Lost Magic
Colorful streamers of yellow and green hung from the ceiling, some still taped to the walls, others with their ends adrift, reaching to the floor. The hallway was a jungle to navigate and excited students ran through it like exotic beasts on the prowl or natives anticipating the hunt.

"See you tonight! See you at the game!" a girl yelled before whirling around and bumping into Ivy, sending her books flying.

"Watch where you're going!" Ivy yelled.

"Freak," the girl snarled. "Why don't you get some real hair?" The girl flounced away in her short green skirt, pigtails flying.

Ivy bent to pick up her books while her friend Jen retrieved the ones along the opposite wall.

"I hate homecoming," Ivy said. "It's so pointless."

"Well, yeah," Jen said. "But there's the dance and all."

"Again I say: Pointless. The people in this school are so clueless. Like it makes a difference if our team beats shitty old Memorial Central. What does it matter to the world?"

"Ivy, lighten up," said Jen though she knew she was beating a dead horse. "Try to have some fun."

"Fun. Define?"

"I'm just saying...."

"Rob won't be going to the dance. Rob doesn't want to see me ever again."

"There are other guys. And I'll be there and Tracy and Kate. We'll all have fun together."

Ivy stopped and leaned against a row of lockers.

"It's just.... This all seems so pointless, Jen. What are we all doing here in this little hothouse when there's life out there to be had?"

Jen handed Ivy her lost books. "Maybe there's some life around here, too."

Ivy sneered. "Right," she gestured after the pigtailed girl. "Those cheerleaders are considered the top of the heap around here, along with the brainless hulks who'll be running around the field tonight before spreading manure on their fathers' fields tomorrow afternoon. And if you want to be a straight-A student and memorize all the dismal facts they tell you to, you can come in a distant second. But god forbid you want to live a real life!"

"Just come tonight!" Jen pleaded. "We'll have fun. We'll diss Rob!"

Ivy gave her a half-hearted grin.

"Maybe."

~ ~ ~

Ivy nervously smoothed the crimson velvet of her dress. She looked in the bathroom mirror and fussed with the one long black strand of hair that fell over her left eye. She wanted to look good enough that Rob would die when he saw her. She'd passed his car in the parking lot and had wanted to kick some ferocious dents in it with her boots. He'd said he wouldn't be here tonight. Said that maybe they should quit seeing each other for a while.

The door to the bathroom swung open and a trio of girls walked in, all pastels and big hair. Ivy relinquished the mirror to them and retreated to the hall. Music came echoing faintly from the gym, some atrocious Springsteen crap. Ivy practiced slinking down the hallway.

The gymnasium was dark but for the twinkling of the disco ball over the dance floor, otherwise known as the basketball court. Ivy stood in the doorway and peered in, looking for Jen or Tracy or anyone else she'd feel comfortable approaching. Finally to Ivy's relief, Jen materialized out of the darkness.

"Hey! You look great," Ivy said, admiring her black satin dress.

"Thanks," Jen giggled. "It was my sister's prom dress and I dyed it, but look!" She rubbed a hand vigorously over her hip then held it up to reveal a dark stain. "It's all over me."

Jen grabbed Ivy's hand and pulled her into the crowd, leading her across the gym to a table of friends.

"Have you seen Rob?" Ivy asked.

Jen glanced back at her, shrugged and pointed to her ears to say that the music was too loud, she couldn't hear her.

When they got to the table, Tracy and Kate hugged her.

"We're so glad you came," Tracy told her. "It just wouldn't be the same without you."

Doubt it, Ivy thought to herself and then felt guilty. She had good friends here. Why could she never appreciate the things she had?

Her mood lifted when the Springsteen song ended and the sweet, dark tones of Annie Lennox came over the speakers. The crowd at the table stood and they moved together out onto the floor to dance in a circle.

Oh, I want to travel the world and the seven seas, Ivy thought as she closed her eyes and grooved to the music.

Her reverie abruptly ended when a strong shove pushed her into the middle of the circle of dancers. She turned around to see a hulking football player with a blond girl, no longer pigtailed.

"Excuse me," the boy said gleefully, but the girl smiled slyly at Ivy before they moved away.

"What was that?" Tracy asked.

"He did that on purpose," Kate said. "I saw him." "Are you okay?" Jen asked.

Ivy shrugged them off.

"I'm fine," she said. "Just the same old shit."

They danced a few more songs until the DJ spun MC Hammer. Back at the table, Ivy scanned the crowd, her eyes now adjusted to the darkness. Finally, she spied him. Rob sat at a table on the opposite side of the gym with Linda Cass, vice-president of their sophomore class, and her friends. How could he, she thought? Ivy knew they lived near each other in town, but Rob had never shown any interest in her before. He'd always said that student government was an exercise for junior despots. What a night.

"I'm going to go get something to drink," Kate announced. "Anybody want to come?" Tracy and Jen stood.

"Don't you want something to drink?" Kate asked.

"Just bring me some arsenic," Ivy said. Kate frowned.

"Okay, bring me a Coke then."

While her friends were gone, the cheerleader flounced up to the table with three architecturally-coifed girls.

"We think you should leave, Ivy Andrews," the girl pronounced.

"Hmm. You know my name," Ivy observed.

"You show up looking like some freak. You didn't even go to the game, you don't deserve to be here."

"Well, I paid my dollar-fifty to get in and I'm a student here like the rest of you...."

"Bitch," one of the back-up girls chirped, apropos to nothing, looking around at the others for affirmation.

"We think you should leave before things get ugly," the cheerleader said.

"Like you," the back-up girl giggled.

Ivy stood and took a step toward them.

"What's going on here?" said a deep voice. All heads turned towards Mr. Fink, the principal. Jen stood behind him, looking worried.

"Oh, nothing," the cheerleader smiled sunnily to him. "We were just talking. Bye bye, Ivy." The rayon cloud moved away.

Mr. Fink turned and frowned at Jen before heading out to separate some students dancing too closely.

"What's going on?" Jen asked.

"Stupid bitches," Ivy replied.

"You know, maybe we should go," Jen offered. "We can go over to my basement and watch Friday Night Videos."

"I'm not going to run from them, Jen. What's the worst they can do? Pushing? Dissing my clothes? They'd like it if I got up and left so I can't do that."

"But it's not just the stupid girls; it's their gorilla boyfriends."

"They're harmless, Jen. Harmless and pointless. Come on, let's dance."

The Clash was on the stereo system and Ivy worked a lot of nervous energy out of her system bouncing on the floor. She was feeling a little better then a tap on her shoulder called her attention to Rob standing by her side. Nervousness overtook her.

"Hi," she said hopefully.

"Hi, Ivy. Look, I thought I should tell you because Linda told me, but that Andrea Dexter girl really has it in for you."

"What?"

"Well, Linda wanted me to keep quiet but I felt like I should tell you since we used to, you know, go out. I wouldn't put it past her to pull a Carrie or something."

"Oh my god, I can't believe this! We used to go out? Last Saturday night we spent three hours in the back of your car and now we used to go out?"

"Hey, chill, I was just trying to be helpful."

"No, you chill. And get out of my face."

Ivy pushed him away and stomped back to the table. Jen followed her, but Ivy jerked away from her. She was tired of the concern; it did no good. She straightened up and strode to the door. They would get their wish.

As she walked out the door, she heard the girl yell, "Bye bye, Ivy." Then a chorus of high-pitched laughter. She stopped. She couldn't let them get their wish. She turned and walked back to the dance floor. Yes, she would even bop to Robert Palmer to thwart their ugly cackles.

Jen joined her, then Tracy and Kate. They danced together, occasionally getting a shove or stomped toe from Andrea's crowd. Ivy ignored them and kept on dancing. The Cure came over the speakers like a benediction.

I am lost and lonely, she thought. I am dancing in the deepest ocean, but I won't let them see me cry.