That Was Then

70-Now

"You cannot wear that to the dance!" Eden cries! Mara is sprawled across my bed eating chips she has produced from somewhere in her bag. I cringe inwardly, thinking about the orange crumbs accumulating on my pale yellow comforter. She just stares at Eden, nonplussed. Vivi and I have already given up the argument but Eden just arrived and it's her turn to try to convince Mara that a skin tight tuxedo t-shirt is not appropriate attire for the dance. She's paired the hideous shirt with a mini skirt and sparkly tights.

"Why not?" Mara upends the chip bag into her orange rimmed mouth, managing to get nearly half of the remaining crumbs on my bed. This time I cringe visibly. "Oops," she wipes absently at the mess but really only manages to smear Dorito fingers on the fabric. Is needing to wash my bedding a reasonable excuse to skip the dance. It sure feels like one. Vivi disrupts my thoughts, elbowing me to help her with her dress. I hook the eyelet at the nape of her neck, the dress is open in the back, gold lace framing her dark shoulder blades.

"It's not formal attire!" Eden argues.

"I refuse to conform," Mara says adamantly. Vivi clears her throat, ending their argument, and whirls around to show off her dress.

Mara lets out a loud whistle and Eden breathes out "wow!"

"You look gorgeous!" I tell her sincerely. The gold tone of the dress makes her skin glow and she beams at us.

"Where's your dress?" Eden asks as she pulls hers from a garment bag. It's emerald green satin and I already know it will look amazing on her with her creamy olive skin and jet black hair. She turns away from us to slide out of her jeans and top. I retrieve my dress and lay it across the back of my desk chair before shimmying out of my leggings.

"Not to be that lesbian but this is like half my fantasy right here," Mara wriggles her eyebrows at us, glancing from Eden to me in our various states of undress. Vivi rolls her eyes and I throw Caleb's jersey at her. "Are you sure none of you are gay? Maybe give a try, just to see, you might like it?"

"Shut up and help me with my zipper," Eden laughs. Mara wipes her fingers off on her skirt before hopping up to help Eden.

"Green is definitely your color," Mara says appreciatively as she yanks the zipper up. Eden doesn't often wear clothing that shows what an amazing figure she has but this dress clings tightly to her, emphasizing her small waist and showing that she's been hiding boobs underneath her loose fitting sweaters.

I slip into my dress while they gush over Eden and her sneaky hot body. No zippers or buttons, it slides over my body, fitting like a glove. I adjust the strap and stare at myself in the mirror, the mental image of eighth grade me blurring with my current reflection.

Vivi gasps, pulling me from my reverie. "That dress is amazing! I mean you look amazing but that dress..." she runs her fingers along the smooth fabric of the skirt and I am filled with same pride I've always felt when I wear one of Mama's designs.

"Wait until you see the shoes," I grin, disappearing into my closet and returning with the red heels. I cradle them in my hands like precious jewels. They ooh and ah over the Louboutins, even Mara who tries to convince me that they don't match my dress so I should just let her borrow them for the night. Fortunately for me, her feet are a size and a half bigger than mine.

We spend the next half hour on our makeup and hair. By we, I mean Vivi, Eden and me. Mara's cotton candy hair remains in the same messy bun it's been in all day and she is quite content with her orange lip stick and heavy handed eyeliner. Vivi wrestles her tight curls back with bobby pins while Eden expertly twists hers into an up do. I try three different hairstyles before Mara drags me out the door, the limo that my dad arranged for us is waiting downstairs. The result is a half up style that all three girls insist looks amazing.

Mama and Abuela rush out to take pictures of us next to the limo before we leave. "Mama, it's not like it's prom!" I blush after she's snapped a few dozen but they only let us leave after both Vivi and I promise to get pictures of Caleb and me together at the dance. I all but push the girls into the limo so that they don't see the tears that well up in Mama and Abuela's eyes when they say goodbye. Vivi is the only one who understands the significance of this dance to us.

My stomach churns anxiously the entire ride but I smile and pose for the million selfies we take anyway.

"Allie says they're all ready and are going to meet us out front," Eden informs us after her phone pings. I want to ask who they is. Does it include Caleb? Or Kya? I check my phone for a text from Caleb.

"Even if he is mad at you as soon as he sees you like this," Vivi whispers when she sees me staring nervously at the screen, "he's gonna forget how to be mad." I smile gratefully at her, but I'm not so sure. I don't have to wait long because the limo is pulling to a stop in front of a group of impeccably dressed teens. The group includes both Caleb and Kya.