Chapter 9 – Homecoming

The homecoming dance came on Saturday night.

Everyone was excited for the dance after J.V. triumphed over the Junior Varsity Stillwater Panthers (without Milton Ryerson's scathing commentary – apparently, his commentary during the J.V.-Varsity exhibition was so bad, he'd gotten suspended from commentating at the home games as well as writing reports for the paper, and everyone was much happier, and Milton was much quieter at school since he'd been gagged in more ways than one – everyone supposed he learned his lesson). This victory for J.V. only increased morale, and everyone came to accept that Gordy was an effective captain; he inspired the boys on J.V. to do their best consistently, and Coach Vargas was especially pleased with the team's performance.

Even Varsity, surprisingly enough, won their game, too. The homecoming dance was a Minnetonka Prep tradition and a highly competitive time, too. The homecoming king, queen, princes, and princesses were crowned the night of the dance, and everyone who was nominated was expected to show up. During homecoming week, the nominees were announced: Katie Vargas was one of the nominees for the junior class homecoming princess, and her brother Spencer was nominated for homecoming prince, while Sofi, surprisingly enough, was in the running, along with Maya, for sophomore homecoming princess. It was no mystery among the sophomore class that a year ago, Teddi and the girls were nothing more than one big joke to everyone. But when she heard that Evan and Logan were in the running, as well, for sophomore homecoming princes, she knew that it was serious. Plus, Tommy Phillips was one of the nominees for homecoming king, which was to be expected – he was the most popular guy in the senior class, had a lot of friends from both the upper and underclassmen, and was known around school for being exceptionally friendly and nice to everyone. While Teddi initially didn't want to go, when she heard her friends were nominated for the title of prince and princess, she felt she had to go, if only to support them.

However, there was pressure to find a dress. The night before the dance, she'd been at the local mall with Maya, who fortunately had a killer fashion sense and found her something that looked really good: a cocktail-length, fit-and-flare, bright red number that was really tight on top with spaghetti straps and had a bow detailing in the back. It made shopping painless for her, which, compared to shopping for her sweet sixteen dress, was a sigh of relief for Teddi, who was already struggling enough with her new body as is.

Luckily, gold jewelry looked really good with the color red because the key to her ensemble was her watch, the watch that her grandfather had given to her father for his thirteenth birthday, which Charlie had given to her as her twelfth birthday gift; the watch was something she continued wearing every day, and she never took it off unless she was playing a game or practicing. She was also glad that Logan would match her in a dark red dress shirt and khaki slacks. As she got dressed that night in her bedroom, though, a new surge of anxiety settled over her. It wasn't that she looked bad, per se. She just felt nervous, knowing this was her first homecoming dance; she hadn't gone last year at all, but because her friends were nominated for the homecoming court, she felt she had to go out of obligation.

Connie did her makeup while Julie did her hair; the plan was that Billy, Gordy, Evan, Tommy, Logan, Sofi, Lauren, Maya, Teddi, and Finley would all be going as a group, with Gordy taking Lauren as his "date." Finley would accompany Billy as friends, while those already having dates were going as couples. Those who were lucky scored dates – Jace was going with Valentina Mendoza. Spencer was taking his girlfriend, a cheerleader named Krista Hughes, whom he'd gotten together with at the end of the previous school year. Katie, on the other hand, was going with Justin Maywood.

Teddi kept her eyes closed as Connie did her eyeshadow, and Julie softly curled her hair. When Connie finished, Teddi's blue eyes stood out starkly underneath the bronze eyeshadow, and her lips were painted red. She looked more beautiful than she could imagine looking.

"Do you like it?" Connie asked.

"Yeah, I do. It looks really pretty," Teddi said, smiling despite missing her mom – she knew her mom would've wanted to be here for this.

"I know what you're thinking," said Julie. "I know you want your mom here for this."

"Which is why we got something of hers for you to wear tonight," Connie explained, and she whisked out of the room, returning moments later with something that Teddi recognized instantly: her mom's favorite luminescent Chanel milk carton bag. Her mom had collected designer purses, but the Chanel milk carton was of great value and something she'd kept in perfect condition. Teddi could barely contain her gasp as she felt her eyes threaten to burn.

"That was her favorite one," she whispered. "But would it go with the jewelry?"

"Chanel goes with everything," Julie insisted – she would know; she loved Chanel purses just as much as Cheryl had.

Teddi nodded, carefully taking the bag from Connie as she heard a knock at her bedroom door. Ted Orion came into the room, cradling what looked like a bouquet of some of her favorite flowers: sunflowers, zinnias, and roses wrapped in a big, red bow and parchment paper. If Teddi thought she'd cry when she saw the Chanel bag, it was nothing compared to seeing the floral arrangement from Ted, who walked over and handed her the flowers.

"Here, these are from me, Lucy, and Hans; Bella also sends her regards. Congratulations," he said, and that was what got her; tears swam in her eyes, threatening to ruin the eye makeup that Connie had worked so hard on. Still, she reached over and hugged Ted tightly, who rubbed her back.

"Great, you got her started, Ted, right when I finished her makeup," Connie sighed, shaking her head.

"Hey, it's a happy day, don't cry today," Ted said gently.

"I know," Teddi choked out. "And I am happy. I just . . . you know I miss her."

"Yeah, I do," Ted said as he pulled away, giving Connie room to dry Teddi's tears and fix her makeup that got smudged.

"That's why you make me cry. You're like a third dad. I love you."

"I know; I love you, too, so much; I'm so proud of you."

"Okay, Ted, get out of here; you'll see her when she's dressed and ready to go," scolded Julie, clearly annoyed with Ted for making Teddi cry.

"Okay, see you downstairs." Ted departed by kissing her on the top of the head. Connie, luckily, managed to fix Teddi's makeup enough to make it look perfect. Afterward, she and Julie had Teddi undress and remove her Ducks zip-up hoodie before they helped her into her dress, ensuring it didn't catch on any of her hair and makeup. Once the dress was on, Teddi stepped into her red Converse sneakers, which she'd bedazzled at the toe with gold rhinestones, a signature touch of hers that would allow her to be comfortable while still looking formal; she didn't want to have to wear high heels and be forced to sit down and remove them several times throughout the night – comfort was her main priority. Afterward, Connie put the gold jewelry on and slipped a gold comb into her hair.

"That completes it," she whispered.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Connie told her, squeezing her hands. "I know your mom would think you look amazing."

"Thanks, Aunt Connie. I love you." Teddi hugged her godmother tightly before Connie and Julie descended the stairs. Taking a deep breath, she opened her bedroom door and started walking down, hearing everyone gasp in awe.

"Oh, my God! You look gorgeous!"

"You look so pretty!"

"Wow, that's beautiful!"

Her cheeks flared hotly as she approached Logan, who hugged her tightly. "Wow," was all he seemed to be able to say. "You look stunning, absolutely perfect."

"Thank you," Teddi whispered, feeling him kiss her on the cheek while she looked around, admiring the other girls' dresses – Sofi's knee-length lemon-yellow dress, Maya's cocktail-length black dress, Lauren's midi, ruffled-tiered green dress, which she'd paired with Converse and her signature warrior princess cape, Katie's elegant, one-shoulder black dress, and Finley's strapless, electric-blue cocktail dress with a bubbled skirt. They all looked like something out of a fashion magazine.

"All right, stand by the door, guys, and we'll take some pictures," Charlie announced, his camera ready as he gestured for Logan and Teddi to go first. After several couples shots and then photos of them all together as a group, the kids all headed to the rental bus that Gordon had worked out getting for them – his old driver, Luis, who'd assistant coached the OG Ducks in their peewee days, drove buses for private events and celebrities, and had been more than willing to give Charlie and Gordon the friends and family members discount price on the bus rental, assuring them that he would be there all night long to ensure that Teddi and the others got to and from the dance safely.

Teddi boarded the bus, feeling her heart thud nervously as they drove off toward Minnetonka Prep; the dance would be held in the school's massive gymnasium and would prove extravagant. Holding Logan's hand, she felt her nerves melt away, determined to have the best night ever with her friends.

They danced the whole night away. If there was one thing Teddi gave Minnetonka Prep credit for, they knew how to throw a homecoming dance. They didn't skimp out on anything – food had been catered, a large punch bowl contained punch that was made from orange soda to match the signature black and orange school colors, balloons floated around the gym freely, and the DJ blasted music from the speakers. The Robertson sisters led a line dance to "House Party" by Sam Hunt, and couples wandered to the photo booth for pictures.

Teddi was busy eating her roast beef with horseradish cream from the carving station and the creamy pesto rigatoni. The food was absolutely delicious, and the best part was that the meal was included in the ticket price. Sitting at the table she and Logan shared with Sofi, Evan, Katie, Justin Maywood, Spencer, and Krista Hughes, Teddi was glad she had such a great group of people to sit with. Maya and Tommy approached them halfway through Paramore's "Misery Business."

"Hey guys," Tommy said, "I just told Maya about this; my parents are letting me throw a Halloween party at the house on November 2nd."

"Really? They're actually letting you? I thought you weren't allowed to throw any more parties after Stone drunkenly crashed his car into a tree down the block from your house," Spencer said, surprised. Everyone at school had heard about that, and Maya had been there to witness that fiasco.

"Trust me; I'm gonna keep it under control this time," Tommy said seriously. "There will only be age-appropriate beverages, and my parents' liquor cabinet will have a padlock on it. Nobody's getting in there, not this year. It'll be fun."

"Yeah, that's what you said last time," Katie said shrewdly.

"Come off it, Katie. You know me. I stay true to my word about everything. It's gonna be perfectly safe. And if anyone thinks about spiking the punch or sneaking beer into my parents' house, they're getting thrown right out."

Katie sighed. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"I'm even adding security outside," Tommy said. "I wanna make sure we keep any and all debauchery out the door."

"If you say so," said Spencer. "Because if my dad catches me drinking underage, he'll kill me."

"You'll have nothing to worry about, Spencer. It's going to be completely clean and PG. That's a promise."

"All right, I'm game," Spencer said.

"Me too," Teddi said; Halloween was her absolute favorite holiday, and she wasn't going to let it pass by without some celebration; she and Logan already had plans to go to the trunk-or-treat event the school was hosting, where all of the school's staff and upperclassmen dressed up their cars and passed candy around to everyone, and she already had her costume in mind – she'd be dressing in a 50's poodle skirt while Logan would wear a leather jacket and jeans; they were dressing like greasers.

"Awesome. Consider yourselves added to the guest list. I'll get you all on the group chat," Tommy said before leading Maya off back to the dance floor. But just as he did so, Headmaster Kentinsworth cleared his throat.

"Attention, attention, everyone!"

Everybody fell silent as they turned their attention to the headmaster and headmistress, both of whom were ready to announce the homecoming king, queen, princes, and princesses; the crowns and tiaras gleamed underneath the dancing, multicolored lights, and there were orange rose bouquets that would be presented to the homecoming queen and princesses.

"It is time to announce Minnetonka's homecoming queen, king, princes, and princesses," Headmistress Kentinsworth announced proudly. "As a former Minnetonka Preparatory homecoming queen, it gives me great pleasure to announce the winners of this year's homecoming court. We will start with the seniors; of course, ladies are first." She opened the huge manilla envelope she grasped in her hand and started reading from it. "And your 2024 homecoming queen is . . . Tiffany Monreal! Tiffany, come on up!"

The voluptuous blonde who'd taken over as head cheerleader smiled, bouncing up to accept her crowning, and Teddi couldn't help wincing at the girl's dress, which looked like it belonged back in 1985 and should've stayed there. It never ceased to amaze her how some of these girls had so much money, yet they purchased things that were plain tackey as if they thought that by wearing some so gaudy, they'd get people to notice them. But she wasn't about to comment on that. They said the quiet girls who didn't have to try too hard were the prettiest; at least, that was what Connie always told her growing up.

"Now, for your homecoming king . . . Tommy Phillips!"

Maya cheered wildly as she watched her boyfriend walk up to be crowned the king; of course, he'd have to share a dance with Tiffany Monreal, but Teddi knew he'd only have eyes for Maya the whole night.

"Congratulations; now for the junior homecoming princess . . . give it up . . . for Katie Vargas!"

Katie sat there in shock momentarily, disbelief etched across her face before Spencer nudged her to go up there and accept her crowning. Finally, she walked up to where Tommy and Tiffany were, and she stood there as the tiara was placed upon her head; she was beaming, and she truly did look like royalty.

"And for your junior homecoming prince . . . Kevin Lee!"

The newly-appointed quarterback of the football team rose, pumping his fist into the air proudly while his friends from the team all cheered madly, patting him on the back as he went up to get crowned; he wore a boastful grin on his face as the crown was placed on his head, and once the applause settled, Headmistress Kentinsworth wasted no time announcing who the sophomore homecoming princess was.

"And now, for your sophomore class homecoming princess, which is actually a write-in ballot vote that overwhelmed all the rest, give it up . . . for . . . Teddi Conway!"

Teddi's jaw dropped open. Her? Homecoming princess? Was this a joke? Her entire face flushed as all eyes turned to her, staring at her short, red dress and bedazzled Converse – she felt she looked plain next to the other girls up there; she wasn't blonde and skinny like Tiffany Monreal, and she wasn't as tall as Katie; she wasn't even wearing heels or a designer dress. It made her wonder how she would look standing up there getting crowned; she heard several snickers from the crowd, particularly from the cheerleaders, who sneered at her in disdain, taking pleasure in making her feel even more embarrassed than she already felt. Even Tiffany Monreal was letting out her horse-like laughter. On top of that, she was written in. That meant someone stuffed the ballots to ensure she won at the very last minute, meaning it had to all be one big joke because why else would they make it so she had to go up there and be crowned? She didn't even look like a princess. She'd never even wanted this. She'd had no intentions of going to the dance, to begin with, but had gone to support Logan, Evan, Maya, and Sofi who'd been nominated, and with good reason – Evan had the charisma, Logan was extremely good-looking and got many beautiful girls looking at him, Maya was stunning and extremely popular, Sofi had an exotic beauty that many boys coveted. Teddi had none of those qualities whatsoever. She wasn't prom queen material, nor did she have the looks to be a runway model, nor was she as charismatic as Evan even though she'd been the captain of the Ducks; she was just . . . Teddi, the fashion-forward tomboy, the daughter of one of the original Minnesota Miracle Kids who'd been branded a teacher's pet in middle school because her dad was the teacher.

Logan squeezed her hand. Maya shot her a comforting smile from across the table. But it didn't help her feel better in the least. Tears actually filled her eyes at the thought of standing up there and looking absolutely ridiculous. All that was missing was the bucket of pig's blood hidden somewhere to dump all over her; that's what this had to be; she'd felt that was the motive when they announced she was nominated in the first place.

Her chest tightened considerably as she got up, but she didn't walk toward the other winners to accept her coronation like everyone thought she would; she actually started running out of the gym, tears rolling down her face as she came close to the brink of a panic attack, and she could've sworn she heard a few people starting to giggle. She heard Logan, Maya, Sofi, and Billy running after her, calling her name, but air rushed through her ears, making everything sound like it was underwater. Gasping, she kept running until she was in the hallway, her breathing coming out hysterically.

She keeled over, her hands on her knees as she bawled, the sobs bursting from her as the tears streamed from her eyes, her mascara and eyeshadow running down her cheeks in streaks of black. She felt numb all over as she choked for air, shaking.

"Teddi, stop!" yelled Maya. "Come on, stop! Please!"

"No!" Teddi sobbed out, turning around to face her friends; the way they were looking back at her, she must've looked terrifying, like a character out of a King novel, because they looked absolutely terrified out of their minds; the only one not looking completely afraid was Sofi, who'd experienced Teddi's panic attacks before. "No, you don't get it! I shouldn't have come here tonight . . . This was all a mistake! All that's missing is the pig's blood and the gym burning to the ground!"

"This isn't Carrie," said Billy.

"Yes, it is!" Teddi choked out. "You saw how everyone reacted back there. They think this is all some joke, that I'm a joke; they still hate us. They may not be calling us names or beating us up anymore, but we'll always be of a lower class than them, no matter how much we may achieve in this snob fest! And this proves it! We're all one big joke to everyone here! I can't go back out there. No way. I won't do it."

"Then do you wanna just leave? Call your dad and have him come get you?" Logan asked gently.

"I don't know."

Sofi had gone into the girls' bathroom and grabbed a few paper towels, handing them over to Teddi so she could dry her eyes and blow her nose.

"Sit down for a minute. Think about what you wanna do," Logan told her.

"Logan's right. If you run away now, you'll be proving all those people right," said Sofi.

"Besides, you're someone who would actually be worthy of being crowned a homecoming princess," said Maya. "I know you never wanted it, but you could be an example. But we can't make this decision for you."

Teddi wiped her eyes, sniffling as Maya reached into her purse for her makeup case. She considered what they were telling her and knew they were right. They couldn't decide for her. She needed to find the courage to stand up for herself and hold her head up high, to not run away in fear anymore, and to prove to all those cake-eaters that they didn't own her or her friends.

"What are you gonna do?" asked Billy gently.

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do," Teddi said, sniffling, the hysterical edge still to her voice, but she never felt surer until this moment. "I'm going back in there, and I'm getting coronated. I'm gonna show them that no matter what they say or do to me, they cannot touch me and what I have – what we have."

"So, you're gonna pull a Kurt Hummel and tell them to eat their hearts out?" smirked Maya.

Teddi managed a broken smile. "Yeah, if you put it that way."

Maya grinned at her, and Sofi squeezed her hand as Logan said, "That's my girl," with so much pride and admiration.

"Let me fix this." Maya gestured to her makeup case and pulled out a single eyeshadow from ColourPop – pale gold in color, and black, waterproof mascara. She gently wiped Teddi's tears away, patting her face and eyes dry before fixing her eye makeup for her. Afterward, she nodded in approval. "That looks a lot better."

Teddi smiled weakly in Maya's direction before hugging her tightly.

"Go get 'em, tiger," Logan told her, kissing her on the top of the head as they led her back into the gymnasium. But as they entered, Teddi felt everyone stare at her as she slowly walked up to where the other winners were for the homecoming court coronation. Feeling hundreds of eyes burning into her, her heart rate picked up nervously as she was greeted with absolute silence; it was so quiet you could only hear everyone's breathing as she approached the deans, who looked back at her expectantly before placing the tiara on top of her head. When they next announced that Logan was her prince, she felt a rush of relief like she'd never felt before – at least Logan would be right next to her.

After Logan, it was time for the freshmen homecoming prince and princess to be coronated – it turned out to be Johnny Tyler and Valentina Mendoza, who blushingly accepted their crowns.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your 2024 homecoming court! You all may begin your dance as homecoming king, queen, princesses, and princes," said Headmaster Kentinsworth, but before he could say or do anything else, Teddi reached for the microphone, asking him with what she hoped to be a silent expression of politeness for her to say something to everyone. He nodded back at her, handing her the microphone stand, and Teddi brought the mic to her mouth, closing her eyes, thinking about what she'd say. She decided to speak from the heart if she was addressing the crowd. She caught Coach Vargas's gaze across the way from the gym, and he nodded quietly at her, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Um, I'm sorry, I'm not really good at making speeches or public presentations," she began. "But I wanna say this: a good number of you probably this would be really funny, huh? To see the girl you dubbed as 'white trash' be named a homecoming princess through a secret ballot. To get a kick out of seeing someone from District Five be kicked while they're down. Well, I say that this whole thing is a bunch of crap." She removed her tiara from her head. "This tiara, it's just plastic, something you could buy in a party store. These titles mean nothing. But I know that there were other people who've actually been nominated legitimately, people who'd been looking forward to seeing their names called, two girls that I'm fortunate enough to call my friends." She looked out in the crowd at Maya. "Maya, years ago, you would've dreamt of this; I remember when you started going to District Five Middle School, the transfer student from Brooklyn who'd been desperate to be popular, to be accepted. But I've come to know you really well – you're a real princess because you stopped caring about what everyone thought about you. And Sofi, you've always stood by my side, and tonight, you look so beautiful; really, you're the most beautiful person I know on the inside, and you're the sister I never had. But I also have to mention Lauren; Laur, I know you always felt you needed to hide behind a cape because it covered your scoliosis and it protected you from being made fun of, but you don't need a cape – you're a true superhero without it, a warrior princess." With that, she snapped the crown in half, which elicited a gasp from everyone. But then she broke it into four pieces, keeping one for herself, but tossed one piece toward Sofi, saying, "So, I name Sofi Hanson-Bhatt a partial 2024 homecoming princess." Sofi caught it, and everyone began applauding her. "A piece for Maya Kasper. And a piece for Lauren Gibby." She threw the two remaining broken pieces at Maya and Lauren, who caught them, smiling widely at her.

"We're not white trash. And we're not losers, either," she continued. "So no matter what anyone says about us, it doesn't matter. But I also know from experience that, in a way, high school never really does end – people are going to continue making assumptions based on what you wear, the car you drive; how much money you make. But other things matter more. So, I guess I'll say this. Quack."

"Quack," Maya replied.

"Quack," Sofi chimed in.

"Quack," Logan and Evan said together.

"Quack," said Katie and Tommy.

"Quack," a few other J.V. players said.

"Quack!" said the boys from the Varsity Ducks.

"Quack!" chimed in the other girls from the Mighty Hens. And soon enough, everyone in the gymnasium was quacking right along with her as Teddi moved toward the D.J. booth, requesting him to play the karaoke version of one song in particular that she had in mind, and he nodded back at her. Soon enough, the opening drumline of Teddi's favorite song came blaring out, silencing everyone, and she started to sing, her voice ringing through the gym.

Charlie wouldn't be able to tell anyone how he and Linda Chavez ended up in the single-stall family restroom at 33 Sports Pub. He supposed the alcohol they'd both been consuming got to their heads. But it was a spur-of-the-moment choice as he cupped her face into his hands, his lips touching hers as her hands ran through his hair, her own lips molding and moving along with him.

Her breath tasted of beer; if there was one thing he never took Linda for, it was a beer drinker. But as he kissed her, the sudden realization hit him at what they were doing, but not why they were doing this, kissing drunkenly in a private, family-style bathroom, her body pressed against the wall.

"Linda, Linda," he said, gasping as he pulled away. "Why are we doing this?"

Linda suddenly blushed crimson. "I don't know."

"That's what you said when I ended up back at your place," Charlie reminded her.

"Yeah, I don't remember much about why that happened either. Maybe it's the beer?"

"It can't just be that." Charlie buried his face into his hands and sat on the toilet seat, trying to calm his racing heartbeat as he absorbed the fact that he'd just made out with his high school ex-girlfriend in a private bathroom at a sports bar, of all places he could hook up with a woman.

He blushed furiously, staring down at his shoes. The fact that they ended up alone together, again, this time taking it even further than they did back when he'd ended up at her apartment, it couldn't be a coincidence as he felt the sudden urgency to hold her hand like he used to years ago, when times were simpler, when neither was held down by their careers or family life, when all they had to worry about was surviving four years of Eden Hall Academy and homework.

Glancing up at Linda, he saw her blue eyes swimming with what looked like confusion. "We never should've done this after drinking," she said.

"Understatement of the century, Linda," Charlie said. "God, what would my kids think if they saw me like this, making out with my ex, whom I dated before I married their mother?"

"But is this a sign? Should we try again? Did you feel anything when you kissed me?" Linda whispered.

Charlie wouldn't lie and say that he felt nothing. Of course, he'd felt something. How could he not? Linda might've been his ex, whom he hadn't seen since high school, but he'd never deny that something was blooming within him, a rekindling sort of feeling for her that he was sure had died shortly after they'd broken up, even though they'd both been absolutely crushed by the split. However, so many thoughts swam through his mind that he couldn't think straight. And the buzz from the beer wasn't helping at all, either.

He instantly felt guilt flood him first. He couldn't help but feel as though he was cheating on his late wife. On the other hand, kissing Linda reminded him of all the times they'd kissed back in high school, the softness of her lips, so gentle and full of warmth that never felt to give him the butterflies. Somehow, those butterflies returned in an entirely different way, and he was scared to have to confront it.

But he remembered Ted Orion telling him years ago that he couldn't be afraid to lose or fail, that he needed to have the confidence to attack life even when it seemed to be out of control. Relationships were no different. Charlie had to admit that Ted was right in that regard – the man knew from life experience what it was like having random bounces that life threw your way, but how you tackled it was most important.

Sighing, he said, "I did. Honestly? It gave me the butterflies."

"So, do you want to try again?" Linda asked nervously.

Charlie swallowed hard. "I have to think about it. But I'd rather we discuss this while sober, while the two of us can think clearly about what we're doing. Because this is gonna take some time."

"Just know whatever you choose, Charlie, I'll understand. Even if you don't choose me, I promise I can take it."

The song that Teddi sings in this chapter is "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup; per usual, the lyrics get removed from the version due to copyright infringement, but if you want to see the version of the chapter that has the song lyrics, read it on Archive of Our Own.

And yes, the scene where Teddi breaks the tiara into pieces is inspired by the movie Mean Girls; that movie is one of the many coming-of-age stories that shaped my teen years, especially in middle school after I watched it in eighth-grade health class when our gym coach covered the topic of bullying and he allowed us to watch it for fun.