Willow Moon's Arc

Chapter 4 of 6

Friday came. Willow packed the green dress in her bag that morning and rolled it tight. She had the date. She had the outfit. But her whole day ran on the school's clock, and the school demanded the blazer. She had no place to change. If she went straight from her last class, she'd meet Jess at the restaurant still buttoned into gray wool, still the invisible girl. Scarlett's words sat in her head. New wears off. Willow would not let the dress wear off before dinner even started. After the final bell she found no easy answer. The locker rooms were locked. The one usable bathroom held a line of girls fixing their hair. Willow stood at the mirror in her blazer and stared at herself. She looked exactly like every other day. Nothing said she was going anywhere at all. She stopped waiting for a private place to appear. She took the last empty stall. She hung the blazer on the hook and pulled the school shirt over her head. She stepped into the green dress and reached back for the zipper. Her fingers shook. The fabric fit the way it had in the shop, snug at the waist, low at the top. She folded the uniform into her bag and left it there. When she came out, the line went quiet. A few girls turned. One dropped her comb. Willow met their stares in the mirror. She did not shrink. She worked her white hair into soft curls that framed her face, the way she'd practiced at home. She pinned them up until they held. The walk to the restaurant took ten minutes. She felt the evening air on her arms for the first time all year. The building rose ahead with pointed arches and stained-glass windows lit from inside, throwing color onto the stone. Jess stood by the door in a dark suit, his hair styled the way it always was. He turned when her heels clicked on the step. He went still. His eyes moved from her hair to the dress and back to her face. "You look—" He stopped. He tried again. "Not gonna lie. I didn't know it was you for a second." "It's me," Willow said. "Yeah." A slow smile. "It's you." He opened the door for her. Inside, warm light spilled through the colored glass. A waiter led them past tall arches to a table near the window. Jess pulled out her chair. Willow sat, and for once nothing about her was hidden. Then she saw the red bow. Scarlett sat two tables away, a menu open in her hands, watching them over the top of it. She had a clear view of the whole room. She lifted one hand and gave Willow a small wave, like a promise. The date had barely begun, and the threat already had a seat.