22
“You’re going to be fine,” Tiffany reassured me.
“Just like we practiced,” Jessica said.
“And keep your head high,” Sunny added. “Don’t acknowledge the haters.”
The day of the ball had finally arrived. I’d been spending a lot of time with the girls. They were like a dream team of fancy gala coaching. We spent hours of our free time together, them teaching me how to walk properly in the kind of heels I was expected to wear, and how to maneuver in the fancy gown, which was a beautiful pile of frills but much puffier and grandiose than I expected. I’d never worn anything quite like it before.
“And remember,” Tiffany said. “No work, either. We have you covered. You handled everything beautifully, and I’ve got it from here, okay?”
I winced, remembering I’d run out on the planning committee in the middle of a meeting.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I know I put everyone on the spot, and I understand if you need a hand.”
“I mean it,” Tiffany said. “I didn’t even have to do much myself. Faith at LuxurEvents got in touch with me with time to spare, and had all the details worked out. Everything else was already arranged, so don’t worry about it.”
We stood on the walkway leading into the event hall. It was the largest on campus. I had never been inside it before. I wasn’t sure what to expect.
“It’s time,” Sunny said.
“Fashionably late never goes out of style,” Tiffany said.
“You’ve got three dances to claim,” Jessica added. “Three dances with three of the most eligible bachelors on campus. Tonight is your night and no one else’s.”
“I’m ready,” I said, although I wasn’t entirely sure I was.
“Let’s move,” Tiffany said.
I struggled a little in the gown, still trying to get used to the size of the bustle, but my movements became smoother as I walked. I wasn’t quite getting the hang of it yet, but I was getting better.
We reached the threshold. The girls didn’t let me stop. As I raised my foot and stepped over, my mind flashed with every worry and fear. Would everyone stop when I walked in? Would everyone stare? If they stared, would they whisper, or sneer, or laugh?
“Head high,” Sunny reminded me at the last moment. It didn’t wipe all the worries away, but it was enough to fuel me forward.
I stepped into the room, head high just like she said, exuding the persona of a confident, beautiful woman who knew she looked like royalty, and didn’t care at all what anyone said or thought. It was a thin disguise, but it was the best I could do. I put my entire heart into it as I continued to walk.
I noticed the whispers and stares out of the corner of my eye. Not as many as I’d anticipated, though. I kept my head up, pretending I couldn’t hear anything, or at least wouldn’t address something so ridiculous as sordid gossip.
I focused on the decor. The hall was massive, and it felt like whole generations of the school’s alumni were here. The music was pleasant, just loud enough to be heard without impeding conversations. The string quartet were good at their job.
As I made my way through the room, all those eyes began to drift away from me, and whispers stopped reaching my ears.
“You’re doing great,” Sunny whispered to me, flashing a thumbs up as the four of us walked towards a beverage table.
I almost believed her. I was beginning to feel the magic of the evening. It was like throwing a blanket over a fire, depriving it of the oxygen it needed to live. The longer I ignored it, the more the whispers died down.
“I wonder when the dancing is going to start,” I said out loud.
Tiffany took her phone out of her clutch, looking at the time. “About now.”
Right on time, the announcer came over the loudspeaker.
“May I have your attention, please. As promised by the planning committee and the organizers of the charity auction, we will now be yielding the floor to our winning bidders. Please clear the dance floor.”
“That’s your cue,” Tiffany said. “I told them to start with you.”
My heartbeat spiked.
