After school, I take a toll of my day. Seven freshman, two sophomores, one Goth junior, and one extremely zitty senior that I’ve never even seen before have all asked me to the dance. I’m at such a loss, I’ve considered taking my brother Nate with me or—even worse—I’ve almost considered asking my sister Kelsey to get me a date. (She’s only a sophomore, but she’s one of those in the limelight all the effing time. Nate, on the other hand, is a braniac and an utter dork.)

Still wallowing in disbelief and depression, I head over to KSBN, the radio station I’ve worked at for three years. This year they’ve finally given me a three hour slot to be in charge of my own show.

My phone goes off as I walk into the building—it’s Lyz.

“Hey, what’s up?” I say.

“Did you know Seth got his letter from the university?”

I sigh. “And he didn’t open it. I know.”

“What is up with that?” She screeches.

“I know!” I nod at my manager, Jerry, as I come in. “He said he’s afraid of what it might say.”

“More like he’s afraid to leave you—oh. Hey. Completely changing the subject: Bear found out he got the scholarship!”

“Huh?” I missed the first part. I think. “That’s great! For football?”

“No, he’s a science wiz. Of course, dufus.”

I plop down in my Chair of Power and flip on some tunes.

“Anyway,” Lyz continues. “Date yet?”

“Not unless I wanna go with a pubescent boy or a freak.”

“Oh, well, if you want—and he’s making me say this—Chip from work is offering to take you.”

“Pierced Chip or Sweaty Chip?” Lyz works in the fast food industry, so go figure.

“Um…Sweaty Chip? But I’m sure Pierced Chip would go with you if you wanted.”

“Thanks Lyz, but I’ll pass.” I roll my eyes at my coworker, Sarah, through the window that separates our studios. “I think I’ll just go by myself.”

“Ow. Okay, bye!”

Why do I attract all of the losers?


Three days later and a week before the dance, my letter from the college comes. My parents are all sentimental and my mom actually takes my picture while having me reenact the opening of the letter.

Then we sit around and have my favorite meal (pizza topped with tomatoes and pineapple) and some cake, and all I want to do is go shopping. I had texted Lyz before dinner started. She took pity on my dateless self and offered to buy me a fancy dress. She told me it was for getting accepted, but I know it’s more of a sympathy move. (Lyz is pretty much rich for a teenager, because her parents hardly use any when they’re living with the natives wherever they are, and they feel kind of guilty dumping her off all the time, so she gets whatever she wants.) She also told me Seth was coming, and we could pester him about his letter from the university on the way to the mall.

All I have to do is escape my family—which is proving difficult, because my dad keeps shoving pizza down my throat and my mom looks to be on the verge of tears. Luckily, the doorell rings as my mother takes another picture, and Seth walks in.

“Oh, hello dear,” my mom regains her composure. “Would you like some cake?”

He laughs, and again I notice how attractive that is. What is wrong with me?

“No, thanks, Mrs. D.” He replies, turning to me. “Ready to go?”

“Huh? Go where?”

“Uh, go.” He says, raising his eyebrows, and I’m majorly puzzled.

“Uhhh yeah, let’s go.”

My mother starts to object, but stops and shoves us out the door saying, “Go on, go have fun.” Then she shuts the door and I hear her yell at dad, “Our baby’s growing up!”

I roll my eyes and turn to Seth as we walk down the path. “Go where?”

“Huh? Oh, nowhere. We’ve got to wait for Lyz anyway.” He shrugs and smiles. “I saw you through the kitchen window. You looked like you wanted to choke on your pizza, that’s all.”

A bubble of laughter escapes my lips and I lean against him.

“Thanks. She even took my picture, dude. While I opened the letter.”

“I believe it,” He laughs and puts his arm around my shoulders, just as a bright green Volkswagon comes roaring down the street with bubble-pop music loud enough to hear blocks and blocks away.

“Aha, there she blows.” Seth says as Lyz pulls over next to us. I shove him and run toward the car.

“Shotty! I call!”

We race to the curb and I grab the door handle just as Seth picks me up and places me behind him, and crawls into the front seat. Disgruntled, but not dismayed, I climb in after him and sit between Seth and Lyz.

“Good God, you two. I have a back seat, you know.” She rolls her eyes and puts the car into gear. “Pathetic, much?”

“You’re just jealous of our athletic ability.” Seth says with a smirk.

“Yeah,” I chime in. “Because the only athletic talent you have is the ability to get up off of the couch and make it to the fridge.”

“Hey!” Lyz says, feigning wounded. “I resent that!”

“Really?”

“Of course not. You’re absolutely right.”


For the rest of the ride to the mall, we’re all too busy singing loudly to all of the songs on the radio (and in mine and Lyz’s case, off key—Seth’s the only good one,) to nag Seth about his letter.

When we enter the mall, Lyz grabs my arm and starts dragging me into the nearest department store, and I grab Seth’s hand and drag him after me. He looks mighty excited to be going into the girl’s dress section, that’s for sure.

Lyz makes Seth sit outside in the lobby so he can’t see what dress I choose (because it’s a “surprise”—her word, not mine) and makes me try on dress after dress. I may have the high fashion sense, but Lyz is definitely is the more seasoned shopper, not to mention the one with the money, so I put on whatever she tells me to. Finally, we agree on one: a shimmery, dark-red dress that barely drags behind me on the floor—even with my stilettos on. It’s pretty much to die for.

“Finally,” Seth complains when we go get him. “I thought you guys had died. Or were eaten by the dressing room monster.”

“Hardy-har-har,” Lyz glares at him. “Of course not. Beauty takes time, you know.”

“Like you would.” He jokes, and she shoves him off of the bench.

Lyz pays for my dress and we wander around the mall for a bit, until she sees one of those photo booth things, and she decides that it would be awesome if all three of us squeeze into the booth and take pictures. It’s fine with me—she’s paying again—so we shove ourselves in, and I end up sitting with one cheek on each of their laps, because I’m the lightest.

It’s totally fun; Lyz makes us pose this way and that, because she can’t help it. She’s naturally bossy, in case you haven’t noticed. Like me. We do all of the goofy faces, serious faces, and smiling faces we can think of, and Lyz makes us go through shoot after shoot.

“I need memories, guys. Lots of memories.” She says the last bit through a smile as the camera snaps another photo.

“Yeah, because we’ve made absolutely none in the past four years.” Seth says, which makes me laugh really hard, and three seconds later the booth takes our picture again; I’m with my mouth wide open. I look like a freaking piranha.

I’m still laughing as we bust out of the booth. Lyz gathers up all eight of the photo strips and divvies them up between us, saving two for Bear, who was at work. I find the picture of me as a piranha, and it makes me smile when I see Lyz with her mouth wide open, also. Except she’s saying something instead of laughing. Then I see Seth in the same picture, and it stops me in my tracks. He doesn’t have his mouth open or anything, he’s just kind of…looking at me. Half smiling, half not. Just looking.

“C’mon,” I hear him say, and his voice sounds far away. I look up and see him looking at me the same way as in the picture. “Let’s go in the chocolate store and eat all of the free samples!”

“Yeah!” Lyz agrees. “Let’s see how long we can last ’til they kick us out again!”

They laugh and start off, and Seth turns back to me as Lyz skips on ahead.

“Coming?”

“Yeah,” Something’s definitely happening here.