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After that, the night took on a er and darker, a velvet drapery beaded with stars Fallen leaves lay scattered across the road up to the school, catching on the girls’ high-heeled shoes and sticking to their shi hose
They all went, talking and laughing, into the gyirl in the croho hadn’t volunteered on the decorating committee, and when she sahat they’d done, she stopped dead “God, it looks great”
Gauze hung draped in rippling folds against the vanilla-bland walls White butcher paper was taped to the basketball court floor, its surface littered with gold and silver glitter A huge Christhts and tinfoil stars In the corner, a winter-wonderland photographer’s backdrop ht The band hae at one end of the gym
Cara sidled up to her “We could use so Sadie Hawkins dance”
Lina felt unsure of herself “I-I don’t have much talent”
Cara laughed, a high, clear sound like the tinkling of silver bells “Can you usetape?”
Lina immediately felt like a fool A hot blush spread up her cheeks and angry words popped onto her tongue She bit the fun of her—she was inviting Lina in And Lina—idiot that she as standing there with hertape”
Before Cara could respond, Zach took hold of Lina’s hand and dragged her onto the dance floor A hackneyed version of a Hootie and the Blowfish song was pulsing froe speakers in the corner
Lina couldn’t help laughing as he twirled her into the crowd and started dancing
It was the beginning of the best night of her life
Madelaine paced back and forth across the living roo the the manufacturer’s marks on her china candy dishes as if she’d never seen them before Each and every Christmas decoration held her avid attention For the fifteenth time in as many minutes, she looked at the mantel clock The Christmas tree sparkled in the corner
“Thirty el “They should be dancing by now”
Angel turned away fro motionless and silent for the sah”
Madelaine stopped and looked at him “What do you mean?”
“She’s at the dance, she’s having a great ti to try and forget ets in a car with that red-faced kid and keeps on going, stopping only long enough to get pregnant and rob a liquor store”