the chocolate thingies, but I didn’t think of that in that moment. “God, Fee.”
“I know.”
I finally shot off a group text. Like, where are you guys? I waited a sec, but no one responded. I just figured that wherever they were, it wasn’t safe for them to text us back. That portrait line did look long. Then I wondered if Jinny got caught with the champagne. I wouldn’t have hated that.
Fee suddenly hiked up her gown and dove into one of the stalls. I mean, everyone has had pee-bum from nerves or eating something bad or whatever. I felt horrible for her, and for myself because smell. Plus, I knew once Jinny Hutsall got here, she’d make Fee feel gross for being human.
While Fee was in the stall, I realized I had to pee, and that’s when I saw blood on my pretty new panties. When I got out of the stall, I found the pad dispenser empty, and asked Fee if she had plugs in her purse, and she freaked. Then Fee flushed and OMG the toilet clogged and started overflowing. We were wearing long white gowns. Don’t even. I grabbed Fee by the hand and we ran, screaming laughing, because we’re sixteen years old and it was all just completely insane. On the way out the door, I accidentally kicked the trash can that held it open. The can fell and the door slammed shut behind me.
“My purse!” Fee said, not laughing anymore. “I need my purse, Rory.” She was frantic—way overreacting.
We tried the door, but no way we were getting back in there. We looked around, but no Jinny. None of the girls were anywhere in sight. “Where is everybody?”
“Let’s wait on the bleachers,” I said. “We’ll get your purse later.”
We ran off, but she was still obsessing about her purse.
“Your ID is in there, right? Someone’ll find it and get it back to you. It’s Sacred Heart High, for God’s sake.”
“No ID.” Fee shook her head as she realized this. Now I know the look on her face was relief.
We stopped and sat on a bench from where we could see the bathroom door in case the girls showed up. We waited. Then Fee pulled out her phone. No signal. Fucking mountains. She doubled over from stomach pain. “What the fuck is going on with me?”
“Maybe you’ve got that flu. Come on, let’s get you home.”
We got up off the bleacher and started in the direction of the Grand Ballroom, but Fee had to stop to barf.
That’s when the group texts started blowing up our phones. I read the texts out loud.
DEE: Haps in the parking lot.
ME: What?
ZARA: What?
BROOKLYN: Come outside you guys.
DEE: Pastor Handsy tweeking.
Then I typed. We coming.
Even though I’m a cross-country runner, I actually hate walking. And Fee was sick as shit, so we took a shortcut behind the Olympic swimming pool and back through the trail behind the tennis courts, and up over the ridge on the north side of the parking lot. I kept reading the group texts aloud:
ZARA: Somebody in a backseat.
DEE: OMG! Making out?
BROOKLYN: Banging at the Ball!
ZARA: Just dads here.
ME: Perf. Incest at the AVB. Pls take vid.
ZARA: Yola and that guy from St. James? He lives close.
DEE: It’s serious. Jinny calling for help.
ZARA: Fee? Rory?
ME: We’re coming.
ZARA: Where you???
DEE: OMG. Where you guys?
ZARA: See you Dee. See me by our limo? Waving. OMG.
DEE: Ppl crying.
ME: Crying?
ZARA: Camy Jarvis just fainted.
BROOKLYN: Can’t see ANYTHING!!!
ZARA: Rory and Fee where u guys?!!!
DEE: Hurry up, Ror. They’re looking in your Prius.
Something shifted. I could feel the dark energy that rose up to the ridge as Fee and I followed the path to a spot overlooking the parking lot. I listened to my inner voice telling me to stay hidden in the shadows of the rock and brush, and pulled Fee back with me.
We could see the crowd that had gathered below us. All of the dads in tuxedos and little virgins in gowns making a wide white circle around my Prius. We could hear the deep-throated murmurs of the fathers radiating up to where we hid. There was something—a person—moving around in the backseat of my car. It was one of us, one of the brides. You could see the white dress. Was someone really having sex in my car? Appeared so. Should the fathers have shielded their children from what they were about to see? Prolly.