W\\CKED

The Great Escape

[Jul]

The Fall Semi-Formal was held the Friday before Thanksgiving in the central atrium of Old Green Academy, a circular space off of which the upper, middle, and lower schools sprouted like spokes on a wheel.

Designed to marry a clean, modern look with the beauty of nature, three-quarters of the atrium was taken up by an indoor koi pond. Students normally mingled in the marbled communal areas surrounding the pond. For the dance, the pond was covered by a floor of thick, tempered glass designed to hold the weight of several hundred people. Koi drift idly underneath the surface, their bodies blazing like jewels from the lights embedded in the water.

The themes of fall were woven throughout the space. Gold and bronze sculpted leaves trailed the walls, and at the far end of the atrium, a gilt wood table filled to its edges with an abundance of sweets sat inside a massive cornucopia made of bronze.

"Thank god they didn't go overboard with the whole showing off their wealth thing," Sanny said. "That would have been embarrassing."

Nameless grunted, which was his version of a laugh. He was technically my date, having braved a grilling by my father so that he could help with Sanny's scheme for getting us into the city tonight - minus the bodyguard who was currently standing right next to me.

Sanny nudged Nameless. "Aren't you going to ask your date to dance?"

"Can't dance."

"Neither can most people, but they have fun anyway."

"Talking's better."

Nameless and I rarely exchanged more than two words, both of which were usually, "Hi." It was hard for me to imagine holding an entire conversation with him.

Sanny rolled her eyes at him and then waved at the cornucopia on the far side of the room. "At least get your date some punch."

He shuffled off. Sanny's grand scheme to ditch an unditchable bodyguard was now in motion, for my phone—traceable signal and all—was buried in the pocket of his frayed chinos.

Sanny started tapping her foot against the glass floor in beat with the music. Her gaze wandered enviously among the couples. "I miss having someone to grind against."

"You mean like Tyler?" I asked.

She made a face. "Just once, I would like to have a relationship with a concrete body that doesn't have a concrete brain in it." She gave Brandon a sideways glance. "I'm starting to think they don't come that way."

Nameless was now at the table, taste-testing the various foods on display. Each test brought him closer to Principal Emery, who was chatting with one of the dance chaperones.

"I love this song!" Sanny exclaimed as a slow, cynical ballad began to play. "Let's dance, BFF-style." She turned to Brandon. "Assuming Mr. Bodyguard has no objections."

"Stay in sight," he replied.

She mock-saluted. "Yes, sir, Mr. Bodyguard, sir." Then she led me out to the middle of the dance floor. She slid her hand down my waist. "Here we go." She spun both of us in a circle so that I was facing the cornucopia and Nameless, who stood at the edge of the crowd, holding two drinks and watching us. He motioned at me with a cup. I waved like I was declining. That was the signal. He set the cup back on the table and casually made his way toward the Principal.
In a matter of seconds, it would be too late to back out of the plan.

"Sanny," I said, panic twisting my stomach. This wasn't going to work.

"Relax," she whispered in my ear. "Think about how much fun we're gonna have."