How to Survive in Maloray High

Danger in the Shadows.

To say I was excited about the Varsity dance the school was having would be a big fat lie.

I was in a pretty bad mood that Friday, I was in a bad mood for a week. Even Daddy was afraid to approach me. But the boys made the Varsity Dance a big deal, they even came to my house to drag me out!

"Um...." Jon luc said, opening my door slowly "Mademoiselle CJ?"

"What?" I snapped, looking up from my phone. Jon luc winced.

"You have guests" The butler said.

"Tell them to go away" I said.

"They're already here" Jon Luc said and opened the door wider. I masked my surprise when Rich, Bowie, Pimple boy, Fred, Sage, Allen, Zeke and Zane came in. Not the whole team but still.

For a moment I was expecting Wilder to walk through that door, but of course he didn't.

"You have to come to the Varsity dance, coach" Zeke said.

"No" I said

"Why?" Zane asked.

"I'm in a bad mood" I deadpanned "in case it isn't obvious"

"Well cheer up!" Sage said.

"Girls don't work like that" Rich told him.

"People don't work like that" Allen added.

Bowie came up to me while Fred sat on my bed next to me.

"We need you to be there" Bowie said "they're throwing a party for all of us and you are one of us"

"Yeah, without you and....him" Fred said, "we would still be a bunch of lame slackers."

I sighed.

"We really need you to be there, coach" Rich said.

"I need you" Sage mumbled and everyone looked at him.

Three seconds of silence.

Then...

"This is not the time"

"What the hell?"

"Do you listen to yourself?"

"You know what, don't say another word"

Pimple boy just watched, smiling at his friends.

"I don't know why it is so important to you guys that I go but...." I said and they turned to me "I guess I can handle it" I added and the next thing I knew, I was squashed in a celebratory group hug.

"So" I said when they released me "why didn't you try to convince me to come when I was still at school?"

"We just wanted to see your house" Fred said, grinning and looking around at my room.

"And I do not regret it" Zeke said looking around, "this place is legit!" He said landing on my multicolored bean bag.

"Check out this chair" Bowie said climbing into my white comfort chair hanging from the ceiling.

"A walk-in closet?" Fred asked going in and bringing out a green close fitting dress "this dress would make your eyes pop, CJ. Wear it to the dance"

"Yeah" Allen said, sitting at my reading table "it would be nice to see you in something not purple and black"

"Oh no," I said taking the dress from Fred, "this green dress is bad luck I should have burnt it"I lied.

"Nonsense!" Fred argued, "you're putting it on"