Marianne Elizabeth Hammer (top young adult novels TXT) 📖

“Yes.” Marianne started rubbing her temples. “But it’s also really, really lame.”

“Really lame,” said Nana.

“Thank you,” said Marianne.

“You’re welcome,” said Nana. “But you’d better do it.”

Marianne dropped her hands and closed her eyes. They were right. As much as she hated them for it, they were right. “Fine,” she said. “But if he laughs, I’m going to kill myself. Just know that.”

Nine o’clock:

Marianne almost missed her deadline because she was in the middle of the make-over and didn’t hear the alarm. She was also annoyed at how bossy Sally was getting, so she changed the order of the messages and sent this one to make herself feel better:

Sally is my best friend. I said I didn’t like her much because she’s Goth, and you think Goth is lame. More on the Goth subject later.

“Did I see my name?” asked Sally. “I thought that one was scheduled for two o’clock.”

“Butt out,” said Marianne, snapping her phone shut. “And don’t even bother with that thing,” she said, pointing to the handmade Elvira dress that Sally had sewn for her a long time ago. “I told you; it’s too small.”

“And I told you that you’d be skinnier by Bats Day.” Sally stood and shook the wrinkles out of the black gown. “Didn’t I?”

Ugh. Marianne slouched down in her chair, causing Danielle to cuss at her for yanking the curling iron she was wielding.

Ten o’clock:

I used to steal your phone once a week and check your call history to see if you were cheating on me. Sometimes twice a week.

Eleven o’clock:

Marianne was ready. The dress turned out to be lovely, not Elvira-ish at all. And it fit her perfectly, as prophesied. Dad even looked teary when he saw her.

The top was like a corset, heart-shaped over the bust, but not too low, with thin leather laces crisscrossing up and down each side. The lacing continued down across the hips, holding the tight fit until the skirt flared out at the calves. After Marianne slipped her feet into the black heels, the length was perfect, just brushing the ground. Sally even produced a pair of black, elbow-length gloves out of nowhere.

Danielle had curled her long hair, piling it dramatically atop her head with some of Mom’s old fancy combs stuck in here and there.

Georgia had handled the makeup. It was… Oh heck; it was awesome; she had to admit. Pasty skin, huge black eyes, and black lipstick. Marianne kept getting the false eyelashes stuck when she closed her eyes, but they looked rad. Poor Georgia had had to do the whole thing twice, though, because Marianne cried off the first layer when Nana came in and gave her an old family brooch to pin on her dress.

She turned away from the mirror when her phone beeped and typed out her eleven o’clock text. This one made her feel a bit manipulative, but, hey, she needed all the pity he was willing to give:

Back when we were together, I would lay in bed at night and plan our wedding. We usually just ran off to Vegas in our jeans and flip-flops.

“I’m ready,” said Marianne. “Let’s go to Bats Day.”

Noon:

Marianne was in line for The Jungle Cruise along with their whole motley Goth crowd. “What do you think?” she said to Sally. “Should I use this text to ask him to come at midnight?”

Sally chewed on her lip. “What was your last one about?”

“The wedding fantasy.”

Ben looked over when Marianne said that, giving her a funny look.

She smiled back and waved her phone. “I’m texting my boyfriend.” She cleared her throat. “Ex-boyfriend. I’m trying to get him back.”

“Oh. I hadn’t heard that you… Well…” He seemed to blush a little but quickly recovered. “Wait. You’re groveling by text message?”

“No. Kind of.” Marianne shrugged. “Yes.”

“No, she is not,” said Sally, shoving Marianne. “She’s confessing.”

Todd stuck his head in closer. “Confessing what?”

Sally started to tell the story, and by the time she’d finished, Marianne had twenty different people shouting suggestions and advice at her. It was mayhem. They were passing her crumpled up list of sins around from person to person, congratulating her on the worst ones, and correcting her grammar. Even Ben was getting excited and calling out revisions to the plan. She’d never been so popular.

“Do number eight!”

“No, just wait,” said Marianne. “I’ve already got my text for this hour…”

“Tell him what you’re wearing!”

“I can’t,” sighed Marianne. “That’ll ruin the reveal, remember?”

Someone shouted something from the back.

“What?” said Marianne, straining to hear. “I never made out with Andrew! Is that on the list? Someone erase that! Geez!” Marianne detached herself from the middle of the group and walked over to the corner. “Go away. I’ll show it to you when I’m done.”

“But how about—”

Marianne had to put the phone behind her back to keep one of the kids from grabbing at it again. “I said I’ll show you after.” She glared at the rest of them to keep their distance. “You, too, vampire-boy. Beat it.”

I don’t know if you’re getting these, but here goes… I want another chance, even though I don’t deserve one. I’ll be at the entrance to Downtown Disney at 12 AM. No lies. Just me. Think about it.

And just like that, Bats Day wasn’t so fun anymore. It was sent. She was committed. When Vampire-boy came and tried to steal her phone again, she just stared off into space and let him.

One o’clock:

“Oh my gosh, stop it!” shouted Marianne. The Goths were helping her order her list and rack her brain for anything she’d forgotten to add. “I told you, that thing about the dress was stupid; I’m only sending the important ones.”

“A lie is a lie,” said some girl named Raven. “Plus, it’s about money which translates into relationships.”

“Okay, okay,” said Marianne, bending down toward her list. “I’ll write it down, but I don’t know if I’ll use it.”

Georgia suddenly popped up from her bench by the stump-looking