Gravity

  "I like this..." Theo tugged out a draped dress covered in delicate blue and green beads and sequins.

  "That's beautiful, Theo, but it's huge," I said, feeling the shiny fabric and looking it over.

  "Mom has a sewing machine," she said hopefully. "I've made a few skirts and tops before; this wouldn't be too difficult to turn into something wearable."

  She hugged the dress around the waist so that the top flopped over, her face glowing. I had to remind myself that this was her first dance, and that she definitely had impressive sewing abilities.

  I began to get discouraged when, after half an hour, I hadn't found anything. From the looks of it, half of Hell had cleaned out their old junk like Hugh had.

  I knew I was being picky, since there were some pretty items. But since Henry was going to be my date, I had to look my best, and not like the tomboy I usually did.

  I was about to give up and go home begging to Claire, when I saw a swatch of shimmery, silver-white fabric mashed in between the rest. Pulling the other dresses aside, I freed an elegant, silvery dress with a halter top.

  The cascading fabric looked magical, twinkling in the dull light. It appeared to be handmade, with no tags. I realized at that moment that it was exactly what I wanted.

  "Wow, that's so pretty," Theo said. "It looks just your size, too. Lucky. Try it on."

  I took the dress into the cramped fitting room and shut the curtain. Sliding the dress over my head, I let it fall. The fabric fit perfectly from what I could see in the mirror, curving gently around my hips, even giving me the illusion of something in the chest.

  "Let me see!" Theo called from outside.

  As soon as she saw me, Theo's face lit up.

  "You look awesome," she gushed. "It's a great contrast with your hair. You have to buy it, or I'll buy it for you."

  "I don't know about the back, though," I said, turning around and putting my long black hair over my shoulder. Yes, this dress was coming home with me, but alterations might be required. There was a deep v plunge that stopped midway down, leaving my whole back exposed.

  "Well, you can make it like a costume. So, how about wings?" Theo suggested. "I'm sure we could find a cheap pair at one of those Halloween party stores."

  That settled it, and we took our finds to the check out counter. As we paid for our purchases, flush with excitement, I knew Saturday was going to be a very interesting night.

  ###

  On the night of the dance, Theo and I were waiting on my couch in our dresses. I had just been through two hours of brutal makeup application and hair styling. My face now resembled that of a toddler beauty pageant contestant, especially the patches of blush on my pale cheeks.

  And now I couldn't stop twiddling my thumbs. I shifted, the feathery white angel wings cutting into my back, feathers cascading around me.

  Theo had performed major reconstructive surgery on her dress in just two days, lopping off the length and turning the excess into a long train sewn on the back like a mermaid tail. The result was stunning. She'd also found an unusual mix of chunky blue and green glitter from the craft store that framed her eyes and decorated her cheeks.

  "I really don't want to wear my glasses," she complained, taking them off and squinting at the TV. "But I'm completely blind without them."

  "They look fine. You're really pretty, and they're part of what makes you Theo, anyway."

  "Wells, shucks. Thanks. But I feel kind of skanky," she admitted, yanking up the slouchy front of her dress. "I don't usually wear clothes with my bits exposed."

  Claire came out of her office, where she'd been clearing old pictures off of her camera. She held the camera up with both hands, her face gleeful. But it fell into a scowl when she saw us.

  "Why are you two sitting?" she squealed. "You'll wrinkle your dresses!"

  Theo and I glanced at each other, both releasing sighs at the same time. I stood, careful to make sure my cumbersome wings weren't snagging on anything. Claire started snapping photos, barely giving us a chance to pose. I imagined Theo and I were both grimacing in all of them.

  Claire had offered to drive us about twenty times, but apparently Theo's date was older and had a car. This mystery man was really piquing my interest.

  "You're going to run out of space before the guys even get here," I observed dryly. "I'm sure you want some couples shots."

  She lowered the camera and frowned at it, as if it had been acting of its own volition, snapping away wastefully. The doorbell rang, and I hustled over to beat my mother there.

  Henry stood on the porch, the lamp making a halo glow on top of his dark hair, which as usual was falling however it wanted to. My heart skipped a beat. He was dressed in a knight's costume, made of white and gold fabric. The costume was both a little goofy and attractive. Much like the person wearing it.

  His eyes lit up upon seeing me, and the resulting smile was soft and private. "Wow," he breathed, his eyes sweeping up my body.

  "Hi," I said shyly, tugging at one side of the halter top. I felt the wings wiggle on my back.

  "You look amazing." The way he held himself now, hands pressed to his sides, suggested he was containing the urge to reach out and touch me.

  "Move outta the way, bro, I gotta see my date," a familiar voice bleated behind him. Alex slapped Henry on the back and strode inside like he owned the place. Henry winced.

  I turned to Theo, my eyes wide as I shook my head in horror. Are you kidding me? I mouthed. Way worse than pizza face.

  She shrugged, her face contorted uncomfortably into a grimace. Alex's tuxedo was the color of grape juice. We had lucked out in that he had not included a pimp hat or cane. He was his own costume.

  "You all look fantastic," Claire beamed. She positioned the four of us by the closed doors to the den and made us pose for pictures. Alex pretended he was shooting finger guns in half of them. Finally, after what seemed like a full camera of shots, I whisked our little group outside and down the walk.

  "We're going to be late," I reasoned as we escaped.

  "Have fun!" she called, waving from inside. If she could have, she would've hopped into the car with us.

  Inside Alex's Jeep, we all seemed like awkward kids. None of us looked at each other. Instead, we found endlessly fascinating sights out of the windows. No one brought up our last misadventure.

  I was sitting in the back seat next to Henry, the inches of space between us electrified. I wanted to slide closer to him, but I was too shy, even though I sensed he felt the same way. I didn't know how to make the first move.

  Alex managed to stay on the road most of the time, and had turned off the heavy metal that normally blasted from his cheap subwoofers. I still couldn't believe that Theo would want to go with him. I could see now why she didn't want to tell me. I wondered who asked who, as my eyes darted back and forth between the backs of their heads.

  I glanced out of my wedge of window as we hit a red light. A little girl stood by herself on the sidewalk. I squinted. Even in the dark, I could make out her blue raincoat. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. I had never seen someone look so utterly abandoned.

  The Jeep whizzed by as Alex pounded the gas pedal. I craned my neck back.

  "Did anyone see that little girl?" I asked.

  "What little girl?" Henry asked beside me.

  "I guess that's a no," Alex said gruffly.

  I looked out the back window, but I couldn't see her anymore. I was positive it was the same girl I'd seen while bike riding with Theo. Maybe her parents had been nearby, after all, and I hadn't noticed them. I brushed the thoughts away, trying to focus on the night ahead.

  CHAPTER 20

  ALTHOUGH THERE WEREN'T many decorations on the outside of Hawthorne when we arrived, the school looked different. More mysterious, the majestic frame standing resolutely against the night.

  The parking lot was jam packed with cars. A few people were out having tailgate parties. Henry opened my door, and
Alex scrambled to do the same for Theo. Henry held his arm out for me, ignoring his friend.

  "My lady." He grinned his cheesy grin at me.

  I smirked and took his arm, noting the solidness beneath the costume sleeve. Even the garish fountain looked better in the nighttime. A spotlight was thrown on it, making the water glow blue. A touch of magic had infused the air.

  Inside, a purple roll of fabric was duct taped to the floor, leading to the gym. In the entrance hall, hundreds of paper bats were suspended from the ceiling. Alex shrieked, swiping the bats away as they brushed his wavy hair.

  "What have I gotten myself into?" I heard Theo mutter as we continued towards the gym. I felt a deep stab of sympathy for her, since she'd wanted to go to the dance so badly. Maybe Alex was what she had settled for, and she did not have to do that.

  Theo was pulling at the fingerless blue lace gloves on her hands, when Alex reached out and took one of them. The two of them together made the strangest combination, especially considering he was almost a foot taller than she.

  "The dance committee went all out," Henry declare, grinning sideways at me.

  He was so handsome I couldn't help but smile, remembering how I could barely grin when we first met. It was hard to believe that I was actually there, on a bonafide date with my crush. It seemed like some absurd fantasy that had amazingly come true.

  Volunteers were offering face and body painting out in the hall, and one girl had a dozen pink roses across her back. The paint was slowly starting to melt and ooze towards her dress in the warmth from the gym.

  Inside the dark gym, everyone was so dressed up they were almost unrecognizable. The regular lights were turned down, and a mass of twinkle lights had been strung up on the walls. Most people were wearing dresses and tuxedos with masks, horns or tails, but a few people had full-on costumes.

  The teachers especially had gotten into the festive mood. Mr. Vanderlip was dressed as a pilgrim, complete with buckled hat, and his dour appearance made me giggle. Henry put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed, and a warm rush of pleasure filled me.

  Madison and Lainey were parked by the refreshments table. Both wore low cut dresses, though surprisingly not in pink. Lainey had devil horns, to complement a two piece red dress that looked like it could have been from the shop Theo and I had escaped from. A good four inches of her tanned stomach were on display, and I felt briefly jealous that I didn't look anything like that.

  At least Madison had used some creativity. Her short dress was made out of fluffy white fabric, and she was wearing lamb ears and white tights. If I didn't know what an awful person she was, I would have said she looked cute.

  Lainey's date was Ambrose Slaughter, who swayed and looked a bit tipsy as he took a swig from a presumably tainted glass of punch. He hadn't bothered tying his bowtie; it hung down on either side of his neck. Lainey didn't seem too thrilled. She and Madison were arguing, Lainey moving animatedly and waving her hands.

  "You look ridiculous," she yelled, her voice carrying over the persistent thrum of the music.

  "I told you this was my costume idea," Madison protested. "If you didn't like it, why didn't you say so?"

  "I don't remember anything about you dressing like a cotton ball," Lainey huffed.

  "Maybe if you listened to me once in a while," Madison squeaked.

  I looked away from the car wreck in the making, just glad the three of them weren't aware of Henry and me.

  Mr. Warwick sidled up to our group, a grin plastered on his face. He had put wax in his mustache so it was bristly like a toothbrush. A bulky trench coat draped over his lanky frame, the collar flipped up around his neck like Dracula.

  "Hey, Wick," Alex greeted him. "What are you supposed to be?"

  "I'm a turncoat," Warwick said, showing the yellow lining of the coat, which looked completely different from the other side. Alex just scowled in confusion.

  "Is that one of those dudes that stands around selling counterfeit watches?" he asked.

  Warwick looked at him with his head cocked to one side, blinking slowly. "Have fun, you guys," he said, and went off to talk to a science teacher dressed up as DNA.

  A woman next to us was addressing a teacher dressed as a box of french fries. "Excuse me. Have you seen Mr. McPherson? I can't seem to find him anywhere."

  The french fry box shook her head. It gave me pause for a second, but I brushed it off. Tonight was not the night for conspiracy theories. Henry's arm was still around me, the proximity of his body warming my own.

  "All right, let's boogie," Alex said, grasping Theo's hand. He pulled her off onto the dance floor, and they both began to make awkward robot moves to the pop song currently playing.

  "I hope she'll be all right with him," I said to Henry over the music.

  "She'll be fine," Henry assured me, lips close to my ear. "He's not that bad of a guy once you get to know him. He's not that great, either, but he's not the slimeball he appears to be at first glance."

  I opened my mouth to protest his declaration, but he silenced my argument by taking my hand and leading me to an empty spot on the floor. As we started dancing, I felt a bit awkward at first. I'd never felt very sure when dancing, and I didn't exactly have natural rhythm.

  But I got caught up easily in the spirit of everyone having such a good time. The strobe lights flickered to the bass beat, making the room seem otherworldly. Knowing I was semi-hidden in the darkness, I didn't feel so intimidated.

  Alex passed by with Theo, spinning her around. They tangoed off, her cheek to his chest. Her face was bright red and happier than I'd ever seen her. All of my earlier worries went instantly to rest, my idea of a talking-to seeming self-righteous now.

  Henry and I danced close, not letting go of our clasped hands. Laughter bounced from him to me and back again as we pressed our foreheads together, and gazed into each other's eyes. The laughter dissolved as we pulled away. He spun me around and then drew me close, dipping my torso backwards. My head spun pleasantly as I saw the world upside down.

  Song after song passed, most of them upbeat, though some of them were slow and romantic. When one slower, swoony song started up, Henry put his arms around my waist, and we swayed back and forth to the music. He didn't step on my toes once.

  The night stretched on endlessly. My legs were getting tired with the rest of me. I could feel sweat rolling down my back beneath my crooked wings, but I didn't care. I felt free. I couldn't get enough of Henry so close to me, and I didn't take my eyes off of his gorgeous face now that I had an excuse to take my fill.

  Finally, the dance started to wind down. The floor began clearing off as people left for home, after parties, or just sat down. The third slow song in a row started up. I looked around at the scattering of couples that remained as they started to sway slowly like zombies.

  Henry grasped both of my arms by my wrists and pulled them up around his neck, never breaking eye contact. He slipped his hands down and slid them gently around my waist, bringing me closer so that I was pressing against him.

  I gulped. The friendly, flirty mood between us had taken on a different tone entirely. His face was much more intense, his eyes hungry. He smelled so good and felt so warm and fit so well against me that my head swam. I couldn't get close enough. I wanted him everywhere.

  Henry nuzzled my neck softly and I felt the bite of the stubble on his chin. He began kissing my shoulder gently, sending little electrical shocks throughout my body.

  Pulling away from me, his face was mere inches from mine again. So many times I had thought about this moment. Then our lips were together, hesitant at first but then firmly matched. It wasn't like the chaste peck he'd given me after I'd showed him my math grade.

  This was different, deeper. His mouth tasted sweet, mixing with the salt on his lips. My hands snaked up his neck and I pulled him as close as I could.

  One half of the gym lights flickered on full strength, blinding me through my closed lids.
Henry and I broke apart and peered up at the ceiling. For a moment, I assumed in annoyance that it was just another lighting issue. Why now? Why here? Always at exactly the wrong time. The music shut off abruptly, the silence loud in my ears.

  I was prepared to shrug any distraction off, nearly frantic to kiss Henry again. Now that I'd had a little bit of him, it wasn't enough. I had to have more, before the need drove me crazy. I was already panting and barely holding on to my self control. From the looks of things, he was in a similar state, which only increased my arousal.

  Then a woman's hysterical voice rose above the din. Our attention was drawn to the other side of the gymnasium.

  "Don't tell me to calm down!" the woman shrieked. There was something familiar, though not too much so, about her epically pissed off voice. "I am not calming down! My daughter is missing!"

  As my eyes adjusted, I saw the woman was one of the chaperones. I could make out the rectangle of her identification badge. With a chill, I realized she had been the one asking about McPherson.

  "I'm not going to calm down!" the woman repeated again. "There was blood on the floor of the ladies' room!"

  There were gasps from the dancers around us and those seated nearby. Fright rippled through the crowd and the floor was swiftly deserted.

  "I guess the dance is over," Alex said, sidling up to Henry and me with his arm around Theo. She didn't seem to mind a bit now, leaning her head against him. Glitter sparkled on the front of Alex's purple tux.

  Although some people were hightailing it for the exits to get out of the gym and away from the brewing drama, our group went over to the scared mother. I watched as a single purple balloon deflated and fell gracefully to the table.

  "What's going on?" I asked first. The mother turned to me, her face blotchy with conflicting emotions—anger, frustration, and most of all, pure animal fear.

  "Thank god, someone who will listen," she said, not seeming to notice or care that we were just teens. She launched quickly into an explanation. "I brought my daughter, Susan, with me. She's ten years old. She was right beside me the whole time. She's a good listener, she doesn't go off on her own.

  "Then suddenly, she was gone. I couldn't find her. When I looked in the girl's bathroom, there was blood all over the floor. And they won't call the police!"