The Beautiful Ones

26- Not As Pretty As You

Zoey

I’m not a stranger to the male species, that’s been made obvious, I’m sure. I’ve been hooking up with guys since sophomore year at random, I even had a boyfriend during my freshman year and although it was painful and brief, it was a relationship nonetheless. I talk to a lot of guys, like Keegan, Adam, Jason, Patrick, those are the top four that I can think of, at least.

The point is, I can talk to guys without freaking out, because it’s something that I do a lot.

Yet, as I was in my room with Alice getting ready for this dance, I was feeling probably the most nervous that I had ever felt, and I couldn’t figure out why.

Alice claimed that I was freaking out because of that four letter D word, date. Me and Danny had agreed that this was a real date. A real one, as real as real can get. He’s picking me up and everything.

I’d never been on a date before, not even with my ex. Jeff was his name, and we only dated for like, two weeks. He asked me out by Facebook IM and I thought it was the most romantic thing ever. However, we never went out on dates or anything, we always stayed in at his house or mine, mostly mine. But we don’t talk about Jeff.

“Ali, I can’t breathe.” I rasped to my best friend as I stood frantically in the middle of my closet just as I slipped my dress over my body. It was a Zeilei dress that had a layer of multicolored sequins of warm, deep colors like gold and dark blue and green and then over the sequin layer of the dress, there was a sheer black fabric. Everything was tied together with a shiny silver sequin belt high on my waist. The gorgeous dress was strapless and came to about mid-thigh.

“Well, just breathe in and then breathe out.” Alice tried to bring me back to earth, but I was hyperventilating worse than Danny’s friend at lunch. And that kid turns green. Green.

“No, I can’t do that. I’m going to throw up.” I ranted in a panic.

“Zoey!” Alice snapped, gripping my shoulders in her petite hands and looking me straight in the eye. “You can do this. Danny already likes you, just be yourself because you’re super great and he obviously thinks so or it wouldn’t be a date, now would it? Don’t answer that because I’m right. Now, we only have two hours to get ready and all you have on is your dress. Clearly, that’s a problem.”

“All you have on is your dress, too.” I pointed out, gesturing towards her pretty crème dress. It was Jane Norman and a soft crème color with a strap going only over her right shoulder. Her cleavage was covered with a little black lacy pattern that matched the thin belt around her waist. Her dress was a little longer than mine and flowed freely like silk, but it wasn’t silk.

“Well, I’m not having a mental breakdown right now.” She countered. “Look, it’s really not that big of a deal. Okay, I lied, this is a huge deal, but you’re completely freaking out at the completely wrong time. Danny is a sweet guy, just breathe and calm down and everything will be okay. I’ll be with you for a lot of the night anyway.”

“Yeah,” I sighed, trying to let her words sink in. Danny was a sweet guy- a really sweet guy, actually. I don’t know why I was so nervous, it wasn’t my fault, it was my body who couldn’t accept this event in my life. My lungs just didn’t want to accept air tonight, I suppose. “You’re right.”

“I know.” Alice chirped. “Mind you, you did the same thing for me with my first date with Lance, so I’m returning the favor. Now, let’s get our hair done before yours frizzes out.”

I nodded eagerly, knowing that if it gets frizzy, there is no going back and I’d have to call off the whole night, just because of my hair. Remember that episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody when Maddy had a date and her hair became a carnivorous monster? Well, mine is worse if I don’t straighten or curl it after taking a shower. It’s terrible, but that’s a girl’s life for you.