The Homecoming Benefactor

5 | the gala

After Nick left, I went back to sleep for another two hours, almost missing my classes. It was just exhausting feeling this confused, and being hungover didn't help. I was going to have to get over both of those to survive class today and the Homecoming Gala tonight.

The Gala was a nice dinner with trivia and some raffles that served as the "formal" kickoff to homecoming week. It wasn't a suit and tie type of event, but most people also didn't show up in sweatpants. I decided to wear a lavender sundress with poofy sleeves and a ruffled bottom, pairing it with the same boots I wore last night. No vomit had come into contact with them. I set them out on my bed and went to class in the same t-shirt I had worn last night with some sweatpants.

After going to class and putting in a few hours at my on-campus job in the library, I came back to my dorm to get ready for the Gala. The time had dragged; my head was pounding all day, and nothing seemed to help. Luckily, since my job was organizing shelves, I was pretty much able to look like whatever I wanted at the library. I didn't have to worry about appearing hangover-less until the Gala.

Hailey, who I hadn't seen in days, decided to get ready for the Gala at the same time as me. Her platinum blonde hair was slicked back into a high ponytail, and she was wearing a flowy white pantsuit that almost looked like a toga. Hailey could pull it off with her tall and slender figure, but I would have looked like a cotton ball.

"Phi Rho is having us do a photo shoot before the Gala," Hailey said, applying a false eyelash. "I have to be out of here in like, ten minutes."

Phi Rho, Hailey's sorority, was considered one of the prettiest and richest on campus. I was cut from it after the first round of rush. The rumor was that, once you got in, they would make you sit on a washing machine and turn it on to see if you had any cellulite jiggle. If you did, they would circle it with a permanent marker and tell you to lose weight. That could have been why they all looked so perfect, but it also might have been made up. Obviously, they didn't want my size fourteen self either way, and it didn't really hurt my feelings.

"I have to be there a bit early, too, since I'm homecoming chair and all," I replied, putting mousse in my hands. "Definitely not that early!"

"Are you bringing that guy who stayed here last night?" Hailey must have seen Nick leave this morning; she has an 8:00 AM class, just like he does, so it would make sense.

"Oh, no, we're just friends," I laughed, scrunching the mousse in my hair. "At least, I think we are? I'm in a pretty confusing position right now. I'm going out with Bryce Jameson on Thursday."

"Ah," Hailey sighed, packing up her makeup bag. "That's... interesting."

I gave her a puzzled look, but she simply waved goodbye and walked out of the door. Why did she react like that? I knew that Phi Rho and Lambda Xi did a lot of socials together, so she probably knew a lot more about him than I did. We also weren't very close, so the chances of me finding out that extra information were slim to none.

•••

The Gala didn't start until 7:00, but there was a homecoming leader meeting at 6:30. All it really did was reiterate the rules of the competitions and the schedule for the rest of the week. I got to meet Ava Poplar, the Greek Life Director, who was shocked that a freshman was picked to be a homecoming chair. I spent most of that conversation distracted by her obnoxious lip fillers. They were often the source of memes on the Giant Gossiper, our school's anonymous discussion app.

James Faulkner Convention Center, where the Gala was held, looked like a hotel ballroom. It basically served the same purpose for on-campus events. Since this year's theme was Y2K, they had "The Con," as we called it, decorated in bright colors and rhinestones. The playlist for the event was curated with all kinds of songs from the early aughts.