Finding Faith

by Anthony Lampe

  The cheerleaders posed as the song ended.

  Coach Swanson clapped and awarded the girls with a genuine smile. “We’ll win State with moves like that.”

  Jessica led the girls off the basketball court and to the bleachers, where they rested. As their coach packed up the boom box and left the gymnasium, Jessica faced the girls and said excitedly, “We’re making great progress, now we just need to bring up the intensity.”

  “The State Competition is approaching fast,” Kayla spoke up. “But, we’re nearly ready for it. I know we can win this year. And, we’ll hold nothing back. Right girls?”

  The girls cheered, and then several grabbed their things and headed for the locker room. Jessica, Kayla, Melissa and Angela just relaxed at the bottom of the bleachers.

  “So,” Kayla said, “Who’s looking forward to prom this Saturday?”

  “You know I am,” Jessica saucily replied. “Mason and I will be the cutest couple there.”

  “Mason Smith? He’s the football player that took Darren’s position on the team, right?”

  “Yes,” Jessica said. “I would have gone to prom with Darren, but he went and got expelled. He’s old news now. Mason plays well, and I hear he dances well too.”

  “Going to stay with him longer than your last boyfriend?” Kayla teased.

  “I’ll just see how good of a kisser he is first.” Jessica playfully batted her eyelashes and puckered her lips. “So, who’s the lucky guy for you?”

  “Jeremy Kendrick.”

  “The basketball player?” Jessica raised her eyebrows. “He’s the team captain?”

  Kayla nodded. “Yes, and he’s scoring the most points this season too.”

  “Only the best for the Grove Girls, huh?” Melissa’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, and any hints of jealousy were lost in her forced response.

  “You know it, girl!” Jessica turned toward the younger girls. “What about you two?”

  Melissa lowered her eyes and replied in a quiet voice, “No one asked me.”

  “Well,” Jessica said as she shrugged her shoulders, “there’s four more days before the dance. Someone could still ask you.”

  “I guess.” Doubt and sadness was more than apparent in Melissa’s voice.

  Ignoring Melissa’s distress, Jessica turned to Angela and said, “I bet Carson already claimed you, huh?”

  “What do you mean by claimed me?” Angela felt annoyed by the question.

  “You’re hot stuff right now,” Kayla said. “A freshman cheerleader with super talent and killer moves always attracts attention. If Carson wasn’t already your boyfriend, I’d wager that half the guys in the senior class would have asked you to the prom.”

  Was that supposed to be a compliment? Angela pondered.

  She awkwardly shrugged her shoulders. “He hasn’t asked me yet.”

  Jessica looked over Angela’s shoulder and began to grin. “Maybe he will right now.”

  Kayla and Jessica stood up and began to walk across the courtyard. Angela glanced behind her and saw that Carson was approaching. She looked at Melissa, who then realized that she should go as well. As she walked away, Carson appeared.

  “Hey, cutie. Did you have a good practice?” He sat down on the bleacher next to her and casually threw his arm across her shoulders.

  Angela smiled. “It went well. We’re dancing to a new song, practicing for the State Competition.”

  “Nice. I can’t wait to see you perform.” Carson almost sounded distant. When Angela peered over at him it almost seemed as though he was staring at Jessica and Kayla as they were stretching across the way. No, he wouldn’t be checking them out. He is probably distracted and thinking about the dance.

  As Angela thought about the prom, she decided to bring up the subject. “So, any plans this weekend?”

  “Well,” Carson slowly turned to look at Angela, “we’re going to prom on Saturday, right?”

  You’re not even going to officially ask me to it? She thought in disappointment.

  “I was wondering about that.” Angela said softly.

  “Jessica is going to rent a limo and we’re all going as a group.”

  You mean Jessica already knew you were going with me? She pondered, taken aback. She knew before I did?

  “And then we’re all going to her place for the after-party. If anyone knows how to party it’s Jessica.” He smiled down at Angela. “Did you already pick out a stunning dress?”

  “Um.” Angela looked away as she processed everything he was saying. “Not yet.”

  Carson grinned. “I know you’ll figure out something before then. I’m going to wear a blue tuxedo. You know, our school color and all. Maybe you can pick out a dark blue dress so we’ll match.”

  “Yeah,” Angela said, “Okay.”

  “I’ll catch you later. I’m going to hang out with the boys tonight.”

  “I’ll see you later, Carson.”

  “Bye,” he said as he turned and left.

  I’m going to prom, Angela thought excitedly. I just wish he had asked me and not assumed it.

  She felt a little overwhelmed thinking about getting a dress. Angela quickly went off and changed, then met Melissa outside the gymnasium.

  “He asked you,” Melissa said, resignation ringing in her voice, “Didn’t he?”

  Angela hesitated to answer before saying, “We’re going to the prom.”

  “Good for you.” Melissa sounded anything but happy.

  “Are you going with Jessica in the limo too?” Angela asked.

  Melissa stared at her, before looking away. “I guess, I mean I didn’t know there was going to be a limo.”

  “Me neither.”

  Jessica and Kayla finally walked over and they all headed for the parking lot.

  Kayla and Melissa started talking, and Angela caught up with Jessica in front of them.

  “Going to the prom with Carson?” Jessica asked.

  Angela quietly replied, “Yes, but you already knew that, huh?”

  “I might have known that he would ask you. I also might have invited him in the limo too, subject to him asking you to the prom.”

  “So,” Angela felt her stomach cringe, “You persuaded him to ask me out?”

  “Let’s just say I sweetened the deal.” Jessica saw the look on Angela’s face and continued, “Look, I take care of my fellow cheerleaders. I want you to have a great time at the prom. The State Cheerleading Competition is approaching fast, and this would be a good chance to let loose before then.”

  “Well.” Angela said, “Thank you.”

  “That’s what friends are for,” Jessica said. “Grove Girls always take care of each other.”

  They all got into the car and headed out. Jessica dropped off Melissa at her house first, then took Angela home. As they pulled up, Angela saw Uncle Billy standing on the walkway with a slightly younger woman with auburn hair and a cream-colored sundress.

  “That’s why I don’t like Bottom Grove,” Kayla said wrinkling her nose. “You never know who’s going to be hanging around in front of your house.”

  Angela ducked her head to hide her blush. “That’s my uncle.”

  “Oh,” Kayla muttered.

  “Who’s the diva wannabe?” Jessica gawked at the woman who was now running her fingers through Billy’s greasy hair as she pressed herself snugly against him.

  Angela stared at the woman for a moment, then said slowly, “I guess that’s his girlfriend.”

  “I didn’t mean anything by what I said,” Kayla insisted.

  Angela just let it slide as she stepped out of the car and waved them goodbye.

  As she turned towards her house, Uncle Billy glanced over at her, and then continued talking with the lady, who abruptly unattached herself from him.

  “Now, honey,” Billy cajoled, “come on. Can’t we do something else instead?”

  “If you don’t want to take me out to e
at,” she said with a pout, “I’m sure someone else would.”

  Angela felt awkward as she walked towards them. The woman’s perfume was very cloying. Up close, Angela could see the woman wore heavy amounts of makeup and her dress was cut extremely low. She tried to ignore their conversation as she thought again about buying a dress for prom.

  I probably don’t have enough money, Angela thought. Not for a really nice dress. I wish my uncle paid us an allowance or something.

  She started to walk passed them, but then another thought crossed her mind. Angela stood beside her uncle and waited for an opportunity to speak.

  “I just don’t feel like going out tonight,” he said, changing his tactic.

  When Billy realized that Angela was still standing there, he turned to her and rudely said, “Do you mind?”

  “What?” Angela, deep in thought about the prom, was completely taken off guard.

  “We’re kind of talking here,” her uncle replied giving her the evil eye.

  “Um, okay. I just had a question, but I guess I can ask it later.”

  Her uncle put his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes. “Fine, what is it already?”

  Angela looked at the woman, then back at her uncle.

  “It’s okay, darling,” the lady said in her sugar sweet voice. “Don’t mind me. You can him ask now.”

  “Well,” Angela said while peering into her uncle’s troublesome eyes. “There’s this dance I’m going to on Saturday, and—”

  “You need me to pay for it?” her Uncle asked. “Is that it?”

  Gosh, Angela thought, I didn’t even think about buying a ticket.

  “I think my boyfriend is paying for me to go,” she said crossing her fingers. “But, I don’t have a nice blue dress to wear.”

  “So you expect me to buy it?” Uncle Billy shook his head in disbelief. After he received a harsh look from his girlfriend he quickly said, “I mean, maybe I can pay for some of it.”

  The woman turned her baby blue eyes onto Angela and said, “Is it an important dance?”

  “Prom,” Angela replied.

  “Oh, how fun! I remember how great my prom was. Kyle Phillips was—”

  Uncle Billy glared at her as she began to talk about another guy. “Enough already.”

  The woman just grinned. “You need to pick out the perfect dress, and I’ll help you do it.”

  “Really?” Angela asked, a little nervous to accept.

  Her uncle shrugged his shoulders in resignation, “Go ahead, Paula. Have a blast.”

  Paula held out a hand and waited expectantly.

  Uncle Billy rolled his eyes, then pulled out his wallet and handed her a red credit card. “Keep it reasonable,” he pleaded.

  “Of course, darling,” she replied while planting a smacker on his thin lips.

  Uncle Billy headed inside the house and Paula turned to face Angela. Her extended eyelashes and dramatic make-up made Angela wonder if she was the best person to give fashion advice. That, and Angela did not really know her at all.

  “Well,” Paula said with a wide smile, “Drop off your things and let’s go to the mall.”

  “Like, right now?” Angela was dumbfounded at the turn of events.

  “There’s no time like the present.”

  Angela forced a smiled, then went inside and set her things up in her room. After she return outside again, she followed Paula and got into a pink two-door coupe. During the trip to the mall, Paula made small talk.

  “So, the boy taking you to the prom,” Paula said with a saucy wink, “is he cute?”

  “I think he is,” Angela said uncomfortably.

  “Does he play any sports?”

  “Football. He’s a quarterback. Well, was one. That was his last season of football at our school. He’s graduating this year.”

  Paula nodded and said, “I see. And, what do you like most about him?”

  “Carson is sweet and he knows how to make me laugh.” As awkward as Angela felt being with someone she never met before, she couldn’t help but love being able to talk to an older woman. Paula was far from a mother-like figure, but Angela just pictured her mom’s face and continued, “But, what I really like about him is that he is really strong. I feel safe around him.”

  They soon pulled onto the mall parking lot and Paula led Angela inside to a high-end dress shop.

  A young girl around her age walked up and asked, “Hello. Is there a particular type of dress you are looking for?”

  “She needs a dress for prom,” Paula answered for her.

  Angela added quickly, “It needs to be dark blue.”

  “Right this way,” the girl said as she gestured to the back corner of the store.

  The young lady guided her to a rack of long, eloquent dresses. Some had spaghetti straps and low-cut neck lines. Angela shook her head at several of the options.

  Paula pursed her lips. “What’s wrong with those dresses? Not your style?”

  “They’re a little revealing,” Angela said, feeling ill at ease.

  “That’s the point, darling,” Paula began as she grasped Angela’s shoulders. “You want your man looking at you, not the other girls at the dance.”

  The employee eyed them and said encouragingly, “All of the dresses on this rack are bestsellers.”

  Paula grabbed a short sleeveless dress off the rack, “I bet you’d like one if you try one on.”

  Angela knew that Paula had been kind to take her there, but she just wished the dresses were more in her comfort zone. She was used to her cheerleading outfit, but she had never purposely bought any clothes that was that immodest.

  “Maybe I’ll try on this one,” Angela said, pointing at a dress on the rack.

  “Too boring. Try on this one.”

  Paula handed a dark blue dress to Angela, and she took it to the dressing room. After slipping into it, she looked into the mirror.

  It’s not cut too much lower on the front than my cheerleader uniform, Angela thought, and it fits well. But, the back is practically see-through material all the way down to my waist.

  Angela stared longer at herself in the mirror then stepped out the dressing room to get Paula’s opinion. Paula walked around her, then stopped before her.

  “Darling!” Paula said excitedly, “it’s perfect. We’ll take it.”

  After Paula paid for the dress using Uncle Billy’s credit card, they returned to the car and headed home.

  “You are going to look gorgeous at the prom. Ah, prom! Sometimes I wish I could go back to my younger days and the first guys. They were the fun ones.” Paula sighed dramatically as she reminisced.

  “I really appreciate you helping me choose a dress,” Angela said. “And, for buying it too. I’m sorry that it cost so much.”

  “It’s just money,” Paula waved her hand indifferently. “Besides, your uncle seems to have more than enough to go around. I don’t mind spending it. As a matter of fact, I will spend it for as long as he’s got it. As you and I both well know, there isn’t much else about Billy that is worth sticking around for!” She chuckled.

  You just like him for the money? Angela thought with slight dismay.

  When they arrived at her house, she grabbed the blue dress out of the back seat and thanked Paula again for her help. Paula then handed her the credit card and told her to give it back to her uncle. “Tell him I’ve let him off easy tonight, but that I want some sushi later this week if he wants anything from me!” She then drove away, and Angela went inside.

  Uncle Billy was sitting in the living room watching a movie, and Angela walked towards him and handed him the credit card.

  “Got your dress?” Uncle Billy asked while barely glancing up at her.

  “Yes,” Angela said biting her lip. She thought briefly about Paula’s parting message, but then decided not to mention it. “Thank you.”

  Billy nodded, clearly distracted. “Don’t mention it.” />
  Angela then went upstairs to her room and walked up to the mirror on her closet door. She held the dark blue dress in front of her body and she felt anticipation rush through her veins. “I can’t wait.”

  28