On Friday, December 14th, we were all standing in front of Christina's bedroom mirror in dresses and heels and our makeup all done and hair curled and flat ironed. Later after that I would remember those hours of getting ready in my friends bedroom, just being teenagers and getting ready for a dance like normal people, as the calm before the storm.
Gemma sat on Christina's bed, wearing a hot pink satiny dress and heeled sandals, her light brown hair in tight curls. She was scrolling through her phone. She was working at the tables at the dance tonight, and she had begged us to come with her. Christina stood by the mirror, tying the sash on her cream and black lace party dress. Alex was standing in front of the mirror next to her, putting on heavy, dark eyeliner and wearing a tight black dress. I was focusing on curling my own thick, dark hair.
"This is the last thing I want to do tonight." I sighed.
"We're doing it for Gemma." Christina said, giving me a pointed look. "And its going to be fine, okay?"
"Elle loved dances. She would have wanted us to go." Alex said. She grabbed her bag from Christina's bed and threw it over her shoulder. "It's almost seven. We should get going."
"We can take the truck." I said. Even though I didn't have a license or a learners permit, most kids here learned to drive young. The cops didn't really give a shit. My older sister had taught me how to drive our old pickup truck when I turned fifteen. In this town, nobody could afford to sit around waiting until they were seventeen to get their license.
The four of us left the house and climbed into the rusted grey pickup parked in the driveway. I got into the drivers seat and turned the key in the ignition, waiting for Christina to climb in next to me and Alex and Gemma to get into the back. I set my purse on the floor under my feet carefully, knowing that the bottle of Jack Daniels I had brought along was tucked between my wallet and phone. If I was going to get through this night, I would need it.
We pulled out onto the street and I drove in the direction of the school.
"When is this thing over?" Christina asked, rifling through her purse.
"Ten." Gemma said. "Unless I can get out early."
We rode in silence for a while. I cranked up the radio dial so music filled the void.
"Listen, if any of the Columbus kids try to start anything..." Christina said. "Don't do anything dumb, okay?"
It suddenly occurred to me that this could be dangerous. There were going to be dozens of kids, still holding grudges against the other side, together in a large, loud, dark gym tonight.
"I can handle myself." I said. "I'm a good fighter, you know that."
Christina sighed warily. "Why does there have to be fighting in the first place? Haven't enough people died?"
I frowned. "It's because they've died, that's why we're still fighting." I said.
"When will it be over, then?" She asked, exasperated. "When we're all dead? When does it end?"
"Oh, it's going to end." Alex said from the back seat. "Sooner or later, its going to end. One of us is going to have to go down, though. It's us or them."
"But when?"
"Just keep your eyes open."
****
