Part 20 (2/2)

Alison giggled.

Kylie shot us both a look, then swayed toward the mirror. ”Rascal and I will win, you know.”

”Oh,” Alison said, holding back another laugh. ”I don't doubt that. Chunky.”

We laughed again. We couldn't help it.

Kylie fixed us with her best squint. But with her makeup all smeared into racc.o.o.n eyes, she looked more pathetic than mean.

Alison moved into the empty stall. I followed Zoe out into the hallway.

”You were saying,” I said. ”About your dress?”

”Oh, I found a foundation that collects and recycles them. My mom and I went to their shop and I tried on a whole bunch. Of course, when I found this, I knew it was it.”

She smiled, and I did, too.

”Anyway, it was totally free. I can keep it if I want, or return it. Isn't that incredible?”

”Incredible,” I agreed.

”I'm going to take it back. I know it sounds crazy, but knowing I'm part of something bigger- sharing it with other girls who are going through hard times-actually makes me like the dress even more.”

Crazy? Crazy wonderful.

These past months had been among the hardest I'd known. How could I have gotten through some of those moments without The Dress? To the naked eye, it was just material and thread. But to me, it had become a coping mechanism-even a friend.

Tonight was my dream come true-but I hadn't thought about what I'd do with my pink dream tomorrow. I just knew the bag was coming off the back of my door. That it was time to move on.

”Call me before you go,” I said impulsively. ”Why? You want to come?” ”Yeah. I think I do. Me and my dress.” Because suddenly, there was no doubt that I'd found the final and totally right use for my dress.

Donate it to a dress recycling charity so your dress can make some other girl as deliriously happy as it has made you.

Which, you know? Would be perfect. Just perfect.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

Do you have a ”kindly worn” prom dress in your room?

Why not do as Nicolette and countless other girls have done and pa.s.s it on to a charitable dress recycling program?

Open up your heart and donate the dress that stole yours. Help another girl who might otherwise have to miss her homecoming, Spring Fling, or prom look and feel like a million dollars, too.

Come on ... you can do it!

Call local used-clothing stores and ask about nearby prom dress recycling programs. Or type the words ”prom dress” + ”recycle” + the name of your closest city into an Internet search engine.

Or better yet, do as some heroic teens have done in their communities and start your own prom dress charity! Be a leader. Keep the good times going, starting with your prom dress.

spent much of her high school days people-watching, which didn't do much for her grades but later proved one of her better mistakes. A longtime resident of Southern California, she lives with her husband and their three kids. She loves to travel and can ask where the bathroom is in many languages. This is Tina's first novel for young readers. Visit her at .

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