~ PROM PLANS
I fumbled through the bag left for me in the limo and found my cell phone. Dad and Celia sent a text praising me. I texted a return thanks. I called Manuel.
“Bueno,” he answered. He and his father said ‘bueno’ instead of ‘hola’ and I never truly understood why. He said it was just a greeting and didn’t mean “good” in context.
“Hey, Manuel,” I said as I closed my eyes, instantly feeling relief from hearing my best friend’s voice, feeling loved.
“You did it. My mom cried, ya know. Thanks for thanking us.”
“Ugh, I wanted to die. It was excruciating.” My lungs constricted just thinking about the stress.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I know. Just keep in mind that you did it. You’re awesome.”
“Thanks.” I sighed, ready to change the subject. “Byron and I are heading back to San Diego. So what are you going to do tonight?”
“I’m going out on a double date with Alan to some fight, I guess. Alan is paying. He got a driver so it should be an easy date.”
Alan Goldberg, my producer’s son and our classmate—when I went to classes—was a compelling jerk, one of those mega rich guys who was the life of the party, knew everyone, treated girls as whores, made enormous social errors, and then apologized sincerely for being an ass. He was scrawny, only a few inches taller than me, and completely un-athletic.
All of us had sworn off our friendship with him and yet we all somehow forgave him. Each time we forgave him, we felt like fools and the cycle continued. Now that we were seniors in high school, with the exception of me at work most of the time, we finally gave up trying to exclude him since the effort was futile anyway.
“I thought you’d never get set up again with Alan. I mean, you’re on the seventh girl you thought was a slut and moved too fast for you.” I had counted.
“They are all so vacant. I just can’t deal with anyone I’ve dated since Kate. But Alan set me up with that cute girl I like from Brentwood when I called him to get her number. Her name is Trish. She goes to the school where Beth’s dad teaches. Tuition there is $32,000 per year, for a high school! That’s so insane! I asked Beth’s dad about her.” He sighed. “Beth and I got into a huge fight this morning. Anyway, Trish doesn’t take his classes, but she’s really smart and plays classical guitar and piano. She’s a singer. She’ll probably think I’m a total loser but I gotta try, right? So, Alan’s taking Sherry since she knows her.”
My heart sank but I tried my best to sound supportive, “You're trying to impress a girl by taking her out on a Sunday night with Alan? Are you mental? Take her out to Malibu and have a stroll on the beach. Please, Manuel, don’t take her out with an asshole and his slut to a fight!”
“I can’t. I don’t have a car. What am I gonna do? Ride the bus to Brentwood to pick her up on my bike?”
“No. Wait a second. Take my car. It’s in the garage at my house,” I urged and then felt stupid for giving him the means to have a successful date.
He laughed. “You’re really trying hard to get this girl to like me. Thanks, I guess, my little match-maker, but no. Alan has it all set up.”
“Well, okay. Tell me how it goes.”
“I will. I hope I like her. She’s cute and smart and there sure aren’t many girls like that. I figured I’d ask her to prom if we click. I’m running out of time.”
“It’d be a bummer to miss prom,” I confirmed. It was early, at the end of March, because of all the budget cuts in the public schools. The administration had to cut off several weeks of school. Every senior had to do two independent study projects to make up for the lack of education. I was worried that I’d miss prom if Byron kept messing up and delaying the schedule.
Manuel sounded shocked. “Are you going?”
“Yeah, my mom said I’d regret not going. Don’t tell anyone, but I paid for renting out the Getty Mansion off the PCH for the school so we could go there—my donation this year. Alan asked me to go with him, but I figured I’d ask someone once I knew for sure that we’d wrap by then. Otherwise, I told Alan that I’ll drive down that afternoon and go with his group and then come back to the set the next morning.”
Byron interrupted, “I want you to ask me to your prom, babe.”
I laughed. “I guess I already have a taker.”
Manuel interrupted, “I’m mad. You should’ve told me. We could have gone together. I’ve been wasting all this time looking for a girl to ask to prom and could have gone with you? Damn, Marie.”
“I’m sorry. I just figured you wanted a real date since you have to go. If I said I go with you and then couldn’t and you get crowned then what, you’d go to prom by yourself? I mean, what prom king does that?”
“Marie, I’m not going to be prom king. Sam will be. Kate will be queen. We broke up. Sure I was nominated, but I’m a geek. Kate’s the popular girl. Sam’s a dude.” Manuel paused. “Listen, I like Trish. I’ll ask her to prom if we click. If we don’t, will you be my date? If you can’t go, I’ll go by myself in Alan’s group. Deal?”
“Sure, yeah. But don’t you want a romantic prom or something?”
“Yeah, but... So we have a plan?” Manuel grumbled.
I agreed, “Yeah. Cool. Will we be doubling with Beth and Mitch?”
“No. I…I kissed Beth today. She’s beyond angry with me.”
“What?!”
“Yeah, I’m gonna deal with this one myself. So, let’s not talk about it.”
I didn’t know what to say. I swallowed. My insides ached as I lost another piece of ‘me’.
At that moment, Marie Michael determined that she was not going to give loving Manuel another thought. Mom said the key to happiness was acceptance of what you cannot change. Marie had to stop wishing for something impossible and deal with life as it was, not as she wanted it to be. She or me—whoever—had to accept that Manuel loved me as his sister and make the most out of the fact that Marie Michael was, and would continue to be, an actor.
“Anyway, I should go. I love you, Marie. You rock.”
The-Artist-Formerly-Known-as-I ended abruptly, “Okay. Bye.”
---
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