Chapter Five: Torn
It was the one week a year that was split the student body neatly into two: Homecoming. The popular, socially adept ones looked forward to it, the unpopular, socially awkward, hoped it would never happen.
Tara was one of the former. As one of the most popular seniors, she had high and realistic hopes of being crowned Queen. She cheered on our football team at the big game, showered school spirit.
I didn't exactly cower, but it wasn't my favourite week. I'd gotten exactly two invites to the dance, turned down both of them and had resolved to spend the evening babysitting Lissie.
Will Hunter and Tara had planned to go. However, three days before the dance he had mortally offended her by not denying it quickly enough when she called herself fat, so she had arranged to go instead with Aidan, after endless prodding had failed to get him to invite me. Thank God.
"Joey, you're sure you don't mind?" asked Mom nervously. Dad was leaning against the front door, dressed uncomfortably in a suit. She hovered between me and him, dressed in a short black dress that made set off her skin and hair incredibly, looking terribly nervous at me babysitting when I 'should' have been at homecoming.
"It's not my thing," I assured her, for the thousandth time.
"Okay, if you're sure. Goodnight," she said, leaning up to kiss my cheek.
"Mom," I said, suddenly curious. "Were you homecoming Queen?"
"Yes, of course. We have to go, we have reservations. Goodnight guys!" she called out.
I wandered into the kitchen, where Charlie and Lissie were eating grilled cheese sandwiches in perfect silence.
"Why aren't you going out too?" asked Lissie, swallowing a mouthful.
"It's really not my thing," I explained.
A cry suddenly split the air:
"JOEY!" came Tara's high, panicked voice. I smiled at the two of them before racing upstairs.
"Tara?" I said, entering her room slowly.
"What the hell are these?" she shrieked. She spun around in her vanity chair and I saw red mark spreading through her normally clear skin. I approached her and studied them, my heart sinking as I realized what they were.
"You've got chicken pocks," I mumbled. She shrieked again.
"I can't have chicken pocks! I'm a shoe in for Homecoming Queen! Aidan's going to be here in like three minutes! And look at this dress!" she ordered. I looked at the red dress draped over her chair.
"You have to rest. I'll run you a bath," I called over my shoulder. How had she never had chicken pocks? I'd contracted it at seven, how had I conceivably not passed it along?
Tara moaned as she took down her hair and stepped into the bath I'd drawn her, casually itching a spot on her neck. I almost pitied her. It was important to her.
We both cursed as the doorbell rang. Pushing my hair behind my ears and straightening out my shirt, I ran down to get it.
Aidan was waiting, not exactly looking stricken by love but at least in anticipation. I frowned when I saw the corsage in his hand.
"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.
"Tara's sick. She has chicken pox," I admitted.
"What, she didn't have it when we all did?" he said in surprise.
"Guess not. So are you going to stag, or go home?" I asked.
"Who are you going with?" he asked, eyeing my normally baggy clothing.
"God, have you met me?"
"Come with me. Please? It's my only pass at being a total loser," he begged.
"As friends. You're not to feel me up," I ordered, smiling.
"Fine, whatever. Hurry up, go," he instructed.
I ran upstairs and went back into the bathroom. Tara looked up at me in irritation when I did so, obviously angry at the world for messing up her perfect night.
"Uh, Aidan's here," I said awkwardly.
"Still?"
"Yeah. Um, since you're kind of unavailable and people wouldn't notice if he wasn't there and only losers go to dances without dates do you mind if we…"
"Go? Hurry up, you'll be late," she said, winking at me. I surprised myself by grinning in gratitude before running to her room to get her dress.
I looked at myself with anxiety when I had it on. The dress had been made for Tara's shorter frame, but worked on mine as well, the only downside being that it was even shorter on me. It wasn't the kind of thing I'd normally wear in a million years, but I knew it was my only option. The bodice clung to my upper body, accenting my curves. The skirt was of floatier material that was wont to flare out when I twirled. I undid the elastic around my messy bun, let my hair flow down my back and grabbed Tara's matching handbag. Because I knew she'd never forgive me if I didn't, I stopped in to see her in the bathroom again.
"You look hot, little sis. Now go," she said, laughing weakly. She got up, wrapped a towel around herself and went downstairs to go watch the kids in my place.
I nervously walked down the front steps in Tara's tall black sandals, clutching the rail nervously. I smiled in relief when Aidan offered me his hand.
"You okay? You look like you're liable to topple at any moment. Ready to go?" he asked.
"Wait a second. What do you think?" I asked, keeping his hand and twirling around on the spot, letting my hair fly out and my skirt flare, tantalizingly revealing my toned thighs.
"Gorgeous. Come on, we're late," he said.
We were unusually silent in the car, both aware of how different this was from our normal relations. We'd grown up together, done everything together, imagined and encountered the 'next step' a thousand times each, but had never yet considered stepping over it.
Tree Hill High was noisy, loud and exciting. Hand in hand we walked in, very aware of the prying eyes on either side of us, eyes always waiting for what we were currently giving them and probably never would again.
The gym was full of dancing couples, swaying to the slow song coming through the sound system. In my imagination, the gym went completely silent for a moment while the two of us walked in.
"Might as well give them something to talk about," I whispered. Keeping his hand, I put my free one on his shoulder while his other rested on the small of my back. I felt a shock at his unusually close touch.
"This is weird," he commented, a moment later.
"Too weird. And people think we're soul mates," I agreed.
"People are bound to, what with your parents," he said.
"Yeah. Damn them," I half-joked.
"They were lucky," he said.
"I guess. But it's so freaky. There were like younger than you, older than me, when they got married. Can you even imagine?" I asked.
"God no. But I also can't imagine having four kids. Your parents are nuts," he said. I smiled. We were back in our comfort zone.
"You know I actually feel bad for Tara? She was actually looking forward to this," I said.
"You and her could get along better if you tried harder to understand her," he said.
"What's there to understand? She's shallow and materialistic and we couldn't be more different," I said.
"See, that's your problem. Tara foils most of them with her shallow exterior, and she foils you too. She's deeper than that. You should know that," he said.
"She only sees me as a jock, completely different from her. If I'm guilty, we're both of us guilty of the same crime," I said stubbornly.
"How can you two be some distant? You used to worship her," he reminded her. Memories swirled through my head-me trying on her clothing, copying her talking, following her around the house.
"She used to sanction it," I whispered, as the song ended. I stole a glance at Aidan-was he in love with her?
We retreated back to a table as a faster song came on, and spoke of more neutral, comfortable topics.
"Is it completely pathetic that I'm getting all sentimental seeing you looking all grown up?" asked Nathan, stopping by our table. He was chaperoning.
"I don't look grown up, I look slutty," I corrected. He laughed.
"Sure. You should have seen what Brooke wore to hers," said Nathan. I discreetly nodded my head toward Aidan.
"You mean my mother? Thanks," said Aidan, looking slightly horrified. I giggled.
"Don't worry, I'm sure my mom's did too," I said consolingly. Nathan laughed again and managed to halt his own words.
"No comment. Have fun," he said, running off to a group of teenagers apparently passing around a joint.
"What were we talking about?" I asked.
"Six o'clock."
"Time?" I asked in bewilderment.
"Hey Duchess," came a voice from behind me. I quickly realized my error and blushed.
"What do you want Hunter?" I asked. He came to stand in front of me.
"I was just making sure it was you," he said.
"It's me. Bye bye," I said.
"You cut me deep. Where's Tara?" he asked.
"Sick," I said shortly, folding my arms. His eyes fell immediately.
"You know I've seen you looking like a girl more than once, yet it never fails to surprise me," he said.
"It's because I'm showing lots of cleavage. Why are you still here?" I asked. Will Hunter was an embodiment of everything I hated-arrogance, cockiness, self assuredness.
"Want do dance?" he asked, shrugging off my comment.
"No."
"Why not?" asked Will.
"Because I don't want to. And FYI, I'm not going to end up sleeping with you, so what's the point?" I asked.
"Duly noted. Now come on," he said, taking my hand as another slow song came on.
Against my better judgment, I allowed him to lead me to the dance floor and wrap an arm around my waist, resting his hand on the small of my back.
"I like your dress," he said.
"You're a male chauvinistic pig," I remarked. After a shocked silence, he laughed.
"You're nothing if not unpredictable," he said.
"It's Tara's," I explained.
"I figured as much. Didn't think it was really your style."
"Yeah, completely not. She has chicken pox. I was going to stay home and baby-sit, but she convinced me to come," I said.
"Glad she did," he said. His hand slid down to rest on my ass and for a startled moment I let it stay there before reaching back and removing it.
"You can't play me," I said, giving him back his hand and walking smoothly back to Aidan.