"It's beautiful Coral," Gia said, putting on a big, fake smile for her small, fake friend. Coral stood in front if her, wearing a white dress that came a few inches above the knee and poofed several inches outward. Her long bleached hair was pulled up on top of her head.
"I know right? I can't wait to dance in it," Coral said, turning from side to side in the 360 degree mirror.
"By the way, who are you going with?" Gia asked and Coral turned to raise an eyebrow at her. "You know I'm going with Emery. We've been together for a few months now, Gia," she said pointedly.
Gia frowned as she thought of her long-time best friend, Emery. He had lost the braces and acne once they hit tenth grade, and now that they were seniors, he was the picture of perfection. Coral wanted him for this reason only, as some sort of eye candy. But Gia knew that the person he was on the inside was much more valuable.
She sighed and thought about Coral's late-night visit last Friday night, "What about Sloane?" She knew she shouldn't have said those words to Coral, but she had to get them off of her mind. She was using Emery, after all.
"Sloane and I aren't a thing, G," Coral looked back at her reflection and paused to smooth down her corset, "I just had a moment of weakness." Coral turned her chin up confidently as if she, herself, believed her untrue words.
Gia sighed again but said no more. Any fight she put up with Coral was futile, she knew. "Well are you ready to go?" Gia put on another fake smile, and Coral nodded, smiling back.
The thought of poor Emery being used filled her mind, as the two of them exited the shop. She didn't know how, but she had to do something. She had to get the truth to him without losing Coral as a friend.
Another Saturday came, and Gia sat at home texting and surfing the internet. Coral texted her, telling her about how Sloane had another free Saturday outside of soccer practice, and he wanted to see her. Gia rolled her eyes. She simply had texted back, "Have fun."
She had thrown her phone on her bed and went back to scrolling through her laptop when a thought came to mind. She smiled slyly - perfect timing. She grabbed her cellphone again, dialing *67, followed by a phone number.
The person on the other end picked up, "Hello?" Gia inhaled at the sound of Emery's voice, and she deepened her own, "Yeah, is this uh-Emery Hartford?"
She tried not to laugh at her stupid boy voice. "Uh, yes? Do I know you?" Emery's confused voice replied on the other end. Gia paused, and spoke again, "That doesn't matter. Go to Coral's house at three o'clock. Make yourself unseen - don't let her know you're there. You're welcome." Gia hung up the phone quickly, hoping he'd take her advice.
Emery sat dumbfounded with his cellphone still up to his ear. He didn't know what to do - listen to a stranger, or forget anything was said. But he wanted to know so badly - why did he need to be at Coral's house at three?
He pressed the home button on his iPhone. The screen lit up, reading 2:44. He sighed. "Well, what's the worst that could come of this?" He said aloud, grabbing his keys.
When he arrived at Coral's house, it was a little past three o'clock. He furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of the black mustang that sat in the driveway. It clearly wasn't Coral's.
Remembering what the person on the phone had said, Emery remained unseen. He parked across the street at the curb and shut the door quietly. As he approached the house, he stayed out of view from the windows.
He walked around to the back of the house, where Coral's room was. Her room was on the second floor - two glass doors opened up to a balcony. Through the doorway, Emery could make out Coral giggling and talking. And then he heard a male's voice.
