The Thrashers(40)
New Helvetia had miniature ceremonies for each class, crowning princes and princesses, but guaranteeing that a senior would be crowned queen. As long as she’d known her, Paige had talked about senior year homecoming queen. Zack was just a given. Every year. Julian had a chance against him last year when he brought the water polo team to championships, but he hadn’t batted an eye when he lost to Zack.
Jodi had just filled out her ballot with Zack and Paige’s names on it last week.
“It’s not worth it,” Zack said. “My dad agreed. Big agreed. I just … I really think Paige needs to bow out, too.”
Jodi rubbed a hand over her brow, kneading away the tension. She knew that was right. If the school wanted to make this night about honoring Emily, Paige’s name on the ballot—or worse, winning the damn thing—would be horrendous.
“We can talk to her together,” Jodi said to Zack. “I think she needs to decline. It’s for the best.”
They found her after school, preparing for a Model UN meet. Jodi hated messing with her head before a competition, but Paige nodded and said she’d think about it.
As Jodi was falling asleep that night, their group chat got a text: i’m bowing out. please tell me we can ditch the dance or leave early. i can’t watch
None of them had dates. Lucy had forced them into going stag again at the beginning of the school year—“I refuse to have drama two dances in a row.” Later, she’d confided in Jodi that Zack had started flirting with a girl named Kiera in his chemistry class over the summer. She was afraid of getting any more accusations of Thrashing another girl while they were under a microscope. Jodi had been distracted all day about this Kiera girl—probably the reason why Zack had failed chemistry for the third time. But also … another girl, another competitor for Zack’s time and interest.
Jodi was only thinking about Kiera a little bit when she wrote back to Paige, suggesting that maybe they make an appearance and then exit quickly. She was shocked at Zack’s response:
Under the bleachers?
She smiled, thinking how nice it would be to just hang out instead of worry about how she looked while dancing, or if she’d have to pretend to be thirsty every time a slow song came on so she wouldn’t be just standing there alone.
Surprisingly, Julian was the first to text back: read my mind
Then Lucy: finally a good fucking idea from u
Jodi texted back her agreement, and then sent a message to Paige separately that it would be okay.
She sent back the dancing pink hearts she always used.
* * *
Emily Mills’s name was on the junior ballot on Monday morning, and not a single Thrasher was on the senior one. Oliver told her that he was shocked to see that, but Jodi could tell he was ready to update his followers, so she kept her response concise.
When Aunt Rosa offered to take her shopping for her homecoming dress, she didn’t refuse. She’d be wearing last year’s dress otherwise. She didn’t have any extra cash for a new one this year, as all of it was going straight to her legal fees. Jodi had sold her iPad—brand-new over Christmas last year—and found a place to sell her clothes online. She budgeted their shopping list carefully, but she couldn’t help but notice that her dad came home with six-packs of beer often.
Rosa had picked out a short, sleeveless burgundy dress with fluffy tulle at the hips that Jodi would never have tried on herself, but once Rosa saw it on her, that had been the end of it. Jodi couldn’t really argue with someone who was willing to drop two hundred dollars on a dress for her. Rosa had tried to steer her toward the shoes, but Jodi stopped her.
“We do Converse for homecoming, heels for prom. I can wear my black Converse.”
Rosa had then bought her a pair of those wedge-heeled Converse that only someone like Lucy could get away with. Jodi had mumbled a thank-you.
But now, standing in front of Paige’s bedroom mirror the day of homecoming, Jodi couldn’t believe how much the scar on her thigh stood out. How had she not seen it in the dressing room at the mall? Maybe it was the shoes? Lifting her butt higher? Didn’t heels do that?
She was half tempted to put back on the leggings she’d worn on the bus over.
“Babe, that’s beautiful!” Paige squealed. “And look at those shoes!”
Paige, herself, was in sequined pink Converse and a pink and white dress. With a mascara wand in one hand, Lucy stepped out of the bathroom to see Jodi’s dress, and Jodi’s jaw dropped.
Black leather Converse. Black dress with a corset on the ribcage, tucking in her tiny waist, and puffy tulle hips like Jodi’s.
“You look amazing, Jo.” Lucy beamed at her.
“Lucy, you look sinful.”
Lucy winked back at her, and Paige settled Jodi in a chair so she could start curling her hair. Aunt Rosa had bought her a clutch to go with, and Jodi had returned it the next day, using the money to buy the at-home hair dye she wanted.
Zack and Julian would pick them up at seven, and then they’d all squeeze into Zack’s car for the short ride over. They’d make one circle of the gym, just to be seen, and then separately head out to the bleachers for the rest of the night. Homecoming court winners were announced around nine, so they had plenty of time to miss it for Paige’s sake.
While they waited for the boys, the three of them took their annual pictures on Paige’s staircase. Every homecoming since freshman year, back when Jodi was still wondering why she’d agreed to “get ready” with Zack’s new hot friends, the three girls took the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” pictures on the Montgomery staircase. Even when Paige was dating Charlie Shaw sophomore year, she had told him to stand aside so Jodi, Lucy, and she could take their picture. Jodi sat on the bottom stair with her hands over her mouth and her eyes popped wide, Paige behind her with her hands over her ears, and Lucy above them, peeking through her fingers over her eyes.