Glee: To the Next Level (the second book in the Glee series)

Chapter 70: Prom

You've got Unique, baby, leave your message and I'll get back to you ASAP.

You've reached Ryder. Leave a message.

Hey, uh, it's Dan. I didn't answer, obviously, so uh, let me now what you need after the tone.

This is John. If you don't hang up soon, you'll leave a message. Please hang up and try again or text me. I hate voice-mails.

"No answer," Marley sighed, looking up as she pressed the end button on her phone for what she felt was the millionth time.

"There's got to be an explanation," Emma said, frazzled. 

Principal Hallman stopped pacing the floor for a second to say, "They were at prom, Emma. Prom. Teenagers and their after-parties... See, this is why I was against having a prom in the first place. And Casino Night? These kids probably thought they were in Vegas and went crazy."

"Everything is okay," Will insisted. "It has to be. What kind of after-party lasts for an entire day?"

"There are twelve kids missing, Will," Principal Hallman told him. "And they are all your glee kids. This is definitely not okay. Come on, we have to go make sure we haven't gotten any calls from angry parents yet."

Marley and Joe looked at each other nervously as Principal Hallman, Will, and Emma left the room. Just as the door closed, Marley's phone rang and she immediately pressed talk, without taking a second to read the caller ID.

"Hello?" she said quickly.

"Marley," John's voice responded. "Marley, Marley, Marley..."

"Where are you?" she asked. "Principal Hallman wants your heads on sticks. They've been looking for you guys all day and they have Joe, Amity, Alex and me hostage at school until we give you guys up, even though we've said a hundred times that we have no clue where you guys are at."

"It's bad, Marley," he answered. "It's really bad. Everything's a mess and we can't find--"

"Hang up already and let's go," Marley heard another voice exclaim. Kitty? Before she could ask any more questions, the line was cut off. She put down the phone and looked up at the others, shrugging. 

"Nothing," she said worriedly.

***

24 Hours Earlier...

"Nice try," said Principal Hallman when Shana and Kitty arrived at the ballroom, both wearing tuxedos. "You aren't getting in like that."

"Why not?" asked Shana. "Are you discriminating against my gender identification?"

"You knew the rules," she sighed. "Letting a girl take another girl as a date is one thing. Letting you make a fuss with your wardrobe choices is another and I will have no tolerance of it."

"Just let us in," said Kitty, sighing. "If you don't want any acting out, we won't act out. Scouts honor. But let whoever dressed as whatever inside, please."

"Girls?" said Unique, showing up from behind them with her jaw so low she thought it might fall off. "No, you didn't..."

"Yes we did," Kitty chimed, pointing down at her suit. 

"This is why you told me to show up in my dress?" said Unique, looking down at her pink gown.

Kitty nodded. "It was Shana's idea," she explained.

"And a very noble one," Principal Hallman added. "But the rules are--"

"I will sue the school," said Kitty, crossing her arms. "My family's very rich and very able."