After we said good-bye to everyone, Tracy drove Rita and me home. Tracy popped a CD into her car stereo. "I have a surprise for you, Miss Penny Lane," she said.

The Beatles began to fill the car.

"Wow, Tracy! I can't believe..."

"Yeah, well, I like to think that I can be full of surprises as well!"

She winked at me.

Rita leaned forward between the driver and passenger seats.

"You know, Pen, you guys are going to get more and more popular. Dad is going to have to build a new addition to the house to fit you all in."

I smiled. Maybe Rita was right. Maybe this was only the beginning.

Tracy turned up the volume and we all began to sing along.

"I've got to admit it's getting better... "

Chapter Seventeen

A WEEK LATER, THE TIME CAME for me to go to the dance, and it was a total and complete disaster.

What had I been thinking? My mind was racing. Why had I made such a big deal about us going to Homecoming? I couldn't be seen in public looking this way!

There was banging on my bathroom door. Diane. "Come on, Penny — what are you doing in there? Were all dying to see how you look."

I was pretty sure I was having a panic attack. "Uh, just a second."

I tried to adjust the dress for the millionth time, but it wasn't helping. there was no way I could go like this. I wanted to walk into that dance with my head held high. I swore this was not what I looked like at the store. I started feeling moisture form around my eyes. Great, not only did I look ridiculous, I was going to ruin the makeup Diane had spent so much time on.

"Penny Lane — get your butt out here now!" Diane howled, her fist banging more.

All right — these were my friends, and they'd have to be honest. I would just go out and see what they had to say. Maybe I was overreacting.

Or maybe I was going to be sick.

I opened the door.

"Ta-dah!" I did my best to make a dramatic entrance, but didn't dare make any eye contact.

"Penny, you look beautiful." Diane beamed. "I'm so used to seeing you in T-shirts and jeans, but look at you!" She was jumping up and down. I had never known anybody to be more excited about going to a dance… with a bunch of girls.

Of course I knew Tracy would get down to business. "And look at your chest — who knew you had such a rack?"

Diane hit Tracy on the arm.

"I know!" I said. "I'm so horrified. it didn't look like this when I tried it on. Maybe it's the bra." I looked down and all I could see was my cleavage.

"Please," Diane countered. "You have such a rockin' body, and you need to start showing it off."

"I know. It's sick," Morgan said. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are that you don't have to watch what you eat?"

Diane came over and started adjusting my hair. "Don't worry, you look great. Plus, it's really not as bad as you think. Look at all of you — not just your chest — in the mirror. You're beautiful."


As we arrived at school, we all double-checked our hair and makeup. I was becoming more confident in my outfit, and — I hated to admit it — there was a part of me that was dying to see what the reaction would be from some of the guys.

I could feel the music vibrating before we even opened the front door. I picked up the pace, suddenly wanting to get to the gym and get the entrance over with, I hurried inside, not sure what to expect. At least nobody was laughing or pointing at us. Then I heard it — the high, screeching noise of teenage girls when they spot each other at formal events.

"AAAAMMMMYYYYYY — you look sooooo beautiful!"

"OHMYGODJEN, killer dress."

"Look at YOU."

"No, look at YOU"

"Get out of here. I cannot believe you're wearing that color."

"No, YOU get out."

Kara, who had ended up going with a date, looked at the six of us and said, "So, you guys really are serious about the Club, huh?"

"We sure are," Diane said with so much enthusiasm, I thought that she was probably the most excited of all of us.

"Well… good for you." Kara wrapped a shawl around her thin frame. "I don't think I could ever do that, but good for you guys."

Diane grabbed my arm. "Come on, let's dance." The six of us maneuvered onto the dance floor and started moving in time to the music. A few of our friends started to join us. The music was too loud to have a conversation, but I did find myself explaining the Club anytime a new person joined us.

I swung around and was surprised to see that our circle of six had doubled — Kara had joined us, along with a few other juniors and seniors.

After an hour of nonstop dancing, I took a break to go to the restroom and make sure I had some makeup left. I was having so much fun, I almost completely forgot about all the couples at the dance. I smiled at the thought of all the girls who were spending more time on the dance floor with us than with their dates.

Homecoming Queen Marisa Klein was with our group so much that her boyfriend, Homecoming King Larry Andrews, finally pulled her away so he could dance with her, Jessica Chambers and her boyfriend got into a fight, since he felt she was ignoring him. In truth, they pretty much fought about anything — I didn't know him too well since he didn't go to school at McKinley, but I knew she could do much better.

"Guess we're the people to be seen with tonight!" Tracy said with a laugh as we headed back in. then the DJ switched the music from pop to a ballad, and both Tracy and I froze, not sure what to do as couples started walking by us hand in hand.

"Ummm, anybody want to go grab a drink?" Tracy asked while the rest of our party came over to join us. The six of us found refuge at a table where it felt nice to sit down and rest my feet.

"Oh my God, Diane," Tracy said, leaning across the table, "Did you see who Ryan is here with?"

WHO!?!

I casually shifted my line of vision to find Ryan. I'd been so wrapped up in the Club that I hadn't even noticed he was there.

"Relax," Diane said.

Relax? Was she insane?

"I knew he was bringing Missy you guys. It's cool."

It was? Why was Diane being so calm about this? Finally something snapped into place.

"Wait a second — Missy Winston?" I said. "That freshman who spilled her drink on Kara? You've got to be kidding!"

"Seriously, Penny, it's no big deal. Apparently, Missy asked him out after the football game against Poynette. I think he was taken aback at how forward she was, but it seems the person he wanted to ask already had plans."

"Who was he going to ask?" For some reason, my heart was pounding.

"He wouldn't say. I told him that I'm not dating anymore, so I don't see why he thinks I would be upset."

Diane was way more mature than I would've been. I got up and decided it was time to make the rounds. Erin Fitzgerald was in the middle of telling me about the school play when I got a tap on my shoulder.

I turned around and almost couldn't catch my breath. Ryan was in a beautiful black suit with a light blue shirt and blue tie that made his eyes stand out even more.

"Hey, Penny you look great."

"Hey."

I noticed him looking down at my chest and quickly glancing back up. His cheeks turned red and he cleared his throat, "Yeah, so you guys seem to be having a great time tonight — I can see why you all decided to go as one another's dates," He leaned in and put his hand on my lower back. "Although between you and me, having the best girls in school all go to the dance together makes it really hard for us guys to get a good date,"

Please. Just your typical empty flirting per usual, I told myself.

"Oh, you know… gotta make you men sweat a bit." I gave him a slight punch on the shoulder in a flirtatious way but I ended up hitting him a lot harder than I thought.

"Ow!" Ryan exclaimed, "Jeez, Penny, who knew you were so strong?"

Well, this was going well.

We looked at each other in silence as the music changed again to a ballad.

Ryan ran his fingers through his hair. "Ah, so, Penny do you think your dates would mind if you danced with me?"

Before I could respond, I heard that high-pitched nasal voice, "No, but YOUR date would mind."

Ryan was even more flustered than before. "Oh, hey, Missy, Wasn't sure when you'd be back. Um... you know Penny, right?"

Missy looked me up and down in a very disapproving way. What did she have to be mad at? She put her arms around Ryan's waist, and I tried not to smile as I saw Ryan squirm a little.

"Yeah, I've heard of you. Isn't your dad one of the Rolling Stones or something?"

You've got to be kidding.

"I'm named after a Beatles song — Penny Lane!"

Missy stared at me like I was some sort of lunatic.

"Whatever," she said dismissively. "Ryan, I love this song — let's dance." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out onto the dance floor. For a five-foot stick figure with no soul, she certainly had the strength of a hundred linebackers.

Anger and resentment started bubbling up inside me. There was a part of me that wanted to cut in. Just to spite her.

But I wasn't playing that game anymore. I was with my girls.

Even if it seriously pissed me off that Missy had won this round.


Revolution

"We all want to change the world..."