Song of a Sophomore

CHAPTER 39 - Return of the Mack

I'm not going to lie. Being behind the wheel of that sweet, candy apple red car filled my head with all kinds of hot air. I was desirable and glamorous, like a classic movie star on the red carpet at the Oscars. There was a buzz in the air when I pulled into the parking lot the morning after my birthday. Everyone was practically high on envy. Classmate after classmate stopped me in the hallway to say how amazing it was that my dad showed up with a car on my sixteenth birthday. They may as well have asked me for my autograph. Boys I had never talked to before tapped on my shoulder and asked me about the size of the engine and the horse power. A girl that lived on my street, who practically ignored me all year, asked for a ride home on the way to first period.

I basked in the limelight and felt confident I could attract Zach's attention now that I was a celebrity. I dressed the part of starlet with a sheer, powder blue shirtdress Gloria ordered from the Delia's juniors clothing catalog, and glittery blue eyeshadow with wispy black eyeliner. A matching slip lay underneath the transparent layer of the dress, which reminded me of the lingerie I saw in the window of Victoria's Secret. I carefully arranged my hair into a messy bun with a brown plastic claw clip. The ends poked out like a tiara on the top of my head. A few strategically placed tendrils drifted down my bare neck. I hoped Zach would notice.

When I walked into biology, his head popped up and he licked his lips. Score!

"Hey, Rose" he said and nodded a hello. "So, that's a sweet car you got for your birthday. You'll have to take me out for a spin sometime."

"Anytime you want," I said.

And, I mean, literally, anytime. I would drop everything to spend a moment with Zach. I felt like I deserved it, like I was suddenly worthy of his attention. What came next really went to my head.

"Maybe we could drive it to the spring dance?" he asked.

My jaw must have hit the floor. I turned to Courtney and she sat wide-eyed in her seat with the goofiest grin on her face, like a five-year old with a sugar high from a bucket full of Halloween candy.

"Zach, are you asking me to the dance?" I asked. I wanted to hear him say it.

"Rose, will you be my date to the spring formal?" Zach said it just as Leo walked to his seat.

"Yes, I will," I answered.

It was the moment I had been waiting for and I was giddy. The room seemed to spin, but it all came to a halt as soon as I spotted Leo frozen in his tracks with his arms crossed. He glared at Zach with his teeth pressed together, making the angles of his face unusually square. His long, downturned nose wrinkled and his full lips gave the slightest hint of a snarl. It reminded me of a real life version of his wolf mask at the fall masquerade ball. Leo's gray eyes turned a few shades darker as his eyebrows dropped down into a fierce glare. I stayed perfectly still, my eyes darting back and forth, as if it was a standoff at high noon in an old, black and white western movie. Each one stood poised to draw at any moment.

Leo turned to Courtney. "Hey, Orthopedums. I was wondering, would you like to go to the spring dance with me?"

"You're asking me?" Courtney's delicate features froze in a state of perpetual surprise. She turned to me and raised one eyebrow, then turned back to Leo.

"Yeah, you're beautiful and classy. I'd be honored to take you," Leo told her.

"Well, when you put it like that..." Courtney said, clearly flattered, "Okay. We can all go together."