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“Why?” Shelley asked.
I glanced toward Gunnar, the guy she had brought along. I didn’t really know him, but I guess it was time for his initiation. “I’m only sixteen. It’s okay that I haven’t dated anyone yet.” That was a lie though. Ididwant to date someone, but that was something my abuela would say.There’s plenty of time for romance,she always told me.You’re only young once.
Which reminded me. I needed to call her to plan my summer visit.
Van said, “It’s okay, but don’t you want to have a date for prom?”
Definitely.I shrugged. “Maybe I’ll meet someone at the pride parade or the festival.”
Shelley turned to Gunnar. “Is there anyone Xi could meet at your school?”
I glared at her, and Van burst out laughing.
“Yeah, Gunnar, know any lesbians?” Van said.
Shelley blushed. “Forget I said anything.”
Gunnar stared very pointedly at his drink, but he did say, “I went to prom alone this year, and it was okay.”
“See?” I said, gesturing toward him. “Thank you, Gunnar.” Someone ran into the back of my chair, and I nearly spilled my drink, letting out a loud, “Oof.”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” Stefon, king of our high school, said. But I wasn’t looking at him. I was seeing the girl behind him with the most beautiful brown eyes widened in shock.
“Are you okay, Xi?” she asked.
“Wait,” Van said. “You know her name?”
We both glared at him, and I turned back to Kiyana. Toward her concerned expression. “I’m okay.”
She looked like she wanted to say more, but someone was waiting behind her. She nodded and then walked behind Stefon to a long table at the back with the rest of the popular kids from our school.
My gaze must have followed her a little longer than normal because Ronnie said, “Now we know why you’re not into blonds.”
Van waggled his eyebrows, and I shoved his shoulder.
Shelley said to Gunnar, “Yes, they’re always like this.”
And to be fair, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
* * *
When I got home from school, Birdie Bardot was sitting at the kitchen table with my parents. They were so engrossed in whatever they were doing, they hadn’t even heard the door open. I dropped my purse loudly on the ground and raised my eyebrows. “What’s going on?”
They turned toward me as if coming out of a trance, and Mom smiled, waving me over. “Hola, bonita. We were just looking at decorations for the prom! We need to get our order in by tomorrow for everything to make it in on time.”
I walked closer to the table, and Dad made room for me to see the magazine. “Why aren’t we using the internet like regular people?”
Birdie laughed. “We get a discount from this vendor.”
Mom nodded. “We’re going for an Under the Sea theme, so young people can enjoy it and older people can relive the proms they missed. What do you think?”
It was thoughtful actually, and I couldn’t get the thought of Kiyana in a sea-green dress out of my head. But what I really said was, “It’s nice. But we can’t have real fish. People will go nuts.”
“Good point,” Birdie said, retrieving a pencil from behind her ear and writing it down in the margin of the magazine. “What do you think of these for centerpieces then?”
She flipped to another page that showed fishbowls filled with gel-like water, castles, aquarium rocks, and plastic fish.
“I like it,” I said.
