Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
I roll my eyes.
“I can’t believe his name is Brandon Landon. Seriously, what were his parents thinking?”
“Yeah, but that’s not his fault,” Sam points out. “Oooh, I see the jocks. They’re over there. I wonder if Brandon’s with them?” she coos.
We’re now on the other side of the gym near the food, where a couple of the football players look to be drunk already. Clearly, they must have been pre-gaming because there’s no liquor allowed in the gym. But yeah, these guys are boozehounds because I see the flash of a flask, and then a furtive swallow, before the flask disappears again. Ugh, it all seems so immature when compared to the man I adore, who’s been of legal drinking age for ages now.
"Sam, want to dance?" I say hopefully. I haven’t seen Corey yet, but I’d like to avoid him if possible. He’ll either want to ask me out again, want to confront me, or want to blow off some steam. Just like his friends, he’s bound to be drunk too. Ugh.
"Sure,” my buddy titters. “Let’s go!”
We go out on the dance floor and slither around seductively. It’s pretty interesting watching Sam trying to dance in four-inch heels. I’m no expert either, but I’m pretty sure I don’t resemble a stripper. Meanwhile, my friend’s practically taking off her dress, she’s so good at walking on stilts.
The DJ is excellent too and his pitter-patter mixes in with the tunes, breathing energy into the room. Neither one of us want to get off the dance floor, even after four songs.
But I’m breathless now, and I want to find Ed. I haven’t caught a glimpse of him yet, but he told me he’d be chaperoning tonight, so I know my lover’s here. Our chests heaving, Sam and I take a break from the dance floor and traipse over to the punchbowl, dying of thirst. After filing our Solo cups, we stare at the spread of chips and dip, cheese and crackers, and a fruit bowl.
Sam whispers in my ear, "Original food, huh? They might as well have just busted out the microwave pigs in a blanket and Costco egg rolls."
I laugh back. I’m glad I came with my buddy tonight because she always has a sense of humor. Meanwhile, the DJ starts speaking into his mic.
"Attention, beautiful people in the room," he booms. "And that means all of you gorgeous ladies and dapper gentlemen. May I introduce Principal Davis?"
The room quiets a bit, and a bald-headed man strides to the front of the room. Principal Davis looks extremely sweaty in his suit and holds up his hands as a couple kids cheer.
“I know you’re having a great night tonight, but we’re going be announcing our Prom King and Prom Queen now. In fact, the results have been tallied and I’m proud to declare the winners tonight.”
"I didn’t see ballots," Sam whispers.
"Me neither," I whisper back. “But I think they must have voted last week at that desk outside the cafeteria,” I say slowly. “I don’t know. Everything’s such a blur.”
Meanwhile, Principal Davis wipes at his glistening pate with a handkerchief before speaking into the mic again. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, our Prom Queen for this year is," Davis pauses dramatically, "Dee Dee Mason! Congratulations Dee Dee! Please come up for your crown."
Everyone claps, some more enthusiastically than others. Meanwhile, the football players at the back of the room hoot. To be honest, Dee Dee’s a nice enough person and pretty in that Barbie doll kind of way. She’s friendly with everyone and is incapable of being mean because honestly, some folks just don’t have a mean bone in their body. There’s no reason not to like her.
Dee Dee minces up to Davis and bends her legs to help him place the crown on her head. She smiles.
“Thanks everyone!” she titters while doing a Miss America wave. “I’ll try to make you guys proud!”
Principal Davis nods before taking the mic again.
"And the Prom King is," he booms to another drumroll. "Someone who’s new to Cedar Toms this year, but who’s made quite an impact on the football team, as well as on the student body in general. Corey Sterling, come on up! "
The clapping is thunderous and the drunks in the back hoot like orangutans in heat. Meanwhile, Sam and I share an eye roll.
“Really?” she whispers. “The people who voted must be deaf, blind and dumb.”
Meanwhile, Corey swaggers up to the front. Then, Principal Davis places a crown on the boy’s head and covers his shoulders with a purple cape before handing him a glittery scepter. He looks ridiculous because the crown’s a foot tall and men shouldn’t dress up like fairy princesses. They just shouldn’t.
But Corey’s smirking and obviously very pleased with himself. I just do an eye-roll, happy he can’t see me. Then I hear Davis tell Dee Dee and Corey to stand next to each other for pictures. Corey slides his arm around Dee Dee’s waist and pulls her close to his side, a little too close for comfort. The blonde Barbie doll smiles brightly, but then her eyes bulge a bit and I know why. From our position way over on the side, I saw how Corey just slipped his hand under her cape and squeezed her ass. Gross. What a lech. But bulbs are going off, and Dee Dee continues to smile like nothing’s wrong. Finally, this whole thing concludes and the two are allowed to step down.