Page 2 of The Marriage Pact
“There’s Casey and Joe. Doesn’t she look different with her hair up?” Kaitlyn exclaimed, waving to one of their fellow mathletes, who was just pulling into the parking lot, driving her date, who also waved.
“It’s going to be quite a night,” Alex said.
Betsy seemed relieved when her engine was turned off, and Alex jumped out of the car and came to help Kaitlyn with her dress. She wasn’t used to making a graceful exit from a car in a ball gown and almost tripped over the hem as she did so. The honking of horns and cheers from a group of students announced the arrival of the Pinkies. There were no shuddering enginesthere. Music was blaring from the car speakers as a convoy of cheerleaders, each with their respective dates, were driven into the parking lot.
“Here’s the ticker-tape parade. Jump up and down with a pompom in hand, and let your cleavage do the talking,” Kaitlyn whispered.
Alex laughed.
“Would you want to be a Pinkie?” he asked.
Kaitlyn shook her head. Having been on the receiving end of many a Pinkie put-down, she knew perfectly well who she’d rather be.
“We’ll always be the mathletes,” she replied, smiling at him.
The Pinkies were being welcomed with bunches of flowers and fake tiaras by those girls who aspired to join their ranks. Felicity Baxter, dressed as though she were marrying a Hollywood A-lister, had just stepped out from the enormous tinted-windowed SUV that had brought her to the prom. Her dad worked in finance, and her mom sold cosmetics to celebrities. Cameras flicked, and Felicity fluttered her eyelids and waved. Kaitlyn rolled her eyes.
“Come on. We’d better get to the punch before someone spikes it,” Alex said.
The two of them pushed their way through the crowd of Pinkies and their sycophants, making their way into the high school, past the lockers and into the auditorium, now transformed from lunchtime cafeteria to glittering prom hall. The decorating committee had been working hard; it looked wonderful, with silver drapes catching the glittering light of the disco ball, and the stage erected for the crowning of the prom king and queen.
“Who do you think it’s going to be?” Kaitlyn said, knowing the answer full well.
Alex smiled.
“Not us, that’s for certain. Come on, let’s get a drink. There’s Sean and Rachel.”
Their fellow mathletes, and joint champions of the school’s most recent chess tournament, were sitting together at one of the little tables. They’d been together since the eighth grade. They were a cute couple, and Kaitlyn had been relieved to learn they were both going to the same college. She couldn’t imagine them breaking up. They were made for one another.
“I love your dress,” Rachel exclaimed as Kaitlyn and Alex joined them at the table.
Rachel was wearing a peach-colored gown and looked very elegant. She was naturally pretty — blond, with blue eyes, and a smiling face. Sean was always well-dressed. He liked to look good, and because his mom ran a clothes store in town, he always had something new to wear. Tonight, he was dressed in a light-blue tux and yellow bow tie, which would’ve looked garish on anyone else, but seemed to suit him well, especially with his new, broad-rimmed glasses.
“You look so pretty,” Kaitlyn replied, smiling at Rachel as she sat down next to her.
The Pinkies were entering the auditorium now, led by Felicity and her boyfriend Joel. They were acting like they’d already been crowned prom king and queen, making straight for the dance floor, where several couples were already slow dancing, with hands on hips and loving looks on their faces.
“Is that Miss Gunter dancing with Mr. Berloski?” Alex whispered, pointing to where their math teacher was being led around the floor by the football coach, his arms firmly around her waist.
“I saw them in Denny’s the other day eating ice cream together,” Kaitlyn replied. “He’s always waiting for her after school.”
Alex shook his head and smiled.
“Everyone has a date.”
Kaitlyn was relieved not to be the one left out. Alex had asked her as a joke back at the start of the year, but the joke seemedless so now. It could’ve been serious if they hadn’t been moving a thousand miles apart.
Oh, it’s not worth thinking about. I don’t want us to make promises we can’t keep.
It was sad, but practical, and an unhappy reminder of the difference between her and Rachel.
“Are you two coming to dance?” Rachel asked.
Kaitlyn nodded.
“In a minute. Let the Pinkies have their turn.”
The Pinkies had taken over the dance floor, but to Rachel and Sean’s credit, they now joined the throng, the music having upped its tempo, so that even Mr. Berloski and Miss Gunter were moving with enthusiasm. Kaitlyn and Alex sat at the table with their punch.
