The Bathroom Stall

The Bathroom Stall|Note Seventy-Two

Note Seventy-Two

Last Friday night
Yeah, we danced on tabletops
And we took too many shots
Think we kissed but I forgot

 "So you excited?" Jacklyn asked, turning off the radio with a chocolate cookie in her hand. She had brought over a box of homemade cookies in the morning but she ended up eating most of them because I was afraid there was no way for me to fit in the emerald green dress.

"Let's think about this for a second, Jacklyn. I'll most likely be the only one that doesn't have a date, I'll probably not know anybody there except for Tucker, and he'll be hanging out with his date. So yes, I am so pumped."

"Sarcasm isn't attractive, Cora." Jacklyn replied, unperturbed by my bad mood, I had woken up at seven in the morning to her incessant knocking. Nobody in the world wakes up at seven in the morning on a Saturday unless it was Jacklyn and Homecoming day. After I had explained that I was going to Tucker's house to get ready, her enthusiasm of dolling me up had dimmed, but we had spent the entire morning doing each others nails by her request and gossiping. I had reluctantly ditched my math homework to watch P.S. I Love You with her.

"What time do we need to get to Tucker's house by?" Jacklyn asked, bouncing onto my bed.

I shrugged, standing up and rubbing my stiff back. "He said sometime around four. Why?

Jacklyn looked down at her watch and squealed. "Looks like we should leave now. It's three thirty and he lives in that really rich neighborhood, doesn't he?"

There was no point in arguing with Jacklyn once her mind was set on something. In ten minutes we were driving down the street in my car, my dress and shoes shoved carelessly in the back.

"I am so proud of you Cora." Jacklyn sniffled dramatically. "Going to Homecoming without a date senior year. You're so grown up!"

"Shut up." I groused. Freshman year I had gone with a friend, Nick, and sophomore and junior years, I had gone with Terrence. "You're not going at all."

The mood dampened a little and I was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." The topic of Rob and their mutual cheating actions was still a really awkward one and Jacklyn always got really quiet whenever one of us mentioned him.

"Forget it, Cora. Just have fun for me, okay? I'll be home studying for the SAT's. Pretty fun, right?"

Jacklyn pulled my car into  Tucker's long, winding driveway which was already packed with cars. "This is not going to be fun." I groaned as Jacklyn stopped the car and hopped out.

"Let's think positively, Cora." Jacklyn handed me my stuff. "Can you get a ride home? I just realized that I don't know how to go pick up my car from your house."

I raised an eyebrow as Jacklyn gave a sly smile. "Uh, sure, I'll just call my mom or something."

"Or you could get a ride from someone  here. Just a thought, you know." Jacklyn said slowly with a smile. I gave her a look and nodded.

"Hey, Cora!" Tucker shouted from his door, waving his hand in the air for me to see.

"Have fun." Jacklyn said, before hopping back into my car.

Oh great.

***

"And I realized too late that my hairdresser had put in the blue ribbon when I wanted the red ribbon. So now I guess I'll just look the American flag or something." Tucker's date giggled as she tried to put on some mascara. She was probably the nicest girl here out of the group, but I couldn't help but discreetly roll my eyes as she described her nightmare hair appointment earlier.

All I had to do was change into my dress, put on some makeup, and wait for all the other girls to get finished.

"So who's your date?" Angela asked me, adjusting the blue ribbon in her hair.

"Oh, I don't have a date." I replied, picking at one of my gold fingernails.

"Oh, that sucks. I'm sure there's somebody you could probably hang out with tonight. Are you guys ready to go?"

When the other girls nodded, I sighed relief and followed Angela out of the massive bathroom and down the three flights of stairs. All the guys were waiting downstairs for the girls, and I awkwardly shuffled off to the side.

"Having fun yet?" Tucker asked me, sidling up.

"Yes. So much." I replied.

"Hey, turn that frown upside down, Cora. You'll make me feel bad for inviting you."

"It's fine really. Angela seems nice."

Tucker smiled. "Yeah, she's pretty great."

"Are we taking pictures, now?" Someone asked from the hallway and Tucker looked down at his watch.

"Yeah in a sec. I think 'we're missing one more person."

"You uh, look nice." I muttered as we both watched Angela laugh at something another girl was saying.

"Thanks. You look great. Green's a good color on you."

"Uh, thanks." I replied stiffly as Angela approached us.

"Sam just got here! Can we go take pictures now?" She asked brightly, looping her arm around Tucker's elbow, clasping his hand in hers.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go outside into the backyard. My mom said the gazebo would be a nice place to take pictures." Tucker replied, then shot me an apologetic smile as Angela led him away.

Wait, Sam. Sam as in Sam Whitten?

"Hey Cora. You look nice." A voice said from behind me as if on cue, and I turned around to face Sam. He was wearing a nice black suit and a dark green tie that coincidently was the same color as my dress.

"Thanks." I replied slowly, giving him an appraising look. He was holding a small white box in his left hand and I gestured towards it. "Is that a corsage? Who's your date?"

Sam smiled sheepishly. "Uh no, it was the box for my tie. I'm here alone."

Could someone say awkward?