All Aboard the Remington Train

Chapter 5

It was Friday, December 19th. It was the day of the dance. Two days from now, we would be home for Christmas with our families. Everyone was chattering about the excitement brought on by the party, but all I could think about was my mom, my dad, and Aubrey. Aubrey Costa would be four months older since I last saw him. I wondered if his soft down of black covering the back of his head would be thicker. I wondered if he was done teething. My family dominated my thoughts has I got dressed in my stupid dress and let Ariel do my make up. I could vaguely hear Willa whining in the back about the tight French braid Ariel had battled her into.

            When I looked at myself in the mirror, I wasn’t shocked or in awe at a sudden Cinderella-like transformation. I was still me—Remy in a dumb dress. There were slight differences. My hair was down, for one thing, when usually it was in an easy ponytail. Ariel had forced me to sit still long enough to put some mascara on my eyelashes and pink shimmery stuff on my cheeks.

            My stomach twisted anyway. I wanted to go home right then, not in two days.

            “The dress isn’t that bad,” Willa offered. I looked at the skirt. It was made of the stuff that tutus are made of. Tutus! It made my chicken legs look even more pale and freckled.

            “That bad!” Ariel cried. “It looks beautiful! We are all going to be the most beautiful girls at the dance!”

            Willa and I simultaneously snorted. Willa looked very nice. Her black dress, white-blond hair and translucent skin made her look like a black and white fairy. She had won the fight with Ariel to keep her enormous wire glasses on. Ariel was only satisfied when Willa said she would dance.

            “I’ll never dance,” she’d said to me, quietly.

            Ariel, on the other hand, really did look incredible. She was taller and her dark skin shone against the deep red dress.

            “C’mon, let’s get this over with,” I said.

            The dance was in the dining hall. The tables had been moved to all sides, boxing the students in except for the main entrance, and were covered with drinks and finger food. There was a disco ball.

            “Seriously. A disco-ball,” Willa said.

            “This is so stupid,” we both said at the same time. We grinned at each other.

            “C’mon, losers,” Ariel said, dragging us through the main entrance, and then we were in the mass of dancing and talking students. Ariel excitedly went to talk to some of her classmates. Willa and I stood there awkwardly. Izzy Strauss caught site of me and smirked, pulling at Cynthia’s arm. Cynthia was wearing a black and gold striped tight dress. Her boobs looked so…not flat. They both giggled at me. I felt like an idiot.

            “C’mon,” Willa said, dragging me to the punch table. “Ignore them. You actually do look very nice.”

            I looked at her incredulously. She shrugged. “For once.” We both laughed. We sat at a table and talked for a few minutes, just drinking punch. Then I saw Ben.

            He looked so adorable in his suit and tie. He was laughing with his group of friends. I let out a small involuntary smile. There was just something about him. He emitted golden rays of light. He was still a jerk.

            My smile soured when I saw Cynthia trying to back into him, while dancing. Willa, always on top of her gossip, had told me that they were “together” and had kissed once or twice but that was it.