Send Me In Orbit

Prom

It was terrible. What was supposed to be one of the best nights of her life had turned out to be a nightmare. Claire stood outside of the hotel where the prom was being held, trying not to cry. She wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of making her cry.

The evening had started out well enough. Marcus had picked her up at the house and had given her a beautiful corsage. They rode in a car with her brother and Henry, who were both without dates, and had the two of them spent the entire time glaring at Marcus. He didn't let himself be intimidated though and kept up a steady stream of conversation with Claire about the current NBA basketball season.

They made it to the hotel and Claire was prepared to have the time of her life. When they arrived at the ballroom, the program began, then dinner was served. Claire sat at a table with Marcus and the rest of the basketball players and their dates while CJ sat at a table across the room with his friends. Being a Sophomore guest, Claire wasn't part of the program but she had fun watching her Kuya dance and was especially amused by Henry and the way he fumbled and kept stepping on his partner's poor feet.

After dinner, the real dancing began. Pop music started playing, the lights dimmed, and the chaperones of teachers and volunteer parents (including Claire's) exited the ballroom and made their way to the bar in a smaller, adjacent room.

Claire excused herself to the ladies room. She was wearing a long black gown that had an echo of similarity to the gown her mom had worn at the private prom that her dad had given her. Claire grew up looking at the pictures and hearing the story. It was one of her favorite moments in her mom and dad's love story and it certainly influenced her when she was choosing her own prom dress. Like her mom's dress, she had a full princess skirt but the top was cut differently in a modest scoop neckline with delicate short sleeves that fell off her shoulders. Her hair was swept up in a delicate chignon with curled tendrils falling around her face. She felt like a dark and mysterious princess, a heroine from one of Ceres' romance novels. But when Claire squeezed into the small bathroom stall, the princess found the problem with beautiful, extravagant gowns. How was she going to pee?

Claire wrestled with her gown in a very un-princess-like manner. Why was wearing pantyhose a good idea? She was about to give up and text her mom to come to the bathroom and help her when the bathroom door opened and a flurry of voices came in.

She immediately recognized the voice of Annelise Villaroel. A Senior and the most popular and prettiest girl in the school.

"Walang date si Clark Medina," she said mockingly.

"Si CJ?" One of her minions asked.

"Sino pa ba?"

"Nandito rin ang Dad niya. Si Clark Medina Sr. Ang gwapo!" The minion gushed. "A total DILF."

Claire wanted to puke. These girls had some major issues.

"How pathetic though. Wala na ngang date, kasama pa ang parents," Annelise laughed.

"Hindi kaya bitter ka dahil hindi ka niya ininvite as date niya?" Another minion spoke up and Claire smirked.

"At bakit naman ako sasama sa kanya?" Annelise asked in her snobby superior voice that made Claire want to choke her. "Sino ba si CJ Medina? Oo, may itsura siya. But he's such a nerd."

Claire has called her Kuya a nerd ten thousand and three hundred times in her life but hearing the words come out of this girl's lips made Claire want to go out there and pull her extensions off her head.

"As if I would be caught dead with him. He may have money but he has no name to speak of," Annelise said haughtily.

"Diba karpintero ang Dad niya?" Another minion laughed. "How...quaint. Mga anak karpintero. No wonder sa UP 'yan papasok si CJ. Naubos ang ipon ni Daddy sa high school pa lang."