mom would scold her child, and his face cracked. He smiled and started laughing again.
Josh wrapped his arms around my waist and I jumped up into his arms and he held me there as I hugged him, putting my head on his shoulder.
“You look perfect. I can’t wait to show you off,” he whispered.
I smiled and leaned back to look into his deep brown eyes.
“No, I can’t wait to show you off,” I said, poking his nose.
He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and then he put me down.
“Please give me permission to punch that James guy if I see him again,” he begged, his eyes widening.
I shook my head at him. “No, I don’t want us to get in trouble,” I replied.
“But Betty! I need to be a man and show dominance! I have to be better than that douche” he exclaimed.
I picked up his hands and held them in mine as I looked up into his eyes. “But I know that you’re better, so you should, too,” I told him.
He dropped my hands and left my room, grumbling on the way out. He was probably changing into his suit.
I sat down at the mirror and I examined my makeup, searching for imperfections. I dabbed some fake freckles across my nose and blended them out to look more natural. Then I sat on my phone and texted Este that we would be over soon.
I heard some footsteps and looked up to see Josh looking impeccable and hotter than ever. I stood up and walked over to him in awe.
He was wearing a freshly pressed black tux with a gray shirt and no tie.
He smiled at me. “How’s the fit?” he asked, holding his arms out. I placed my hand in his and he spun me around, catching me in his arms and pulled me in close.
I ran my hand down his chest, feeling his toned muscles from under the shirt.
“You look so pretty!” I said.
He smiled. “Aw, thank you,” he said, hugging me.
I ran my hand down his chest again, and he smirked.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He nodded his head up. “You like the fabric?” he asked.
“Yes, it’s so soft,” I replied.
“Thanks. It’s boyfriend material,” he said, then bursts out laughing.
I playfully shoved him back with a smile on my face. “You’re already my boyfriend,” I said.
“Smooth, right?” he asked.
“In your dreams,” I said, placing my hand in his as we walked out of my room and toward my front door. He grabbed his wallet and his keys, and I locked the front door behind us as we went out to his car.
His car had black interior and seats, it was clean and tidy, and it smelled like vanilla.
We drove over to Este’s house in a few minutes, while we were singing to the music that the local pop station was playing.
“I love you, it’s ruining my life,” we sang along in unison.
We pulled into her driveway and Este comes running out with her hair blowing in the wing and her gold heels in hand.
I opened the door super quick and jumped out and ran toward her, too. We crashed into each other, giving each other a hug as if I hadn’t seen her in years.
After a few seconds she pulls back with an adorable smile on her face. “Betty, you look so amazing!” she yelled.
“So do you!” I yelled back.
And she really did. With her makeup done and her hair curled beautifully, she looked like a princess. Her curtain bangs gave a great addition to her voluminous hair.
“Your eyeliner looks so good,” she told me.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man!” we both exclaimed, while taking our index finger and drawing a line from the corner of our eye upwards. We started this sophomore year, and now we always said that when doing eyeliner.
We skipped in the grass around her house to the backyard, where the garden and fall flowers were in full bloom, making for beautiful pictures.
Cam led Josh back to where we were. Cam was in black pants and a white shirt, with a matching yellow tie. They were both laughing.
Este’s aunt was a professional photographer, and she was there to take our pictures, like she had in past years. She told us that she would send us the link to our pictures in the morning.
We took hundreds of pictures. My favorite was a candid picture of Josh holding me up against him with my head on his shoulder with my eyes closed, with him smiling down at me pulling me closer to him.
Me and Este got one that I really liked; me and her were laughing while we were lying on the ground. It was a recreation of a picture that we took from homecoming our sophomore year.
After pictures, we went into her house and had dinner. Her older sister had made us chicken parmesan with red sauce.
Este and Cam left for the dance after dinner, and we went back to my house for an hour. We hung out and watched old Saturday Night Live skits on his phone on YouTube.
When it was 8 p.m, we left and went to the school when it was time for the king and queen to be announced.
We paid to get in, and stood outside the gym against a wall. The principal was in the gym.
“And our winner for homecoming king is” he paused. “Ben Aleko!” Applause erupted, and I imagined Ben, the beautiful French immigrant, walking onto the stage and getting the plastic golden crown placed on his head by Inez.
The applause stopped for him to make a small speech. “Um, I’m not really good at speeches, so I’m just gonna say thanks. And, live up your senior year,” he said with his mild accent.
“Thank you, Ben. Congrats,” the principal said into the microphone.
I threw my hood over my head and linked arms with Josh, ready for my entrance.
“And now, time for the queen. This year’s homecoming queen is,” the principal said. “Betty Evanson,” he said.
“Let’s do this,” I whispered.
We turned the corner and walked into the gym, Josh with a straight face. The minimal applause that had happened had come to a stop. Everyone stared.
“Woohoo, go Betty! Slay!” Este’s voice yelled, piercing the silence.
I walked up onto the stage, my heels clicking while I went up the few stairs. Instead of Inez placing the tiara on my head, she rolled her eyes as she handed it to me.
And instead of putting that stupid thing on my head, I snapped it in half with my hands, easily. The crowd gasped.
I leaned into the microphone to give my ‘speech’.
“Don’t blame me for what you made me do,” I said, sounding as dark as I could.
I walked back down the stairs and took the jacket off, throwing it in Augustine’s face as I walked past her.
I threw the pieces of the tiara down at James’s feet, because he was standing right by the door.
The entire gym was still staring at me, so on my way out, I turned around and gave the most dramatic bow. I turned on my heel and walked out with so much attitude, my built up anger carrying me on a cloud.
One of the newspaper boys followed me out, and I paused to answer his question.
“What would you like to say to your fellow Hurricanes?” he asked.
“If you’re burning all the witches, go ahead and light me up,” I said.
I linked arms with Josh again and we walked back to his car.
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