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“Stay like that. Forever. It is so much easier than high school.”

Her tiny brows furrowed in confusion and then she ran off, because tag was way more fun than me.

I let myself into the trailer with my key and didn’t hear any signs of life or see any fresh beer cans, so my mom was either still asleep or hiding till dinner time. Come to think of it, I wasn’t entirely sure she’d even been in the house this morning. Barbara’d given her a ride last night.

I did my homework and worried. What if Mason wasn’t interested in Darius’s latest find? We were nearing the end of season, did the baseball team ever get tested? I had a hard time imagining the team negotiating with underclassmen for clean pee.

And then, when we were together, how would I get his phone? And then then, what if did, and the pictures weren’t even there? I wished there were a way to be more sure about a lot of things—everything, really. The only thing I felt good about right now was Darius—so I tried not to think on that, because I didn’t want to figure out a way to worry about him, too.

I was so busy worrying-not-worrying that I missed the sound of another car pulling up outside, and a loud-rap on the front door startled the hell out of me.

“Just a second!” I yelped, and turned toward the window to look out. Sarah’s car was in the drive-way and my sister was racing back over and I heard my mother’s bedroom door open up.

Oh. Shit.

I raced for the door and flung it wide.

“Here you go!” she said, handing me a grocery bag. I peeked inside, and all I saw was red velvet. “Christmas wedding. I warned you.”

“That’s totally awesome—thank you so much!” I tried to sound sincere while pushing her back, but it was too late, my mother arrived.

“Sarah! It’s been so long!” My mother had clearly just gotten out of bed, her make-up from the prior night still on, all of it half-a-centimeter out of place.

“Hey Ms. McMullen!” Sarah said.

“What’s that?” my mother asked, looking at the bag.

Sarah, God bless her, realized what was going on from the panicked look on my face and tried. “It’s nothing,” she said.

But I knew beyond knowing that if I got grounded again now, my mother would stay home on Friday personally to make sure that I couldn’t go—and I had to be there. So I turned to my mom with a megawatt smile.

“Mom—Liam Lewis asked me to prom!”

My mother’s eyes widened. “Liam asked you out? And you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t want to wake you up,” I protested.

My mother looked at me, completely baffled, and then took my head between her hands. “Honey, this is the most important moment of your high school life. Next time, wake me!”

“I will, I will,” I promised, should such another imaginary date ever occur, and then I turned to Sarah who was doing a very good job of hiding her surprise at my blatant lie.

“Yeah, so,” she stumbled, and then picked up steam. “My sister went to my cousin’s wedding and was a bridesmaid.”

My mother had already shucked the dress out of the bag and was holding it up. It was floor length and high-waisted with cap sleeves and holly embroidered around the neck in green bugle beads.

“Christmas wedding?” my mother asked, and Sarah nodded.

The thing was easily a foot longer than I was tall. And for once my mother read my dismay and said the right thing. “Honey, you would be surprised what scissors and properly applied hem tape can get you.”

“Thanks Mom,” I said, and meant it, and turning to Sarah I tried to say a hundred different thank-yous with my eyes.

“So, anyways,” Sarah said, backing out. “I’ve gotta get home for dinner,” she said and waved, and I followed her.

“Thank you so, so, much,” I whispered.

She shook her head. “You owe me. Assuming you make it past this weekend alive. How’re you going to explain Darius showing up? Or the fact that Liam’s a sophomore and can’t buy prom tickets?”

“I’ll think of something between now and then.”