By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) (25 page)

Much to my surprise, Ty showed up at my house
the day after the incident in the woods, a duplicate of the
destroyed gown over his arm. I knew exactly how much it cost, and
it added extra pressure to look perfect—for him. Despite my worries
and fear, I vowed to push it all aside. He deserved this night—we
both did.

During the game, all the princesses in the
Homecoming court were corralled into one of the classrooms.
Full-length mirrors were set up for last minute touch-ups to
make-up and hair.

Jenna was there, of course. She looked
absolutely stunning in a sleek red number with small diamond
cutouts down the front, and a halter top that showed off her
voluminous chest. The boys would undoubtedly go ga-ga over the
amount of exposed flesh down her front.

Mary Clark waved hello to me as she entered,
her forest green dress swooshing around her ankles as she hurried
over to greet me.

"You look fabulous!" she said.

"You, too!" I said, meaning it. She looked
radiant. More than a small part of me hoped she would win that
evening. I knew my chances were pretty much in the toilet, and it
would be horrible to watch Jenna win.

We huddled around a mirror together, helping
to tweak each other's hair.

In the reflection, I saw Carrie slip inside
the room. I'd forgotten she was on the court, or perhaps my mind
simply blocked her out. Everything aside, I had to admit she looked
gorgeous. Her long brown hair was piled on top of her head with
loose tendrils brushing her shoulders, and she wore a canary yellow
gown with thick straps and an empire waist. The dress flared and
ended in a soft train at her back. Her chest looked well-endowed
and her cheeks were flushed with a beautiful glow.

We ignored each other. I huddled on one side
of the room with Mary—Jenna and Carrie stuck to the other. Everyone
seemed on edge, anxious to get on with the night's proceedings.

True to tradition, each of us would be driven
around the track during halftime like a candle on top of a birthday
cake. It was a cold night, the temperatures having finally
succumbed to the approaching winter. I didn't look forward to
riding aloft the back seat of the convertible that would serve as
my coach. The only good thing in the situation was Ty, who would
meet me at center field and accompany me in the procession across
the grass.

My mother appeared. "Are you ladies
ready?"

She slyly turned her face aside as I walked
past her through the door, wiping away the tears I saw glistening
on her lashes. At the last moment, I turned and gave her a quick
hug.

Ty stood at the fifty yard line with the
other princes. It didn't matter that he was still in uniform, grass
stains and dirt all over him. I couldn't take my eyes off of him,
and I felt his on me as the parade of cars winded its way around
the field to the hoots and hollers of the onlookers. Melanie waved
frantically from the stands, a huge grin lighting up her face. I
smiled and returned it, feeling like a beauty pageant
contestant.

One by one, the cars stopped and each
princess was greeted by her prince. When it was my turn to
disembark, Ty stepped forward and offered me a hand down. His palms
were so warm and I didn't want to release them. My own fingers were
half frozen in the frigid air.

He slipped a corsage of white roses on my
wrist. Accented with miniature daisies and ivy, it was beautiful.
"Thank you," I said. I raised my wrist and breathed in its light
scent.

Tucking my arm beneath his, he escorted me to
the center of the field where an impromptu staging area had been
assembled. His eyes kept returning to me.

"You're beautiful," he whispered.

I flushed with pleasure. "So are you."
Suddenly, it seemed a whole lot warmer outside.

We lined up with the other couples. There was
Mary and Ed, Simone Bauer and Brian Kramer, Carrie and Todd York, a
basketball player, and finally, Jenna and David. I tried to ignore
the implications of that particular pairing.

Waiting for our names to be called out in
introduction was a frustrating process. By time the festivities
concluded, I was literally shaking from the cold.

Mary and I were the only two with football
players for dates. As the other girls took off with their escorts
in tow, we were left to say hasty goodbyes before ours had to
double-time it back to the locker room for the second half.

"Good luck with the rest of the game." I
smiled as I viewed the scoreboard. We were well ahead.

Ty laughed. "After seeing you in that dress,
I'll be lucky if I can concentrate."

His eyes captured mine and I felt my breath
whoosh out of me at the intense contact. Mary's boyfriend, Ed, was
calling for him to hurry, but Ty didn't seem to hear.

Grasping me around the shoulders, he pulled
me into him and kissed me. And what a kiss it was. I felt as though
I were sinking into a warm bath, my senses overwhelmed by the heat
of it. Several wolf whistles rang in my periphery, but I tuned them
out. When at last we broke apart, I swayed slightly.

Ty grinned. "That was for luck." He backed
away. "Save me a dance."

I walked—no, floated—off the track with
Mary.

She took one look at me and laughed. "You've
got it bad."

"You have no idea."

o0o

The gymnasium had once again undergone a
remarkable transformation. The bleachers were pushed back into
their resting places, and it seemed blue, white and silver crepe
paper hung on every available surface. The Homecoming committee
wasn't particularly inventive. The theme of the dance was "Stairway
to Heaven." My father would be proud.

Music throbbed over the loudspeakers, some
pop number with a fast, pounding beat. I stood off to the side, not
really knowing where else to stand as I waited for Ty to arrive.
The festive atmosphere was infectious and I had to admit the shiny
stars hanging from the ceiling were rather pretty.

A large moon hung off to the side of one of
the basketball hoops, a sudden reminder of everything we would soon
face. I stared at it, shocked back into reality where such things
as dances and gowns held no sway. I'd forgotten somehow, distracted
by the frivolity of a night with Ty.

"Hey, beautiful."

Strong arms encircled my waist. I smiled up
at Ty, but couldn't resist another glance at the glowing orb.
Whoever had fashioned the thing had done a remarkable job. I could
practically see the man in the moon in the shadowy crevices painted
on its full surface.

Ty followed my line of sight, and we stood
transfixed by the harmless piece of cardboard, each lost to our own
thoughts. Finally, he planted a soft kiss at the crown of my head
and pulled me toward the dance floor.

"Not tonight, Mac. Tonight, it's just
us."

Admittedly, neither of us were great dancers.
But that didn't stop us from heading to the middle of the dance
floor to join the other gyrating students shaking their tail
feathers. Song after song played. Soon, we were both covered with a
thin layer of perspiration as the body heat from those around us
crashed over us in thick waves. Of course, our own clumsy movements
only added to the pressing warmth. The pungent smell of body odor
mingled with all of the heavy perfumes and colognes. I started to
feel a bit light-headed by the undulating scents.

I definitely needed a time-out. Ty allowed me
to lead him over to the refreshment stand, where we both discreetly
tried to guzzle our sweet punch. We laughed when we both went in
for our third refill.

"Excuse me for a minute," I said. I planted a
soft kiss on his mouth before heading to the restroom where I
pressed wadded paper towels to my slick forehead. Luckily, my
make-up was holding up okay, but I quickly refreshed my lipstick
and powder just the same. A surreptitious sniff of my underarms
confirmed I was doing okay in that department.

I paused in the full-length mirror and smiled
at my reflection. This girl was in love, I realized. It showed in
my eyes, so bright and, for the moment, unburdened, and in my
flushed skin. I ran my hands down my torso and along the curve of
my hips, trying to imagine Ty's in their stead. My cheeks pinked up
at the thought.

"You're going to sleep with him, aren't
you?"

I jumped at the sudden voice.

Carrie stepped out of the shadows cast by one
of the stalls. How long had she been watching me? A rush of
embarrassment went through me at having been observed in such an
unguarded moment.

I straightened my shoulders and regained
control of my features. "That's none of your business."

She laughed without humor. "I suppose you're
right. After all, he broke up with me
months ago
."

Her smile somehow hardened her pretty face.
When she took a step closer to me, I instinctively matched it with
a step backward as I tried to read the meaning behind her
words.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out with you
two, but it really has nothing to do with me."

That made her laugh; she threw back her head
and practically cackled with mirth. "Are you really that stupid,
Mac? It has everything to do with you."

"I don't know what you mean." My eyes
skittered to the doorway at her back.

"I mean that I could never live up to the
great Makenna Wilhelm—no matter what I tried." She clasped one of
my auburn curls and slowly rubbed it between her fingers, her
piercing blue eyes mere inches from mine. "Know what I was doing
during the spring dance last year?"

"No." I tried to step away, only to have her
echo my movements.

"I spent the night in the hotel room where my
boyfriend took me. Only, he had to leave, you see? Had to go rescue
this nitwit of a girl from the evil clutches of her boyfriend." She
said the last like a tagline from a horror film. "Poor girl seemed
pretty skilled at getting a guy hot, but you see, she never learned
how to close the deal." Her sudden frown turned into a laugh. "I
bet you still don't know how."

My lips quivered and a tremor went through my
hands as I pulled my hair out of her grasp. "Leave me alone."

She snorted softly. "You're free to leave
whenever you want. I'm not stopping you."

I attempted to brush past her, but she
stepped in my way. "Just one last thing." She ran a perfectly
manicured fingertip across my collar bone; it scraped along my
unmarred skin, leaving a light pink trail in its wake. "If you
think you've won, you're wrong."

In a flurry of silk, she spun on her heel and
left. My knees went weak and I fought to remain standing with the
sudden relief of her departure. I grasped one of the porcelain
sinks and tried to calm myself. If Ty couldn't believe Carrie
capable of harming someone, this had to be enough to convince him.
I waited a few minutes to ensure she had indeed left, and then
exited the room.

When I stepped back inside the gymnasium,
something on my face must've alerted Ty to my distress.

"What's wrong?"

His face was full of concern and all I wanted
to do was pour out my thoughts and feelings for him to help put
back together. Over his shoulder, I caught sight of the happy faces
of our classmates. The picture they created put a stopper in my
throat. I couldn't ruin our evening. This night had been magical,
and I wouldn't allow this girl to disrupt it. Tomorrow would be
soon enough.

I forced a smile. "Nothing. I think the heat
was getting to me a little."

"Do you want something to drink?" Ty didn't
appear completely convinced, but fetched me a glass anyway.

I sipped it slowly, trying to conceal my
emotions. "That's better," I said.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes."

He didn't seem reassured. "Do you want me to
take you home?

"What? No! I'm fine—honest." I even
half-convinced myself it was true.

I cocked my ear toward the dance floor.
"Anyway, I think they're playing our song."

Ty grinned as he recognized the opening bars
of
Wish You Were Here
.

"Ten bucks says my Dad bribed the DJ to play
that," I said, grinning up at him.

It was enough to distract him; he led me into
the center of the paired off couples. I rested my head on his
chest, secure in his arms as the Pink Floyd song flowed around
us.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Mmmhmm." With him, everything looked up.

Toward the end of the dance, we were forced
to gather on the stage with the rest of the Homecoming court. Just
my luck, I was wedged between Jenna and Carrie—the boys and girls
having been separated for the crowning ceremony. Carrie fixed me
with her angry stare, but quickly turned away as the proceedings
got underway.

The queen was announced first. I told myself
I didn't care, but a blossom of hope grew in my chest as Mrs.
Kramer sliced open the envelope containing the results. At the last
second, I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer that it was my
name inside.

"And this year's Homecoming queen is..."

Please, please, please.

"...Mary Clark!"

The crowd erupted into applause. Mary
squealed and I forced a smile to congratulate her. She hugged me
hard and moved to the center of the stage to accept her crown. A
large bouquet of flowers was thrust into her awaiting arms and she
smiled beautifully as they placed the rhinestone crown on her head.
I pushed my feelings aside and cheered wildly for her. Ty caught my
eye and winked. I shrugged my shoulders in an "oh well"
fashion.

And of course, Ty was crowned Homecoming
king. He looked completely stunned when the other guys pushed him
into the spotlight only to have a scepter thrust into his hands and
the most grotesque red velvet crown placed on his head. I giggled
uncontrollably at the expression on his face and he shook the rod
at me playfully before leading Mary off the stage for their
ceremonial dance to
Stairway to Heaven
. Mary's date, Ed
Daniels, kindly offered me his arm and we took to the floor
together, followed by the other couples.