The school gym looked nothing like a gym. Someone had draped white fabric across the ceiling so it curved like soft clouds, and warm lights hung everywhere, glowing like stars. Music echoed through the open space, mixed with perfume, hairspray and the too-sweet smell of the punch table.

I stepped inside first, adjusting the thin straps of the dress Elena chose for her body. It shimmered beneath the lights, and I could feel every stare dragging across me. Every look reminded me that this was not ...