“Yeah.” Claire leads me to the room. “You’d be surprised how many kids are out there struggling with their sexuality. It’s nice to give them a place to hang out and feel safe. I didn’t really have anything like that.”
“When did you come out?”
“When I told Christina and Jake.” She laughs darkly. “You saw how that turned out.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to be your friend then.”
“Yeah it seems like maybe the two of us could have used better friends, back in the day.”
We change quickly and head into the bathroom to use the mirror. My dress is white with a sheer overlay. Tiny flowers are embroidered into the see-through fabric.
“You look like a fairy,” Claire says. Her dress is black, made out of a fake leather that fits her like a glove yet is still totally appropriate. I’m jealous of my friend’s daring style. While I may look like a fairy, she just looks like a gorgeous badass.
I swipe a little mascara on my eyelashes and Claire hands me her lipstick. “Try this.”
It’s a deep red, way bolder than I usually would wear—if I wore any at all—but I decide to take the fashion risk. Why not? Tonight is all about fun.
I’m just finishing up when the door swings open. Christina walks in wearing a sparkly pink dress. She keeps her expression even. I try to do the same but Claire makes no effort to hide her annoyance.
“Margaret sent me in here to tell you the kids are arriving.”
“Great,” I say. “Thanks.”
Claire takes my bag. “I’ll go put this up. Meet you in the gym?”
“Sure.”
She breezes past both me and Christina, which leaves the two of us alone. Perfect.
“I like your dress,” I say, hating the awkward silence.
“I got it at an amazing boutique in San Francisco.”
I struggle not to roll my eyes. “It looks great.” We near the gym door. “Look, I’ve been wanting to thank you for what you did at New Years. It helped a lot.”
Her lips form a thin line. “Lucky for you, I hate abusive drunks.”
The way she says it makes it seem like she knows from experience. “If you hadn’t come forward, all of the guys would have been in serious trouble. Especially Dexter.”
Her small hand grips the door. “I know you may think I don’t know the difference between right and wrong, but I do, Starlee. I wasn’t about to let that jerk get away with beating up a bunch of teenagers.”
I swallow back a retort about how all of it started when she squealed on me and the boys for staying at Dexter’s cabin during the snow storm, but hold it in. “Anyway, thanks.”
I don’t get a “you’re welcome” just an annoyed eyeroll as she enters the gym. Claire comes up behind me. “Is everything okay? I shouldn’t have left you alone with her. That was a dick move. She just makes me so mad.”
“No. It’s fine.” I smooth down my dress. “Ready to head
in?”
“Yep, let’s go show those kids how to have a good, totally substance-free, good time.”
I laugh and follow my friend into the cavernous room. The lights are off, other than a few spotlights shining from the stage. They strike against the disco ball, which sends a ray of reflection through the room. In the shadowy room the streamer and balloons don’t look so pathetic, but all that fades anyway as I see the four boys standing across the room. My four boys, looking handsome and clean. My heart ricochets in my chest.
“God, to have one person look at me like that,” Claire mutters but there’s a small smile on her face. That’s why she’s a good friend. She gets us.
“Whatever, you know your girl loves you.”
She smiles in that way only a person in love can. “She really does.”