Before Dawn

The girls nodded. They’d had many a conversation about college, even going as far as to discuss attending the same one so they wouldn’t have to be split up.

“I just don’t know what to do,” Kate added, succumbing once again to her tears.

“I suppose Madison didn’t stick up for you,” Amy said. She hated Madison for not supporting Kate and was always trying to tell Kate not to give her sister so much slack. As far as Amy was concerned, Madison should call their mom out for treating Kate so badly, rather than innocently lapping up her compliments and attention.

“No,” Kate replied, glumly.

“Hey,” Nicole said, wrapping an arm around her friend. “It’s going to be okay. You’ve got us, we’ll watch your back. Something will happen to turn it all around. I promise.”

Kate just didn’t know how she could be so sure. Nicole was always going on about things changing and working out eventually, but the only way things seemed to change for Kate was for the worst. Her dad’s drinking got worse, her mom’s hold over her life got stronger, Madison became more and more distant as her status as golden child became more and more elevated. Kate’s life seemed to be following a downward trajectory, and losing the possibility of going to college was about the last straw.

Nicole was still babbling on. “There’s the prom coming up,” she was saying. “Who knows what might happen there.”

“Oh, please,” Kate replied. “Boys are about the last thing on my mind at the moment.”

“Oh really?” Amy said with a raised eyebrow. “Because I thought I saw a certain Tony Martin giving a certain Kate Roswell a hug in the parking lot.”

Despite her sadness, the thought did lift Kate a little. She felt a smile tug at her lips. “Yeah. He, um, he said my eyes looked nice with the mascara.”

“Oh my God!” Dinah shouted. “He’s totally into you!”

Kate laughed and shook her head. “I don’t know about that. He’s nice to everyone.”

“Yeah, nice,” Amy said, “not flirty!”

Nicole was looking triumphant. “Didn’t I tell you things would be on the up again soon?”

Kate waved her hands, trying to temper her friends’ excitement.

“I really don’t think it’s like that,” she said.

“Maybe he’s going to ask you to the prom,” Dinah squealed.

The thought made Kate’s stomach flutter with excitement. Was there a chance he might ask her? Just then she remembered her mascara and how she’d been crying.

“Oh God, am I all streaky?” she asked, panicked.

“No, girl,” Dinah replied. “You’re looking good. But I’m going to glam you up at lunch time, as a birthday treat!”

Dinah loved makeup. Because of her big family she didn’t get to buy all the clothes and shoes she wanted to keep up with trends so she was forever modifying her clothes herself and creating makeup. She’d become incredibly creative. She always encouraged the others to experiment with their looks more. Nicole was the only other one who went all out with her appearance. Amy tried to stay neutral so as not to freak her family out, though she had a penchant for miniskirts and knee-high boots whenever she got the chance.

Kate was the only one who’d never really fully explored her identity through fashion. She felt like most choices she made were specifically to irritate her mom. Ever since she gave up wearing her mom’s silky, frilly, pastel-colored dresses and going to pageant shows, she’d become a tomboy. But she didn’t know if she was truly a tomboy or whether she just enjoyed knowing it pissed off her mom when she dressed like one.

Kate smiled. If there was any chance Tony might be thinking of asking her to the prom, she may as well give herself every chance in the world. She already felt a million times better than she did during her angry cycle ride this morning. She knew her friends would be there for her.

“And look, if Tony doesn’t ask me to the prom, it won’t be a big deal,” Kate added. “We can always go with each other.”

“I’m so glad you said that,” Amy replied. “I don’t think my parents will let me get in a car with a boy!”

They all laughed. It felt good to know they had each other’s backs, that they didn’t need to rely on guys to have a good time at the prom.

The bell rang and the girls stood and went in their separate directions. Amy and Kate both had math so they walked arm in arm along the corridors.

Kate suddenly felt Amy squeeze her hand. She looked up and realized Madison was hanging around the lockers with her cheerleader friends. She had her back to Kate and Amy, not knowing they were behind her, and was recounting some story that was making the girls roar with laughter.

“And then Mom was like, ‘Young lady, you’re going to become a cleaner like me so that Madison can go to college.’ Can you believe it? I was like, ‘Oh my God, she’s like, turning my sister into a slave!’ And this is all happening on her birthday! Like, I got a car for my seventeenth. She gets, like, nothing.”

She roared with laughter, as did the other girls with her. Kate’s stomach seemed to fall to her feet. How could Madison be laughing about her like that? She knew Madison didn’t exactly have her back at home, but she didn’t realize she’d gossip about her misfortune to her friends.

Amy clung to Kate’s arm, trying to support her, trying to keep her grounded. She helped steer Kate past Madison and the gang of mean girls. As Kate passed, she knew Madison would recognize her, that she’d realize she’d overheard her.

She looked back over her shoulder at her sister. They locked eyes and Madison was wearing a slightly shocked expression. But other than that, she gave no hint of acknowledgment that she’d trampled over Kate’s feelings. Then she broke the gaze, turning her full attention to her friends.

Kate trudged to class, feeling lower than ever before.

CHAPTER THREE

Kate made it through her first two classes, though her mood didn’t improve. She was relieved when the bell rang and it was lunchtime and she could be reunited with her friends.

Kate stood in line with her friends in the crowded cafeteria and tried not to look too closely at the selection of food. It was pretty dire. Nicole, as a vegetarian, had the hardest time finding stuff she could eat. Today she was having potato waffles and beans, while Dinah and Amy were faring slightly better with chicken tikka masala and rice. Kate thought the curry looked a bit too fatty but Dinah, slightly bigger than average, didn’t care because she was tall and well proportioned. Amy was stick thin and seemed to be able to eat anything she wanted without putting on weight. Nicole seemed to stay trim from her fussiness alone.

In the end, Kate opted for a salad. Though she knew her mom’s taunts about her weight were unfounded, she still couldn’t help but feel like maybe, if she did just lose those extra couple of pounds, her mom wouldn’t be as harsh with her.

“Girl,” Dinah said when she saw her plate, “don’t tell me that’s all you’re eating. Dang, it’s your birthday! Have a dessert at least!”

Kate lowered down in her seat.

“Actually, Tony said if he saw me at lunch he’d get me a cupcake,” she said.

The other three girls all grinned and gave each other looks. Kate felt a little silly to have mentioned it.

“Oh my God,” Nicole suddenly said.

Everyone stopped giggling and looked round to see what she was looking at.

A gorgeous boy had just wandered into the cafeteria.

“Oh,” Kate said, turning back. “That’s Elijah. He’s a new senior, started about a month back. I’ve heard Madison talking about him.”

“That heavenly man’s been walking around the school for a whole month and this is the first I’ve ever seen of him?” Nicole said without a slight bitter tone to her voice. She seemed transfixed by him, like she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Dinah seemed to like the look of him, too.

“Oh hell yes. He’s got that whole Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic thing going on.”

“But brooding,” Nicole murmured. “Dark and brooding.”

Kate took another look. Elijah was strikingly attractive. But from what she’d heard Madison telling her mom, Elijah was a bit of a loner. He never seemed to have anyone to hang around with. Madison had tried to get him to join her gang when he started a month earlier but he’d been reluctant, something Madison took as a slight. She’d since decided he was a bit of a freak and not worthy of her attention.