Survival

“Come on, Gabe! Quit primping and let me into the bathroom. It’s not like I haven’t seen your naked ass before!” Isis Sands stood outside the bathroom door, her foot tapping like crazy. She hadn’t been too sure it had been such a good idea to agree to go to the Prom with Gabe Salomon because of all the rumors about them circulating around school, but now she wasn’t thinking it was a good idea because he was going to make them late. “Get your Jewish ass out here!”

“I’m coming.” Gabe opened the door and Isis inhaled sharply. Her father’s tux fit him to perfection, making him look very much unlike the scruffy, poor street rat that he was on most days. His hair was combed and free of any kind of hat, showing his slick back hair off. The forest green tie made his brown eyes seem paler, but the effect was amazing. “How does it look? And be honest, I.”

“You look great, Gabe. Really. I mean it.” She kissed him on the cheek before shoving him out of the way. “Now go downstairs and entertain Clara and Ryley while I get changed.”

Gabe nodded and headed downstairs to their other two friends. Clara Varano looked amazing in her blue floor length dress. It made her already blue eyes seem more brilliant in her pale face. Her hair sat atop her head, barely touching her shoulders in little curls. “Wow, Clara. You look great.”

“What about me, Gabe? How do I look?” Gabe turned his attention to Ryley Barnes, almost dreading what the other guy in the group would be wearing.

His suspicions were correct when he noticed the hideous blue tux with the ruffles on the front of the white shirt that Ryley was wearing. It matched his eyes to perfection, but was still horrendous to look at. “You look like you, Ry.”

“OK. I’m ready, we can go.” Everyone turned to look at Isis as she came down the stairs into the living room. Instantly, they were all taken by her. She had always been the most beautiful of the group, even beautiful enough to be on the A-List, but she was too kind for the bitches that ran the school.

Her long blonde hair flowed down her back in their natural ringlets, stopping just below her butt. The green dress she was wearing clung to every inch of her curvy, voluptuous body while bringing out the green in her hazel eyes. It was the perfect shade of green for her tanned skin and vibrant eyes, but everyone looked at each other with the same thought.

It was Gabe who voiced everyone’s thoughts. “You’re going to give Victoria a run for her money tonight, I.”

“What do you mean?” Isis was oblivious to her beauty. She had been born in Egypt where they thought her blonde hair was a sign that she was a goddess come to earth in the wrong body. Her family had quickly moved here, but she still heard from her family in Egypt and thought herself to be ugly as they told her she was.

“You’re beautiful, I. I know you don’t believe it because of that horrid family of yours, but you are.” Gabe smiled and wrapped her in a hug. “Come on. I want to see the look on Vicky’s face when we walk in with you looking like that.”

Isis shrugged and took Gabe’s head, allowing him to lead her out to the car. She was glad that they had decided to go as a group instead of actually finding dates who would more thank likely try to separate them. The four were inseparable, probably always had been. Since elementary school, the A-List and the B-List had already been set. Isis was happy with the list she had chosen.

They pulled up to the school a short while later and Gabe helped Isis out, Ryley doing the same with Clara. They all seemed to take a moment to collect themselves before walking through the doors of the gym, a little late as usual.

Alex Santos, Victoria Arthur, Nate Nelson, and Abigail Markowitz were standing just inside the doors of the gym, making their attention known to all. Alex and Vicky were, as always, all over each other, while Nate was trying to avoid Abby like she had the plague. All attention was on them, until the doors opened and the B-List walked in.

All eyes automatically went to Gabe and Isis, the first two to walk in. When Vicky noticed she was no longer the center of attention, she moved her eyes to the door and gasped. Isis had a body on her and a beauty that she hid under baggy clothes every day. It was shocking to see the shy little introvert looking like that.

Alex had obviously noticed as well because his mouth was hanging open. Vicky hit him and he smiled apologetically, leaning over and whispering in her ear. “Did you know she looked like that underneath all those baggy dance clothes?”

Vicky just shook her head, watching as the B-List walked down the stairs and found a table in the far side of the room. This wouldn’t do. If Isis won Prom Queen, Vicky’s life would be over with.

Isis was shocked at all the attention she was getting, though quite pleased to see Vicky rush off in a huff. She leaned into Gabe and whispered in his ear, acting like she was saying naughty things. “Maybe you were right about me being beautiful. I’ve never had so many people look at me before.”

“Told you, I.” Gabe smiled at her with a shrug. He pulled her to her feet and drug her to the dance floor, Clara and Ryley behind them.

They danced for what felt like hours before the principal walked to the podium and raised his hands for silence. “Now for the announcement of this year’s Prom King and Queen.” Ryley disappeared. “This year’s King is … Alex Santos!”

Cheers rang up from all the groups around the building, except for the B-List. The principal put the crown on his head and then turned back to the mob of students. “This year’s Queen is … Wow, she won by only two votes. Victoria Arthur!”

Again, everyone but the B-List cheered. Someone from the back wanted to know who the runner up had been so the principal raised his hands for silence. “The runner up was none other than Isis Sands.”

The room erupted into applause, more than there had been for Vicky, mostly because the B-List was the loudest of all of them. Isis blushed and buried her head into Gabe’s shoulder. “Too much attention, Gabe.”

He smiled, wrapping his arm around her. “It’s ok, babe.”

There was the sound of a crash from the stage and Isis looked, knowing exactly what had happened. Her, Gabe, Clara, and Ryley had planned it all out over the last week. But she couldn’t believe he had actually gone through with it.

As she stared at Vicky, her long brown hair and white Chiffon dress covered in bright red paint, she knew that it had been a bad idea. She looked at Alex, who had been wearing a white tux with a black cummerbund covered in blue paint and knew that they had gone too far this time.

“B-LIST RULES!!!!!” A recorded voice played the message over and over again on the speaker system. Isis laughed, not able to help herself, as the voice changed into that of a Martian, but the principal didn’t find it too funny.

That night ended with the B-List spending the last two weeks of school at detention every day, cleaning the paint off the gym floor, but it had been well worth it to see the looks of humiliation on Vicky and Alex’s face. Graduation went by quickly and the B-List separated, though the made sure to talk at least once a week with each other. Life without the B-List seemed like a nightmare to each of them, but they thought they could manage.