shut my eyes and have immediate déjà vu to playing the game with Pony in Dallas. I wonder who his date will be tonight, if he even shows up.
“OK, Georgie, open ’em up!”
I step closer to the mirror to get a better look. There’s an expensive gold necklace with an expensive diamond charm around my neck. “Do you like it?” she asks nervously.
“This looks . . . expensive.”
“It wasn’t cheap,” she confirms.
I turn around, so we’re face-to-face. “Mom, you can’t buy my love.”
“I’m not trying to buy your love. I’m trying to show you love. I wanted to get you something nice for homecoming. Please don’t be so dramatic.”
Dramatic? How dare she?
“But that’s exactly what you did, Mom. You picked money over your family.”
She steps back a little. “Is that what you think?”
“Yes,” I say, feeling very small.
“Honey, me and your dad, we hadn’t been in love for years. We tried. We tried so hard, mostly for you, but we are different people in different places. I was unhappy, Georgie.”
“Thanks.”
“No, no, no. Never with you. You are my greatest achievement.”
“No pressure,” I say.
She ignores me and continues, “I didn’t choose money. I chose happiness. We only get one chance at life. I couldn’t spend another day stuck because I was worried about what people thought of me.”
“But didn’t you lose all your friends?” I ask.
“You bet I did. You think leaving your husband for a rich man makes you the toast of the town? I knew that everyone would have opinions about my life. But you know what, sweetie? It’s my life. And I chose to be happy despite what people think.”
For once, I have nothing to say. I just hug my mom. Like, really hug her. We have a long road back, but this feels like a step forward.
“Now,” she says, letting go of me, “how is Jake?”
“How did you know about Jake? Oh my god, are you full-on stalking me?”
“Just enough.”
“He’s OK. Rich like your boyfriend,” I say, trying to impress her.
“And? Who cares? Does he make you happy?”
PONY, 7:13 P.M.
I attempt a few moves in front of the mirror. My dancing looks terrible, but the suit looks great. For being a thousand years old, the tailor nailed it. He even left some room in my pants to dress right. I ordered a new binder for the dance. I wanted it to be tight tight. I haven’t taken a deep breath in an hour, so it must be working.
I straighten my bow tie. Jerry’s bathroom is the size of my bedroom. I knew Jerry’s dad worked in tech, and that means they’re loaded, but I didn’t know they were this loaded. We should hang here more often.
I’m psyched for homecoming. Wearing this suit, hanging out with my dudes, with a hot date? That’s the trifecta of manhood. I have arrived at the paramount of high school masculinity. The fact that my date has no interest in me doesn’t even get me down. Nothing will get me down tonight.
I head back to the living room and find the beer I’ve been nursing. Kenji is snuggled up on the couch with his date, Fiona. She was his backup date after Tina didn’t make the final cut. Jerry is smashing his fingers against the Xbox controller and yelling at the flat screen. About an hour ago, he ate a pot cookie that we all decided was too much.
We’re waiting on the arrival of Kelly and Taylor. They’re coming together, which is suspicious. I’m thinking I’ll have a better read on what’s going on with them after tonight.
My phone starts vibrating in my blazer jacket. I pull it out and answer.
“Pony? It is me, Victor. I have some sad news to share with you.”
“OK,” I say and steady myself.
“Ted London passed this afternoon.”
And just like that, all the air is sucked out of the room. I feel nothing. Stillness. I can hear my breath and Victor crying softly. I look at things around the room: vase with flowers, can of Bud Lite, wooden knob on a cabinet.
Ted was in the hospital for pneumonia, but it didn’t seem serious. My heart starts pumping, and my eyes go blurry. I guess it was more serious than they thought. I can hear Victor blow his nose. My legs are too heavy to stand.
“I am so sorry, Victor.”
“Oh, Pony, we knew this day would come. The world has lost a great man. He was a great, great man.”
“He was,” I confirm, and he starts wailing. My