Susan just smiled, fully approving of that perfectly natural bit of girlish excitement. She was happy to see her serious, sensible daughter finally allowing herself to enjoy something beautiful. With deep affection and pride, she looked at her smart, lovely girl.
When Emily walked into the decorated hall that evening, the effect on the local mean girls was immediate. Katie Simmons, for one, had fully expected to see her rival in something cheap and awkward, but reality disappointed her. The elegant dress fit Emily beautifully, highlighting her striking eyes and thick hair, and making yesterday’s “plain girl” impossible to ignore.
Boys from the other classes couldn’t take their eyes off the young woman they had barely noticed before under loose everyday clothes. More than one of them silently kicked himself for overlooking someone so attractive. Susan, who was there for the official part of the evening, practically glowed with happiness as she watched her daughter’s quiet triumph.
Right after the diplomas were handed out, Susan decided to head home, saying she was exhausted after a long shift at work. She warmly thanked Emily’s homeroom teacher, Mrs. Bennett, and the teacher returned the kindness, praising Emily as one of the finest students she had ever taught. Mrs. Bennett assured Susan she would keep an eye on the kids during the informal part of the evening.
Then she added that Emily hardly needed supervision. While some of the other graduates were already sneaking drinks, this levelheaded honors student had only taken a sip of wine. Mrs. Bennett was completely sure nothing reckless would come from Emily.
Meanwhile, the school’s most popular boy, Tyler Morgan, walked confidently over to her. With an easy smile, he invited her to the first slow dance. Emily blushed a little at his sincere compliment about how lovely she looked, but she accepted.
As they danced, Tyler hinted that he hoped they could spend more time together later that night. Emily knew his reputation as a flirt, usually followed around by his friend Ryan, but his charm was hard to ignore. The fact that the most sought-after boy at school had asked her first was flattering, and it left her a little lightheaded.
Watching the whole scene with open bitterness was Katie Simmons. She had dated Tyler briefly before he moved on, as he usually did. The moment she realized who had become his latest target, she decided to make Emily pay for it.
Out in the school courtyard, Katie saw Tyler slip an arm around Emily’s shoulders, and Emily didn’t pull away. Right then, a nasty plan took shape in Katie’s mind, and she headed straight for a group of local troublemakers. The group included Paul Walker, Anthony Reed, Victor Cole, and Dennis Pope, four boys with long records of theft, vandalism, and street-level violence.
People had often wondered how those boys had even been allowed to stay in school long enough to graduate. But Katie had always gotten along with them surprisingly well, something that never failed to unsettle the faculty….
