Kara:
“I’m so nervous,” Irina said. “What if I forget all the steps?”
After months of practice and preparation and panic, the night of the winter production had arrived. It was the last night of work before the three week winter break.
“I don’t think you could forget the steps if you tried,” Shirelle countered. “You’ve been practicing day and night.”
“Yeah, you’ll be great,” Kara added.
“Okay, how do I look?” Irina asked.
While Irina’s costume was a glittering black leotard and pristine pink tights, Kara and Shirelle weren’t so lucky. They had to wear black skirts and shoes and panty hose and a white dress shirt or sweater. The boys in Adrienne’s class also had to wear white dress shirts and black slacks and shoes. Kara thought they were going to look more like a church choir than a student singing group.
“You look so beautiful,” Kara said. “I can’t wait to see you dance.”
Irina’s eyes widened. “Just don’t let me see you.”
“Why not?” Shirelle asked.
“I don’t dance well when people I know are watching me,” Irina explained.
“I’ll bet you’ll dance as beautiful as you look,” Kara assured her.
“I just hope she dances better than we look,” Shirelle said with a grimace. “Not even Halle Berry could make this look good.”
“Halle Berry could make a potato sack look like a million dollar evening gown,” Kara disagreed.
“Speaking of evening gowns, did you hear who asked me to the ball?” Shirelle said.
The ball was a huge formal dance held in the Bernard ball room. Unlike the prom that only juniors and seniors could attend, all of the students were allowed to go to the ball. “Who?” Kara and Irina asked in unison.
“Clifton Webb,” Shirelle said.
“Who’s he?” Irina asked.
“He’s a brain in the night curriculum,” Shirelle explained.
“How’d you meet him?” Kara asked.
“You’re not the only one who goes places at night,” Shirelle said.
“What does he look like?” Irina asked.
“Tall, dark and handsome,” Shirelle said with a sly smile.
“Dark like he’s a black guy?” Irina asked, and Kara laughed.
“Dark like a piece of fine chocolate,” Shirelle answered with a sigh. “And I want you both to meet him before we rush off for the holidays.”
“We can meet up in front of the auditorium at eight,” Irina suggested. “Then you can meet my parents and my sister.”
“I guess you can meet my dad and his new girlfriend too,” Kara said.
“You mean your future stepmother,” Shirelle reminded her.
“Yes,” Kara blanched.
YOU ARE READING
The Last Year of Innocence
Teen FictionBeing shipped off to boarding school is the least of Kara Cunningham’s problems. First, she has to learn to stand out in a school full of gifted students. And trying to get noticed by Ethan, the best looking guy in school, seems impossible until her...
