She'd been standing there for a while, wondering how everyone but her was completely capable of being on a dance floor without debilitating anyone, when she heard a pair of heartbeats she recognized and saw Kenzi and Beth sliding through the crowd toward her.
«You came!» Kenzi said, giving her a big hug. One of the things Miranda loved about Kenzi was that she acted like she was on Ecstasy even when she wasn't, telling people that she loved them, hugging them, never embarrassed about it. «I'm so glad you're here. It didn't feel right without you. So, are you ready to unshackle yourself from the insecurities of your youth? Ready to own your future?»
Kenzi and Beth were dressed to own anything, Miranda thought. Kenzi was wearing a skin-tight blue backless dress and had gotten a black panther with a blue sapphire eye painted on her back. Beth was in a red satin minidress and had a gold snake bracelet with two ruby eyes wrapped around her upper arm (or at least Miranda assumed they were rubies since Beth's parents were two of the biggest movie stars in Bollywood). On them, adulthood looked like a totally cool and exciting party with an excellent DJ that you could only get into if you were on the VIP list.
Miranda glanced at her skating uniform. «I guess I should have known that when the time came to own my future I'd be dressed like a member of the Ice Capades B-squad.»
«No way, you look fantastic,» Beth said, and Miranda would have assumed she was being sarcastic except that Beth was one of those people who was born without sarcasm.
«Truly,» Kenzi confirmed. «You're deep in H2T territory.» H2T stood for Hot to Trot. «I see great things for your adulthood.»
«And I see a visit to the eye doctor for you,» Miranda prophesied. In the distance Miranda saw Sibby pull Phillip Emory onto the dance floor.
Miranda turned back to Kenzi. «Do you think I'm a fun person? Am I a Grandma Grim? A funkiller?»
«Grandma Grim? Funkiller?» Kenzi repeated. «What are you talking about? Did you hit your head at derby practice again?»
«No, I'm serious. Am I fun?»
«Yes,» Kenzi said solemnly.
«Yes,» Beth agreed.
«Except when you get all MLAS,» Kenzi modified. «And when you have your period. And around your birthday. Oh, there was that one time-«
«Forget it.» Miranda's eyes drifted to Sibby, who now appeared to be leading a conga line.
«I'm kidding,» Kenzi said, turning Miranda's face from the dance floor to hers. «Yes, I think you are really fun. I mean, who else would dress up as Magnum P.I. for Halloween?»
«Or think of entertaining the kids on the cancer ward by reenacting Dawson's Creek with Precious Moments figurines?» Beth added.
Kenzi nodded. «That's right. Even children battling cancer think you're fun. And they're not the only ones.»
Something about Kenzi's tone when she said the last part made Miranda worried. «What did you do?»
«She was brilliant,» Beth said.
Now Miranda was even more scared. «Tell me.»
«It was nothing, just some research,» Kenzi said.
«What kind of research?» For the first time Miranda noticed that there was writing up the length of Kenzi's arm.
Kenzi said, «About Will and Ariel. They're totally not going out.»
«You asked him?»
«It's called an interview,» Kenzi said.
«No. Oh no. Tell me you're kidding.» Sometimes having a roommate who wanted to be a journalist was dangerous.
«Relax, he didn't suspect a thing. I made it seem like I was making small talk,» Kenzi said.
«She was great,» Beth confirmed.
Miranda started wishing for trapdoors again.
«Anyway, I asked him why he thought Ariel asked him to the prom and he said»-here Kenzi consulted her arm-«'To make someone else jealous.' So of course I asked who and he went, 'Anyone. That's what Ariel thrives on, other people's jealousy.' Isn't that perceptive? Especially for a guy?»
«He's smart,» Beth put in. «And nice.»
Miranda nodded absently, looking for Sibby on the dance floor. At first she didn't see her but then she spotted her in a dark corner with Phillip. Talking, not kissing. For some reason that made her smile.
«Look, we made her happy!» Kenzi said, and she sounded so genuinely pleased that Miranda didn't want to tell her the truth.
«Thanks for finding all that out,» Miranda said. «It's-«
«You haven't even heard the best part,» Kenzi said. «I asked why he agreed to go to prom with Ariel if they're not a couple and he said»-glancing at her arm-«'Because no one made me a better offer.'»