Luz paced around her room, looking at the set of clothes that Sasha had picked out for her for the dance that evening. It was still several hours until it started, but Luz was not sure she wanted to wear what Sasha had selected for her. As it turned out, Luz did not have anything "acceptable" to wear (according to Sasha), so, in addition to giving her some makeup, she also lent her a crop top shirt. She told Luz to wear it with her jean shorts and a pair of nice boots. Luz had tried this combination on in her room and was embarrassed to see how much skin it exposed. She decided to give Sasha a call and ask if she had any other recommendations. Luz dialed Sasha's number on her phone.
"Hello," answered Sasha.
"Hey, Sasha, it's Luz," said Luz.
"Oh hey, Luz. What's up? Can you make it quick? I've already started doing my hair," said Sasha.
"What, you're already getting ready? Uh, okay, so listen, I tried on that shirt you gave me. Um, I'm not sure I'm liking it," said Luz.
"What's wrong with it?" asked Sasha.
"It's a little, um, revealing, especially when I wear it with the shorts," answered Luz.
"Well, yeah, I mean, that's the point," replied Sasha.
"What?!" said Luz in surprise.
"Hey, if you want to attract a boy to you, you need to show a little skin. And the makeup will fix the problem of your plain face. I guarantee that you will look great and you'll be able to have any boy you want," said Sasha.
"I… Okay, but it still feels like I'm showing off a lot, and I just don't feel comfortable wearing something like that," said Luz.
"Luz, I'm trying to do you a favor here. I lent you my shirt and my makeup. You want to keep your status at school, don't you? Then wear what I picked out for you. End of discussion," said Sasha forcefully.
"But I—"
"End of discussion," repeated Sasha, before hanging up the phone.
Luz sighed in frustration at this. It's not like she didn't have other clothes she could wear to this dance, but what was weird was why she felt compelled to listen to Sasha's advice.
No, I have to be my own person, she thought. I don't want to wear what she picked out, but what can I wear instead?
Luz began shuffling through her closet, trying to pick something else. While Sasha's clothing suggestion had been to attract boys, Luz didn't want to attract any boys, at least not tonight. She wanted to attract Anne. Luz had been going over the plan in her mind about how to confess her feelings to Anne, and it was very simple. All she had to do was ask Anne to dance, but it had to be the perfect song, and the mood had to be just right. Then, while they were dancing, she would compliment Anne on her eyes or hair and tell her how nice of a person she was. Oh, she would say how much she looked like Asami Sato! Yes, that would be wonderful! Then she would ask Anne out on a date, and Anne would say yes! And then it would all be perfect!
Still, even with that plan in mind, it wouldn't work if she couldn't find something to wear. And after looking at what Sasha had given her, it wouldn't be a good idea to wear that either, since she wanted to look nice but not trashy. As Luz kept looking at various clothes, she stumbled onto something she didn't realize she still had.
Oh, what's this? she thought. I think I wore this for Halloween once. I didn't know I still had it. Hmmm, I wonder…
Luz looked at the costume she had found. Part of her knew that wearing this to a school dance was not only liable to get her kicked out, but was almost guaranteed to make Sasha angry. Another part of her said that Luz was still a spirited individual. She had done her best not to succumb to normal standards of beauty or societal expectations of what one should look like or how one should act.
Luz, said a voice in her head, are you sure about this? If you wear this, you may very well alienate yourself from your friends.
Yes, said a different voice in her head. But if they don't want to be my friends because of this, then maybe I'm better off without them. Also, I don't want to put on a show for Anne. I want her to like me for who I really am. This costume is who I am! I'm the type of person who sees something like this and says, "Yes, I'd like to wear this to a dance." If Anne would reject me over this, then maybe it's best if I knew that at the start.
Very well, said the first voice. I hope you know what you're doing…
As the time for the dance got closer, Luz got herself ready. She changed into the costume. She decided that she would also not wear any makeup tonight. Not only was she still not very skilled at putting it on, but she remembered how Anne had said she didn't need any. Tonight was about being herself and seeing if Anne liked her, even with all her weird tendencies. Luz got ready to go downstairs, where her mom was waiting to take her to the dance.
"Um, Mija," said her mother as she saw Luz emerge from her room. "You know, I love your creativity and all, but are you sure that's what you want to wear to a school dance?"
"Yes, I'm sure, mami," said Luz. "I know what you're thinking, but please trust me on this."
"It's not that I don't trust you, Luz," replied her mom. "I just don't want you to get made fun of. I know teens, especially teen girls, can be horrible to each other. But I also want you to make your own decisions. Are you sure about this?"
Luz took a deep breath before responding, "Yes, I'm sure!"
Lights danced across the ceiling, and music blared out of the speakers. The party was just getting started at the St. James Gym, and the mood was right. Anne had arrived early, scoping out the place and getting a feel for the music. She was wearing a nice deep blue blouse, a black skirt, and black boots. Her hair had been styled back, so it was out of her face. Anne wore a silver bracelet her mother had lent her for the night. She had also donned some blue nail polish, blue eye shadow, and red lipstick. She waved hello to a few people but was looking for her friends. Eventually, she found Sasha, who had gone all out for the evening. Her hair had been straightened, so it flowed evenly down around her face. She was wearing a nice red T-shirt with a jean jacket over it and also had short black jean shorts and black dress sandals. She wore red nail polish on her fingers and toes, as well as red eye shadow and lipstick.
"Looking sharp, Sasha," said Anne as she greeted her friend. "What do you think of me?"
"Very nice, Anne. I see you followed my instructions, though what's that on your arm?" asked Sasha.
"Oh, this," replied Anne. "My mom gave it to me as I was going out the door. She said I could wear it for tonight. It's a bracelet that she's had forever."
"Oh, it's so shiny," Sasha observed. "Is it real silver?"
"I don't know, most likely. My mom said that every woman should own at least one piece of real jewelry, though I wouldn't know just by looking at it," replied Anne.
"Hmmm, you should ask your mom what other pieces of real jewelry she has," suggested Sasha. "I bet you would look amazing with a sapphire piece."
"Hey, girls. You ready to party?" asked Marcy as she walked over to Sasha and Anne.
Marcy had gone with a green ensemble, wearing a green shirt with black jeans and green sneakers. She had not worn any makeup, but still had her green nail polish. As she walked over to the girls, she tripped.
"Aww, whoopsie," she said as Anne caught her before she fell.
"Marcy, you look a little casual there," said Sasha. "Don't tell me your parents said no again."
"Well, it was either that or not being allowed to come, so I guess that technically is a yes?" asked Marcy.
"Uggh, sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you," said Sasha, annoyed.
"Oh, well, if you don't like how I'm dressed, you probably also won't like how I can't even stay until the end," said Marcy.
"What, are you serious?!" said Anne incredulously.
"Yeah, I have a piano recital tomorrow. And even though it's not until 10 a.m., my parents don't want me out all night," replied Marcy sheepishly.
"Oh yes, because 10 p.m. is 'out all night,' said Sasha sarcastically. "Well, in any case, have either of you seen Luz?"
Anne and Marcy shook their heads.
"Well, wait until you see what I gave her. Poor girl didn't even have a nice top to wear, so I lent her one of mine," said Sasha. "Hope she gets here soon."
"Huh, what's that?" said a random kid over by the entrance.
"OMG, what is she wearing?" said a girl
"Can you believe she would wear something like that?" said another girl.
"She's even making a face!" said a guy.
Sasha, Marcy, and Anne walked over to the entrance to the gym to see what all the commotion was about. As it became clear what it was, the girls all had different reactions, though Sasha's was the most pronounced, as she immediately did a facepalm at the sight of Luz… in a purple sea otter costume.
"Are you freaking kidding me!?" she said in a slow-building, calm rage.
"Oh, hey, girls," said Luz as she waved to the others. "How are you doing?"
Marcy and Anne were too stunned to say anything. While they weren't laughing at Luz, they also clearly didn't know what to say. Sasha, however, had had enough of this foolishness and dragged Luz by the arm over into an unoccupied area of the room to have a talk with her.
"Luz," she said in a tone that wasn't shouting but was clearly full of anger, "what in the hell are you wearing?"
"Well, it's an old otter costume I wore for Halloween once, and I thought I'd wear it to the dance because I'm an otter… with a dark side," replied Luz.
"So, you ignored my suggestions of what to wear and furthermore embarrassed yourself in front of the whole school by putting on that stupid otter suit," said Sasha, clearly angry.
"I didn't feel that your choice of clothing was appropriate for me. I want to be my own person, and, well, I'm the kind of person who wants to wear an otter costume," responded Luz.
"I can't believe you would not listen to me, your friend," said Sasha. "Not only do you not listen to me, but you go and get me humiliated by association with you. Now people are gonna look at me and think, Hey, she's friends with that weird girl who wore the otter costume."
"Why should you care what other people think, Sasha?" asked Luz, trying to make her see reason. "Why shouldn't you be yourself?"
"Luz, we are in 8th grade now. Very soon, we'll be in high school. Your reputation means EVERYTHING in high school, and now you've just ruined yours. You were friends with me, the Cheer Captain! I could have put you on top of the social ladder!"
"Sasha, listen," said Luz. "I didn't ignore your clothing advice just to make you look bad. It's just that I don't think those clothes really work for me. I didn't wear makeup because, well, honestly, I don't really feel like wearing it. I was just trying to be my own person. I think it's important to be yourself. I wasn't trying to hurt you or make you look bad. I—"
"Well, you did. Also, what kind of young girl doesn't want to wear makeup?" Sasha suddenly stopped talking and started staring at Luz. It was almost as though she was trying to work something out about her. Luz felt uncomfortable at how Sasha was looking at her and was afraid that she may have said too much. Thankfully, Marcy and Anne finally walked over to break up the tension. Luz was nervous, especially about what Anne would say. Would she like her like this? Would she avoid her?
"So apparently, Sasha isn't a fan of my otter costume, but uh… What do you guys think?" asked Luz.
Marcy answered first, "I just want to know, Luz, is there some anime or video game reference that I'm maybe not getting with the whole otter thing?"
"No, it's not a reference to anything. I just felt like wearing it," said Luz honestly.
"Oh well, in that case, I like it. I mean, an otter might not have been my first pick as an animal to dress up as. Mine would have been a tiger. Any particular reason, or you just felt like it?" asked Marcy.
"I just felt like it," said Luz.
"Stop encouraging her," said Sasha bitterly. "Anne, you've been rather quiet."
"I guess I still don't really know what to say," said Anne. "But I will say this, Luz, you're a lot braver than I am. I'd never have the courage to just wear something like this to a dance. As for what I think… Oh, Luz, make that face you were making earlier. The one where you look like an otter."
Luz made the face as well as raised her arms in a position that made her look like an otter.
"Aww, that is cute," said Anne. Luz couldn't believe she said that. "I think this otter costume suits you, though, one last question. Can you move around in that thing? How were you planning to dance?"
Luz suddenly realized that she hadn't considered that. How was she going to dance with Anne if she couldn't move in this thing? Luz tried to dance a little and almost fell over.
"Whoa, careful there, Luz!" said Anne as she caught her.
"Aw, man, what am I gonna do?" asked Luz.
"Well, it serves you right," said Sasha. "Maybe next time, when I give you a suggestion for something to wear, you'll listen."
"Sasha, why are you being so mean to Luz?" asked Anne, defending Luz.
"Unbelievable! You're taking her side?!" exclaimed Sasha. "Can you not see the damage this will do to all our reputations?"
Anne was a little troubled by this statement as she looked between Luz and Sasha. Sasha did have a point. Would associating with Luz after she had dressed like this be bad for her reputation? Still, Anne had grown to care for Luz and didn't want to stop hanging around her simply just for this. In her mind, she was torn about what to do. But after a bit, she replied.
"Sasha, Luz is our friend, and we've become close over the summer. I know that in school, your reputation means a lot, but I admire Luz's bravery for not caring what people think and just being herself. That takes a lot of guts," said Anne. Luz could barely contain her smile at hearing Anne compliment her.
Sasha simply stared at Luz. After a while, she said, "I'm going to go get some… punch." With that, she walked away.
The rest of the girls watched her leave, a little sad to see their friend leave so angrily. But also unsure if they should follow after her.
"It's okay, Luz," said Anne. "Why don't we give Sasha some space to cool off for a bit and then talk to her?"
"That's probably the best idea right now," agreed Marcy.
"Hey, Anne, I'm sorry if I got Sasha mad. Are you okay with me? Sasha seems to put a lot of stock in her reputation at school. I hope you don't feel I'm hurting yours."
"Well, to be honest, I already kind of have a reputation here," said Anne. "I'm sometimes known as the Breakup Queen, also known as the Angel of Death."
"What?! Why are you called that?" asked Luz.
"Well, it started when Sasha asked me to help her break up with a boyfriend, then another, then another. After that, a lot of other girls asked if I would do it for them too. So I did, and I guess that's why they call me the Breakup Queen now," replied Anne with a proud pose.
"That doesn't seem fair to you. Why did Sasha ask for your help in breaking up with her boyfriend? Shouldn't she have done it herself?" asked Luz.
"I mean, you know, I did it as a favor for a friend," answered Anne.
"Anne, I… I just don't think a real friend should ask someone to do things like that for them. Has Sasha ever done something like that for you?" asked Luz.
"Well, no…" began Anne, who trailed off and was now starting to think a bit more about what Luz was saying.
"You know, now that I think about it," said Marcy, "it does sometimes seem as though Sasha always wants us to do things her way. Have you ever felt that, Anne?"
"I… no… What are you talking about? Sasha is our friend," replied Anne, though after pausing a bit, she added, "Although I do feel it's really hard to say no to her sometimes."
These thoughts were interrupted as a new song started to play, one that the girls all recognized.
"Oh, hey, I love this song," said Luz, trying to get the group's attention. "Let's go dance! I'll figure out some way to still move in this thing; I just have to try."
"Oh, I know this song too," said Anne. "You're right, let's go dance! Let's show Sasha we can still have a good time." So the girls went out onto the dance floor to have some fun.
Sasha sipped her punch as she watched her other friends having fun on the dance floor. She couldn't believe that Marcy and Anne had taken Luz's side over hers. This was inconceivable! She was so mad that she began talking to herself in her head.
Luz defied you! her thoughts said.
Why is she being so difficult?! replied Sasha to herself. I was only trying to help her, and now she's gone and embarrassed herself and me by association!
And this after she beat you in the Scare Dare! said her thoughts
OMG! You're right! First, Luz beat me in the Scare Dare. Now, she's got Marcy and Anne thinking that it's cool to dress up as an otter at a school dance, thought Sasha.
If this keeps up, Luz will surely replace you, said her thoughts.
What?! No, there's no way Luz would replace me as leader of the group. How can that be? asked Sasha.
Marcy and Anne like Luz more than you replied her thoughts
How could they possibly like Luz more than me? She asked.
It may be because she shows genuine emotion and kindness, whereas yours is superficial at best, replied her thoughts.
Pfff, like Luz, could help them in a fight or confrontation. I protect them, she said.
Well, you better think of something or you could lose your influence over them,said her thoughts. Hmm, now that's interesting. Do you see how Luz is looking at Anne?
Sasha focused her gaze on Luz as she was dancing next to Anne. She did notice now just how happy Luz was. She never took her eyes off of Anne, and was it her imagination, or was Luz blushing just being near Anne?
Wait! Is Luz crushing on Anne? thought Sasha. For the first time in a long time, Sasha was genuinely sad as she realized this, though she wasn't entirely sure why.
Luz likes Anne! said her thoughts. If Luz and Anne start dating, then you will for sure lose your place in the group.
What?! NO! That can't happen! exclaimed Sasha in her head. She almost started crying at this realization.
Oh, but it will! said her thoughts. Luz and Anne will grow closer. Luz will make Anne see just how selfish and controlling you are, and you'll be nothing but a third wheel at best. At worst, Anne will tell you she no longer wants to be friends with you.
No, thought Sasha. But sadly, this time, she almost resigned herself to her fate.
You never should have let Luz join your group. First, she beat you in the Scare Dare, now she's going to take Anne away from you! said her thoughts.
No! thought Sasha again, now desperately thinking of what she could do to put a stop to this.
You have to get rid of Luz, or at least make sure Anne isn't interested in Luz romantically, said her thoughts, and I think I have a way for us to do both. But not yet… When the time is right, we'll act…
If you say no, things will be alright. In the end, it was worth a try, but as you can see, babe, I'd rather have you standing next to me. I couldn't ask for anything better. So what's it going to beeeeeeeeeeeeeee?
Luz had found a good balance and was able to dance in her costume. Anne was close, grooving to the song in her own way. Marcy tried to dance, but seemed to almost be tripping over her own feet.
So what do you say, you and I, let's put our lives, our work, our feelings aside, and dance this night away. Yeah, just one night, I'll try my best to make it worth your while, and so on the count of three, one, two. Will you go to Prom with me?
"YEAH! Yeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh!" cheered the girls with the song as it came to an end, "On the count of three!"
"Will you go to Prom with me?" they all said in unison.
"Whoa, we are on fire tonight!" said Anne as they left the dance floor.
"I hope they play that at our actual prom someday!" said Luz.
"Well, but if they play it at prom, everyone will have already been asked to prom at that point," observed Marcy.
"Somehow, I doubt I will," said Anne a little casually. "In any case, I'm going to go talk to Sasha and see if I can get her to rejoin us."
"Good luck!" called Marcy as Anne left.
Anne found Sasha standing against a wall, sipping her punch.
"Hey, Sasha. We had fun out there," said Anne. "I bet you'd have fun if you came and joined us."
"I am not associating myself with Luz if she's going to dress like that. I'm cheer captain now, and I have a reputation to think of," said Sasha firmly.
"I wish you would change your mind about that," pleaded Anne. "I mean, since you are cheer captain, don't you have a say in how the social ladder works now?"
"Anne, you don't have to hang with Luz tonight if you don't want to. It's not too late. Stick with me and save your reputation," pleaded Sasha.
"Sasha, I… I think you're being petty about this," said Anne. "Luz is our friend. She's quirky in her own way, but she's fun to be around. We shouldn't abandon her for something like this."
"Oh, is that what you think?" asked Sasha. She paused for a second before continuing, "Have you noticed how Luz looks at you?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Anne, confused.
"Oh, you haven't then. Well… You know what? Forget I said anything. Maybe you're right. I just let my emotions get the better of me. I'll go apologize to Luz," said Sasha as she walked back to the girls, leaving Anne alone to ponder what she had just said.
The way Luz looks at me? thought Anne. What does she mean by that?
As the night went on, the girls danced and talked with each other. They continued to talk and have fun. Though it became clear that Sasha was the only one that the boys seemed interested in, she was asked to dance by multiple boys. Marcy was asked to dance once, but after stepping on the poor kid's feet several times, she hadn't been asked again. Anne and Luz had both been completely ignored. Luz had tried to find an opportunity to ask Anne to dance, but every time she tried, her courage failed her, and she couldn't work up the nerve. At 9:30 p.m., Marcy said goodnight to the girls and told them that she had to leave early. Marcy said her goodbyes and then left.
"It's a shame her parents are so controlling of her," said Sasha. "You've got to be careful not to let that happen to you."
"Marcy's never really complained about it, though," observed Luz.
"Oh, she may not say anything on the outside, but I can tell that she's hurting," said Sasha.
"It's not like we were getting asked to dance anyway," said Anne, a little bitterly. "So not like she's missing much." As it so happened, a new slow song was starting up at that very moment. Sasha pulled Luz aside to talk to her.
"Luz, I wanted to say again that I'm sorry for getting angry at you earlier about your otter costume," began Sasha.
"Oh, that's okay. I'm glad you changed your mind about it," replied Luz.
"Yes, and I have an idea that I think you'll love," she said. "You should ask Anne to dance."
"What?!" said Luz, caught off guard by this request.
"I heard it in her voice just now. Anne is sad that she hasn't been asked all night. I think you should do it and show her a good time," said Sasha, grabbing Luz and pushing her towards Anne.
"But I… I… I…" protested Luz, though before she could say anything, she found herself in front of Anne.
"Hey, Anne, Luz has something she wants to ask you," said Sasha.
"What's up, Luz?" asked Anne.
Luz stared into Anne's eyes, gathered her nerves, and quickly said.
"Annedoyouwanttodancewithme?"
"Huh? Not sure I caught that," said Anne.
Luz took a deep breath, held out her hand, and repeated, "Anne, would you like to dance?"
"Oh, um… You aren't doing this out of pity, are you?" asked Anne.
"No, of course not. But hey, if no one will ask us to dance, then maybe we shouldn't wait for them. Maybe we should have fun on our own, right?" said Luz.
Anne thought for a second before responding, "Yeah, you have a point. The night's almost over, so let's have some fun."
Anne took Luz's hand, and the two stepped onto the dance floor. As the slow song was still playing, Luz put her arms on Anne's shoulders, and Anne grabbed her around the waist. Luz's heart was racing at this sensation. She kept her focus on Anne and her eyes, almost getting lost in them, but trying to remain focused just as well. She began having a battle in her mind about what to do next.
Tell her she looks nice! said the voice in Luz's head.
But what should I say? said Luz back to the voice.
I don't know. You had this all planned out, didn't you? asked the voice.
I honestly didn't think I would get this far, said Luz to herself, but I don't want to say the wrong thing either.
Hmmm, maybe instead of saying something, you should do something, said her voice.
Oh, but I mean that…
Yes, that's it! said the voice. Don't say anything; just show Anne how you feel!
Is this a good idea?
It's the best idea!
Luz looked once more at Anne, who was smiling as they danced, clearly enjoying herself. Luz was enjoying herself too. The mood was almost perfect. She decided to agree with the voice in her head and take a chance on a gut feeling.
Luz closed her eyes, leaned forward, and pulled Anne into a kiss!
For one brief second, everything was perfect! Luz could feel Anne's lips against her own, and she felt a sense of overwhelming happiness at what had just happened. But that sensation was all too brief. In the next instant, she felt herself being pushed away from Anne. As she opened her eyes and looked into Anne's face, she saw neither happiness nor joy on it but a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger.
"LUZ, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" yelled Anne, her voice a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger.
"I… I… I..." stammered Luz, but she wouldn't get to say anything else, for at that moment, a teacher who was chaperoning the dance came over to them.
"What in the world did I just see?!" she exclaimed
"Ms. Bryant… I… nothing," began Luz.
"That was not nothing, child," said Ms. Bryant angrily. "I know that I saw some sinful behavior from you, Ms. Noceda."
"No, it wasn't…"
"How dare you?!" yelled Ms. Bryant. "How dare you bring your evil ways here?!"
Luz was on the verge of tears as she struggled to defend herself. "No, I didn't—"
"Save your excuses. I know what I saw. You were trying to corrupt an innocent girl!" yelled Ms. Bryant, turning to Anne.
"Are you okay, Anne? You haven't been turned to a life of evil, have you?" asked Ms. Bryant.
Anne didn't respond, as she was still in shock. Luz tried to say something to her.
"Anne, I'm sorry, I just thought that maybe—" began Luz before being interrupted.
"No more from you, you evil witch!" said Ms. Bryant. "Get out of here before I call your parents!"
Luz's eyes were already watering as she turned and left the gym, heading down to the locker room. Ms. Bryant continued checking on Anne, asking if she was okay. Anne told her she was fine, though that was more to get rid of her. She was still trying to process what had just happened. Eventually, Sasha came up to her.
"Anne, I'm so sorry. I had no idea Luz was like that," said Sasha with concern. "Please say something. Are you okay?"
"I… I need to go talk to Luz," said Anne.
"Whoa, hold up there. After what just happened? No, I think you need to leave her alone for a bit," said Sasha.
"But I saw her as she was leaving. She was practically crying," protested Anne.
"And what exactly are you going to say to her?" asked Sasha.
"I… I… I don't know, but I can't just leave her alone now, can I?" wondered Anne.
"Anne, listen to me," said Sasha. "Luz just forced herself on you. I'll bet she's been manipulating you since you first met. Please listen to me. I'm your friend. I want what's best for you."
"What should I do then?" asked Anne desperately.
"Leave her alone for now," said Sasha. "The dance is almost over, anyway. Give her a chance to calm down, and then, if you still want to talk to her, you can do it on Monday. But personally, I think you should keep your distance. We just saw what happens if you don't."
Anne stood still, lost in thought. While it was true that she was not happy that Luz had "forced herself" on her, a small part of her heart actually enjoyed the experience. The only reason she had pushed Luz off was out of shock! Part of her wanted to go find Luz and talk to her to try to figure out what had just happened, but part of her was also angry at Luz for this. Angry at her for causing a scene at the dance, but also some anger at perhaps awakening feelings she had never had before. What Sasha was saying made sense, but at the same time, she felt bad for leaving a friend, one whom she had genuinely grown to care for, in a state of distress.
"Anne, you didn't actually enjoy that kiss, did you?" asked Sasha.
"What?! No! Of course not," replied Anne, a bit too hastily.
"I mean, I think I can still save your reputation from what just happened here tonight, but if it were to come out that you were a lesbian, well, I don't know," warned Sasha.
"I… I… I need some air," said Anne as she headed outside.
"It's okay, Anne. I'll join you outside, and we can talk about this. I'm here for you," called Sasha to Anne as she was leaving. After Anne had left the gym, Sasha walked up to Ms. Bryant.
"Oh, Sasha, there you are," began Ms. Bryant. "Thank you again for bringing that hoodlum Luz to my attention. I appreciate you telling me about her trying to corrupt Anne."
"Oh, it's no problem at all, Ms. Bryant," replied Sasha, in a honeyed tone. "I'm just trying to make sure we all stay pure."
"You know, I had heard reports from some other teachers that you were a bit of a troublemaker. But after your actions tonight, I know that isn't true," said Ms. Bryant. "I'll make sure and put in a good word with the other teachers for you."
"Oh, that's not necessary, but I do appreciate it," replied Sasha. Ms. Bryant walked off, leaving Sasha alone. She stared at the locker room where Luz had run off to. Sasha had also seen how sad and upset Luz was as she turned to leave. Even though her plan had worked, at that moment, she wasn't entirely proud of what she had done.
You did what you had to do, reassured her thoughts.
I… I… didn't think it would work so well, thought Sasha.
That was brilliant! said her thoughts, congratulating her. Not only did you get rid of Luz, but poor Anne is feeling alone and violated right now. This is the perfect moment to swoop in and comfort her!
Yeah, I guess it is! I can go be her friend and let her know that I'm here for her. Everything will go back to how it was! thought Sasha. As she was thinking this, she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of guilt over seeing Luz run to the locker room, where she was likely going to cry her eyes out.
Don't feel bad about Luz; she's a plucky girl. She'll recover from this, reassured her thoughts.
Yeah, she'll be fine, thought Sasha. Besides, it's not like it's my fault. All I did was encourage her to dance with Anne. It's her own fault that she couldn't keep her lips off her.
Exactly! replied her thoughts.
Luz had run as fast as she could into the girls' locker room, which, thankfully, was empty. The tears had already started flowing out of her eyes by the time she got there. Still, Luz tried to calm herself down and breathe, but the pain and humiliation from what had just happened kept resurfacing and replaying in her mind. She found a sink to brace herself against. Letting out the rest of the tears, she was currently crying until she stopped. Then she looked up to see a mirror—not just any mirror, but the one she and Sasha had carved their initials into that day after the volleyball game. As she raised her face to look in the mirror, she saw her reflection look back at her. Her face had no makeup and was now a mess from crying. Her face was so… plain. So many emotions were flowing through her right now that she couldn't get a handle on them.
As she looked into the mirror at her reflection, she began hearing the voice in her head speak to her.
Of course, Anne doesn't want to be with you! You aren't attractive.
Why did you think wearing that stupid otter costume would be a good idea?
If you had listened to Sasha, maybe Anne would have liked you.
If anything, Anne wants someone like Sasha. Strong, confident, rich, and captain of the cheerleaders. Why would anyone want you when they could have someone like her?
Now the whole school knows about you. What if the teachers tell your mother?
You've really screwed up this time, Luz! You finally made a friend, only to scare her off with your gay, sinful ways!
Your face is so plain, so… ordinary.
That's all you are… ordinary
That's all you'll ever be… ordinary.
The voices and the emotions kept coming, making Luz feel as though she was going to explode. It all finally became too much, and she let out a cathartic scream!
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Luz slammed her hand into the mirror, smashing it! Destroying the mirror and the carving she had made in it. After which, she leaned her head on the sink and cried.
And cried…
And cried…
And cried…