Ruby Reinvented (20 page)

I nod for her to go on.

“Remember when I went to the dentist?”

I nod again.

“They had one of those celebrity magazines in the waiting
room, so I was flipping through it. There was a picture of Zack Miller and Celestine Cruz. It looked like they were running from photographers. The caption said their daughter was with them. Her face was covered by Zack Miller's jacket, but her dress wasn't. It was a beautiful silver dress. It was your dress. I recognized it immediately.”

Sarriette's. The night of my birthday.

Tears roll down my face. “You've known for all this time?”

“Yep.”

“Why didn't you say anything? Yell and scream? Ban me as your friend forever?”

Summer shrugs. “I was pretty upset at first, but then I talked to my parents—”

“Your parents know?” I swallow the lump in my throat.

“Yeah. We talked about it, and they told me you'd tell me when you were ready. They figured you had your reasons.”

“I did have my reasons. I was afraid if you—or anyone—knew, you'd only want to be friends with me because of who my parents are.”

Summer scrunches up her nose. “Why would you think that?”

“Because that's what happened at my old school. My best friend Sophie—my
former
best friend Sophie—was only friends with me because she wanted to meet my parents. I overheard her saying it, and it was terrible.”

“That's awful,” Summer gasps. “Who cares that much about celebrities anyway? Aren't they just people with public jobs? That's what my dad says.”

“Yes, they are, but people still freak out about them. I know now you're not like that,” I blurt out. “But I didn't know when I first met you.”

“Well, I'm glad you're sure now.”

“You're nothing like Sophie.” I pause. “So you're—you're not mad?”

“I'm not mad, really,” Summer says. “But I am hurt. I understand why you didn't tell me right away, but I thought after a few weeks you knew you could trust me.”

I hang my head. “I know. I'm sorry. I know you're a true friend.”

“I hope you can be honest with me from now on. No more lies?”

“Never.” I hold my hand up in a solemn vow, relief washing over me.

“Good,” Summer says. “So what about Connor?”

“You didn't say anything to him? When you saw the picture of the dress?”

“I didn't say anything to anyone. I wanted to wait until you told me yourself. Anyway, it's not like everything about you was fake. It was just this one little part of your life, right?”

“Yes!” I jump off the bed. “Yes, that's so true, Summer. Everything else about me is totally real. Except for the fact
that my parents are alive—and famous. But the rest of me is truly me.”

I suddenly feel hopeful. The weight of dread has left me, and I feel like maybe I'll be able to keep my new life after all.

“Oh, Summer.” I lean over and hug her. “Thank you for being such a good friend.”

“You're a good friend too, Bea.”

I let go of Summer and slump back on the bed. “I guess I have to tell Connor.”

“Yeah, you should. The sooner the better.” Summer nods.

“I know.” I lie down, hands over my face. “I just don't know when to do it.”

Summer looks at me sideways, eyebrows raised.

“I know I should tell him tonight, but I don't want to ruin the Spring Fling.”

Summer bites her lip. “I'm not sure, Bea. . . .”

“I will tell him. Just not tonight.”

“Okaaaaay.” Summer drags the word out, and I can tell it's peppered with doubt. “I say the sooner the better, but it's your call.”

I sit up and squeeze my eyes shut for what feels like hours while Summer gets ready for the dance. When I open my eyes, the first thing I see is my dress. I can't imagine telling Connor tonight, at the Spring Fling, while wearing that dress. I worked so hard to make it. I can't have my dream dress filled with unhappy memories. And anyway, Connor
wouldn't want me to ruin the Spring Fling for him, either. We can have a great time at the dance, and then I'll tell him first thing in the morning. What's one more day?

That's it. It's decided. I'll tell him first thing tomorrow. I should feel better now that I've made a decision, but I don't. Something doesn't feel right. The pit in my stomach is getting bigger, and I swallow the lump in my throat, hoping that will fill it up—at least for the next twelve hours.

 27 

S
UMMER'S WEARING MY silver dress. I sewed on a hot pink sash to add a splash of summer. She's spinning around in front of the full-length mirror behind our door.

“This dress is awesomesauce.” She turns to the side and admires another angle.

“It really fits you.” And it does. It's sparkly and sassy, just like Summer. “You should keep it.”

Summer turns to look at me. “Keep it?”

“Yeah.”

“Like forever?”

“Sure.”

“Oh, Bea, I couldn't.” She shakes her head.

“You should.” I nod. “It looks way better on you than it does on me.”

“You mean it?”

“Definitely.”

Summer wraps her arms around me and squeezes. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” I'm happy that I could do something to make Summer happy, especially because she's been such a good friend to me.

“Now.” Summer steps back. “You'd better get dressed!”

While Summer continues to admire her dress in the mirror, I step into my own dress, careful not to rip the linen. I French-braid my hair and tie it with a ribbon made from the same fabric as my dress. I'm about to put on some of Sophie's lip gloss when I stop and chuck the tube into my drawer. I don't want any reminders of my old life as Ruby, daughter of the amazing and talented Celestine Cruz and Zack Miller. Tonight, I am just Bea.

There's a knock on the door, and I almost jump out of my shoes. Summer opens it, but it's just Katie and Antoinette. Katie's flipping out over our dresses, but I don't hear much of what they're saying over the butterflies flapping around in my stomach.

Connor should be here any second.

Another knock. Summer opens the door, and there's Connor, dressed in a dark blue suit with a red tie. He's whispering something to Summer, who nods and pulls something out of a box behind the door. I can't even pretend
to talk to Katie and Antoinette because they're staring at Connor, squealing and giggling and elbowing me in the side.

“Bea.” Summer steps back from the door. “Connor's here for you.”

I take a deep breath and walk toward him. I glance back to look at Katie and Antoinette and immediately wish I hadn't. They're not even pretending to look away. They're staring right at us.

I'm pretty sure my face is as red as Connor's tie in the three seconds it takes me to reach the door.

“Hi.” I give a little wave.

“Hi.” He waves back. “That's a really pretty dress. Did you make it?”

“Oh, yeah.” I'm happy for the excuse to look down at my dress because at least I don't have to look at him. “Thanks.”

“Here.” Connor shoots out his arm and shoves a rose in my face. “This is for you.”

“For me?”

“Yeah, you had mentioned that your dress had roses, so I thought it would—you know—match.”

“Wow.” I take the rose from him. The stem is covered in a thin plastic tube filled with water. “Thanks. It's really pretty.”

Connor nods.

“I should put it down somewhere so it doesn't get ruined.”

Connor nods again, and I walk to my desk as gracefully as I possibly can. I find an empty water bottle to put
the flower in. Antoinette and Katie are sitting on Summer's bed staring at me with saucer-shaped eyes while Summer tries to find her shoes in her closet. It looks like she's pulling everything else out of there
except
for shoes.

“Here they are!” Summer emerges from the depths of her closet, hot pink shoes in hand.

“So, you wanna go?” Connor asks.

I glance over at Summer.

“Oh yeah, you guys go.” Summer shoves a foot into her shoe. “I think I have to fix my hair again from crawling around in the closet. We'll meet you there.”

“Are you sure?” I raise an eyebrow in her direction.

“Totally.” She nods. “We'll see you there in a few.”

“Okay,” I say, and follow Connor down the hall and out of the dorm.

A group of ninth graders run past us, and then, straggling behind them, are a boy and a girl I recognize as two of Holly's friends. They're holding hands, and as much as I want to hold hands with Connor, my hand is so sweaty that his hand would probably slide right off. I never in a million years thought I'd do this, but I say a silent prayer for Connor
not
to hold my hand right now. It must work because he shoves his hands into the pocket of his suit jacket.

“So, is this your first dance?” Connor says.

“Yeah, I only went to my old school for a few months, and before that—” I stop myself before I continue my sentence.
Before that I was tutored because I spent a lot of time on the road with my parents.

“Before that?” Even though it's nighttime, the lampposts light up the pathway through the campus, and I can see that he's looking right at me.

“Before that I didn't go to a school that had dances.”

“This is my first dance too.” Connor looks down at his shoes.

We stand behind a bunch of other kids shuffling through the gym doors. When we finally get inside, I gasp.

Midcoast's gym has been transformed into a blossoming meadow. Flowers and plants line the walls, and paper vines hang from the ceiling. A silver disco ball also hangs from the ceiling, turning the air in the gym into beams of sparkles. It looks like the set of a movie, only it's real life.

“So, you want some punch or something?” Connor shoves his hands into his pockets again.

“Sure.”

I scan the gym for Summer or Katie, just in case they snuck in behind us, but I don't see them. I also don't see Holly, so I jump when she calls my name from behind me.

“Whoa, Bea.” Holly spins me around to face her. “That dress is so amazing.”

“You really think so?” It's so important to get a real teenager's opinion of my designs.

“Totally.” Holly turns to a group of girls talking behind her. “You guys, come check out Bea's dress.”

I try to stand completely still as the five older girls stare at my dress. I bring my shoulder blades as far back as possible so the dress hangs nicely.

“You
made
this?” I recognize the girl from campus. Her name is Tess, I think. She's wearing a pretty silk dress, but it would be way cuter with a V-neck and a fishtail skirt.

“Yeah,” I say, but it sounds more like a question since I'm not sure if she loves it or hates it.

“Spectacular.” Her voice is practically a whisper, but I hear it loud and clear in my head. “I would kill to wear something like this for my cousin's wedding next month.”

“I'd lend it to you, but it may not fit right.” She is a good four or five inches taller than me.

“Hey.” Holly bounces on the balls of her feet. “Why don't you make her one, Bea? You can have your own little side business.”

“Omigod, would you?” Tess puts her hands on my shoulders. “I'll totally pay you to do that.”

“Sure!” My heart is beating a trillion miles a minute. I can't believe someone, especially a high schooler, wants to pay me to design a dress for her.

“Make sure you go to Bea's fashion show this weekend. It's this year's Spotlight Project,” Holly says.

The older girls are still huddled around when Connor comes back, holding a cup of punch for me. Holly gives him a huge hug, and a little bit of punch splashes in her hair.