twisted ✔️ (being edited)

16| Talk About Prom

three days later

"Did you see they're already hanging posters for prom in the hallway?" Jessica asks the table during lunch. "I've probably seen like nine today."

Stephanie nods with a big smile. "I know! I'm so excited." She pouts. Sucks I won't have a date."

"I wanted to ask Lanley, but I get so nervous every time I'm alone with her." Jessica says, shaking a bag of sliced apples before ripping it open. "If I pussy out again, she'll end up going to prom with someone cooler and prettier than me."

Elliot snickers. "Let's face it, Jess. Lanley is way too cool for you. So you might as well only buy one ticket."

"I don't see anyone lining up to go with you," She counters.

"I bet you also didn't see this." He reaches across the table and snatches her cooker off her lunch tray.

"Hey!" Jessica shouts, smacking his hand, and takes it back. "Hands off my plate, Elliot. That's my cookie!"

"HaNdS oFf mY pLaTe, ElLiOt. ThAt'S mY cOoKiE," Elliot mocks, rolling his eyes. "Blah, blah, fucking blah, J. You don't need it anyone. Mom says sweets make you fat."

I know they're messing around, so I don't feel a protective need to jump in and protect my friend. Besides, I've seen the way the twins fight. Jessica is a fire you dare not add more lighter fluid to.

"Hahaha. Fuck off." Jessica smacks the back of his head and shoves his beanie off. "Why are you even sitting with us, anyway? Don't you usually sit with your gamer nerd friends?"

"Elliot has friends?" Kal jokes, getting the table to laugh together.

"Cute, Kal," Elliot says, scrunching his nose. "They're at home... playing video games... without me. You're lame, but I'm not sitting alone in the cafeteria or eating in the bathroom like some antisocial loser."

Jessica rolls her eyes. "You know when Mom had us, she told the nurses to name you Idiot, but unfortunately there was a typo."

"ThErE wAs a TyPo," Elliot mocks his twin again.

Stephanie turns to me. "Are you excited about prom, Codi?"

I nod. "I am, actually. My mom has this beautiful, yellow dress she had for her prom that I always wanted to wear."

"Your mom was hot in high school, Codi," Jessica chimes in, putting her twin brother's insults on pause. "I've seen pictures. I bet she made everyone's heads turn as she walked down the halls."

I had to agree with her. My mother was—and still is—beautiful. It doesn't help that mom had me young (seventeen) and her appearance doesn't match her age (thirty-five). Sometimes when we're out together, strangers had said we looked like sisters, or twins even. Their comments didn't really help boost my self-esteem. If anything, it made it drop before Earth level, buried shamefully in the dirt.

"I want to see the dress now," Stephanie says.

"I'll send you guys a picture if I can find it after school," I promise them, biting into a slice of greasy pizza.

Jessica nods at Kal. "Are you taking anyone special to prom, Kal?"

He shakes his head. "I... don't think I'll be going, actually."

I shake my head and tell him, "What? No! You can't just skip prom. It's one of the last things we can do together as friends before graduation. Before we all go our separate ways."

Kal groans, but finally gives in with a nod. "Fine, I'll go. But I'm not wearing a tie."

"You're wearing a tie."