The Education of Hailey Kendrick - Eileen Cook [4]
“It’s going to cost you a kiss,” Tristan said.
I quickly kissed him.
“It’s a way better secret than that,” he said, leaning back against the table and crossing his arms.
I leaned in and he pulled me closer. He wound his hands into my hair and kissed me deeply, causing my heart to speed up.
“Still standing here,” Joel said, interrupting us. “In fact, I’m feeling a little pervy just watching.”
Tristan laughed. “Watch and learn, Grasshopper.” He turned to me. “I called my mom and told her the theme to the dance is going to be Old Hollywood. She says if you want, you can borrow one of her vintage dresses. She has a gown that used to belong to Bette Davis back in the forties. My mom wore it to some awards show.”
“Seriously?” I squeaked, bouncing up on my tiptoes. I hadn’t even seen the dress, but I knew I wanted it. “I could kiss your mom.”
“You can kiss me and I’ll pass it along,” Tristan promised. I planted a big smack on his lips.
“How did you know people would vote for Old Hollywood as the theme?” I asked.
“He also had his mom pick up Vivien Leigh’s costume from Gone with the Wind in case everyone went with the Southern idea instead,” Joel said. “It comes complete with a small black girl who follows you around to wave you with a fan.”
Tristan gave Joel another shove, before smiling at me. “I knew you wanted Old Hollywood, which meant that’s what I wanted.”
“Ah, popularity. What you two want, the whole world wants. But what about me? I’m left still wanting ice cream,” Joel said.
We headed out together. The guys offered to walk me back to my dorm in case any rogue security guards tried to get a photo of me, but I declined. I couldn’t wait to tell my best friend, Kelsie, about the Bette Davis dress. She was going to freak out. She wants to be an actress and loves anything vintage Hollywood.
Joel was right, popularity has its advantages.
2
“I cannot believe you get to wear a dress that was worn by Bette Davis. Do you have any idea how cool that is?” Kelsie flopped back onto her bed as if she were overcome by the enormity of it all.
“I know who she is, but I don’t know if I ever saw any of her movies,” I admitted. I was sitting on the floor with my laptop, trying to get our presentation to work.
“I can’t believe you! Bette is like an icon. She was in Dangerous and All About Eve. Tons of stuff. She won two Oscars. The dress is totally wasted on you.”
“Do you have any chocolate?” I asked as I typed.
“Nope.”
I looked up in surprise. Kelsie always has chocolate in her room. Her dad is the CEO of a major candy corporation and has his assistant send her huge boxes full of stuff every month. “Your dad just sent some a few weeks ago. How can it all be gone?”
“I stuck it in the common room. I decided I didn’t need the temptation.” Kelsie sat up and smoothed her hands down her sides.
“You aren’t going through a phase where you think you’re fat, are you?”
“I don’t think I’m fat. I know I’m fat.” Kelsie squeezed a tiny quarter inch of flesh around her middle. “Even my face is fat.”
“You’re not fat. You look great. You just have a round face.”
“Great, I have a circle for a head. Who doesn’t love a girl who looks like a cartoon character?”
“I have a weird gap between my teeth,” I pointed out with a smile, so she could see it. “Everyone has something about themselves they don’t like. Your face is cute.”
“I’m not going for cute. Besides, a tooth gap is sexy.”
“You wouldn’t think it was sexy if you knew how easy it is to get food wedged in there,” I pointed out.
“See, it’s even a food storage device, handy and sexy at the same time. This is why I’m doomed to be alone forever.”
“Is this about the dance?” I closed the laptop, sensing a serious conversation was coming, one for which PowerPoint was not going to be needed. I had a feeling the birth of our nation wasn’t what was on her mind. Our history project was going to have to wait.
“No one’s asked me yet.”
“You should ask Joel. Seriously, it would be like a favor. I think Mandy has designs on him.”
“Joel is always my backup date. We go to everything