A Piece of Heaven (Allendale Four 1)

The awkward moment was broken by the four guys on the stage shouting and calling my name.

I shook my head, sure she called the wrong name. Sure this was a huge mistake and another joke on me. My hands shook and my heart pounded as every eye in the room fell on me.

Ms. Hemmingway peered into the crowd, unable to see through the glare of the lights. “Heaven? Are you here?”

Amber nudged me with her shoulder. “Go claim your crown.”

“It’s a prank. Spencer or Mark.”

She shook her head. “Trust me. It’s not. While shit was hitting the fan and your life was taking a spiral, Ben and I decided to throw a monkey wrench into the traditional system of the antiquated themes of the winter dance.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Only Amber could turn a winter formal into a protest vote. I hugged her and she squeezed me tight. It was really nice to have a friend.

“Go. Claim your crown and your men.”

A hand caught mine. Justin smiled. “Need an escort?”

“Sure.”

Together, with my arm linked in his, we took a different walk than the one that kicked all this off months ago. The first time a dozen eyes watched as we exited the bedroom. Now? Hundreds followed us as Justin walked me to the stage.

I kept my eyes ahead, on the Allendale Four waiting for me with handsome faces and brilliant smiles.

“They really do care about you,” Justin said.

My stomach twisted with delight.

“They really do.”

At the edge of the stage Jackson and Hayden rushed over, each grabbing an arm and lifting me off the ground. I squealed, feeling the air escape as I’m crushed in a huge hug. Ms. Hemmingway looked at us skeptically; the rules about us not being together still in place. Soon she’d find out what really happened and by some kind of grace, she didn’t say a word, just placed the sash over my neck and the crown on my head.

She stepped back in front of the microphone. “Introducing the new Princess and, uh, Princes of Allendale High.”

Oliver grabbed the mic out of her hands and shouted, “You can just call us the Allendale Five.”

Under the glare of the bright lights, Oliver’s words echoed through the room and my eyes darted to Mallory’s sour expression and Jennifer’s absolutely shocked face. I skipped to Justin and Eric standing close to one another at the edge of the stage. They’re smiling for me and for themselves. There’d been a shift. I felt it. The room felt it. And it’s only confirmed when Amber shouted from the back of the room, “Allendale Five!” and gave us a double thumbs-up.

Ms. Hemmingway nodded at me in that ‘get off the stage’ kind of way, but with a glance at the boys behind me I stepped forward, toward the microphone.

It squealed, screeching against the silent room. After months of maintaining my silence, letting people speak for me, standing quiet while my classmates texted, liked, and shared my life, I had something to say.

“I’d introduce myself, but even if we’ve never spoken there’s no doubt everyone in this room knows me. Most likely since I moved here in the 6th grade. I've always had the reputation of being a little aloof. Nerdy, maybe? Kept to myself. Some would say bitchy. I would say shy.

“Recently though, other words have been used to describe me:

Whore. Slut. Trash. Cheater

“Why? You know why. Because I slept with Justin Blackwood, and for some reason this was reason to tear me down. Well guess what, I didn't sleep with Justin Blackwood. Why did I pretend? I never thought anyone at school would find out about our lie. Stupid me. From there, the lie took a life of its own and others found a chance to boost their own reputation at the expense of mine.”

I looked down, making eye contact with Justin and then Eric. I didn’t back down.

“Eric? Eric took advantage of a hair straightener incident and worked it in his favor. Garrett tricked me into a date to win another girl, and Ben, as well as almost every other boy in school, simply spoke to me and the rest became history. Or legend. Whatever.

“What most of you don’t know is while you were watching this soap opera unfold, two things happened: first, the world opened up to me in the form of four amazing, handsome, outstanding men.”

I glanced behind me and winked at my boys. They stood in a row, wrapped in Prince-like gear, stunned. When I turned to face the crowd, the back door opened and a blast of light shot into the room. Two figures entered. My mother and Chief O’Neal.

I swallowed back the nerves that rose at the sight of them and continued.