Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

LOMD Chapter 14 - Don't Call Me Samantha

Chapter 14

IN THE days leading up to the dance, Vivienne almost forgot about their grim fate. Everyone was preoccupied with getting ready with their girlfriends. 

Everyone, except Sam who was now a pariah. It became evident to everyone that Zissa was really annoyed at Sam for her drunken outburst during the showdown with the Lethes. She expressed her disdain by calling Sam by her full name of Samantha and pretended to walk into her in the hallways. Sam was also ignored by her other friends making out with their boyfriends at the diner. For once, Vivienne didn't feel like the loneliest girl at Remin High.

So, Vivienne ended up asking Sam to go dress shopping with her at the mall. Sam immediately picked out a brassiere over a tutu and tried to convince Vivienne to try it on. Vivienne agreed to try it on in order to be polite but threw the outfit back onto the hangers as soon as Sam's back was turned.

"I was supposed to go dress shopping with Zissa and Nicole. Now they've banished me to Siberia." Sam said, sadly as she picked out some lacy underwear. Vivienne hoped that she was going to wear a dress over the lipstick red thong she was holding. "Did you have friends back where you came from, V?"

Vivienne ran her fingers over a long black dress with a clerical collar and laced detailing. Beside it was a white cardigan with black trim, gold piping, and plastic buttons. She remembered a cardigan like that once. Allison had a cardigan like that.

"Yeah," Vivienne said, trying to drag herself back into the present. "I had a really good friend once. I guess you can say, we had a fight too."

"Mm-huh," Sam said, clearly barely hearing a word Vivienne said. "I'm going to go into a fitting room okay?" She was holding a tiny mini-dress with gold sequins and knee-high pleather boots.

Vivienne nodded. She looked back at the cardigan and the memories came flooding back to her. The cardigan had been a perfect fit. She and Allison had always been the same size. Allison had given it to her after she had been caught in the rain walking to school. Her father was supposed to drive her but he stayed out all night at the casinos and forgot again. Vivienne hadn't even asked for it but Allison had insisted. The cardigan seemed beautiful because it had been on Allison. She had that kind of magical effect on everything she touched. Vivienne remembered it smelled vaguely of jasmine and rose.

"Keep it. You can bring it to my house the next time you come over," Allison had said. "We can have a sleepover."

Vivienne had been relieved Allison had invited her over instead of coming over. Vivienne's house was always a wreck. Her father perpetually had all his ancient texts scattered all over the dining room table. He and her mom were always fighting about the bills. Vivienne remembered Allison's house had been small but warm. Allison's mom showed up at the door with a tray full of finger sandwiches and milk. Vivienne had never experienced anything like that in her life. Her mom usually just threw something into a microwave.

Allison's room was covered Tiffany blue wallpaper with gold butterflies. She had a leopard print couch. Vivienne felt glamorous just sitting on it, as though she should be holding a cigarette holder and wearing a long string of pearls. On the wall, there was a pin-up board full of pages ripped from fashion magazines. In the closet, there was a dress with pink ribbons over the shoulders that was made entirely of dainty flowers.

"That dress is magical," Vivienne said, as Allison was digging through her closet for her make-up bag so they could do each other's nails.

"That is what I want to wear to the prom, one day," Allison had said. "I don't know how, but one day I'm going to wear that dress."