Sparkly, Purple and Poofy

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Prom consisted of a few things that Shafan usually tried to avoid; big crowds, big crowds, and... big crowds. But one thing Shafan did like, that might just cancel out all of those big crowds, was sparkly dresses.

One the way home from school one day, when her mind was distracted with what to eat she got home, she passed the usual vintage clothing shops on the way but this time something in the window made her stop. It was sparkly, purple and poofy. And she needed it.

The sign in the window boasted “cheap proms dresses no one else has!”.

“You’re not even going to prom,” Shafan told herself, willing herself to keep moving. Her house was just ten minutes away and she was craving some crackers and cheese, the fancy kind her dad had brought home yesterday. But this dress captivated her and she found herself inside of the store looking around for a shop keeper.

“Oh, is somebody actually here?” an middle aged woman with bright pink hair asked, stepping out from a room in the back.

“Uhm, hi,” Shafan said quietly, regretting her impulse to come in.

“Are you here for a dress, perhaps?” the woman asked as she approached Shafan.

“Uhm, how much is the purple dress in the window?” she said quickly, immediately worrying that what she had said was too quick to understand, but fortunately the woman just nodded thoughtfully.

“Oh, yes, that one,” the woman said, looking behind Shafan at the dress sitting in the window display. “How much can you pay? We never have very many visitors looking for prom dresses, mostly just people trying to con us into thinking their dresses are vintage.”

The woman sighed and shook her head, looking off to the ceiling as if having some kind of flashback like in a TV show. Shafan fiddled with the ponytails she always kept on her wrist.

“Anyway, how much?” the woman asked, looking back at Shafan.

“I don’t have anything on me right now,“ Shafan said.

The woman shook her head, looking annoyed now, “look, I’ll give it to you for fifty if you come back here tomorrow with the money, how about it?”

Shafan was momentarily shocked into silence, only fifty dollars for that amazing dress? She couldn’t turn that down so she quickly nodded and said something about seeing her then before quickly escorting herself out of the shop before the woman could take back her offer.

“For fifty dollars I don’t even have to go to prom, really, I could wear that dress anywhere,” Shafan told herself as she started the walk home, smiling to herself. and she spent the rest of the walk picturing herself twirling around in that amazing, sparkly dress.

And hey, maybe somebody might actually ask her to prom... Stranger things have happened.

All You Need is Friends, Hopefully.

Tracy had been spending more time at Heather’s house than her own, an attempt to escape the terrors of Patty. Her dad and the evil soon to be stepmother were now knee deep in wedding preparation and Tracy didn’t want to be anywhere near that, she was still trying to think of a way out of being one of the bridesmaids. She didn’t want to be the bridesmaid to Patty, yuck.

So it was just another typical night at Heather’s, Heather was on her bed reading skimming through a book she needed to write an essay about before tomorrow and Tracy was painting her nails a pretty shade of light pink because she had already gotten all her homework done. She could not stand to be late, or even close to it. She didn't need any extra stress.

A ding from her phone pulled her away for her careful focus on her nails, but thankfully not causing her to ruin them. She carefully put the top back on the nail polish and got her phone with the hand that didn’t have any polish on it yet, no point in risking any damage to her perfectly polished hand.

It was a text from her dad saying “you’re going dress shopping with Patty tomorrow, no buts.” Tracy groaned and tossed her phone away from her, no way was she ever going anywhere with Patty, and her dad knew it.

“You okay down there?” Heather asked peering down at Tracy who had now moved to laying on her back.

“Don’t tell me you messed up your nail polish,” Heather asked, rolling her eyes before looking back at her book.

“No, I didn’t” Tracy scoffed, “My dad wants me to go dress shopping with Patty, not gonna happen.”

“Tracy,” Heather said, her voice taking on that dangerous tone that told Tracy that a lecture was coming. She had to admit that sometimes Heather acted a bit like a mom.

“You know you’re gonna have to go sometimes, why don’t you just get it over with?” she continued.

“Why? I don’t wanna be her stupid bridesmaid,” Tracy said, yanking on her ponytail as she always did when she was stressed.

All she heard from Heather was an annoyed sigh and a page turning, then “well I don’t wanna write this stupid paper, but does it look like I have a choice? Do it for your dad.”

“I hate him too,” Tracy said, though that wasn’t entirely true. She just hated that he had to go and fall in love again, it was perfectly fine when it was just them two. Then Patty came along sweet talking him with long words and astronomy, and now this was happening.

“Tracy, I know you don’t wanna hear this-”

“No, I really don’t. Please don’t go on, I don’t care.” Tracy interrupted, sitting up and glaring at Heather. “I’ve heard it all the other times you’ve told me and I don’t care.”

“You’re acting like a twelve year old!” Heather said, sitting up herself and crossing her arms, sending an equally chilly glare to Tracy.

Tracy just shook her head and stood up, “home would be better than this lecturing.”

“That’s where you should be,” Heather said, “facing your problems instead of running away. None of this is healthy.”

“If I wanted a therapist I would have went to one when my dad first brought it up,” Tracy said.

“I am just trying to be your friend,” Heather said, the defiance leaving her face and being replaced by hurt. Tracy almost backed down but hated to lose, she didn’t want Heather ot think she can just start bossing her around.

“Then act like one,” she said before turning around quickly on her heel and stomping out the door.

“Tracy!” Heather called after her, Tracy ignored her and continued hastily stuff her shoes on and leave just as she heard Heather stomping down the stairs herself.

Tracy was thankful for her car and a quick getaway as she pulled out of Heather’s driveway fast, but not too fast as even when in a fight she couldn’t go breaking the law, and driving away as Heather appeared on her steps looking sad and small.

The third fight of the week.