Ashes to Ashes

I SPEND PROM THINKING A LOT ABOUT DEAD people, even though I dance ten songs straight with Ashlin. The girl can dance; I’ll say that for her.

I think about Rennie and if she’s watching us. I can imagine her gagging over some of the uglier dresses and the one girl who’s wearing a freaking tiara. And I’m sure she thinks the jumpy castle is immature. Which, okay, yeah. I hear that. But a jumpy castle is also as fun as hell, and there’s been a line to get in it all night long.

Maybe it’s just me being sentimental, but I honestly believe that if Rennie were still alive, I could have sold her on the idea of ditching the Boston club to have prom here. She definitely had a rebellious streak in her. She liked shaking things up.

I think about my mom. I hope she thinks I look beautiful in my fancy dress. If she is somewhere out there, I know I’ve made her proud. A bunch of people have grabbed my arm tonight, kids from different social groups, thanking me. She would have loved that everyone was invited. That nobody was left out because they didn’t have the money.

And, of course, I think about Mary. Every girl with long blond hair makes my heart skip, but it’s never her, thank God. Our spell worked. She’s trapped in her house. But it makes me sad that we’re all here having the time of our lives when Mary should be with us. Not Mary as she is now, but as she used to be. She should be alive. I wish she were alive.

My stomach growls. I need to get on that buffet while the getting’s good. It was Mrs. Lind’s genius idea to get our prom catered, and I insisted we do Antoine’s. Balsamic glazed chicken breasts, roasted red potatoes, those green beans I love.

I head over to the buffet and see that it’s been pretty well picked over. If I want to eat, I’d better get to it. I get a plate and a soda and am heading back to the table when Lil grabs me by the arm so hard, I almost drop my plate. Frantically, she says, “I think I broke the spell. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Reeve kissed me and I kissed him back and something’s wrong. I can feel it.”

“Shit,” I breathe. “Where is he now?”

“He overheard me saying all this stuff to Alex and he said—he said he wasn’t going to bother me anymore and now he’s just gone. I’m afraid he’s going to do something crazy.” A sob escapes my throat.

“Calm down, Lil. I’ll drive by her house and check that she’s still there. You go find Reeve.”

The last thing I tell Lillia is that everything will be okay.

I hope Mary doesn’t make a liar out of me.