The Real Prom Queens of Westfield High Read online

  The shot suddenly veers to the right and closes in on Luke Hershman’s face as I walk past.

  “He’s totally checking me out,” I blurt. “Luke Hershman looked at me!” Which, if you knew Luke Hershman, you’d understand this is about the most amazing thing that could ever happen in my life.

  I mean, even more amazing than being on some reality show about trying to become Prom Queen. You see, Grace Douglas is insanely protective of her boyfriend, and girls have fallen from social grace just for accidentally flipping their hair at him. Luke is like a trained pack mule who always keeps his eyes front and center to avoid stumbling into Grace’s wrath. But he stole a look at me this morning.

  “Luke and Grace broke up over the summer,” Victoria says casually. Which is like casually mentioning a meteor just slammed into the cafeteria. This has been my impossible dream ever since the two of them tag-teamed me into social exile. No wonder Grace was so cranky this morning.

  “There was something or other about him intercepting a text message she got from another boy.” I wonder how Victoria’s so clued in. I mean, aside from that thing where she has access to hidden cameras throughout the school.

  How did I miss this intergalactic news? Despite interacting with our classmates by waving and smiling and “opening our core,” I realize Kelly, Amy, and I barely spoke to anyone besides Marnie all day. And Marnie isn’t exactly the type to consider popular-couple breakups big news. Heck, she doesn’t even care when movie stars split up.

  “As you know,” Victoria says, “it’s Grace’s status as half of Westfield’s most popular couple that put her in the top running for that crown. This whole game just cracked wide open.”

  Victoria’s right, of course. Luke is a shoo-in for Prom King, and that means Grace just lost her enormous advantage. I can’t believe she was stupid enough to cheat on him. I look at the television screen where Victoria has paused the tape again, this time frozen on Luke’s face. Of course, he looks like a male model posing in his freeze-frame. A slight smile plays at his lips, and his jaw points toward me in a way that makes my mind reel with possibilities. With him for a boyfriend, I might actually shock everyone by winning this thing. Wow.

  When I picture that goofy shot of Rick, my heart lurches. I try to envision him with a thick gold crown sitting on top of his head. And then I see his fluffy, white sock ears peeking out playfully.

  Victoria moves on to a shot of Marnie and begins to list off the ways my best friend is a “popularity liability.”

  I let her chatter on, but there’s no way I’m dumping Marnie just for a chance to play real-life Cinderella.

  Still, spending a little time with Luke Hershman won’t exactly constitute a personal travesty. I could certainly use the status bump of being seen talking to him after getting bested by both Grace and Mrs. Laconi today.

  I’m not ready for high school to revert back to the rotting pumpkin patch of last year just yet.

  Chapter Nine

  The next morning at school, I’m greeted with a perfectly executed soul-withering up-and-down look from Grace. She turns to share a laugh with Deena that’s clearly designed to crush my confidence. I decide it can’t hurt to at least say hello to Luke.

  My SAC Committee profiled him as a guy who “likes confident girls who aren’t afraid to make the first move.” In fact, Victoria slipped me a whole Luke Hershman file with an in-depth summary of his preferences and psychological inclinations. I honestly don’t want to know where she got it.

  According to my debriefing, he’s looking for something casual after spending the past two years in Grace’s straitjacket embrace. Which is perfect, since I’m certainly not looking to get into a relationship with him either.

  “Hi, Luke,” I say, walking up to where he’s standing with his friends. I keep my nerves in check and my body language relaxed—hand on hip with my thumbs exposed. You’d be surprised how much power and confidence can be conveyed through an exposed thumb or two.

  Luke grins at the sight of me. “Hey, Depola, how was your summer?”

  I channel all my training into a flirtatious response. “Hot,” I purr slowly.

  His grin widens. “Sure looks it.”

  The seductive up-and-down look he gives me erases the nasty one I just got from Grace. I allow my eyes to roam the length of him. At camp, we learned that girls have better peripheral vision than guys do so we can check a guy out without being obvious. This is why we don’t get caught ogling the way boys always do. But guys do respond to being checked out, so it’s useful for a girl to openly ogle.

  Luke’s friends walk away, and he and I fall easily into pleasant banter. No wonder he’s so popular. I’m careful to keep the conversation focused on him as per my training. We talk about his summer job and football and working out. At his request, I place my hand on his astonishingly hard bicep. He grins at my impressed reaction—which I’m not faking.

  “Now let’s feel those abs, Depola,” he teases and starts tickling me. For the first time, I’m glad for Perky’s tyranny. I giggle at his kneading fingers.

  “What’re you looking at, Shuebert?” Luke sounds amused as he aims his attention across the hallway.

  My giggles stop.

  Rick is standing frozen as effectively as if Victoria were pointing her remote control at him. My taut stomach muscles drop into the school basement. Rick’s eyes lock onto mine, and I read pain and bewilderment. I want to shove the school quarterback out of my way and run into Rick’s skinny arms.

  But Rick quickly removes that option, turning on the heel of his BlackSpot sneakers. He’s wearing one black one and one white one today—a sign he was feeling cheerful this morning. He strides away, white-black-white-black, his backpack clinking with the sound of loose beakers. I glance around the hallway, trying to gauge what I can do to fix this.

  “So, hey,” Luke says, “you want to hang out sometime?”

  No, I need to go talk to Rick.

  Instead, I look into the deep brown of Luke’s eyes and ask, “What about Grace?” According to page six of his file, he only responds to direct confrontation.

  He falters a moment then scoffs, “She and I are so over, and boy, am I ready to move on.” He smiles at me, dialing his dimples up to full adorable.

  I imagine Grace getting the news that her Luke is asking Shannon Depola to hang out and picture her head exploding. Maybe I should see how this plays out. I smile back and tell Grace’s ex, “I’d love to hang sometime.”

  His brown eyes assure me going on a date with him will not be the worst sacrifice I’ve ever made.

  ***

  As it turns out, I assumed too much when I interpreted Luke’s invitation to “hang out sometime” to mean he was taking me on an actual date. Apparently, he meant he’d toss his impressive bicep possessively over my shoulder and walk me between all my classes.

  Kelly reacts by accusing, “Gee, Shannon, you’re going all out. Stealing Grace’s man?”

  “Outwit, Outplay, Outwear.” I smooth my fitted skirt. I know Kelly well enough to see she’s actually thrown off by my snagging the football captain.

  “I thought you liked that Rick guy,” she says, and I regret getting so honest with her at camp.

  “This could be a total game changer.” I ignore her comment. “I don’t seem like such a dumb blonde to you now, do I?”

  “Have you completely lost your mind?” I turn to see Marnie standing behind me. “I thought you liked Rick.”

  I realize I’m pressing my lips together in response, which is a sign a person is holding back what they’d really like to say. I’m not even sure what I’m hiding from Marnie but tell her, “I never actually decided whether or not I’m into him.”

  “I witnessed the adverb game, Shannon. I’m pretty sure you’re into him.”

  “What’s the adverb game?” Kelly asks. “Sounds kinky.”

  Marnie and I just stare her down until she slams her locker and struts away.

  Marnie turns to me. “Hav
e you forgotten Luke is the one who picked up your finger cot and gave you that awful nickname?”

  “Please, don’t bring that up.” I wince. “Rick is the one responsible for pointing out the…thing, and besides, Grace is the one who came up with that name. Now that the two of them are broken up, Luke’s a completely different person this year.”

  “He’s not the only one,” Marnie grumbles.

  “Hey, listen, I’m sorry that Rick and I didn’t work out. I know that would’ve really greased the gears for you and James.”

  “Is that what you honestly think? That I would steer you toward Rick for my own benefit?” Marnie’s brow furrows in anger. “Luke is so clearly wrong for you I can’t believe you’d even consider going out with him.”

  “Oh, so now you don’t think I’m good enough to date Luke Hershman?” I’m careful not to raise my voice and cause a scene, but my heart is beating so fast I’m afraid the cameras can see it.

  “No. I think you’re too good for Luke Hershman. But then, you’ve always had a tough time seeing yourself clearly.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you’ve always sold yourself short, Shannon. Like the whole Elf Ucker thing. You just accepted it all as if you deserved it or something.”

  “Don’t you think my being with the captain of the football team proves my self-esteem is much healthier now?”

  “No, I think turning down the captain of the football team and dating the guy you actually like would prove you have healthy self-esteem.”

  “The guy I like is Luke,” I insist.

  “Well, if you like him then by all means date him,” Marnie says. “But don’t expect me to stand by and watch you make a huge mistake.”

  She turns and walks away, and I call out, “The Bahamas really changed you!”

  She doesn’t turn back, and I realize this is the first fight we’ve had since middle school. And that was about which cookies we should bake during a sleepover. I decide I have no choice but to tell Marnie about the show. It’s the only way I can make her understand why I’m spending time with Luke.

  It seems his default setting must be “serious monogamous relationship,” because before I know it, I’m seamlessly inserted into Grace’s place as Luke’s girlfriend. Which is exactly the position I’ve been training for.

  Kelly continues to act astonished by my achievement while Amy avoids eye contact with Luke. No amount of Prom Queen training could ever cure her shyness around hot guys. Oh, have I mentioned Luke’s hot? Really. I’m talking, he makes Raul seem like a girly-boy who dreams of becoming a man.

  Over the next few days, he and I are dubbed “Shan-uke” (pronounced “Shanoōok”) by our student body fanbase. It feels like the hallways should be covered in red carpet as everyone stares at us walking past. Including the faculty. I’m getting watched from every angle, and that isn’t even counting the hidden cameras.

  This competition? Just. Got. Interesting.

  Between the pressing demands of shopping, socializing, and meeting with my SACC, a week passes by before I get a chance to call Marnie. When she picks up, I duck into our bathroom with my cellphone for privacy and whisper, “Hello.”

  “Shannon, are you okay?”

  I laugh and keep my voice low. “Listen, I have something I need to share with you, but you can’t tell anybody.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “You know how I was missing all summer?”

  “Yes,” Marnie says slowly.

  I take a deep breath. “Well, you’re not going to believe this, but I was actually at Prom Q—”

  “Excuse me, Shannon,” a vaguely familiar voice cuts in on the line. “I do believe you are under contract to keep certain details of your summer activities private.”

  “Marnie?”

  “Your friend has been disconnected from this call, and we are now placing a block on her number.” It’s Mickey.

  “How are you even doing this? Have you been listening to all of my calls?”

  “We have a lot of money invested in you, Shannon. We need to protect our investment and ensure the show is not compromised by loose lips.”

  “I wasn’t going to…” But I can’t lie. I was about to tell Marnie everything. “I’m sorry. But you don’t understand how cool Marnie would be. She wouldn’t tell a soul about the show. I just want her to understand why I’m hanging out with Luke.”

  “Nobody should need an excuse to date that boy,” Mickey says, which is true. “We have high hopes for you, Shannon. You could be the dark horse that wins this whole epic shebang.”

  “You mean blonde horse,” I say, and Mickey gives a cold laugh before hanging up.

  I just stare at the cellphone in my hand for a moment. They must’ve put some sort of chip in it when they confiscated it for the summer. I understand the need to preserve the show’s secrecy, but I wonder if Amy and Kelly know our phone conversations are all being monitored. And now how can I explain everything to Marnie?

  ***

  “What were you talking about last night?” Marnie is waiting for me in front of my locker. “I tried calling you back when our connection broke, but I couldn’t get through.”

  I glance at the ceiling where a hidden camera—and Mickey—are probably watching me.

  “Sorry, I dropped my cell phone in the toilet,” I say, sliding it deeper into my purse before she sees it.

  “You said something about summer. Where were you?”

  “It was nothing. I was just daydreaming about sunny days. You know how I can be.”

  “No, I clearly heard you start to say something about prom. Is that why you’re dating Luke? You want some hunky arm candy to wear to the prom?”

  “That’s ridiculous. Prom is like eight months away. Why would I be thinking of it now?” I feel my eyes blinking and hope Marnie doesn’t know this is my tell when I’m lying. I’ve been trying to work on it since camp.

  Marnie gives me a look that says of course she’s aware of my tell. “I don’t know what the hell is up with you, Shannon. But call me when you’re ready to act like a normal person.”

  I smile. “You mean normal for me, right?”

  “Yes, Shannon.” She sighs. “Normal for you.”

  Marnie walks away, and I’m glad that our friendship is strong enough to withstand my odd behavior. At least now she knows something’s up. She’ll just have to trust that I have a reason for acting much stranger than usual.

  ***

  “Maybe your mom can come and catch one of our practices,” Luke tells me as I toss a book into my locker. “I’d love for her to see me in action.”

  “Okaay,” I say, “She’s usually kind of busy?” The woman never made it to even one of my volleyball games when I tried on a jock persona back in seventh grade. I close my locker and spin the lock.

  Luke laughs and puts his arm over my shoulder. “Yeah, sure, I guess your mom gets enough of that at work.” Which makes me wonder what, exactly, he thinks she does for a living. But then, I don’t want to jinx my tactical romantic connection by demanding an explanation for every peculiar comment he makes. The whole school is in love with us being together.

  “The two of you have got to be kidding me!”

  It takes a moment to find the source of the outraged voice since I’m tucked into Luke’s armpit, and we turn around as one singular unit to see who’s talking.

  Grace. Of course. And her body language is not subtle. Arms crossed and foot tapping—she’s pissed.

  Luke’s arm goes slack, and I catch his expression of gloom before his hold on me tightens. His bulging bicep presses into my neck so hard I bow my head before it gets snapped off like a dandelion.

  “Well, if it isn’t the cheating cheater,” Luke shoots at Grace, and I try to figure out a way to disappear. Perhaps a stop-drop-and-roll maneuver.

  “I told you, that text message had to be a mistake!” Grace says. “I don’t even know a Ben.”

  “Come on, Grace,”
Luke accuses. “Ben is a really common name.” He curls his forearm as he speaks, effectively trapping me in a headlock.

  “So this is it? You’ve moved on already?” Her voice catches. “After all we shared?”

  “Problem is, I can’t know who else you’ve been sharing with.” Luke says. “‘I had a great time last night’ is a really odd text message to get. Especially the day after you said you were sleeping over at your nana’s house.”

  I wheeze at Luke, “Who still has sleepovers at their grandmother’s?”

  “Exactly,” he agrees as he slides his arm down my back and rests his hand on my hip. My lungs enjoy a full breath of air.

  “Luuuuke,” Grace says. “You called the number yourself. It’s disconnected. There is no Ben!”

  Luke says, “I’m sure Ben would disagree that there is no Ben.” Note to self: Do not expect future disputes with new boyfriend to be particularly rational.

  “Fine, don’t believe me,” Grace says. “Go ahead and paw this skank all you want, but you’ll be back. And, Elf Ucker?” I cringe at the name. “Once Luke and I are together again, don’t think I’ll forget how you threw yourself at my man during our little break.”

  I’m pretty sure I’ve just been socially damned for all eternity. This runs contrary to my primary goal of becoming more popular, but Luke just scoffs and maneuvers me past Grace.

  As we move down the hallway, I say, “I take it things ended badly between you two?”

  “I don’t know.” Luke shrugs. “She’s just working things through.”

  Glancing up, I see he isn’t joking. Addendum to Note to self: Don’t expect a high level of emotional sensitivity either. He shoots me a quick grin, and I decide I’ll survive. Just as long as he doesn’t put me into a chokehold every time we run into his ex.

  ***

  Luke invites me to a party that’s happening Friday night, which is super-exciting for several reasons. Firstly, I’m going to a gathering entirely made up of my target audience, i.e., popular people. On top of that, I’m pretty sure my hot date and I will not make up a significant portion of the guest list. It feels like things are really going to start happening to me now.