The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back (19 page)

Then I saw him.

Actually, I saw the back of his head. Which, as I have mentioned, I would know anywhere.

I willed him to turn around.

He did and my ankles wobbled dangerously.

He leaned against the bar in a very expensive tuxedo. He had on a plain black mask, like Zorro or the Lone Ranger. He looked like a younger and better-looking James Bond. My lungs constricted and my pulse pounded and the fan girl in me wanted to hold a poster above my head screaming how much I loved him. This would be so much easier if he were uglier.

I had been so caught up in Ella's scheme that I never really stopped to question its validity. In what universe would this plan actually work? It was like a bad sitcom or a cartoon. People didn't do things like this in real life. I mean, Bugs Bunny did things like this. But, to his credit, it always worked out for Bugs when he dressed up as a woman because he managed to trick everyone. Unfortunately for me though, Jake was no Elmer Fudd.

A hysterical panic welled up inside me. I couldn't do this! Jake would see right through this mask. Ella had forgotten to plan out for me what I should say when I found him. Probably because she only had to wiggle her little finger and boys came running. She didn't understand that I needed something to say or do. Some sort of game plan. My heels shook underneath me again. I needed to regroup. I just needed a chance to collect myself before I went over there and possibly made a total fool of myself.

I left the ballroom and found the girls' bathroom. There were several girls in there gossiping and putting on more makeup. Another girl sat in a stall sobbing while two of her friends comforted her, saying, "He's not even good enough for you." I sat down on the large couch and lay my head along the back. I closed my eyes. I took a couple of breaths. I could do this. I could.

One by one, the girls filed out, including the one with the crappy boyfriend. I was alone.

I stood up and went over to the sink. I untied my mask and used some tissue paper to dab underneath my eyes. Some of my eye makeup had started to run. I pulled out my clutch to put on more lipstick. Hopefully I wouldn't get it on my face or teeth.

A toilet flushed behind me and before I could react, Mercedes Bentley walked out of the stall. She came over to the sink next to me and started washing her hands.

"Well, well, well. Mattie Lowe. I barely recognized you."

Crap, crap, crap, crap! I had to forget the whole plan. Mercedes would see me at the dance trying to talk to Jake and she would sabotage it somehow. I knew it. I gripped the sides of the sink.

"Did Ella do that to you?"

I ignored her question. "What are you doing here? Ms. Rathbone banned you from the dance."

"Sorry, I wasn't about to let my three thousand dollar couture dress go to waste."

She ran her hands under the water, looking me up and down. "Aw, look at you. Did you get all dressed up for Jake? You think he'll take one look at your little outfit and that'll be it? So sad." She rinsed her hands off and reached for a paper towel. "I saw Ella dancing. She looks really pretty tonight. It must be so hard for you to live with someone so beautiful when you look, well, like you. It's easy to see why Jake likes her and not you."

She threw the towel into the trash and smoothed out invisible wrinkles in her formfitting Vera Wang.

She seemed so calm and evil, but there was a look in her eye, something I totally recognized. I gasped.

"Ella was right. You are jealous. You like Jake, and you're jealous that he'd rather spend time with me than with you."

"Oh please," she sniped back and patted her hair into place. "If I wanted Jake, I'd have him. You'd certainly never be competition. And as for why he spends time with you…I don't know, charity work? Instead of reading to the blind he's dating the clueless? I just figured he lost a bet or something."

My mind guiltily flashed to our poker game. This time she saw something in my expression that I hadn't meant to give away.

"Are you serious? I was totally kidding. He lost a bet?" She laughed. "You are so pathetic. You had to force him to spend time with you?"

This sensation in my stomach felt just like walking into the school's hallways and seeing my pictures of Jake up on the wall. Like Mercedes had seen something she shouldn't have and would use it to destroy me.

But I was tired of rolling over and playing nice while she went on her rampage. "I didn't have to force Jake to do anything. And you want to talk about pathetic? I'm not the one dating his best friend just to be near him."

Mercedes let out a small shriek of indignation.

"You lose, Mercedes. And you will never win. Maybe you're right. Maybe he does like Ella and not me. But he will never, ever like you."

She started toward me, and I wondered whether she planned on physically attacking me. I thought I could probably take her given that I had a good six inches on her (nine, if you counted the shoes).

"He'll never like you either. Just watch. See who he leaves with tonight. I guarantee it will be your stepsister, and not you."

The bathroom door swung open and I smiled. I didn't need to fight Mercedes. Someone was about to take care of her for me.

"Hello, Ms. Rathbone."

"Oh, like I'm stupid enough to fall for that. Oh look, Ms. Rathbone's behind me," she mimicked in a stupid voice.

"I am standing behind you Ms. Bentley, and I'm wondering why it is that you are at this dance. As I recall, you and your father agreed that you would not be attending tonight."

What could she say? Mercedes stood there; her face had gone completely white.

Ms. Rathbone reopened the bathroom door. "Come with me, young lady. I am going to personally escort you off the premises and I'll be phoning your father to pick you up. And we'll be having another meeting on Monday morning to discuss your inability to follow simple directions."

Mercedes meekly obeyed, keeping her head down as she left. Ms. Rathbone looked over at me. "You look very lovely this evening, Ms. Lowe."

"Thank you," I said. The door swung shut behind her. I felt grateful not only for the compliment, but for the reprieve Ms. Rathbone just gave me. Mercedes wouldn't be ruining anything for me. I looked at my reflection and tried to shake off Mercedes's words. I told myself to remember what I had seen and felt earlier that evening when I saw the made over me. I had to have confidence. I tied my mask back on, determined to give this thing a shot.

It was now or never.

Chapter 17

Jake hadn't moved, and still leaned against the bar. I walked up to the bar, a few people away from him. I took in several deep breaths, trying to psych myself up. I stood between two parents talking loudly about winning a trip to a palazzo in Italy. I watched as Steve Rojas tried to order a cocktail and the bartender carded him. The two men stopped talking about the Italian palace and started complaining about punk kids. I moved further away from them.

"What can I get for you?" the bartender had to yell at me. The music was really loud.

"Oh, uh, I'll just have a ginger ale."

I tapped my fingers in time to the beat against the bar. I tried to sneak a look at Jake out of the corner of my eye, but my mask got in the way. I turned my head slightly to the right to see him.

He scanned the room. He was definitely looking for someone.

Could it be me?

I felt lightheaded, a little queasy and my palms were sweaty. But it wasn't from my cold.

The bartender offered me my drink, and I took it gratefully. Having something in my hand made me feel better. The ginger ale soothed my throat as the bubbles fizzed and popped.

My phone vibrated and I pulled it out of my black clutch. Ella had sent me a text message that said, "Good luck!" I looked around, but didn't see her. She could obviously see me though. Which wouldn't be too hard considering that in these heels I was ten feet tall.

I put the phone down on the bar just as someone came up on my right and stood way too close to me. The person encroaching on my personal space? Scott Martin. I tried to move as far away from him as I could without drawing attention to myself.

"Hey. How you doing?"

Was he actually talking to me? I looked behind me and didn't see anyone else looking at him.

"Excuse me? Are you talking to me?"

He looked me up and down, which was just as repulsive as it sounds. Then he leaned in close so that I could hear him better. "Yeah. You want to get out of here?"

"With you?" I clarified.

He nodded and gave me a leering grin.

I wished Mercedes could see him now. "Don't you have a girlfriend?" I shouted.

"I don't see a girlfriend here, do you?" He moved even closer to me and I tried not to shudder. He ran a finger down my bare arm. "I have a room upstairs."

Ugh. I jerked my arm away. "Not even if you were the last man on Earth and had Robert Pattinson's face."

His expression turned ugly and he loudly called me a choice name before walking away.

I should have been angry. Scott was the one who put that horrible line in Jake's speech. He was a disgusting jerk. But I wasn't angry. Instead, I felt a giddy hope. It made me believe that this could actually work. Scott hadn't recognized me and had even hit on me, which admittedly made me feel like I needed to shower for a week, but it might mean that Jake wouldn't recognize me either.

The music turned off, and there was a spotlight on the makeshift stage at the top of the room. Ms. Rathbone stepped up to the DJ's microphone. "Attention, everyone. If everyone will please sit, it is time to announce the winners of our student government election, and then we will crown our Masquerade Ball king and queen."

A dull roar broke out as the dancing couples made their way back to their tables. This was my chance. I wanted to talk to Jake before the announcement was made. Either way, I had to know the truth.

He had his arm propped up on the bar and was still looking around the room. I stood next to him, playing with the straw in my ginger ale. I waited for him to notice me. To say something. He turned back my direction, and I could feel his gaze lingering on me. I smiled at him and he smiled back. I took that as my invitation to break the ice.

I'd never tried to get a boy to notice me this way before. I didn't know what to say. "Wanna make out?" seemed just a tad forward and desperate. I wished the earlier Scott method of just standing there and getting hit on would work again.

Ms. Rathbone started rattling off the winners' names from some of the "lesser" offices. I had to speak a little louder than normal to make myself heard. "Can I buy you a drink?"

His head turned slowly toward me. "It's an open bar, I'm underage, and I don't drink."

He had said it so dismissively. I don't even know why I said it. Obviously it was an open bar. I was holding a free drink in my hand. And I knew he didn't drink. It was part of his whole "I'm an athlete and my body is a temple" thing he had going on (a temple I would really enjoy worshipping at, I might add). I had thought it would sound sophisticated and seductive. Instead, it was just stupid. Especially since I didn't ever drink either.

But maybe that would work in my favor. Mattie knew Jake didn't drink. Exotic me didn't. It might throw him off track.

I tried again. "I'm, um…" My mind seriously went blank. I couldn't even think of a fake name. So I said the first thing that popped into my head. "I'm Tilly. What's your name?" I had to hope that Ella had never called me Tilly in front of Jake. She was usually pretty careful ever since I'd made an enormous deal out of her slipping up when we were eleven.

"Jake." He turned to look at me, and it was disconcerting. He had just sort of glanced at me before, but now he looked at me like he knew me. "Have we met before?"

"I don't think so," I said. I still felt bad about the lying thing. But I had to know. He turned his gaze away from me again.

"Do you want to dance?" Another stupid question, considering there was no music playing. I wanted to kick myself.

"I'm sorry," he said, not bothering to even look at me. "I'm looking for someone. She should have been here by now."

My heart leapt in anticipation. Ella was right. Jake was looking for me.

"There she is. Excuse me."

My mouth dropped open as I watched him make his way through the crowd. He had blown cute, hot me off for old me. Ella was right! But wait. How could that be if I was standing right next to him? Did he think he had spotted me? Could there actually be someone else here that would somewhat resemble how I ordinarily looked? People stepped aside and with a sinking heart, I saw where he was heading.

Straight to Ella in her shiny dress.

Of course. Mercedes was right. My mom was right. I was so used to disappointment where Jake was concerned that I didn't feel nearly as devastated as I expected to. I mean, I still wanted a blackhole to spontaneously form and swallow me whole. I never wanted to go back to school again. I would probably go home, lie on the bathroom floor and cry for hours. But it hadn't quite hit me yet. I felt numb.

I hated that Mercedes was right. I hated that Jake had played me and that he was in love with Ella. I hated that I had fallen for his act like a completely clueless moron.

"And I am pleased to announce the winner of the race for student council president. It was extremely close, but our winner is…Mattie Lowe!"

A cheer went up from the audience, but all I could see was Jake towering over Ella, and her smiling up at him. My heart hurt.

"Where is Mattie? Ms. Lowe? Give us a wave!"

I couldn't stand there all night staring at both of them.

I found the closest exit and let myself through the doors. Fortunately, it led straight outside, and I gulped in the cold night air. I ripped off my stupid heels and walked to the parking lot.

I couldn't even be happy that I won.