A Prom Princess is Born (5/7)

Gabriella had been counting down the hours until Melissa left for her beach trip, hoping it would finally give her a chance to reclaim her life. With Sarah heading off on a business trip at the same time, it was the perfect opportunity. No Melissa. No Sarah. No pressure to play along. She’d finally be able to wash off the layers of femininity that had been building up—literally and figuratively—and go back to being Greg.

Or at least, that had been the plan.

Gabriella had been ready to retreat upstairs the moment Mrs. Walker’s SUV pulled up, but Sarah intercepted her with a knowing smile—and a pink suitcase. Wait… what?

Before she could process it, Sarah set it down with a satisfied nod. “I couldn’t just leave my poor girl all alone, could I? Mrs. Walker was so sweet to let you tag along.”

Gabriella’s stomach twisted. She barely had time to stammer out a protest before Melissa grabbed the handle with a smirk, hauling it outside. Within moments, Mrs. Walker was ushering them toward the car, and just like that, any hope of taking back control went up in flames.

The car ride was filled with giggling and chatter, the other girls excitedly discussing beach plans. Gabriella, sandwiched between them, tried to shrink into the seat, but there was no escaping the attention. Compliments came nonstop—how gorgeous she was, how lucky she was to have such perfect blonde hair, how jealous they were of her skin. Then the conversation shifted, and Gabriella tensed as Ryan’s name came up.

“Oh my God, Gabriella, tell us everything,” one of the girls cooed.

Gabriella’s blush deepened as Melissa took the opportunity to recount all of Sarah’s carefully arranged dates. A casual coffee date. A romantic dinner. A sunset walk. Gabriella had tried to forget how effortlessly Ryan had taken the lead each time, how he’d touched her waist, how he’d kissed her. The girls squealed as if this was the most romantic thing in the world, teasing Gabriella about how Ryan was obviously falling for her.

By the time they arrived at the beach house, Gabriella’s head was spinning, and it only got worse when Melissa excitedly announced their first stop—the salon.

It was bad enough being surrounded by the other girls as they chatted about what styles would look best for their “beach goddess” looks, but when Melissa insisted that they all get matching manicures—long, almond-shaped acrylics painted a glossy baby pink—there was no escape. Then, as if the situation couldn’t get worse, Melissa suddenly got it in her head to get her navel pierced.

“Oh my God, you should totally get one too, Gabriella!”

Gabriella balked at the suggestion, but the others jumped in, chiming in with how hot it would look, how perfect her stomach was for it. Before she could fully process what was happening, she was seated in the chair, staring down at the tiny pink gemstone now adorning her navel.

The final step was hair—beachy waves, tousled and effortlessly sexy. By the time they stepped out of the salon, Gabriella felt like a doll that had been dressed and polished to perfection. And that was before she saw what Sarah had packed for her.

Melissa squealed with delight as she held up the outfit. A tiny black bikini top. The skimpiest white cut-off shorts imaginable. And, to Gabriella’s horror, matching wedges.

“Oh, come on, Gabi, it’ll be cute!” Melissa grinned.

And somehow, that was how Gabriella found herself tottering onto the beach in five-inch cork wedges, her long blonde waves catching the ocean breeze, her stomach bare except for the small twinkle of her new piercing. The other girls wasted no time whipping out their phones, snapping photos, striking poses. Gabriella tried to stay back, but Melissa grabbed her hand, dragging her toward the shoreline.

“Come on! We need pictures together!”

Gabriella stumbled, the wedges sinking slightly in the sand as she struggled to keep up. She was painfully aware of how tiny her outfit was, how the shorts rode up far too much. Every shift, every step, was a reminder of just how far from Greg she had become.

The girls eagerly snapped photos, directing them into different poses. Gabriella, flustered and self-conscious about her new navel piercing, instinctively turned away—only for the girls to burst into giggles.

“Oh my God, Ryan is going to love these,” one of them teased, snapping another shot. They were definitely making sure to capture just how perfect her pert, barely-covered backside looked.

Her stomach twisted. There was no stopping it now.

Melissa linked arms with her, already talking about all the cute outfits they’d wear tomorrow. Gabriella barely heard her. She just had to survive this trip. Then school would start, and maybe—just maybe—Mom would let her go back to being Greg…