Dead Lines

8: Night Off

Unedited.

Chapter Eight

“Are we going to talk about Homecoming?” Bev asked during lunch.

On the inside I groaned and on the outside I looked disinterested. The last thing I wanted to discuss was Homecoming. I had other things on my mind but this mundane subject was important to my friends and I knew it would keep coming up over the course of the week. This was, after all, a part of my life I wanted to keep and therefore I needed to deal with the everyday topics.

Such as Homecoming.

“Sure,” Kaylee said since no one else did. “Let’s talk about Homecoming.”

I was starting to regret becoming Elite for this specific reason. Before, I had lunch with all the guys. Now, since my schedule was tweaked a little, I was with all the girls. It wasn’t necessarily a problem but they tended to talk way more than the boys did and not always about subjects I liked.

“Well, the official meeting for the nominees isn’t until tomorrow but I got an advanced copy of all the fliers and info sheets they are planning on handing out.” Bev moved her lunch tray out of the way and spread, in a very colorful arch, everything anyone might need to know about it. “Everyone needs an escort…”

“Are you serious?” Allie interrupted.

Bev looked at her patiently and nodded. “Everyone nominated for Homecoming Queen has to have an escort to both the half time presentation at the football game and the dance. Preferably the same one but the one to the football game can be your father.”

I was looking down at my rather unappetizing slice of pizza when Allie jabbed me in the ribs. I sucked in some air and glared at her. “What was that for?” I whispered.

“I have to have a date?”

“Yes, Allie. You need a date. That’s what Bev said…”

“It shouldn’t be that hard,” Dreama said, overhearing our conversation. “Just ask…”

“I’m not asking some random guy to be my date,” Allie snapped. “Not to Homecoming.”

“I didn’t mean some random guy. I meant one of our guys.”

“I would say ask Chris but no one’s heard from him and when I called this morning, his voicemail box was full,” Oppie said. “Boy needs to take care of that and tell someone when he’s coming back.”

Allie visibly paled right before a look of anger took over her features. But before she could snap out how Chris was a raging lunatic, I put a hand on her arm and drew everyone’s attention to me. Not something I was comfortable with but the last thing I needed was someone asking Allie why she looked like someone kicked her puppy.

“Is there any way to, you know, withdraw your name from consideration?” Everyone was staring at me after I said that, including Allie. I secretly smiled on the inside. “What?”

“Natalie…”

“How could you not want to be Homecoming Queen?” Oppie asked.

“Since when have you known her to want to be Homecoming Queen?” Dreama retorted. “Unless there’s something about her you know that the rest of us don’t…”

“Sorry, Nat,” Bev said, trying to get everyone back on track. “There is no way to redact your name. It doesn’t work that way.”

“Dang.” I sat back in my seat. “What if I don’t show up?”

“If you don’t show up then maybe.” For a moment the bright future of not having to get dressed up and parade in front of my classmates was in hand. “But can’t you just grin and bear it? For us?” Bev looked at me with those too innocent, sad eyes. “Please.”