I hug my knees to my chest. “Maybe we could just skip the party? Watch a movie instead?”
“Nice try.” She rises with a black lace-up blouse I don’t recognize. “Where did this come from?”
The tag dangling from the sleeve sparks my memory. “Birthday gift from my sister. Never had a reason to wear it.”
Stephanie ogles the blouse like she’s found the Holy Grail. “Today is that reason. This with your dark jeans—not the ones that fall off your romp—the tight ones.
She asks me to stand and hovers the blouse close to my body. “How you and Maisie have such different tastes in fashion will forever be a mystery to me.”
Twenty minutes of negotiation and one minor tantrum later (hers, not mine), I stand before my mirror in jeans that actually fit my legs and the black blouse that dips just enough to be interesting without making me feel exposed. Stephanie circles me with the focused intensity of an art critic, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“You look human,” she declares, which from Stephanie is basically a five-star review.
My fingers fiddle with the laces at my chest. “Are you sure this isn’t too much?”
“It’s barely enough.” She grabs my shoulders and steers me toward the bedroom door. “Now, let’s go blow Theo’s mind.”
We descend the stairs, Stephanie a step ahead like she’s presenting a debutante. Theo waits in the living room, scrolling through his phone. He glances up casually, then does a comical double-take that would be flattering if it weren’t so obvious.
His mouth parts slightly, his phone forgotten in his hand. There is that warmth bubbling beneath my skin every time he holds my gaze for longer than two seconds.
“Wow,” he says, then clears his throat like he’s swallowed something unexpected. “You look . . . different.”
“Different good or different weird?” My hands twist nervously at the hem of my blouse.
“Definitely good.” He nods slowly.
Stephanie shoots me a triumphant look that screams I-told-you-so.
“We should get going,” Theo says. “Ian’s waiting.”
We pile into his car, and I catch him stealing glances at me in the rearview mirror. Maybe this outfit wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Fifteen minutes later, after scooping up Ian, and enduring a ride with Stephanie screaming in Theo’s ear to put on Logan Humphries, her favorite musician, we arrive at Paige’s house. The moment I step out, the bass from the club remix ofRockMy Bodypulses in the air. I’m surprised her neighbors don’t call the cops on a noise complaint.
Paige’s house is vast, like three homes in my neighborhood joined as one. Massive windows with sleek frames tower above us, all of them blazing with light.Wow!This place screams money—her parents must be loaded.
We walk toward the front door, and it feels like we’re about to enter another world. A crowd of people flows inside, everyone moving in rhythm to the music that blares from the massive speakers I spot through the window.
Through the doorway, the atmosphere is full of laughter, conversations, people dancing—or should I say rubbing against each other in a not so PG-13 way—some making out, others playing games. A few guys call out Theo’s name, giving him high-fives.
“You guys want a drink?” Theo asks, his head bobbing to the music. He’s definitely in his element.
“Sure,” I say, glancing around as he heads toward the kitchen.
Ian and Stephanie, who seem as clueless as I am, are the ones I’m sticking close to. Music and chaos drown our voices as we yell at each other.
“I can’t believe we’re at one of these things,” Stephanie says.
Dodging a flying kernel of popcorn, Ian adds, “It’s like we’re watching society regress in real-time.”
Judging by the silly smile plastered on his face, he seems glad to be a part of it.
We mingle, at least Stephanie and I do, while Ian sticks close by with an expression of someone who just landed on another planet.
Some guy with zero rhythm jumps in front of me, his arms flailing like the Tube Man at a used car dealership. He’ll be searching for a mate a long time if he plans to attract one this way.
I fold my arms and tilt my head away, doing my best to avoid eye contact with him, while Stephanie and Ian roar with laughter.
