“Will you go to prom with me?” Peter asked, his blue eyes sparkling. The sign behind him read Prom? In pink letters, roses pasted all around them. It was held up by the rest of the football team, big goofy grins on their faces, mouthing “Yes! Say yes!”

My heart raced. I could feel my cheeks burning up. I took in a shaky breath.

“Yes! Yes, of course!” Vanessa squealed, taking the dozen roses in Peter’s hand and hugging him. “Oh, thank God you asked me!”

I turned away, letting out the breath. Why did I always envision myself in Vanessa’s position?


“Well?” Katy nudged my ribs with her elbow. “Have you gotten asked yet?”

I pushed her arm away, and slumped in my chair in the cafeteria. The buttons on my Uggs rubbed against the colored plastic chair legs, making a screech just as annoying as Vanessa’s.

“No,” I rolled my eyes at Katy, her big blue eyes staring up at me. “Why would I?”

“Oh, please.” Katy waved her hand in the air, as if pushing away the thought of it. “Who wouldn’t want to go with the dance with you?”

“Hmm, let me think.” I put my finger to my chin in a sarcastic way. “Light bulb! Peter.” I said blandly.

Katy, my best friend since second grade, sighed and looked at Peter, a few tables down. She stuck her tongue out at him and he gave her a small angry look.

“I’m sorry,” She said slowly, letting out her breath with every syllable. “My brother is such a jerk when it comes to girls.”

I shrugged. “It’s fine. It’s not like Vanessa knows I like Peter.”

Katy gave me a skeptical look. “Selena, she’s your sister. She should know. I thought you guys had like twin telepathy!”

I laughed at her. “And I thought you and Peter did, too!”


When I got home, Vanessa was sitting on the couch, her iPhone on her chest, a rose in her open palm. The TV was on, playing reruns of The Bachelorette.

“Are you okay?” I asked her. She peered up, a faraway look in her dark eyes.

“Did you hear?” She whispered excitedly. She sat up, catching her phone quickly before it thunked to the ground.

“About you and Peter? Yeah, I have.” I said, twirling a strand of wavy brown hair on my finger. “Who hasn’t heard?”

“Sel, I am freaking out!” She said, a grin on her face. “Did you see the way he asked me? The roses, the team, the sign!”

“Vanessa, seriously, you didn’t even like him until he asked you!” I said, but then wished I took it back. It was true though. Truer than my nose.

A guilty look spread across her face. She knew that she couldn’t lie with me, because I knew when she was. “But, Sel, he’s just so…”

“Popular? Yeah, I knew that’s what you were thinking.” I snapped. “Vane, you knew I like him!”

“I’m sorry!” She said, her eyes getting bigger. “But I just can’t bring myself to cancel…”

I groan-screamed and ran out of the room. I slammed my bedroom door shut and cried off three pounds.


“Hey,” Vanessa walked into our room the next day, a Saturday, exactly one week from Senior Prom. She had slept in the living room last night because Mom made her. I needed some space away from the crush stealer.

“What do you want?” I asked, crossing my arms. “To gush about your new boyfriend?”

“No, of course not.” She sighed, and sat on the edge of my bed.

“Get off,” I told her. “Go to your own bed.”

She didn’t budge. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry Peter asked me and not you, I’m sorry I’m happy and your not, I’m sorry I have a date to the prom and you don’t.”

Anger rushed through my veins. The hatred toward my twin sister grew and grew until I was sure she could see it bursting out of me. My hands clenched, and my lungs were squeezed together so hard that I was afraid they would burst. But I didn’t care. “I HATE YOU!” I screeched. “GET OUT! GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!”

A surprised look crossed her face as I screamed and wailed at her. She quickly got up and left the room.

After I was sure she was downstairs, I screamed as loud as I could and swiped my hand across her dresser, knocking off her earring rack, porcelain jewelry holders, notes, cards, wallet, cell phone and roses. I tore her bed sheets off her bed and ripped down the posters that hung above it. When I was done, I fell to the floor sobbing, laying in the mess. What had I become?

IM Conversation- Selena Martinez
-
Katy Richard

K: Hey, are you okay?
S: no.
K: Why not? What happened?
S: Vanessa… that’s what happened.
K: What did she do?
S: What didn’t she do?
K: No, seriously. What did she do?
S: She “apologized”.
K: Vanessa? Apologize? *gasps dramatically* How could it be?
S: Haha very funny.
K: I’ve, like, never heard Vane apologize sincerely. What’s the catch?
S: She apologized all jacked up, like, “I’m sorry you’re a lonely, dateless, rejected girl and I’m not!”
K: Of course.
S: I know, right? And she expected me to forgive her!
K: Jesus!
S: Yeah, I know. But I did something really bad after she left.
K: Oh, no. What did you do?
S: Promise you won’t tell?
K: Uh, sure…
S: Seriously!
K: Okay, okay! What did you do?
S: I trashed her side of the room.
K: OMG!
S: I know, I know!
K: Ok, wait… You made me promise not to tell, but Vanessa is gonna find out anyways. It’s her room.
S: I already thought of that. I put her room back together.
K: Oh, okay! Great!
S: But…
K: Oh, no. What’s the but?
S: I broke all her porcelain and ripped her posters. I taped the posters back together but they look extra messed up.
K: And the porcelain?
S: I tried superglue, but they won’t be dry in time! Her dance class ended twenty minutes ago and she should be here any minute.
K: You sound like a fourteen-year-old.
S: I’d be swearing my…butt…off, but my mom monitors my chat messages. It doesn’t allow me to swear.
K: Ew! That’s jacked up.
S: I know, right?
K: Anyways, are you okay about the whole Peter thing?
S: Uh, no! I will never be! I mean, come on!
K: Okay, okay!
S: I just can’t get over how selfish she was to say yes to him. It’s senior prom! There’s only one of these, and you’re supposed to go with the person you love.
K: I know, but… Peter loves Vanessa.

I stepped away from the computer. Katy’s right. Peter wouldn’t have asked me anyways, because he doesn’t love me. I love him, but… Not the other way away around.

K: Hello? You there?
S: Sorry, hey.
K: I shouldn’t have said that, I’m sorry.
S: Please!
K: What?
S: It’s fine. Your totally right. I should’ve expected that.
K: Are you sure your okay?
S: I didn’t say I was in the first place.
K: Well, are you now?
S: Not really, but I can overcome this, don’t you think?
K: Of course. Your friggin’ Selena Martinez.
S: Heck yeah I am!
K: Alright! Well, I gotta go take Raina to her… What class?
S: Jazz.
K: Right! Wait…
S: I should’ve been in your shoes what with all I know.
K: Yep, but then you wouldn’t have been able to crush on Peter!
S: Bye, Katy.
K: Bye bye!


Prom is tomorrow. Crap.

“Well?” Diane asked, leaning over my desk. Her beady necklace jangled on the fake wood. “What does it look like?”

I shrugged. “It’s like Katy’s, sort of, but it’s a V-Neck and it’s blue, not teal.”

“Omigosh, that sounds soo pretty!” She gushed. “You are totally going to rock the floor.”

I smiled. A little bit of excitement rushed through me, but I pushed it aside. Stay angry. You are hacked off at Vanessa.

“Okay, well, I’ll see ya tomorrow!” She whispered and snuck out of the classroom.


Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. I told myself. You don’t need a date. Who needs a date when you’ve got your bestie?

“Okay, I’m ready.” Katy said, running a hand lightly through her perfectly curled blonde hair, the color identical to Peter’s. “You?”

I nodded, smiling. We turned out of Katy’s bathroom and into the hall. Peter was walking behind us, looking dapper as always. (HAHA!).

“Wow, you ladies look great.” I heard Peter say. I felt my cheeks get hot. Katy and I both turned around to face him. He was leaning against the blue painted wall, his hands in his pockets. “Oh, and by ladies, I meant Selena, not the ogre standing next to her.”

Katy punched him in the arm. “Yeah?” She said laughing. “And what are you supposed to be? James Bond?”

“Are you trying to compliment me?” He grinned, giving a mystical Bond stare at us. “It’s working.”

He spun around, grabbing our waists and twirling us to face the staircase. “Photo time, my ladies. The names Richard. Peter Richard.”

Almost as if on cue, Katy’s parents bustled to the bottom of the stairs with their Nikon cameras ready.

“Oh, honey!” Mrs. Richard beamed at all of us. “You all look so stunning.”

“Hurry along now, Mother Dearest.” Katy said through a pageant-girl smile. “We’ve got places to be.”

For the first time in two weeks, I felt happy. Peter and Katy were at my sides, a true smile spread on my face. Peter didn’t love me, and I was okay with that. But I’ve got him as a true friend, what feels like a brother. I’ve got my friends, Diane, Katy, and even my sister Vanessa. I really don’t need a boyfriend to be happy, when I’ve got everything I need right here next to me.