Prom Queen - Part Three

I left David’s house and went straight home and straight to my bedroom. I got out of my rain-soaked clothes. Fixed myself a tall glass of lemon ice tea. And I sat down at my desk, at my laptop, to put my plan into effect. And I still felt David on me. Still smelled him on me too.

My mother was in the kitchen cooking dinner. And my father and brother were down in the man cave, playing video games. And I was sitting at my desk, glancing out at the rain as I wrote out the letter. I was typing so hard and fast I thought I was going to break the keys.

As I wrote the letter, I kept glancing over at the TV. I had it on Channel 4 news. Amanda’s parents popped up on the TV, both of them looking like they had gone crazy from worrying. Looking at her parents, I could see why Amanda was so homely looking. They were begging whoever kidnapped Amanda to please bring her back home. That they could have the twenty-five thousand dollar reward money if they bring her back home. I busted out laughing. There was no coming back home. She was already in her coffin, in her grave. Then they showed the search party on the news, led by her parents and David. People walking around with sticks and bottled water. And they were all — about a hundred people — walking through the woods in the Fort Washington area. Near Piscataway Park, in the area where I parked and left her car for them to find.

Then, right after the news segment on Amanda, they talked about Ryan next. How they still couldn’t find him. His parents, like Amanda’s parents, begging for his safe return home. Not knowing he was sharing his grave with Amanda. I laughed again because this letter I was writing was going to fit those news segments on those two like a glove. Especially with the both of them going missing at the same time.

I went down into the study and — with my murderous gloves on — grabbed three of my mother’s envelopes. I typed David’s name on the first one. Ryan’s parents were on the second one. And Amanda’s parents on the third one. They were all going to receive this letter.

When I finished typing up the letter, I jumped in the shower. And I couldn’t wait to watch the news in the next coming days when they were going to talk about my letters.

* * * *

I said, “Please don’t start acting like you don’t know me.”

David was facing the inside of his locker, staring at photos of Amanda he had taped up. He looked like he was barely hanging on. A worried wreck. I didn’t get any phone calls from him after the wonderful day we had at his house. Like it meant nothing to him. And it pissed me off.

“Can you at least turn and look at me?” I asked him, placing my hand on his shoulder.

He turned, looked at me and said, “What’s up?”

“You. Us. That’s what’s up.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Amanda’s best friends, Desnia Huddleston and Priscilla Anderson, walking by us. They were glaring at me so hard I thought they were going to jump me and stuff me in David’s locker. I rolled my eyes at them and turned my attention back to David.

Desnia said, “Why are you all up in his face when he is trying to grieve?”

I just gave them both the finger, without even looking back at them. I heard Priscilla call me a bitch, and I calmly said, “Ya, mother!”

David faced me, sighing, concerned. “Cindy, I hope you’re not going around telling people about us.”

I looked at my man, shrugged, and said, “Why shouldn’t I? I’m happy and in love and you should be too. Right?”

“Cindy... that never should have happened.”

I knew what he was talking about, but I pretended I didn’t. Playfully poking him in the stomach, I said, “What never should have happened?”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“Oh. The other day when I was over at your house?”

“Cindy, you know what I’m talking about,” he said, watching Desnia and Priscilla walk down the hall. Both pissed off at him for talking to me.

Playing with his belt buckle, I said, “Are you talking about when you started moaning my name?”

“Cindy, we need to talk. Like... right now.”

I looked into his eyes and smiled. “My place or yours?”

We left school, and I followed David to Fort Washington Park. We sat at the picnic table near the entrance, by the woods, where they found Michelle Martin murdered a few months ago. People were still adding balloons, photos, and other shit to her makeshift memorial. She was a popular, pretty girl who was one of the Fly Bettys, a popular clique at our school. Back in tenth grade, the leader then was this girl name Alice Owens, who created the Fly Bettys. She asked me to be a Fly Betty, and I accepted. Then Princess Brewer — who was popular and a Fly Betty too — fought me because her boyfriend Tobias liked me. And that ended my chances of being a Betty. Bitch!

I sat on top of the picnic table, and David faced me. He was looking around, all scared somebody was going to see him and recognize him. But of course, I didn’t care. I wrapped my fingers around his belt and pulled him between my legs for a kiss. And he turned away, looking around like a cheating married man. Offended, I put my finger under his chin and turned his head to face me.

I stared into his eyes a second and said, “Where’s my kiss? I can’t get a kiss?”

He was so apologetic; I thought he was about to cry. “I just want to thank you for being there for me. I’m not going to the prom without Amanda. On top of all that, it just wouldn’t look right.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “You need to move on. You don’t have a choice but to move on. Why are you feeling guilty?”

I kept looking around. It made me look around to see who was watching us. Nobody. Nobody saw us and if they did, they paid us no attention. It was only a few people at the park, anyway. All of them older people walking around, getting their exercise on.

He said, “I’m getting tired of people looking at me like I had something to do with it. When me and Amanda never fought... and had disagreements like normal couples do! Because we loved each other so much.”

I caught an attitude like I was catching fire. “So, why are you doing this to me? When I don’t deserve this!” David searched for an excuse, like he was looking for a lost wallet with money in it. “Or were you telling me we were going to the prom together because you felt guilty for making love to me? Huh?”

“C’mon, Cindy—”

“Talk to me, dammit! Wow... the things we say to each other in the midst of passion!”

He surprised me when he grabbed the bottom of my school uniform shirt. And I’ll give it to him. He was serious. “Cindy, the last thing I want to do is hurt you,” he said.

“Okay, so what’s wrong with us as a couple, then?”

“It’s just too soon. And... Amanda is still missing. I need to be out here looking for her. Not making love or at the park holding hands with another girl! I need to find her!”

“Okay, so you’re worried about what other people think.”

“Hell yeah! Of course! It doesn’t look right!”

“Look. I don’t give a shit what anybody else thinks! Fuck them! We are going to the prom together! And that’s it! I don’t want to hear this shit about what people think about us.”

He walked a few feet away from me, with his back to me. He needed a moment, and I gave it to him. Finally, he turned and faced me. “Can’t you see what I’m going through?” he asked me, raising his voice. “This shit is driving me fucking crazy!”

I stepped off the picnic table and approached him. “Baby, I know this is tough on you. But it’s nothing you can do about it right now. It’s all in the hands of Amanda’s parents and the police.”

David gazed off in a sad, confused daze. “I have this feeling everybody is going to hate me for it. I know they will.”

“Hate you for what?”

“For her disappearance, that’s what. They gotta blame somebody. Right? Why not the boyfriend? Her dad keeps asking me if we had a fight. When we didn’t. For some reason, they seem to want to blame me.”

“Who wants to blame you?”

“Her family. They keep thinking this is going to turn out like it did with Michelle Martin. Dead and murdered in the woods. And they still haven’t found Michelle’s killer yet, Cindy!” David looked over into the woods at Michelle’s makeshift memorial. At all the balloons tied to the tree near where they found her, twirling around in the light wind.

“We’re going to have answers soon, David.”

“What do you mean answers soon?” he said, still staring over at Michelle’s makeshift memorial.

“Maybe Amanda ran away-”

“She didn’t run away, Cindy-”

“She might write to you... and her family and friends later and... tell you why!”

He looked at me, strange and confused. “What the hell are you talking about, man?”

He looked back over at the makeshift memorial. I shook him, making him face me, eyes to eyes. “Look at me.” He forced himself to hold his look on me. I felt a weird lump in my throat. “I love you. I’ve been in love with you since school started. I got you now. And I’m not letting you go. Even if I have to drag you with me to the prom myself. We are going!”

David just stood there looking at me. It was nothing he could say.

* * * *

Days later, I was sitting on my bed, painting my toes blood red, my favorite color. Channel 4 news was on TV, and I was looking for some coverage on the three letters I anonymously sent out.

When I glanced up from my toes, Amanda’s parents were on TV, interviewed from their living room. I turned the sound up so that I could trip. They brought up my letter alright. And they were begging Ryan to bring their daughter back home. Or they would find them both and have him thrown in jail for kidnapping. That made me laugh as well.

There was a tap at my door. “Yeah?” Xavier opened my door and stuck his head in. He just stood there like a zombie, looking at me and pissing me off. “What? What do you want?”

“Somebody here to see you,” he said.

Now, I’m looking at him, waiting for him to tell me who it was. And all he did was stare at me, annoying the hell out of me. “Who?”

My brother gave me one of his devious grins I hated so much. I knew he was about to say something smart out of the mouth. “The hell if I know,” he said, then shut the door before I could say anything. I could hear him laughing as he ran into his room.

“I’ma tell mommy you're in here cussin’,” I said, raising my voice. “Bad ass self.” I got up from the bed, walking on my heels. “Get on my damn nerves.”

Walking down the stairs on my heels, I went straight into the family room. And it shocked me to see David sitting there on the couch. And he was not happy, and he was holding a piece of paper in his hand. He was so mad you could cook eggs on top of his head.

Turning on the light, I said, “David. Hey.” He said nothing, just staring at the piece of paper. I sat down beside him. “What’s wrong?”

David looked at me and then back at the paper, holding it up. “You didn’t know?”

I shrugged. “Know what?”

“About your ex-boyfriend and my girl.”

I sat back and waved my feet in the air in kicking motions to dry my nails. “Oh. I think I saw it on the news. They ran away together. Right?”

David gave me a strange look. “So you knew they were seeing each other behind my back?”

“Yeah, when I saw Amanda’s parents on the news talking about some letter she sent them. Something about her and Ryan Roscoe running away together.”

David shook his head, staring down at the piece of paper, which turned out to be the letter I sent him. “Man. This is so messed up.”

I smiled. “Amanda’s father looked pissed. I think he’s gonna kick Ryan’s ass when they find them.”

David looked around. “Where’re your parents? I don’t... I don’t want to be too loud.”

“My father’s down in his man cave, drunk and asleep. My mother’s upstairs. She might sleep too, I don’t know. You’re okay. What’s on your mind?”

David read the letter, saying nothing. He wanted to kill somebody, but, too bad, I beat him to it. I could tell it blew him away, and I was loving it.

“Cindy, what’s goin’ on here? What’s up with this?”

“David, you’re not a dumb boy. Not by a long shot. You know exactly what’s going on. You’re just in denial, baby, that’s all. And when you realize that this is not some stupid dream, and understand what’s up, you’ll realize that we were meant to be together. That’s all this is.”

“Wanna read it?”

Not really. Especially when I wrote it. “Alright, sure.”

David handed me the letter.

When I wrote the letter, Amanda’s voice was in my head, of course writing it from her point of view.

Dear David. I didn’t know how to tell you this. I was so scared you were going to kill me and Ryan if I told you we had fallen in love. I really hate to do this to you. But I have to follow my heart and my happiness. Ryan and I knew you and my family would not accept our love. So we’ve decided if we want to be together, we must run away together. Ryan and I are not ashamed of our love for each other, but we do not want any of you all interfering with our love as well. Trust me, you all will never find us. We are long gone, far, far away. We may even be out of the country by the time you all read this letter. And another reason we ran away. During our affair, I became pregnant.

I laughed, but you could best bet David didn’t find it funny. “Oh my God, she’s pregnant! Ryan got Amanda pregnant?”

David dropped his head, wanting to die. If a bus came through the family room, David would have jumped his broken-hearted ass right in front of it. “Go ahead. Finish reading it.”

So Ryan and I have decided to have the baby in eight months and be a family some place else. We are a happy family, and we are going to stay a happy family. I have never been so in love in my life. And I hope you all someday will understand how happy I am, and why I ran off with Ryan, to spend the rest of my life with. P.S. Don’t bother looking for us. You will never find us. Love Amanda Moss.

Done reading the letter, I looked at David. He couldn’t even face me. “This must be so devastating to you.” He said nothing, just stared at the wall, like he just graffitied it with the word — in large letters — vengeance.

“So I guess she sent her parents a similar letter?”

David leaped up from the couch. He couldn’t keep still. He started pacing. “Here I am, man. Worried. Going crazy. And... and she ran off with another man on me. What the fuck, yo! I didn’t even think a cat like Ryan was her type.”

“Apparently, he is her type, David. Because they’re gone. Long gone. And it’s nothing we can do about it. But... just move on with our lives. We have no choice. Know what I’m sayin’?”

David stood there, thinking about it. “But... something’s strange about this. This is not Amanda. Ryan isn’t her type, I’m tellin’ you.”

I looked at him and shook my head, disappointed. “Oh, so, you’re so much Amanda’s type that you don’t think she would dare look at another man? C’mon, David. You’re not an arrogant guy. And you’re not a stupid one either. Your girl left you for another man, and that’s it, end of story.”

David stood there in the middle of the family room, lost and confused. “Something’s not right. This... this ain’t Amanda.”

“Apparently it is Amanda.”

David, mortified, looked down at the letter in his hand.

I got up and faced him. “C’mon, David. I know you’re not gonna stand there all night looking like a fucking fool. Ryan was probably peeping Amanda all along. Right behind my damn back. And I’m not gonna stand here - and neither are you - looking like a bunch of damn fools because of what they did to us!” I wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him. “I love you. And you need to love me back.” I looked up into his sad, suicidal eyes. “Because I’m not gonna break your heart like Amanda did you. Sleeping around and getting pregnant with somebody else’s baby. I’m here for you, and I’m going to love and take care of you.”

David walked away from me, balling up the letter, enraged.

“Don’t destroy that letter,” I said. “I want you to keep it. Just in case we find them.” David thought about it and then stuffed the letter in his pocket. “When her parents drag her no good ass back home, then you ball it up. And shove it down her fucking throat.”

David started pacing again. “I’m tellin’ you now. If they find them... I’m breakin’ ya boy’s legs. And I’ma wrap both his arms around his neck and choke his bitch ass out.”

“He ain’t my boy. I broke up with Ryan months ago. You can do whatever you want to’im, I don’t care. But you know what I think?”

David stopped pacing and looked at me with some hope left. “What?”

I walked up and faced him. “They’re never gonna be found, David. They’re gone. They ran off together. Like I said. You’re not a dummy. You know what’s going on with them. You’re just in denial. If Amanda wants to be with Ryan and have a bunch of babies with him, let’er be. But you need to stop being in denial and understand something. I’m your girlfriend now. You got the baddest bitch in school. And your boy groupie friends are going to worship you even more with me on your arm.”

All poor David could do was glare at me, lost for words.

* * * *

The night before the prom, I was lying in bed, staring over at my prom dress hanging from my closet door. I kept thinking about how the blood red polish on my nails matched my blood red dress, a match made in heaven. It was a beautiful La La Mira prom dress I got from the Paris Twice As Nice bridal shop in Waldorf, Maryland.

Until the prom, things between David and I erupted with a lot of love and a lot of drinking. The drinking and getting drunk on his part, of course. There were times I thought he had Amanda on his mind, the way he was getting drunk. He felt that Amanda ripped his heart out and stomped on it. When actually it was I who ripped her heart out and stomped on it.

Then I heard it. That all too familiar buzzing sound that I had gotten used to. Those damn bees were back. I rose from my bed like the dead and turned on the light. I looked around, swinging my eyeballs left to right like a flashlight. I listened, zooming my eardrums into any kind of sound I could catch. The buzzing sound stopped, and the bee was gone. I’m sure he was promising me he was going to see me again.

* * * *

That evening as I waited for the black on black Rose Royce Phantom limo, I sat at my desk, putting on lipstick. Blood Red lipstick, of course, to match my dress and shoes. I had a photo of me and David sitting at the side of the mirror, a picture we took in the photo booth at Saint Charles Mall. We were smiling like we just got married, on our way to the Virgin Island for our honeymoon.

When I finished painting my lips, I got up from my desk and stood in the mirror. I spun around in slow motion, looking beautiful, yummy, and tasty in my prom dress. I was admiring myself so much, I could have gone on the date to the prom with myself.

Then I caught a reflection of my nosy ass mother peeking in on me. And I did not like the twisted mouth snarl she was giving me. I guess it was time for her to waste my time finding something wrong with the way I looked. Whatever!

“The limo should pull up in a minute,” she said. “You about ready?”

Not once did I take my eyes off of myself in the mirror. “About as ready as I can be.”

My mother stood there at the door, hands on her hips, staring at me. The snarl left her face, but she still looked disappointed about something. And she looked a little suspicious, too.

“I want to show you something,” she said.

I frowned, in no mood. “Show me what?”

My mother walked over to me, taking her phone out of her jeans pocket, showing me a photo of Amanda on her phone. I looked back at her, wondering why.

Just as fast, I turned my attention back to me and the mirror. “Why’re you showing me a picture of Amanda Moss?”

“I noticed something about the glasses she’s wearing in this picture.”

I gave my moms a quick condescending look, and then I was back to myself in the mirror. What the hell is she up to? “You’re just now noticing her glasses. I’m sure you’ve seen them enough. Every time the girl’s ugly face pops up on TV, you’re turning up the volume.”

My mother glared at me a moment and shook her head at me and — trust me — I didn’t give a shit.

“She’s not ugly, Cynthia—”

“Okay, okay, she’s not ugly,” I said, turning and facing her. “Why’re we talking about Amanda Moss and her glasses?”

Then my mother pulled out Amanda’s glasses from her pocket. All I could do was stare at those damn glasses, surprised. It felt like somebody poured a vat of acid over me. With all the heat I was feeling, I had to keep it cool. So, I shrugged and acted like I’d never seen the glasses before in my life.

Looking over the glasses, my mother said, “Guess where I found them?”

I stepped into my shoes, a pair of Crystal Embellished Ankle Strap Dress Sandals. “I do not know,” I said.

My mother followed my every move. She didn’t care at all that I was trying to ignore her. “It’s funny. While I was cleaning up, I sat the remote on top of the TV. And... the remote... fell behind the TV.”

I sat on my bed to buckle up my shoes and she stood there, waiting for me to respond. Me ignoring her was buying me time, trying to think of a way to get out of this murder wrap. My idea was to stay calm, that I didn’t know where the glasses came from, to stick with that lie and die with it.

My mother sat down on my bed next to me. “So... I found the glasses when I found the remote.”

I gave my mother a little snarl, along with a sarcastic smirk. “Behind the TV?”

Glaring at me the way she was, she didn’t find my sarcastic response funny. She twirled the glasses around with her fingers, looking over them like an eye doctor. Then she stopped and sort of frowned. “You see this? On one of the lenses-”

“Mom, I’m trying to get ready!”

My mother stopped and looked at me. With this I got your ass NOW smile on her face. “I thought you said you were already ready.”

“See what? What’re you trying to show me?”

My mother pointed down at the left lens of the glasses. “That looks like dried blood.”

I stood, staring down at my mother as she looked over the glasses. I was so mad at her I was about to snatch those glasses out of her hand and shove them down her throat. When she finally looked up at me, she was just as pissed off.

“What’s going on Cindy?” she asked me. “Talk to me. Why did I find this girl’s glasses in my house?” I shrugged, walking back over to the mirror to see how my shoes looked on me. She grew angrier by the minute. “Cindy, why did I find this girl’s glasses in my house?!”

“I don’t know, maybe—”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“My God, how do you know they’re her glasses?”

She got up and faced me. “Oh, I would bet my life on it. These are exactly the same glasses she’s wearing in the picture.”

I sighed in anger and said, “Maybe Ryan hid them behind the TV when he came over here - I don’t know. And I don’t care!”

We heard a horn blow. I walked over and looked out the window. My limo was pulling up to the house. A crowd of my neighbors was standing around outside to watch me - the superstar of the moment - take off to her prom.

“Well,” I said, sighing and smiling. “That’s my ride.” I grabbed my Stone-Embellished Silver Candy bag by Lauren Lorraine from my dresser. “Are you coming out for the photos?”

When I turned to leave, my mother was blocking the door, with her hands on her hips, ready to play spoiler. I stopped and looked at my mother because... it was obvious... there was a problem.

I didn’t have time for this bullshit with her. So, as calm as I could stand to be without throwing the biggest tantrum in U.S. history, I said, “Um... excuse me. I need to go to my prom.”

After a moment of looking at me like she was about to rip my heart out, she said, “I’m going to let you go to your prom, Cindy.”

“Thank you.”

Then she stepped up in my face like it was about to be an after-school fight. “But you can best bet... tomorrow... once you’ve slept... you and I are going to figure out how these goddamn glasses got behind my fucking TV.”

With my hands on my hips, I stood there gawking at my mother, and I know my eyes looked like ice. Like the ice in my veins. After the stare down, my moms finally moved out of my way, swinging her hand out, motioning me to leave.

“Thank you,” I said, walking out. I Stepped down the stairs like I was stepping down a muddy hill. “You coming out to take some pictures with us?”

My mother ignored my question. She was leaning against my bedroom door with her arms crossed, watching me leave the house.

When I walked outside, I was like a movie star walking up to her fans for a press conference and photos. My neighbors - about fifteen of them - clapped and took pictures of me. I stepped off the steps, twirling so that they could get a good look - and photo - of me.

My dad already had his phone out ready to do some camera clicking of his little girl. “Cindy, let me get a couple of pictures of you by yourself before you get with your little group here.”

I stood in the yard while daddy took many many pictures of me. I didn’t smile all that much. But I struck poses that put ALL so-called divas to shame. And the look on my face. I could feel it. It was fierce!

“Okay, baby,” Dad said. “Stop looking so mean and give me a little smile.”

I gave my dad a smile. A real cute one. With my hand on my hip, posing like I was going to be inside the pages of Teen Vogue.

After dad finished, David — my man — walked up to me and slipped my Corsage—made of red roses—on my hand and wrist.

He said, “Hey you.”

I looked up into his eyes, so in love. “Hey you.”

My man looked so fine in his all-black tux. Lamar had on an all-white tux. They had their color schemes all planned. And they both looked so handsome with their Boutonnieres pinned to their lapels. And my girl Kathy was so beautiful in her baby blue prom dress and white dress sandals.

And then I felt it. His eyes. Those eyes felt like a hot, steaming iron placed against my back, like it was an ironing board. No, not David’s eyes. The limo driver’s eyes. I felt him staring at me, and it literally made me turn and notice him. He was leaning back against his Phantom limo with his hands in his pockets, staring at me. Staring at me like he was in love. Him being in love with me didn’t shock me. What shocked me was he didn’t care if I caught him staring at me or not. Like he wanted me to know. He was a short muscular man with big wide googly eyes, short black hair and a five o’clock shadow. And like most limo drivers, he dressed like an undertaker. As me, David, Kathy and Lamar stood together in front of the limo for pictures, he creeped me the hell out. Fucking perv. I started to tell David to kick his ass for me, but we needed him to see straight to drive us to the prom.

“How you feelin’?” I asked David. His eyes looked like drapes that were about to drop.

He looked like he was about to rest his head on my shoulders to go to sleep. “Babes, I’m not gonna lie. I need a quick power nap.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t get any sleep last night either,” I said, glancing over at the limo driver.

“Me and Lamar been runnin’ around all day tryin’ to get ready for the prom.”

I took David’s hand. “And... are you ready?”

David slid his eyes up and down me, impressed and in love. “Lookin’ at you... I better be ready.”

I pressed my body against him. “Trust me. When we get to the hotel room later tonight... you’re gonna need a lot of rest. So you better be ready.”

David started smiling like he hit the lottery or something.

I was about to sneak myself a quick kiss. But when I turned and spotted Amanda’s parents, I hit the pause button. Because they were staring at me something terrible. Damn! If looks could kill.

“Can’t wait,” David said.

“You look worn out already, D,” Lamar said, smiling like a million dollar bill.

“I was just tellin’ my girl I might need a power nap.” It made me feel good that he called me his girl.

Lamar had a slick smile on his face. “That’s all right. When we pull up outta here... I got somethin’ that’ll wake your ass up.”

Now David had a slick smile on his face.

I looked at both of them and said, “Two drunks.” David and Lamar busted out laughing, falling all over each other. “Y’all better not be throwing up all over the place before we get to the prom, either.”

Kathy almost busted out laughing, nodding her head. “I know - right?”

I caught my parents walking up and introducing themselves to Amanda’s parents. I had to stop and watch. I was about to panic, but that’s not what I do, except for maybe when a bee is around. Convinced, I wasn’t worried. The way I saw it, no one could prove anything. If the police slammed me face first on a sidewalk, knocking out most of my teeth, I’d still stick to my story. I’d tell the police or whoever that Ryan left Amanda’s glasses at my house when he came over. Of course, the night I popped him.

Still eyeing my parents, I said, “Matter of fact... I might have to take a few sips with y’all.”

The limo driver walked up to us, looking at his watch. “You all about ready? It’s about that time.”

“Yes, we’re ready,” I said. “I’m sorry... what’s your name again?”

“Raymond Perry,” he said, like the scary undertaker-like-dude he was.

“Raymond?”

“Yes, Raymond. Or Ray, whatever you—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, let’s go,” I said, opening the back door so that we could pile in.

As me, David, Kathy, and Lamar got in the limo, we waved at everybody as if we had never had a sad day in our lives. My dad waved and took pictures at the same time. I caught Xavier standing at his bedroom window, watching with his game controller in his hand. He pretended to be a nice guy, smiling and waving and everything. As soon as I smiled and waved back, he gave me the finger and closed his blinds. I knew better than to fall for that. But I was just happy. I didn’t want to ruin my night, mad at my stupid kid brother. I’ll kick his ass later.

But the main thing that caught my eye was my mother and Amanda’s parents glaring at me as if I was being hauled off to prison. My mother better not be turning out to be a snitch with those glasses.

Pulling out of the neighborhood, I stood up through the sunroof, waving at everybody. It looked like the whole neighborhood was waving back. Except for my mom and Amanda’s parents, of course.

* * * *

Once the driver, Raymond — or Ray or whatever — turned onto Fort Washington Road, the party started.

Lamar pulled out a small bottle of Ceroc from his inside jacket pocket. “Alright,” he said, smiling, “let’s see what we got here.”

Lamar handed David the bottle and checked out the bar. That bar had so many lights it was impossible not to see anything. A blind person’s eyes would come to life from those light bulbs. Lamar grabbed champagne glasses, cubes of ice from the bucket, and started fixing drinks. Kathy and I told him to fix us small drinks. Meaning, enough to get our lips wet and enough to make us a little silly and giggly. And I suggested he and David fix the same drinks. That way, they wouldn’t get too drunk to enjoy the prom.

So on the way there, we took pictures of each other with our iPhones. Laughing, talking, toasting drinks and taking a few sips here and there.

Then Raymond let the partition window down. In case he was one of those grown-ups that didn’t understand teenagers and their prom dates... we hid our drinks between our legs. He probably already knew we would be drinking, anyway.

He never turned his head, just his eyes in the rearview mirror, peering at us. “You all okay? Need anything?” He had a soft, raspy voice.

“Yes,” I said, “we need to stop by a 7-Eleven before we go to the Gaylord.”

“Okay, not a problem. I got more ice in a cooler in the trunk. Just let me know if you all need more ice.” I gave him a slight nod, glaring into the rearview mirror at those big eyes of his staring at me. He needs to keep his eyes on the road instead of on me. “Need anything else?” he asked.

I had to be blunt with him, and maybe a little snippy, too. “Yeah, we need you to close the window. Thanks.”

David and Lamar busted out laughing. The partition window went back up in slow motion, his eyes still gazing at me.

Kathy looked at me, smiling, but she still had a frown on her face. “Damn, Cindy.”

I said, “What?”

“Could you not be mean to our driver? I mean... he has to drive us to and from. I don’t want him running into a damn light pole because you pissed him off.”

I said, “He better hope he doesn’t piss me off. Creep!”

“Why is he a creep?” Kathy asked me, giggling.

“Because he keeps staring at me,” I whispered, frowning.

Kathy smiled and almost laughed, finding it funny. “Oh, for real?”

“Yeah!”

David shot a look toward the driver with understanding, and then looked me up and down. Yummy! “And he has every reason to. Fine as you are, baby. You know how that is.”

“Yeah, I know how it is,” I said, “and I’ll have his ass locked up, too. Bastard.”

They laughed me out, but I was serious. Or I was going to tell my daddy to kick Raymond’s ass and get his money back from the limo service he rented it from.

As we headed down the back roads of Livington Road, Cardi B’s Money Bag came on and we went nuts yelling and partying. I even stood up through the sunroof, waving my arms in the air like I just didn’t care. People were blowing their horns at me, smiling as they watched me party through the sunroof.

I started feeling a little tipsy from the alcohol and the head rush that went with it. I slithered back down into the limo. Kathy and David were recording me on their phones.

“Whew!” I said, smiling. “I’m feeling great now.”

David, feeling good himself, hugged me and kissed me.

“Yeah, I bet you are,” Kathy said, laughing.

Lamar, sipping on his drink, pointed down at me. When I looked down and saw that big black bee resting on my knee, I freaked the hell out! I smacked his ass off my knee and he went off, buzzing so loud and bumping and banging against the interior of the limo. We all ducked, swinging and kicking at it. We fought that bee so hard we damn near kicked each other’s asses trying to kill him. Kathy and I didn’t get too worked up because we didn’t want to mess up our Corsages.

“Don’t panic,” David yelled. “You can not panic!”

“Just kill his ass,” I said, screaming like the world was seconds away from ending. “Hurry up, please! He’s about to sting me!”

Kathy turned down the music. It was quiet. No buzzing sound. We looked around, asking each other where did the bee go. I was in no mood for that bee’s bullshit. By that time, I had gotten sick and tired of those damn bees and it had to die.

We looked and looked and nothing. Then, without the buzzing, he came out of nowhere, flying toward me. I kicked at him so hard I kicked my shoe off. We started swinging at the bee again, trying to kill it. The bee faked us all out, damn near causing us to bump heads trying to kill it, and the bee finally flew out of the sunroof. And I didn’t waste any time pressing the button and closing the sunroof and all the rest of the windows.

There were sighs of relief. Lamar and David laughed at me, teasing me, saying that the bee had a crush on me and was in love. Of course, I didn’t find it funny.

David leaned into me and whispered, “The bee that I killed? That time you were at my house.”

I grinned, putting my shoe back on. “You mean the first time we made love?”

David blushed like a big shot and said, “Yeah, I killed that bee — right?”

Snuggling up to him, I said, “Fucked his ass up.”

Lamar smiled, finding it all funny, said, “So that bee that was just in here... must be that dead bee’s cousin.”

I looked into David’s eyes. “Seriously, baby... if I get stung... I’m dead.”

Lamar — all serious — looked at Kathy, who nodded. He said, “Oh, you allergic to bees, Cindy?”

“Yep, all day, every day. I wouldn’t get to the hospital in time, trust me.”

“I would never let anything hurt you,” David said, putting his arm around me.

I grinned. “You better not.”

David and I pecked each other on the lips. And as we pulled up to the Fort Foote Shopping center where the 7-Eleven was, Lamar fixed more drinks. Sure, to calm our nerves a little.

Raymond parked across six or seven parking spaces. We got out and went in.

“How was that drink?” Lamar asked David.

David peeped up at the sky. “I feel good!”

Lamar had an innocent, but sneaky, grin on his face. “Ready to party?”

“Hell yeah. All I need now is a couple of snacks and I’m ready.”

“Hell yeah,” Lamar said.

As we walked into the 7-Eleven, I said, “We’re going to the bathroom right quick. We’ll catch up with y’all.”

David and Lamar headed for the soft drink section in the back of the store. He said, “Cool. We’ll wait for y’all to come out before we buy anything.”

Going into the bathroom, Kathy said, “They’re having a buffet at the prom, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, “but I need something to snack on now.”

“Me too,” Kathy said.

The first thing we did when we got in the bathroom was check our hair. After the bee attack, me and Kathy were damn near a sweaty, hair-raising mess.

“That stupid bee damn near fucked my hair up,” I said, using my fingers like a comb to put my hair back in place. My hairstylist draped my hair down my back like jet black silk curtains.

“I know,” Kathy said, “me too.”

The devilish smile that was waiting to get out was dripping from my lips. “Got me sweatin’. I need to save my sweat.” The smile slipped, and there it was. “I’m gonna need it for tonight.”

Kathy peeped over at me from the mirror. “Plan on doing a lot of dancing?”

Still smiling, I said, “That and a little of something else after the prom when we get to the hotel room. I mean...”

“Hotel suite,” Kathy said, winking.

Kathy fell over laughing. “I know that’s right.” Then she stopped laughing like she put on brakes, and shot me a suspicious look, frowning. “So... what’s up with you and these bees, girl?”

I patted the shiny sweat from my face with a paper towel. “Girl, I don’t know. I’m gettin’ sick of this shit with these damn bees. Every time I turn around - ever since that time at your house - a bee is in my face fuckin’ with me.”

“I know, like that time we were leaving school, and that bee flew in your car.”

“Right. I’m not putting up with this shit with these damn bees tonight.”

“I know that’s right.”

“Ain’t nothin’ stopping me from having the best time of my life tonight with my man.”

We high-fived.

“Same here, girl,” Kathy said. “I can’t wait till we get to the hotel suite.”

“Me neither, girl,” staring at my beautiful self in the mirror. “Me neither. And on top of that...” I turned to Kathy and smiled. “The Presidential Suite, girl!”

After poking our hair back into place, we left the bathroom.

My Phantom limo pulled up to the Gaylord behind many other limos. Of course, none of them as fly as my Phantom. My classmates and their dates were all over the place. It was raining prom dresses, tuxes, smiles, and camera flashes. When Raymond - staring all in my face - opened the door for us, I felt like a movie star. I looked like a young Halle Berry walking on the red carpet. And I would never forget the calm breeze that blew over and around us, leaving me in a state of surreal euphoria.

I turned to Raymond — who looked at me like I was a movie star — and said, “I have your number, so... I will call you when we’re ready. Okay?”

“Okay,” Raymond said, nodding.

I rolled my eyes at Raymond and joined my crew.

David handed me his phone. “Hey, me and Lamar are about to take a few pictures with our teammates.”

David and Lamar posed with their teammates, smiling and taking pictures. And I — along with many of my classmates — was one of the people taking pictures of them, using David’s phone.

After we all blessed each other with pictures, we headed on in. Walking through the lobby and into the Potomac Ballroom. It was absolutely beautiful. All 50,000 square feet of it glowed with purple neon lights. And 4,300-square-foot theatrical stage? Was all dressed up and waiting for David and me to be crowned king and queen, with a giant movie screen to watch it all. Me and David, the it couple of Friendly High School. And they decorated our tables with gorgeous candles in tiny bird cages.

When DJ Grahm Cracker asked us were we ready for him to kick the music off, we all screamed YEEEAAAHHH! And he kicked things off with Cardi B’s Bartier Cardi, and we all screamed like we had lost our minds. We stormed the floor, dancing until we sweated the floor up.

Now and then blue and red — our school colors — balloons floated over us as we danced under the glittery decorated stars hanging from the ceiling. School faculty members stood around, watching us with their arms crossed. But I have to admit, there were a few faculty members who seemed to enjoy watching us have the time of our lives.

The four of us were sitting at the table when David turned to me and said, “Hey, me and Lamar runnin’ out to the limo real quick. We’ll be right back. I talked to the limo driver on the phone. He said he’s not far from those townhouses near the Gaylord.”

“Yeah, we’ll be right back,” Lamar said, giving Kathy a quick peck on the lips.

“Don’t let me come back and find out you talkin’ to another man now,” David said, smiling and joking.

I said, “Whatever. I’ll be right here talking to Kathy.”

“Cool,” David said.

David and Lamar sped off. Probably to sneak a quick sip of Ceroc.

Kathy leaned forward at me and said, “You guys look so good together - you and David.”

Hearing that made me blush. “I know - right? Don’t we? So do you and Lamar.”

Kathy smiled, happy. “I know. I’m glad he asked me to the prom.”

“You like’im?”

Kathy nodded. “I really like Lamar.”

“Best friends going out with best friends. We might be looking at a double wedding.”

“Hey, why not?”

We high fived. Kathy dropped her head for a moment, then she looked back up at me like she wanted to ask me something.

I said, “You okay?”

“So. He seems to have gotten over Amanda, huh?”

I waved the thought of Amanda off. “Girl.... he’s over her slick ass. Sneaking off with Ryan like that. Behind those glasses and brains was a straight up bitch! A sneaky bitch at that.”

“People are still tripping off of that too. How they just... ran off together like that.”

“I know. Everybody at school is still shocked.”

Kathy looked at me, and she frowned, suspicious. “Some people can’t believe they ran off together.”

I loved how I played along with the idea that Ryan and Amanda ran off together. “Yeah, it was hard for me and David to believe it, too.”

Kathy leaned toward me again, this time whispering. “It’s kind of strange, in a way. How you were so determined... to go to the prom with David. And now... and now here you are.”

I smiled, but at the same time, Kathy made me a little uncomfortable. Like she was fishing for something. “Didn’t I tell you?”

“You told me,” Kathy said, nodding.

“Didn’t your girl tell you she was going to be here with her man? Her new man.”

Kathy was smiling now. “You said it. It’s almost as if...” Then she stopped, to give whatever it was she was about to say some thought. And at the same time, she was staring in my face for answers. Answers to what? She said, “As if you... in some strange way... had something to do with it.”

I held my look at Kathy, wondering where she was going with this whole thing with Ryan and Amanda. “To do with what? Ryan and Amanda’s disappearance?”

Kathy gave me a strange look, frowning. “Disappearance? I thought they ran off together.”

At that point, I had to take my head out of the clouds, so damn happy to be at the prom with my boyfriend. I needed to be more careful. I smiled and said, “That’s right. I meant to say they ran off together.”

“Yeah, I thought that’s what you meant to say. You think they’ll ever come back home?”

“With their baby?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sure they will. One of these days. Probably ten years from now.”

Later on, after David and Lamar got back, we danced some more. Like, for an hour straight. And afterward, all four of us sat at our table, resting and watching everybody else dance. And I was getting excited by the minute because they were about to announce king and queen soon.

The slow song Call Out My Name by The Weekend came on and couples went to the floor to slow dance, including Kathy and Lamar. When I looked at David to take me by the hand and lead me to the dance floor, he was staring off into a daze. I started kicking him playfully under the table to get his attention. He woke up out of his daze, blushing.

“Penny for your thoughts,” I said.

He grabbed my hand, staring into my eyes with love. “For my thoughts... it’ll cost you nothing.”

“Are we just gonna sit here?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, baby.” He stood and held out his hand. “Dance with me?”

I hurried and put my shoes back on, stood and took my man’s hand. “We’re gonna do more than dance.”

David led me out onto the dance floor. “And you’re gonna need to save that energy till later. Right?”

“My energy is going to be there. I don’t know about you, though.”

We started slow dancing.

“Oh, I’m good,” David said.

“Yeah, you’re good for now. Keep drinking and you’re going to be sitting at the table nodding off.” David laughed. “So, is that what you guys did when you went outside?”

“Yeah, just to do a li’l sippin’. Nothing big.”

“Sippin’ on what?”

“Some more of that Ceroc Lamar bought.”

I stared up into his eyes a moment, wondering. And he noticed and said, “Penny for your thoughts.”

“So, is that why you’ve been drinking so much lately? Thinking about Amanda.” David looked at me and shook his head. “David, I know you still have feelings for Amanda.”

“Cindy, we’ve already talked about this. Let’s just have a good time.”

“I just want you to know that I love you just as much as Amanda did. And a whole lot more.”

“Well... I love you more. How ‘bout that?”

We stared into each other’s eye. When I moved in for a quick kiss, I spotted one of my teachers — Mr. Meech — staring at right in my face, and I stopped.

“Cindy... I love you,” David said, dead serious. “Since Amanda left.... you showed me more love and support than anybody. How can I ignore that?”

Staring into his eyes, dizzy from my love for him, I said, “I’m glad to hear that.”

“I’ll love you till the day I die.”

I hadn’t cried since I was a baby, but hearing my man say that almost moved me to tears. “And I will love you till the day I die.”

We stopped dancing as the song ended, staring into each other’s eyes with mad love.

David said, “So... you about ready to be crowned king and queen?”

“Yes, and I wish they would hurry up.”

I tried to kiss him again and this time he turned away to wave over at a friend and teammate of his.

He smiled and said, “Quentin Quinn! What’s up, dude?”

Quentin Quinn — a tenth grader — and Casandra Wade, a senior, walked over to us. I always thought Quentin was cute. I could have booked him a long time ago, but he was too young. He was a skinny kid who was vicious on the football and basketball teams. I heard his twin sister, Curious Quinn, helped solve Michelle Martin’s murder a few weeks before the prom. And I hoped Curious wouldn’t start asking questions about Amanda and Ryan — with her little Nancy Drew ass self. Or she was getting the same thing Amanda and Ryan got.

Cassandra Wade, I had to admit; she was a pretty girl. But she was always hating on me, I’m sure because I was prettier and more popular. And I heard she also liked David at one time. But too bad bitch, I got him now.

Quentin looked at me and said, “Hey, what’s up, Cindy?”

I hugged Quentin. And Cassandra gave me a nasty smirk, and I didn’t give-a-damn.

“Ay, holla at me later, Q,” David said.

“Will do, my brother,” Quentin said before Cassandra took him by the hand and snatched him away from us. Almost breaking the boy’s shoulder. As if I was about to steal him away from her right in David’s face.

After D.J. Graham Cracker finished playing his slew of slow songs, all the couples sat back down at their tables. It was that time to announce king and queen.

“So how are they voting for prom king and queen?” David asked me, with one of those, it really doesn’t matter shrugs.

David really didn’t care how they voted. He didn’t care, because he knew his popularity alone — especially from his teammates from football and basketball — he was going to be homecoming king. And it didn’t matter if it was me or Amanda. His popularity, along with my popularity, was going to be a sure win for us.

“E-ballet,” I said.

David raised his eyebrows. “E-ballet? Oh... okay.”

“You know how it is. They do online everything these days.”

“Yeah, that’s what I did,” Kathy said. “I went online and voted.” Then she started smiling. “You know I voted for y’all two.”

Kathy and I high fived, busting out laughing.

“So did I,” I said. “I voted for me and David too.”

Lamar leaned back and started smiling at Kathy. “What? Damn, baby, you didn’t vote for me and you?”

Kathy snuggled up to Lamar and said, “No, I got other plans for us. Trust me... we’re gonna do our own king and queen ceremony later. Up in the Presidential Suite.”

When Lamar heard the Presidential Suite, he was so happy he could’ve given a damn about a king or a queen. He looked forward to us hanging out in the suite later. “I know that’s right.”

We all laughed. We were so excited. Then that all too familiar sound came again. That damn buzzing sound. Was it the same bee we chased out of the limo? We all started looking around, so I knew they heard it, too.

I said, “Y’all hear that?”

“I hear it,” Kathy said, concerned. “Sounds like buzzing.”

David said, “Damn, Cindy, is that one of your bee friends again?”

“Yeah, for real,” Lamar said, looking over at me. “Those bees won’t stop fuckin’ with you, will they?”

The buzzing sound got louder, in Dolby stereo, and then from out of nowhere, the bee landed right next to me.

Kathy’s eyeballs tracked him. Maybe it was the queen this time. “There it is Cindy!”

Looking around, I said, “Where?”

“Right by your purse.”

My shoes were already off my sore feet. So when I saw him, I grabbed one of my shoes. Kathy grabbed one of her shoes, too. That bee didn’t have a chance.

David’s eyes followed the bee as it crawled around my purse. He said, “You want me to get’im, baby?”

Raising my shoe, not taking my eyes off him — or her the queen — I said, “No. I got his ass.”

SWAP!

I was so fast with it the bee didn’t know what hit him. I killed that bee so badly there was a crunching sound. It even made Kathy frown, and she wasn’t a squeamish person at all.

With my shoe, I scraped the bee off the table for other people to finish smashing him as they walked by our table.

David smiled, all proud. “There you go, baby!”

I looked around for another one anyway, praying it was all over. For the night anyway. I was having the feeling that those big black bees were going to be chasing me all summer. Chasing me right into college at Howard University.

“Good,” Lamar said, nodding. “We won’t have to worry ‘bout his ass no more.”

“Not unless one of his little brothers or sisters come for some revenge,” Kathy said.

I looked at Kathy trying to stay serious, but when I saw the devilish smile on her face, we both busted out laughing.

I looked over at the stage. They had the mic all ready for me. “All right,” I said. “Let me put my shoes back on for this walk.”

“Oh,” Kathy said, joking, “so, I don’t need to put my shoes back on, huh?”

“Nope.”

We laughed.

The lights went dim, and the stage glowed more. When my English teacher, Mrs. Warren, took the stage, people started cheering. The piece of paper she had in her hand I was sure had me and David’s names on it. I was so hyped I couldn’t sit still.

“Okay class of 2022,” Mrs. Warren said, loud and voice cracking. My classmates cheered loud. “I have our winners for Friendly High School’s 2020 prom king and queen!” They cheered again. She gave a once-over to the names on the paper. “Young ladies and gentlemen... I give you...” You could hear a pin drop. “David Duncan and Cindy Wayne!”

The whole place broke out into a roaring applause.

As soon as Mrs. Warren said David’s name, David and I stood from the table. Kathy hugged me so tight. Lamar was clapping so loud I thought he was about to break his own hands.

On our way to the stage, I noticed how David was so comfortable in his skin, just like I was. He was so used to superstardom it sounded like his many fans cheering whenever he dunked or shot and made a three-pointer. That night, it sounded like he shot a game-winner at the buzzer. He waved and smiled at everybody, looking so handsome. And a few of his boys dapped him up on the way to the stage.

I did — to my surprise — hear a few boos; I was sure from Amanda’s best friends. Sorry, girls!

Camera phones were flashing so hard and bright I could hardly see the steps to go up on stage. But David held my hand and guided me up the steps and onto the stage. When I stepped up to the mic, I looked out at the sea of my classmates, applauding, beaming with smiles and screaming their brains out. I woke up every morning feeling like a superstar. But that night... as prom queen.. I was a superstar.

Mrs. Warren placed the crown on my head and handed me a bouquet of roses, hugged and kissed me, and stepped off the stage. She herself was smiling like a proud parent.

It felt like we were king and queen for real, like the Obamas or the Kennedys or something. I had never felt a natural high like that before; I broke out in a hive of goosebumps. I felt so good. I wanted a piece of my man, my king, right then and there. I had been trying to kiss him the whole night, and there was my chance to do it. In front of everybody and the entire world, I didn’t give a damn. And if the school faculty members didn’t like it and thought it was inappropriate, to hell with them, too. Turn your heads, cover your eyes! While David was waving at everybody trying to adjust the crown on his head, I reached up, grabbed his chin, and turned his head to face me. I pulled him down and slobbed him down. The cheering became louder, with a few “Oooooooo’s” and “Aaaahhhhhhh’s.”

After the kiss, I turned back to the crowd and waved like I was the queen of England. Just smiling and waving.

Suddenly there was this tangy, sour taste in my mouth. It tasted like I had just bit into a lemon.

Then my eyes and nose started running so badly I couldn’t see. Then came nausea. Oh, my God, am I pregnant, having morning sickness in front of everybody? Then came the swelling. I could feel the fat from my earlobe weighing on my ears. My lips felt like big fat tires, hanging low off my face. I could barely move them.

Frowning, I said, “… Peanuts.”

Still waving out to everybody and without looking at me, David said, “What’cha say, baby?”

Getting sicker and swelling up by the second, I said, “You’ve been eating peanuts?”

People were now looking at me, scared and wondering what was wrong.

Still, without looking, David said, “Nah, all I had was an energy bar. When we went to 7-Eleven.” I shook my head, unable to breathe. “Oh, that’s right. That energy bar had peanuts in it. Why... what’s wrong?”

When David turned to look down at me, he almost jumped out of his skin like his soul had left his body. And from his expression, he looked like somebody played a sick joke on him. Like somebody had replaced me — the beautiful Cindy Wayne — with the Bride of Frankenstein. And he started screaming as if I was actually her.

Still unable to breathe, I said, “I can’t... I can’t swallow... I can’t breathe... Oh, my God, I can’t breathe!”

David started looking around for help. “Cindy? Baby, you all right?”

Falling backward, David caught me and laid me on the floor. I died right there in my man’s arms, right on the stage in front of everybody. So karma was a bitch, after all, and it came back to bite me ferociously on my ass. Really good.

Pandemonium broke out. All I could do was lay there on my back, staring up at the ceiling. And as David screamed for help, Kathy, Lamar, and everybody else ran up on stage to help me. It was too late, of course.

But as I lay there taking my last breath, a big black bee flew over me. Just swirling around over me and finally landing right on the tip of my nose. And instead of stinging me, the damn bee just sat there on the tip of my nose, watching me die.

THE END