“Showtime!” Charlotte scurried to the court nominees, who were all inspecting their drowning-victim makeup in the full-length mirrors. Emma let the curtain close and stared at the ceiling, as though she could see straight up to the Twitter Twins’ dressing room. “Everyone line up! I’m going to announce you to the school in a couple of minutes!” The six non-prank court girls found their dates, six cute guys who looked absolutely mortified to be in tuxedos.

Charlotte glanced over her shoulder, waving her hands around like an air traffic controller. “Mads, you’re going to welcome the crowd. Sutton, you’ll enter from stage left—your mark is a big X on the floor—with all the Homecoming Court sashes for the girls and guys. I’ll come in from stage right. Sutton, can you open the box of sashes? They’re by the mirrors. Sutton?”

Emma blinked, breaking out of her trance. “Uh-huh.” She walked toward the box of sashes to the left of the stage.

Laurel’s voice crackled over the walkie-talkie. “Uh, Mads? Can we come down now?”

Madeline checked her watch. “No! I need you to stay up there for a little while longer.”

“Uh . . .” Feedback screeched through the walkie-talkie speaker. “Actually? I’m not sure that’s possible.”

The door to the lighting booth flung open, and the Twitter Twins appeared on the landing. They were dressed in skimpy string bikinis and tall silver stilettos. Their tanned skin gleamed. Their legs stretched for miles. But they also looked naked compared to the glamorous court girls in their gowns. Laurel stood behind them, shooting a helpless look to Charlotte, Madeline, and Emma on the ground. “I tried!” she mouthed.

As Gabby and Lili pranced down the stairs with proud, pageant-queen smiles on their faces, Emma was able to pinpoint the exact moment they noticed the other court nominees in their gowns. Their mouths dropped. They halted in their place. Norah nudged Madison. Alicia began to giggle. Everyone was suddenly in on the joke.

“Priceless,” Charlotte murmured excitedly.

“Sweet,” Madeline whispered, arching onto her toes in anticipation of the reveal to the crowd.

Emma tensed, waiting for their reaction. But the scantily clad Twitter Twins simply shared a private look, then Lili marched to a dark alcove at the back of the room. “Fear not, Gabs!”

She unearthed a wrinkled Saks shopping bag from the nook, a bag that had clearly been planted hours—if not days—before. Tissue paper crinkled as she reached her hand inside and pulled out two slinky black dresses.

Charlotte and Madeline gaped at each other, while Laurel looked sheepishly on.

“Where did these Yigal Azrouël wrinkle-free jersey dresses come from?” Gabby said in exaggerated wonder. “And, wow! They’re even in our size!”