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kept walking when it hit me where I’d seen that dress. Tracy was wearing it at the dance! How could I forget? Every guy’s head was spinning in her direction. Her dress pushed her cleavage way out of its bodice, and every curve in her butt showed. I was afraid the seam on the back was going to burst open.
    Though Tracy Santana was my best friend since grade school, we were very different. Unlike me, school didn’t come easily for Tracy. She tried very hard and studied, but the best grade her efforts produced was a C. Her mother hit her with a belt when she brought home poor grades. She often showed me and our other friends the pink welts that stood out on her paper-white skin. Her super-straight, thick hair was jet black and hung down to her hips. Tracy’s mother was always on her case about cutting her hair short, whereas my mother encouraged me to keep mine long.
    With her very fair complexion and raven-colored hair, Tracy reminded me of Snow White. But instead of having an evil stepmother, Tracy’s own mother was the witch. My parents, on the other hand, never laid a hand on me. Sometimes, I felt as if Tracy envied me for my good grades and for having parents who didn’t punish me with a belt.
    We became best friends when we were in first grade. After that, we spoke every night on the phone, sometimes for as long as two hours. She only called me after her mother left for her night job and after Tracy had prepared dinner for her father and brother. I cringed when I called her house and her mother answered.
    Now that we were in high school, the differences only seemed to be growing between us. She had no problem showing off her figure to the point where she might as well have been walking around in her underwear. I didn’t mind looking sexy, but I also believed in the old adage, “Leave something to the imagination.”
    Tracy wasn’t as afraid of her mother anymore and seemed to rebel more with each passing day. She flirted heavily with the boys, whereas my shyness prevented me from even talking to the boys unless they approached me first. Tracy was a size zero and wore a super-padded bra to amplify her A-cup breasts. Her green eyes, which stood out in stark contrast to her dark hair, were her best feature. And Tracy used them to full advantage when talking to boys, squinting her gaze to give herself an extra sexy allure. I’d seen the less-confident boys quickly look away when she stared at them, but the more cocky guys stared back, looking completely mesmerized.
    Tracy was more outgoing than I was. Her good sense of humor attracted everyone to her, but her lies always caught up with her and would eventually alienate all the friends she’d made. Throughout grade school, she often lied to mutual friends of ours and told them I’d said things about them when I hadn’t. I always forgave her. I don’t know why, I just did.
    A stray cat darted into my line of vision, bringing me back to the present. Who was Tracy kissing? Amazingly, she didn’t have a boyfriend at the moment either. It seemed that she went from guy to guy within a day after one relationship ended. It was as if the boys were on a waiting list to date her. Tracy’s last boyfriend had broken up with her just three days before the dance. But this time, she bravely chose to go alone. You wouldn’t have known it, though, since she’d managed to find a guy to dance with her to almost every song.
    My curiosity was getting the better of me. I knew I shouldn’t be snooping, but I had to see who was with her. I quietly walked up the front steps of the house whose driveway they were in. I crouched down behind a rosebush, hoping it would be enough to conceal me. Suddenly, the guy spun Tracy around so that her back was now up against the driveway’s wall. The light shone on his profile.
    Michael!
    My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped. Luckily for me, they were too caught up in themselves to