Page 22 of The Perfect Play

“Not bad, Pen,” Kate said, pausing in reapplying her mascara. “When did you get that one?”

I tried to find the words, but it seemed my mind had no real explanation. It had been one of my mother’s shirts, one of the many she left behind when she’d gone to start her new life. With the other guy. Dad had done a massive overhaul of his closet when he realized she wasn’t coming back, and I’d managed to grab a few things I’d always liked.

Not that I’d ever worn any of them, but as much as I hated her still, a part of me missed what we’d had in those shining moments when she’d wanted to be a mom.

“It’s been in there for a while,” I said finally, blowing out a breath. Kate was the only one who knew even a sliver about my mom, and I didn’t want to have to tell the entire story to the rest. I wasn’t ready for that yet.

My thoughts turned to what Jake had said earlier at school. Maybe whatever he’d been through was just as bad as when my mom left, too painful to talk about just yet. We’d always been able to talk about everything, but I was beginning to realize that some of life’s problems take much longer to process than others.

“Put it on, Penny,” Serena said, bouncing on my bed a few times.

I slipped into the closet and pulled on my one pair of skinny jeans that Brynn had made me buy the previous summer. The blouse fit comfortably around my sides, feeling much more comfortable than the skin-tight shirt they’d wanted me to wear originally.

I walked out of the closet, not even trying to pose. If they weren’t going to agree to this ensemble, I wasn’t going to the party.

“That looks way good!” Kate said, clapping loudly.

“With your hair done, you look like you’re in college.” Brynn grinned, waving me over with the curling iron in her hand. She’d taken the time to style my hair, which was taking much longer than the last time I’d actually done it. Probably because there were several more inches than before.

Serena stood and grinned. “Yay for Penny finally joining us for a night out.”

I turned as much as I could with my hair twirled around a hot iron and pointed to her. “If there’s anything off after fifteen minutes, I’m gone.”

The girls chuckled and gathered their things. Brynn sprayed my hair with a cloud of hairspray once again and used a comb to smooth back some of the sides. Looking in the mirror, I almost did a double-take. It wasn’t like we’d had an all-day makeover, but the little makeup I’d agreed to let them apply actually accentuated several features of my face, and I couldn’t help but smile.

I’d never been into makeup. I’d always thought my mother caked it on, and since I was usually out running with the boys while growing up, it would have smeared, melted, or been wiped off, defeating the purpose. But I could enjoy a little bit for one night.

We climbed into Kate’s new SUV and headed in the direction of the school. The Jeffersons had a son who was a senior, and when they threw a party, I’d heard it was epic. Okay, maybe not epic-epic, as any gathering at the Montgomery place was considered something that couldn’t be replicated. That was what Serena said anyway.

As we got closer to the larger home on the other side of town, my stomach twisted into knots, and I felt like I was running out of air. I pushed the button to roll down the window a bit and enjoyed the fresh air coming in. Slow, deep breaths helped to untangle some of the knots.

“I hope James is there,” Serena said, her fingers tapping the screen of her phone with an intensity I’d only seen from her during volleyball games.

“Didn’t you already go on a date with him?” I asked, turning my face back to the window.

The girls chuckled, and I turned to see them staring at me.

Serena rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t a date. He invited a bunch of other people to tag along. But I’m determined to get an individual date this time.”

“This is why you need to hang out with us more, Penny,” Brynn said from the passenger seat. “It isn’t the same when you’re not here.”

I sighed and nodded. “Thanks for being patient with me. I know I’m not the easiest person to hang out with all the time.”

“We’ve all got our thing. Sometimes we just have to branch out.” Kate smiled at me through the rearview mirror, and something in her eyes gave me an assurance that I’d be okay. From what or at what time, I wasn’t sure, but it was a relaxing feeling I hadn’t had in longer than I could remember.

Cars were already lined up down the street and in the cul-de-sac where the Jeffersons lived.

“Looks like we’re going to be walking a bit, girls,” Kate said, turning the wheel to head back to the end of the street where a spot had been open.

“This always happens when I choose to wear heels,” Serena complained, sticking her phone into a small black clutch.

Brynn laughed. “At least you can wear heels. I already tower over most of the student body at Rosemont. To add heels to that would be like watching a circus performer.”

We all burst out laughing at that as Kate parked the car. Getting out and looking down the road at the large house helped sober me. Why had I agreed to this?

As if reading my thoughts, Kate grabbed my arm and gently pulled me behind the other two girls. “You’ll be fine. Just relax and have fun. I’ll be with you the whole time,” she whispered.

As much as I trusted her, she was the complete opposite of me with a big crowd. It was as though her already outgoing personality got kicked up several notches and my social awkwardness only got worse. One of the reasons I stuck to my small group, the softball field, and books. I felt more confident in those situations.

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