Page 5 of The Debutantes
“Don’t play dumb.” Lily’s dad, so harsh it makes me tense up.
“George.” Lily’s mom. “Can you lower your—”
“You saw his face, Lily.”
But Lily isn’t looking at her dad anymore. She sees us and folds her arms over the bright-red splatter on her dress. It’s almost funny now, how fake it is, but something about the warning look in her eyes digs a pit in my stomach. Her parents clock us, too, and the pit gets even deeper.
“Girls.” Mrs. LeBlanc’s gloved hand brushes her pearls. “So good to see you.”
“So sorry to interrupt, Mrs. LeBlanc,” Sav says. “We just wanted to make sure Lily was okay.”
“I’m fine.” Lily closes her hand around her necklace, thesingle diamond teardrop she’s worn since her thirteenth birthday. The one she always touches when she’s lying.
I’ve been Lily LeBlanc’s best friend since kindergarten, and she hasn’t gotten any better at hiding her tell.
Before I can say anything, the hallway door swings open and Mrs. Johnson runs out, kitten heels clacking.
“Lily! Goodness, I amsosorry, sweet pea. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
In a flash, Lily’s whole face changes with a bright smile that deepens her dimples. “I’m okay. I mean, that’s what I get for wearing white, right?”
Mrs. Johnson laughs like she’s Lily’s number-one fan. I swear, the second Lily and Wyatt started dating sophomore year, his mom probably popped the champagne and fired up the future wedding Pinterest board. But Lily always knows how to get people in her pocket. It’s one of my favorite things about her: one second, she’s a debutante princess, and the next, she’s a monster on the field, stealing the ball out from under the other player before they even know what hit them.
“So gracious. I swear, this girl was justbornto be Queen,” Mrs. Johnson gushes, hand on her heart. Then, noticing Sav and me, she gets a look on her face like she just smelled something bad.
Checks out. We’ve spent half of high school hanging around the Johnsons’ house with Lily, Wyatt, and our other friends, but Mrs. Johnson has never liked us much. Me because my family isn’t old-money enough, and Sav because her family is actively antidebutante. Which I don’t blame them for: Sav’s mom is Black, her dad white, and even though all this stuff apparently “isn’t racist” anymore, I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole if I were them. I didn’t really want to touch it at all, but myparents insisted, and with the way things have been at home lately, I wasn’t about to rock the boat. Sav’s only here because Lily and I promised her a full year of aux privileges in exchange for coming, even if it means she’ll blastSixthe musical at all of our pregames.
“Speaking of our Queen,” says Mrs. Johnson, bringing her attention back to Lily, “where’s your consort gotten off to? Because if he up and left you here to deal with all this alone, he’ll be getting asterntalking-to at home, believe me.”
“He’s getting the car,” Lily says with a laugh. “Don’t worry. He’s learned from the best.”
“Oh, hush,” Mrs. Johnson teases, clearly thrilled to be buttered up. “Now I know it’s such a chore, but you wouldn’t mind coming with me for a few minutes, would you? Security has just a few questions.”
“I’d love to help, but I really don’t know if I can,” Lily says, using the same tone that always gets her extensions on homework. “I barely saw anything. It was so quick, and then he was gone.”
She touches her necklace again. Another lie. I watch Lily’s face for some sign of what she’s hiding, but she doesn’t look my way.
“Of course,” Mrs. Johnson says. “But anything you remember might help to—”
“We appreciate your diligence, Gen, but I think Lily would like to get home and rest.” Mr. LeBlanc lays a broad hand on his daughter’s shoulder. He’s changed just as quickly as she did: the sharp tone and angry stare are gone. Now there’s only a sympathetic smile. “I’m sure you can imagine that tonight hasn’t quite been the royal treatment she was hoping for.”
He says it like a joke, but there’s a warning flare in his eyes. Mrs. Johnson picks up on it, her neck blotching.
“Of course. And again, I’msosorry. If I’d had any idea that someone here was planning this sort of—”
“Thank you, Genevieve. You’ve been more than helpful.” Lily’s mom gives an icy smile, not even trying to hide it with charm like Mr. LeBlanc did.
“Well.” Mrs. Johnson sniffs. “I’ll let y’all get home, then.”
“I’ll let you know if I remember anything that might help,” Lily says.
“Thanks, sweet pea.” Mrs. Johnson turns to me and Sav again, like an afterthought. “And girls, if y’all saw anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
With another robotic smile, Mrs. Johnson clicks back down the hall and into the ballroom. As soon as she’s gone, Lily drops the sweet look.
“I’ll go see if Wyatt got the car,” she mumbles to her parents. Then she heads for the exit, pushing her way through the double doors like a warrior princess leaving a bloody battle.
Lily’s parents look at each other, like there’s something they want to say but can’t when me and Sav are still standing here.
