Page 34 of Calm Before the Score

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Her giddy demeanor drops and turns serious. Liza is rarely serious about anything.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Locke and I were in a situationship last year, and he brought me as his date. The night ended in an argument, so we both went home with other people.” She shrugs.

“What’s the deal with Locke? He acts like he’s all about you but then does stupid stuff to make you jealous.”

“Locke and I are complicated. We’ve never officially dated, but we hook up off and on. Last year, I was gone for him and didn’t realize what we were at the time. Now I know that we’re nothing to each other.”

“What?! You’re a ten and deserve so much more than his games. He’s an idiot if he doesn’t realize what’s in front of him.”

“Thanks, bestie. I’m trying, but he’s hard to say no to. He’s hot and gets me when I’m weak. I rationalize my behavior by telling myself it’s for the plot.”

“If you’re not going to the banquet with Locke, who are you going with?” I ask with curiosity. Liza doesn’t boy-hop and throw herself at the team like some of the others do. They do all seem to really like her, though.

“Please don’t be mad.” She makes prayer hands and closes one eye.

“You’re making me nervous. Spit it out.”

“Hartley.” She quickly covers her face and peaks through her fingers.

“What?" I throw a quick glance her way before facing the road. "I love this." My right arm reaches over to squeeze hers. "How did he ask you? Please tell me he did something sweet.”

I mean, Ryan just laid it out there and asked me abruptly, but I expect Hartley to be a little extra. I gush over my two best friends going to the banquet together. For as long as I’ve known Hartley, he has never had a serious girlfriend, but I would ship these two one hundred and ten percent. He's been acting off lately, and I'm wondering if it has to do with Liza being around the apartment more.

“It’s not like that. Hartley and I have been acquaintances since freshman year, and he can’t stand the way Locke treats women. We've been hanging out more since he agreed to help me with my art portfolio. He told me he didn’t have a date and asked if I wanted to go with him. I agreed. For the plot and all.”

“I love this for the both of you and would never be mad. If Hartley screws your night up, I will hurt him.” I look at her with a fake threat in my eyes. We both laugh as we park at the mall. After walking through the mall to assess our options, we decide on a small boutique rather than a bigger department store.

We begin looking through racks of beautiful gowns. They are all different, but I’m drawn to the sparkly ones. Liza encourages me to try on more edgy and sexy dresses than I usually would. We thought it would be fun to pick out dresses for each other. Liza is up first. She comes out of the fitting room with a long satin dress. The deep plum color is mesmerizing and highlights her olive skin. Her blonde hair is the perfect contrast against the dark color. It has a deep v-cut down the front showcasing her filled-out chest. She’s stunning.

“I love it. This is the one,” I say with eager mini claps.

“What?" No way. This is the first dress. Youneverbuy the first dress. Plus, this one is too grandma for me. I need something more dramatic,” she replies while admiring her figure in the mirror.

“Grandma? Hartley will have a heart attack when he sees you in this.” I know his jaw will hit the floor for her. They are goingas friends, but he would have to be blind not to be attracted to her in this.

“Myfriendmay love it, but I don’t.” She winks and saunters back into the fitting room.

“Fine. Let me see more options.”

This girl time is all I have ever wanted, and I’m soaking in every minute of this shopping trip. After five more no’s, she comes out in a breathtaking gold gown. This dress is stunning. Instead of a v-cut, there is a low scoop neck that gathers together. It fits her body like a glove and mermaids out at the bottom. It is studded from top to bottom with beaded jewels. When she moves to see every angle of herself in the mirror, the light catches the jewels. She looks like a Greek goddess.

“Liza, it’s gorgeous—” I can’t even finish my sentence. She better pick this dress.

“This is the one.” She admires herself in the mirror and squeals in excitement. Once Liza is changed, it’s my turn to try on the choices Liza picked for me. I start sorting them into a yes and no pile before I try any on. A light tapping hits the door. “Before you say no to any, you have to try them all on first.”She knows me too well.

The first few dresses are automatic yeses for Liza, but absolute no’s for me. I want to look sexy for Ryan, but I feel uncomfortable in low-cut dresses. I don’t have much of a chest, and dresses that accentuate my boobs bring more attention to that. I’ve never been confident in my figure. I’m usually the wallflower by my outgoing friend. I’ve been a staple by Hartley’s side, but it’s time for me to come into my own.

My final option is a black satin dress. When I put it on and turn to look in the mirror, I barely recognize the girl in front of me. It's a high neck that ties around the back. It makes me look much taller than I am. When I turn around to look at the back, I’m speechless. It is completely open from where it ties atthe neck down to the band of my panties. This is a dress I never thought I would be in. I step into the main area to show Liza, really hoping she likes this one. Before I can make it completely out of the fitting room, Liza gasps and puts her hands over her mouth, doing a little tap with both feet.

“What do you think?” I ask with a plastered smile.

“I think you will have every pair of eyes on you. Vi. You look amazing. The back of this dress ishot.” She spins me around and prods every inch of the material wrapped around me. We head to the cashier and buy the sparkly gold dress for her and the black dress for me. On the drive home, I anxiously anticipate the moment Ryan sees me in it.

Ryan

It’s banquet night, and I couldn’t be less excited. I have a lot on my mind. A fancy dinner and glorified prom is not priority number one. Thank god I have Violet to bring with me. I would never make it through the night without her calm presence.

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