The Perfect Couple

39

But the next day I found out that Alan had a different reason for losing what little interest he'd had in me. He and Mary walked into the cafeteria together. She smiled and waved at me, having no reason to suspect, of course, that she had taken away my great love.

I talked it over with Kim on the bus that afternoon. "I like Mary," I said. "I think she's a nice girl, but she's not right for Alan. To begin with, she probably won't be here for long and besides, she's as self-absorbed in her ways Gloria. She's not vain about her looks, but she knows what she wants and I don't think she's the type to compromise."

"You mean Alan needs someone who'll cater to him."

"I don't mean that at all!" I protested. "He just needs someone who" I couldn't explain exactly what I meant, so I gave up and said, "All that's happened is that I'm back where I started with him. He's still looking for the right girl and someday he'll see she's been there all the time."

When I spoke to Mom about shopping for my dress she said, "when would you like us to go, dear?"

Us? As calmly as I could I said that Kim had offered to help me look for my dress and the other things I'd need.

"Kim has some very extravagant ideas," Mom said. "I think it would be better if I went along, too."

"I won't spend too much, Mom," I promised frantically. "You set a limit and I won't go a penny over it "

"I don't want you to buy anything too grown up."

"I am grown up, Mom."

"Of course you are, Kelly. I mean I don't want you to buy anything too sophisticated."

"I won't." I was willing to promise anything. Mom couldn't pick out my dress. I could just see myself in something juvenile, with ruffles and a Peter Pan collar.

"Well, all right, I'll trust you and Kim to find something suitable," she finally said. "You can always exchange it, if necessary."

"Sure I can," I said eagerly. Once I found my dream dress, though, I knew I'd die rather than give it up.

On Saturday Kim and I went to the mall. I guess she was right when she told me about developing shopping muscles because we were there most of the day and I didn't get tired at all. Even if I'd been exhausted, though, I would have revived when I found my dress. At first I was afraid to even try it on, it was so exquisite, so unlike anything I'd ever worn before.

Kim fell in love with it, too. "If you don't buy it, I will," she threatened. But she didn't mean it and when she took it from the rack she handed it to me. "Let's find a dressing room." I stared unbelievingly at myself. "Is that really me?"

Kim laughed. "Just wait till dance night when you have your slippers and bag and your hair done up."

"Up?" I echoed.

"Up," she said firmly. "We'll leave everything to Mr Anthony."

"But upsweeps are so glamorous and I'm not a glamorous person," I objected.

"You will be the night of the ball."

I wondered if she was right. Would the magic of being sweetheart of the ball work for me? Or would Mr Anthony's fancy hairdo fall down while I was dancing? Would I trip on my high heels as I walked down from the stage to meet Marcus? I could just picture everybody howling with laughter.

But, oh, please, my guardian angel, don't let that happen! For that one night let me be beautiful and glamorous the girl of every boy's dreams especially Alan's.

There were times during the next week when I thought the day of the dance would never come. It finally did, though and by then I was so excited I wasn't sure I could handle it. What if I went into some kind of nervous collapse?

Luckily, Kim took charge, so I didn't have to think about anything. She even went with me to Mr Anthony's on Saturday morning. I think I would have stopped him when he began to pull my hair to the top of my head if she hadn't been there to give me a warning look and when he was through I was glad she had. I was stunned at how becoming the glamorous style was to me.

"We'll tuck a sprig of holly into your topknot," Kim decided.

When Marcus's corsage was delivered in the middle of the afternoon, Kim answered the door and let me have a peek at the florist's arrangement of tiny silver bells nestled against smilax leaves. Then she put it in the fridge so the leaves would stay fresh.

"Please give me another dancing lesson!" I begged a minute later.

"You don't need one. After our lesson last night, you'll do fine," she said, "but" Resigned, she went to the stereo and put on one of Mom's records: One Hundred of the World's Best-loved Waltzes. It was the opening dance Marcus and I would do to start the ball that I was worried about. After that I could hide in the rest room if I felt I had to.

Later, just before she went home to get herself ready for the dance, Kim drew a gardenia-scented bath for me. It was like having a lady in waiting.

The dance started at nine. "You have to eat something," Mom insisted.

"I couldn't. Please don't ask me to, Mom."

"Sip a little broth or I'm afraid you'll get sick."

"I'm sick already."

"But, honey"

"Leave the girl alone, Maryanne," Dad said so gently that Mom couldn't possibly take offense. I owe him a big hug, I thought, as I escaped to my room.

Kim had already helped me lay out my things my new bikini panties and wispy bra, my sheer pantyhose and my little silver clutch bag. My fingers trembled nervously so that they were almost useless, but when Mom taped on my door and asked if she could help me, I said I was getting along fine.