Chapter 18 - Take No Prisoners

Two Weeks Until Prom

Dad was leaving for work earlier and earlier, and Lance found that he no longer needed to change at school. Instead his transformation into Simone started at home before Zoey picked him up. This gave him more time to do his hair and makeup. As such he felt more at ease in the mornings. 

It didn’t occur to him that now he only really spent a few hours a day as Lance. A few hours spent with dad, then it was off to bed, and then become Simone again in the morning. It was becoming routine. It was becoming natural.

Today he wore his brand-new Zelda shirt with a skater skirt and heels.

Lance and Zoey got out of her car and walked towards the school. Peggy was there to greet them.

“Good morning, ladies,” Peggy greeted them with a smile.

“Hey girl,” Zoey replied.

“‘Morning, Peggy,” Lance smiled. Seeing Peggy always put him in a good mood.

“Wait,” Zoey said, looking at Peggy. “What are you wearing?”

Peggy was wearing a pink T-shirt with a picture of Lance’s head on it. The text on it read: “Simone Is The One. Simone For Prom Queen ‘99.” “One of the clubs was selling it,” she explained.

Lance cocked his head and looked at Peggy’s shirt. “I wonder when they took this picture.”

“Are you getting any of this money?” Zoey asked Lance.

“Not that I know of. This is the first shirt I’ve seen.”

“They said it was for charity. Kids with cancer,” Peggy added.

“Oh. Well, that’s nice.” Lance replied.

“Yeah, their whole neighborhood is a Superfund site.” Peggy added.

“They should’ve at least asked first.” Zoey reasoned.

“If they did, they wouldn’t have moved there.” Peggy shrugged.

“Wait what?” Lance asked, confused.

“So, Dee’s been on the warpath,” Peggy announced. “You both may want to avoid her today.”

“Thanks for the heads-up,” Zoey responded.

* * *

During homeroom, Lance was summoned to the gymnasium. Apparently, there was a quick photoshoot for the prom nominees.

When he arrived, he was greeted by a smiling Olivia, a grumpy Deanna, an apathetic Tyler and two other boys Lance recognized as other popular guys.

“Good morning, Simone,” Olivia cheerfully greeted Lance.

“Hi, Olivia,” Lance said nervously, thinking about the last time Olivia talked to him - when he was Lance at the mall. He wanted to steer the conversation away from himself. “I love that outfit you’re wearing. Where did you get it?”

“Oh, thank you for noticing,” Olivia blushed. “I got it at H+M last week. I actually ran into your brother-”

“Well, If it isn’t Zoey’s pet,” Deanna snarled. “Find any good park benches lately?”

“Lose any friends lately, Dee?” Lance retorted.

Lance’s brash retort only made Dee angrier. “What are you wearing? Think you’re going to win prom queen dressed like that?”

“I’m not going to prom in this,” Lance snorted in derision. “Besides, this is cool.”

“And cute,” Olivia added.

The photographer summoned each of the boys and girls individually for a headshot. They were going alphabetically, so Lance was first. “Simone Biggs.”

“That’s me,” Lance smiled and walked over to the photographer’s setup.

“Alright, sweetie,” the photographer directed. Look right here and give me your best, ‘I’m a prom queen’ smile.”

Lance was already smiling gracefully, so he didn’t need to do much else.

“Great!” the photographer praised. “Now wait around for the group picture.”

When Olivia was done, she joined Lance. They both eyed the boys who were checking them out. Except Tyler who finally didn’t seem to care.

“Has Tyler left you alone?” Olivia inquired.

“Yeah,” Lance admitted. “He hasn't said a single word to me since that party.”

“I imagine he got a lot of flak from everyone around school for how he treated you.”

“For how he treated us,” Lance reminded her.

“Hopefully he learned his lesson.”

The girls were done, and the photographer started with the boys.

“Simone?” Olivia asked.

“Yeah?” he nervously responded.

“Your brother told me you play tennis.”

“Yeah,” he replied. The real Simone did. He didn’t. And suddenly he was worried he was going to have to be a tennis player too.

“Well my parents' country club has some courts. Would you like to play sometime?”

“I.. sure,” Lance replied. “Damn,” he thought to himself.

Deanna, who was overhearing this, decided to inject herself into the conversation. “Well one of you is going to need a racket to play.”

Olivia turned to address Dee and her remark. “Dee, do you have a problem?” Olivia inquired.

“No,” Dee responded. “I just think you and build-a-bitch are creeping me out.”

Olivia cocked her head and looked at Dee quizzically.

Lance chuckled, which drew the attention of the girls. What was designed as a put-down actually made him laugh. Deeana usually tried calling him male put-downs. This is the first time she called him a bitch and he didn’t hate it. “You’re just jealous,” he said approaching Dee. “I had zero friends four weeks ago. Now you do.”

“When this is all over and the truth comes out," Deeana hissed, "you will be so despised in this town, your whole pathetic family will have to move back to wherever you came from."

“Stop it! Now!” Olivia demanded, getting between them. “Dee, stop being a bitch to Simone. She has done nothing wrong. I will not stand for you putting down my friends.”

“What are you going to do, sic the cheerleader squad on me and maim me with pom-poms?” Deanna huffed, crossed her arms, and turned away.

Olivia sighed and turned away from Dee.

As Lance and Olivia stood there waiting, Lance noticed that Deanna was staring at the boys trying to get their attention. She was posing and pouting her lips.

“What are you doing?” Lance asked.

“Well seeing as I’m the only straight girl here,” Deanna explained, “I’m letting the boys know I’m available.”

“As if,” Lance chuckled.

“Careful, Simone. I know what you’re hiding under that skirt.”

Lance was silent and decided he should stop taunting Deanna. For now.

“So, Simone,” Deanna continued, “did Zoey ever tell you why Tyler dumped her?”

“Deanna!” Olivia yelled. “Knock it off.”

“Wow,” Deanna cackled at Lance. “You really are Zoey’s clone. You have everyone wrapped around your finger.” 

“I’m nothing like Zoey,” Lance responded with indignation.

“Au contraire. You both want to fuck the same dyke.”

Suddenly Olivia slapped Deanna across the face and the sound reverberated around the mostly empty gymnasium. The photographer and the boys looked in their direction.

Deanna responded by shoving Olivia to the floor. Suddenly she was on top of her.

As the girls tussled, pleas from the photographer for them to stop were going unheard. Two of the guys were engrossed with the show. “Cat fight!” one gleefully yelled.

Lance turned to Tyler. “Tyler do something.”

“I ain’t getting in the middle of that,” he laughed, shaking his head.

Lance was taught not to fight girls but Deanna was holding onto Olivia’s hair. He came up behind Deanna, grabbed her arms and threw her off of Olivia.

That’s when Lance was greeted with a hit to the face from Deanna.

Lance was momentarily dazed. He’d never taken a punch to the face. It stung. He was angry and he got up and came from behind Deanna and put her in a choke hold. 

That’s when Olivia hit Dee square in the nose.

A pair of hands pulled Lance off Dee and he turned around and swung without realizing he hit one of the other boys in the nose. “Oh my God, sorry,” Lance apologized.

Before they all knew it, a bunch of teachers arrived and broke up the scuffle.

* * *

Lance sat between Olivia and Deanna as Principal Silver was droning on about lady-like behavior. The three of them were a sight. Deanna was holding a bloody tissue to her nose. Olivia had an ice pack over her left eye. Lance, an ice pack on his face. Lance was just grateful nobody pulled off his wig. After a while Lance started tuning the principal out and instead was staring at his various degrees, certifications, and pictures with strangers that dotted his wall.

“Ahem! Miss Biggs, are you listening?” Principal Silver called out. “Am I interrupting something important?”

“No, sir,” Lance responded, trying to give him back his desired attention. 

“As I was saying,” he continued, “I’m disappointed in the three of you. You're our nominees for prom queen. You’re supposed to represent the best of Bullfrog Nation. You’re supposed to conduct yourselves as proper women. Like it or not, you are role models for all of the young girls at the school. I should disqualify all three of you.”

“Please don’t, Principal Silver,” Olivia begged. “I was the one who started it. Disqualify me.”

The principal was silent as he contemplated his next move. After a long pause, he reached a verdict. “This isn’t the first time Miss Scott has been here for disciplinary reasons. But where is your partner in crime?”

Deanna shrugged. 

“Miss Jones. You, however, have been an exemplary student over the last four years. It’s been a pleasure to watch you mature. 

“Suck up,” Dee muttered under her breath.

The principal glanced at Dee, but ignored her comment. “Miss Biggs, you’re new here. I’d like to think you just got caught up in the excitement of the competition.” He looked all three in the eyes. “I’m inclined to let the three of you go and not call your parents - provided all of you apologize to each other and promise me no more fighting.”

All three of the nominees looked stunned. Exhales of relief filled the room. They knew they had dodged a bullet.

Olivia was the first to apologize, followed by Lance. Dee appeared to consider her options, then reluctantly mumbled out a brief “Sorry” without making eye contact. 

They all turned back to Principal Silver. After a brief pause, he asked, “And what do you young ladies have to say to me?”

“Thank you, Mr. Silver,” the three of them said in unison.

“Dismissed.”

Deanna lagged behind as the three stood up and walked out of the principal’s office.

As Lance and Olivia entered the hallway, Lance looked around. “Where’d Deanna go?”

“Who cares,” Oliva replied. “I have no idea why Zoey calls her a friend. So much repressed anger.”

Lance shrugged. “They’ve been friends for a long time as far as I know.”

“Hey Simone,” Olivia said with a smile. “Change of subject.”

“Sure, what’s up?”

Olivia took a deep breath and looked Lance in the eye. “I was wondering if you’d go to prom with me.”

Lance became giddy and his face instantly changed to a smile as bright as the sun.

“That is, if nobody has asked you yet.”

“Well, I think Dee was about to ask me when you punched her in the nose,” Lance deadpanned.

They both broke out in giggles at the thought of Dee on the floor, nose bleeding all over her clothes.

“Actually, no one has asked me, yet,” Lance stammered, still in shock from the invitation.

“So… is that a yes?”

“Yes!’ he practically shouted.

Olivia gave him a big hug. “Great. We should both get to class. See you at Chem!”

Lance’s stomach was aflutter. A girl just asked him to prom. Sure, it’s because he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t, but he was too happy to fret over the details.

When Olivia was out of ear-shot, Lance said to himself, “A girl asked me to prom.” Then he turned and opened up the doors to the outside. “A girl asked me to prom!” he yelled to the outside world.

He composed himself and re-entered the school. He danced his way to his classroom singing a cheerful tune in his head.

* * *

Deanna had stayed behind as Lance and Olivia walked out of the school office, then returned back to Principal Silver’s office.

“Principal Silver?” she asked, knocking on the door frame.

“Yes, Miss Scott?”

“It’s about Simone Biggs.”

“What is it?”

“I think she’s hiding something.”

“She’s only been at this school for four weeks. What could she possibly be hiding?”

“I think she’s a boy pretending to be a girl.”

The principal looked at the student in disbelief. “No way. Miss Biggs is not a boy. I would know. Now unless you have some proof of your accusation, please leave my office.”

Deanna left the principal's office to retrieve her backpack from her car. Next to her backpack was a duffel bag. She had the evidence Principal Silver needed. The question was, when to present the evidence to achieve the maximum humiliation for Zoey and whatever-his-real-name was. She checked the name tag on the duffel… Lance.

* * *

When Lance bought his food and joined his friends at the lunch table, he found Christopher there sitting across from Mack and Francine. “Hey guys,” Lance announced. He could barely contain his exuberance.

“Hey Simone,” the trio responded.

“What’s going on?”

“We were just talking about our plans for prom,” Christopher explained.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, Christopher asked me to prom last week,” Mack added. “As friends.”

“Yeah, as friends,” Christopher echoed.

“That’s great!” Lance enthusiastically responded. “I didn’t think you knew each other.”

“Well, I heard Mack was into D&D,” Christopher said.

“Then I invited him to play with us this past weekend,” Mack added.

“So, you met Howard the Dungeon Master?” Lance giggled.

“Yes, I met Howard,” Christoper replied with a chuckle.

“So, I got asked to prom too, today.” Lance smiled.

“Oh my God, who asked you?” Francine asked, eyes wide.

Lance grinded his teeth and glanced at Mack. “Olivia.”

Mack slowly shook her head in disappointment. “I’m assuming you said yes, because you certainly seem excited about it.”

“Yes. I did. I am”

“It’s for the best, then.” Mack said with a smile. “That other girl’s loss.”

“The three of you are going to have so much fun!” Francine gleefully squealed. “Take lots of pictures!”

* * *

After Zoey’s last class of the day, she was headed for the school exit when she walked by Tyler without acknowledging him.

“Hey, Zoey,” Tyler called from his locker.

Zoey paused in the school hallway and let out an exasperated sigh as she turned to face her ex-boyfriend. “What do you want, Tyler?” 

“Listen, I get that over the last few weeks, things have gotten weird. A lot has happened since spring break. We’ve been at each other’s throats ever since. Sorry about that. 

“Thanks, Tyler,” Zoey said sarcastically.

Hey, with everyone so focused on prom, I got to thinking about our original plans. I remembered that we originally were planning on going together, as a couple.”

“Going… together?” Zoey slowly repeated, as her stomach started to churn.

“To prom. We talked about it when we were still dating. About the limo and the dinner. I figured we should still go as friends.”

“After you dumped me in front of the school? After the shit you pulled with Simone?”

“Yeah, well I at least have an excuse about the party - I was drunk. Deanna forced-”

“Tyler, you can't use that as an excuse. Don’t blame others. Drinks or no drinks, you forced yourself onto my friend. And after she told you ‘no.’”

“I can only say sorry so many times.”

“Funny, I didn’t think zero times was a lot. When exactly were you planning to apologize to Simone?”

“I’ll talk to her later. Right now, I’m apologizing to you. I want to talk about prom.”

“Actually, Tyler, I had other plans in mind.” Zoey turned to resume her walk down the hallway.

Tyler ran to catch up to her. “Simone, right? I heard you wanted to switch teams.”

Zoey stopped again. “Where’d you hear that? Wait, no. It shouldn’t matter. So what if I want to take Simone? Or any other girl?”

“Well, if you were looking to ask Simone, I think she’s already taken.”

Zoey’s face turned to stone and then she raced through the halls to the front of the school. Tyler was curious to see what was going to happen when Zoey confronted Simone so he followed her.

Zoey found Lance and Olivia idly chatting at the main entrance. Tyler held back and watched the scene unfold.

“Simone,” she said frantically. “Did she ask you to prom?” Zoey pointed at Olivia.

“Yeah,” Olivia answered before Lance could get a word in.

Zoey grimaced and tried to hide the hurt on her face. “Fine. Simone, let’s go.”

As Zoey was about to walk to her car, Lance spoke up, “Actually, Olivia offered to give me a ride home today. I was going to hang out with her tonight to talk about our prom plans.”

Zoey felt like everything she’d be working on with Simone was being ripped from her. She felt queasy. Her whole world was spinning out of control.

“Call you tonight?” Lance offered.

“Sure,” Zoey said stoically, as she walked away. When she reached her car, she finally let herself cry. She had no one to blame but herself. Afraid of going to prom with a girl, she procrastinated away asking Simone to prom. Olivia warned her and swooped in and claimed her instead.

* * *

Deanna watched the scene unfold as a visibly distraught Zoey had her dreams dashed by her own creation. It was too delicious for her to look away.

It looked like Zoey would lose regardless of the outcome of the bet. But Dee was determined to make sure Lance still lost. It wasn’t enough just to break Zoey, but she also had to break Zoey’s creation.

She walked over to Tyler who was chatting with some of the other football players. “How would you like to get back at all of the girls who’ve wronged you?”

Tyler grabbed Deanna and quickly escorted her away from his friends. “What are you talking about?” he whispered. 

“Are you not upset that every girl you tried to get conveniently stopped liking boys when you asked them out? Wasn’t that humiliating?”

“Screw you, Dee. You saw what just happened. All three of them bitches deserve each other...”

“I have a plan to get back at Zoey, Olivia, and Simone.”

Tyler sighed. Then he looked at her. “What did you have in mind?”