Homecoming. This was becoming DaeRi’s least favorite conversation topic, not that she was even talking to anyone. But everyday as she walked the hallways, feeling the the hopeless-ness of everything, she heard the word “homecoming” over and over again. It didn’t help that people were giving her dirty looks because of the cookie incident. DaeRi just wanted to disappear.
But through all of this DaeRi did not think about not going to the homecoming dance, not even once.
At A.L. High homecoming was really only the dance. They didn’t have a real football team, just a group of guys who played football for the attention, or sometimes for fun, so there was no football game. There was a parade, where each of the clubs decorated a car and drove down main street. And a pep rally, basically all the cheerleaders do all year are pep rallies. There was also spirit day, when everyone dressed up in orange and blue, the color of A.L. High. Then there was the dance, the highlight of the whole week.
And DaeRi was not gonna miss her senior year homecoming dance. Even if she wasn’t queen.
The only problem was that she needed a dress, she had a few dresses from the previous years but no way was she gonna re-wear a dress. For all the previous dances DaeRi had went shopping with Harriette and Tamarai who would buy her a dress, but this year she was off on her own.
It was a week until the dance when DaeRi remembered her “back account”.
When DaeRi was much younger and they had been living in Broad Meadows for two years she heard her mom talking about a bank account and asked her what it was.
“It’s a place where you put all your money to keep it safe,” she had explained.
DaeRi thought that was a pretty good idea, so she went to her room found a box and put all of her money in it. She didn't have much obviously, but over the years she continued to put all the money she got into it until she met Tamarai, which was in sixth grade. She stopped then because she had to spend her money, since she and Tamarai would go out and do stuff that required money.
When She told Tamarai about her “bank account” Tamarai had thought it would be a good idea to hide it and open it later when DaeRi really needed the money.
And now seemed like a pretty good time.
She remembered they had hid it at the top of her closet, which was now full of old clothes, stuffed animals, other old toys, and basically anything DaeRi’s mom refused to throw out, she was sort of a hoarder.
DaeRi pulled up her desk chair to the closet and stood on it, facing the challenge of uncovering the box that was surely hidden in there somewhere. She then proceeded to dump everything on the floor, until she saw the little shoebox and could pull it out.
She then sat on her penguin rug and opened the box. She frowned at the small amount of bills in it and proceeded to count them out, doubting it would be enough for a suitable dress.
There was around a hundred dollars, not too bad she had to admit. She couldn’t believe her little girl self had just hid this money away.
So she put the money in her purse, left a note for her mom, and ran out the door and all the way to the bus stop. She arrived just as the bus to the mall pulled up.
She took a seat on the bus and started thinking about where to go first. Obviously the high end stores were off the list, she couldn’t afford an extravagant dress. And she didn’t need one either, as it was just homecoming.
Suddenly the person beside her said something, ending with “the playdough cookies?”
DaeRi closed her eyes and tried not to groan before turning to the girl next to her and asking “Hm?”
“You’re the girl who gave out those nasty cookies,” the girl said. The girl had these ridiculously tiny eyes, and a big mouth, and her hair was cut super short. But she wasn’t ugly exactly, just interesting.
“Yeah, so?” DaeRi finally said.
The girl shrugged, “just saying.”
“Well, okay,” DaeRi said, turning away and looking out the window, wishing the bus ride wasn’t as long as she knew it was.
“I’m Shae, by the way,” the girl said.
“DaeRi,” DaeRi said, not looking back at Shae, “as I’m sure you know.”
“Why’d you give out those terrible cookies?” Shae asked.
“It was an accident,” DaeRi said, annoyed, “I was trying to campaign for my friend and I made bad cookies, okay?”
“But how?” Shae asked.
DaeRi glared at Shae and Shae turned a shade of pink and shrank away.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“It was an accident,” DaeRi said, “Salt looks an awful lot like sugar.”
Shae nodded.
Daeri hoped that Shae was done talking to her and looked back out the window. Unfortunately Shae had some more things on her mind.
“You’re friends with Tamarai?” Shae asked.
“Uhm, no I guess,” DaeRi said, “I was.”
Shae looked thoughtful, “So what happened?”
DaeRi could not believe this girl did not already know the whole story, did she live under a rock?
“I did something that Harriette didn’t like, and so she kicked me out of her inner circle and Tamarai is still in the inner circle. So we’re not friends,” DaeRi explained.
“Oh,” Shae said, smiling slightly, “Harriette? Gosh, I just lost my friend to her too!”
DaeRi looked back at Shae, now interested, “How?”
“Ella, that’s one of them, was obsessed with her and wanted to be her best friend,” Shae said, “and I guess she is now, along with Mariah, my other friend, and the only one I really liked. Ella was a bit rough around the edges, but Mariah was nice. But now Mariah only talks to me in the morning, because they’re so busy spending the rest of the day with Harriette.”
Mariah and Ella, DaeRi’s replacements.
“Oh,” Was all DaeRi said, what else was there to say? Then she realised that this Shae girl just might be useful to her. Another girl who had lost her friends to Harriette? Surely Shae must feel some resentment towards her. DaeRi needed some friend who didn’t like Harriette. Well she need friends period, but if they didn’t like Harriette, that was a plus.
Shae didn’t say anything else for the rest of the ride, until they both got off on the same stop.
“What are you doing at the mall?” Shae asked.
“Dress shopping,” DaeRi said.
Shae slowly smiled, “Me too.”
“I’m guessing you want to come along?” DaeRi asked.
Shae shrugged, “if you’re okay with it?.”
Daeri grinned, this girl was the perfect lacky!
“Of course, come on!” DaeRi said.
And they headed into the mall together.
--
After a day of shopping with Shae, DaeRi learned a few things about her new friend. Shae had had a best friend until he ditched her for the drama geeks. She wasn't very confident and she could go on long spiels and not even care if DaeRi was interested, only to apologise profusely afterwards. And then look like she regretted apologising.
She wasn’t too bad.
DaeRi also managed to find herself a moderately okay dress, it was a dark turquoise A-line dress with a ridiculously poofy skirt that was covered in sparkles. It looked like the night sky, which DaeRi appreciated. Plus is had little slits at on the side of the waist, making it just a little sexy. DaeRi thought it wasn’t too bad considering she had a budget.
Shae ended up getting a short flowy lilac dress, very grecian inspired. It was really pretty, and DaeRi hoped that Shae wouldn’t overshadow her with such a gorgeous dress. It helped that Shae wasn’t very attractive and had the body of a ten year old boy. At least that is what DaeRi thought.
After shopping they ate at the food court and DaeRi saw Harriette, Tamarai and those replacements waiting in line at Starbucks. DaeRi took this as an opportunity to show them that she was making new friends.
She pulled Shae over to Starbucks, claiming that she had been craving a pumpkin latte.
As they stepped into line, right behind Harriette and her friends, Tamarai looked back at them, her mouth shaping into a small O.
“Hi,” DaeRi said.
Harriette looked back at them and frowned, “DaeRi.”
“Shae!” one of the replacements said.
“Mariah,” Shae said, smiling.
Oh yeah, Shae had said her friends had been stolen by Harriette.
“You’re hanging out with DaeRi?” the other replacement said. DaeRi had not known that they were twins, and they looked completely identical. The only difference was Mariah had her hair long wavy hair pulled into a ponytail and the other girl had her’s cut into a bob. It was a little jarring.
“We just met on the bus,” Shae said.
“Well, ditch her,” The short haired twin said, crossing her arms. DaeRi couldn’t help but gape at this girl, she had never ever talked to her a day in her life but here she was telling her new found friend to ditch her?
“Uhm, hello I’m right here?” DaeRi said.
“So?” The girl said.
“I don’t even know your name,” Daeri said, “and you think you can tell my friend to ditch me?”
“My name is Ella,” she said, smiling innocently, “And if Shae knows what’s good for her she would ditch you.”
Then Ella turned back to Shae, “You do know that this girl was kicked from the inner circle, right?”
Shae nodded slowly, “She told me on the bus.”
“And you still came here with her?” Ella scoffed.
“Yeah, she seemed nice,” Shae shrugged.
“Well, she’s not,” Harriette said.
Everyone turned to look at Harriette, who had been quiet up until then.
“I’m not that hungry anymore,” Harriette said, “Let’s go.”
And with that Harriette walked away. Without even a last glance at DaeRi.
Ella followed quickly, but not before telling Shae one more time that she should ditch DaeRi. Then Mariah followed, casting a sympathetic glance back at Shae. And lastly Tamarai was standing there, looking back and forth between Harriette’s retreating back and DaeRi.
“I’m sorry,” Tamarai said, quickly, before running off to catch up with Harriette.
“Of course you are,” DaeRi mumbled to herself, before turning away and heading towards the the exit with Shae quickly following behind.
“That was intense,” Shae said.
“Shut up,” DaeRi said.
And Shae didn't say another word the whole ride home.
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