Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

DD Chapter 21 - Cafeteria Tales

Chapter 21

IN THE days leading up to the dance, Vivienne almost forgot about Satan's Hollow. The Monday after the meet-up at the Sunnyside, the kids blew off the entire encounter as though it was just a drunken dream. Had they really all been drinking that much? Or did Blake have something to do with what was in the drinks that night? Vivienne didn't know. Either way, things went back to normal. She didn't have a chance to ask Blake about it. He came and went from school as he wanted. The teachers didn't care. His scores meant no one bothered him about attendance.

No one even asked questions about it. Especially not the students. Everyone was preoccupied with getting ready for the big dance.

Everyone, except Sam, who was now a pariah. It became evident to everyone that Zissa was annoyed at Sam for her drunken attempt to kiss Ashlar after they met up at the diner. She expressed her disdain by calling Sam by her full name, Samantha, and pretending 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 along with 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.

Sam came back from the changing room. She was waving the gold sequin dress around like a flag. "I'm taking it! This is perfect!"

Vivienne tried to keep herself from cringing at the terrible dress. Sam, having chosen her own outfit, immediately decided it was time to focus on her shopping partner.

"Are you picking that?" Sam asked, pointing at the modest black dress Vivienne was holding. "Seriously? Are you a nun?"

"No," Vivienne replied and quickly reached over for a long, strappy dress in raspberry red with a slit along the side. "I will take this one."

"Why that one?" Sam asked. "I don't know if red is your color. Maybe try that gray playsuit over there. You can wear a diamond dog collar with it."

"Uh, no thanks," Vivienne replied as she picked up the red dress and held it in her arms. "I like this dress. It reminds me of a friend of mine." Vivienne thought back to that red shawl Allison had tried unsuccessfully to get her to wear. She had always refused to go out and live the wild party life as Allison did. She was too busy moping around her room, on her computer, blogging, or playing games. Maybe it was time to finally step out and live the life of her dreams.

It was all she could do until the day that Lady Maglania — Allison — would come and find her.

~*~