Bully Story

The Dance, Part 1

The day of the dance finally came. An air of excitement surrounded Bullworth. Everyone waited with bated breath for the end of the school day so they could prepare. Halloween itself was still a day away, but the enthusiasm was just as high as it would be for the holiday. The teachers tried to keep the classes together, but their attempts were for naught. The unbridled joy of the students could not be contained.

Gwen took her notes diligently as always, but her mind wasn't present. She couldn't stop thinking about the dance and her friends, and every time she tried to focus, her mind slipped back to the party. When the last hour finally ended, she quickly packed up everything and made her way to her dorm as fast as she could.

She had been gathering the supplies for her costume for several days, making sure that she had everything she needed. Her sweater and jeans were a sleek black. She put on the fake cat ears and added a black bandanna around her neck. The tail was a little harder to secure, so she ended up pinning it to her pants.

Pleased with her work, she stepped into the hall to socialize with some of the other girls before it was time to leave. She skipped to Beatrice and Angie's dorm room and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" Beatrice's voice came from inside. Gwen heard a scuffling and then a thump before the door opened. "Sorry, we're a little frantic right now. Come on in!"

Gwen stepped inside the room, unable to keep the smile off her face. "What are you guys going as tonight?"

"I'm a witch!" Angie called from around the corner. Shortly after, she came bounding out into the open. "What do you think?" she asked, twirling around in her dress.

"You're so cute!" Gwen laughed, grabbing her hands. "How about mine? Is the tail on straight?"

"You look lovely!" Angie replied, giggling and hopping. "I love the ears!"

"It is a nice costume," Beatrice agreed.

"What about you, Bea? What's your costume?" Gwen asked, turning to face her.

"I'm going to be Princess Glora, from Galaxy Combat. You know, the best movie series of all time?"

"Oh yeah, I see it now! I knew it looked familiar."

"The only problem is I don't know how to fix my hair. I've tried looking up tutorials, but I'm just not that good with hair."

"That's what I'm here for!" Angie said, smiling widely. "I'm great with hair. And with a tutorial, I can do anything!"

"I'm not good with hair, either," Gwen added, glancing up at her bangs. "But if you need any help, I'd be glad to offer it!"

"Sure! Plus, we can have some girl talk before the dance, y'know?" Angie said.

As they got to work on Beatrice's hair, Beatrice asked, "Is it true that you're going to the dance with Pete? I'd heard the rumors, but I didn't know if I should believe them."

"Oh, yeah. We're going as friends," Gwen answered. She paused, thinking about the question. "Wait. Why were there rumors going around?"

"Everyone talks about who goes out with who," Angie chirped. "It's only the hottest topic of conversation."

"Especially around the time of dances," Beatrice added. "Anyone who goes alone is considered totally uncool."

"But we aren't going romantically. Does it matter?" Gwen asked.