Page 83 of The Heiress
Epilogue
Phoenix
The message alert wentout on the whole senior class chat at 6:55 pm:T&J live performance for Beth’s Party, 7:15 La Maison, be there or miss out!
Within seconds, a continuous stream of messages blew up our phones:T&J? Is this serious? Are you kidding? Beth VDW? The real T&J? No way! Is it free? Where is it?
No questions were answered; a repeat of the original message sent again at 7:00 pm. By 7:05 pm, the first carload of kids arrived at the hotel—Cullen, his girlfriend Sierra, and her brother, Sawyer. Minutes later there were more cars, a growing crowd of kids milling around. The group chat exploded, and at 7:10, when Siri, Phoebe, Charlotte and Leylah turned up, I knew Elisha’s plan was going to work.
Three luxury coaches and a stretch limousine were parked outside La Maison, the excitement level at fever pitch as kids who should’ve been heading to Addison’s masquerade party were asking questions.
A young guy, maybe early 20s, swished back platinum blond hair and dressed in black, tapped a microphone.
“Yes, it’s T&J,” he said to the mob who were all asking the same question. “If you want to see them perform at this exclusive venue, you need to jump on the bus. Cars are not allowed. We leave in eight minutes.”
Jump on or be left behind was the cry, and at precisely 7:15, the doors to the coaches closed. The last person to board was Bianca Holbrun, her red Mercedes parked haphazardly in a parking spot. Seemed the temptation had been too great and she didn’t want to risk missing out. I turned to Elisha, expecting to see a self-satisfied smirk, but her look was almost remorseful.
I squeezed her arm. “Hey, it’s all good.”
“But what about Addison?”
“She’s getting what she deserves,” I said, dropping a reassuring peck on her cheek. It was hard to tell if she smiled or grimaced.
Elisha and I joined Beth, Taylor, Max, Millie, Tennessee, Cullen, Sierra, Sawyer and several juniors from Whitney Hall in the limo. It led the coaches up to the Whittaker mansion, the journey not nearly long enough to enjoy all the food and beverage treats it offered.
There were collective gasps as the kids entered the huge clear domed tent atop Tuttle Hill. A stage and dance floor had been set up at one end, while round tables occupied the other, ritzy enough to look like we were attending a celebrity wedding.
Phones lit up when T&J hit the stage, and when Beth was called up to dance with the band, she beckoned the girls from Whitney Hall, including Elisha, to join her. Standing to the side of the dance floor, I watched Elisha in awe, pretty in a pink dress, amazed that she’d pulled this together, a night to remember for sure. A hand tapped my shoulder, and I turned to see Mom dressed in a black pant suit I’d never seen before, her hair up in a tight bun making her look like a teenager, beaming as bright as the hundreds of fairy lights that lit up the tent.
“I wondered where you were!” I had to shout to be heard, but my eyes popped to see Mr. Frank standing a few feet behind her.
“Brandon agreed to be a chaperone,” Mom said breezily. “Isn’t this the greatest?” Mom grooved to the beat, swaying her hips like she was a hardcore T&J fan. “Dance with me, Phoe!”
She grabbed my hands and pulled us onto the dance floor. Mr. Frank gave a relieved nod, glad that he’d escaped the task. There was no time to be self-conscious or embarrassed—it was happening whether I liked it or not. And dancing had been one of my goals, though I hadn’t envisioned it being with my Mom.
There were a lot of things to be thankful for that night. Simple stuff like my hips and legs moving, my Mom’s smile, Taylor pulling her Dad onto the dance floor and the two of us switching partners, making our parents dance together.
As T&J took a short costume change break, I looked around for Elisha. She wasn’t with Beth and the dorm girls who were at the front, nor with Millie who was in a tight hold with Tennessee. And then the buzz in the room lowered, heads turning to the back of the tent.
Addison O’Day stood there in a slinky gold gown, holding a box wrapped in shiny red paper, looking rather sheepish, flanked by four girls who no doubt had been forced to stay behind at her party. Mom and Brandon appeared and ushered them in, and that’s when I saw Elisha right behind them.
My heart beat manically and I dashed over to her. Her big brown eyes stared at me apologetically.
“Sorry,” she said with a flinching glance. “I just felt so bad. I didn’t want them to miss out.”
The crowd of kids parted as Addison approached Beth. “Happy birthday, Beth,” she said, her voice thin as she handed her the gift. It was likely one of her rejects, but you had to be mildly impressed that she’d had the courage to show up. The whole class knew that no one had turned up to her party, which had to be the greatest shame and humiliation ever. Beth, unperturbed on what was obviously one of her best days at Covington Prep, accepted the gift and pulled Addison into a hug. Everyone cheered.
