The Piemaker and the Dead Girl

Untitled Part 2

Prompt: Clothes

Chuck emerged from the bathroom wearing an oversized sweater over a daisy-white dress and a green scarf. She struck a pose, “How do I look?” she chuckled.

“Great!” Ned replied. “You look great.” There was a momentary pause before Ned furrowed his brows. “That’s my shirt, you know. You would know, but I thought I’d just be helpful and point that out. The size is quite a hint.” He grinned at her and she leaned on the doorframe.

“It is. It feels like dressing up,” Chuck smiled. “Remember when you came over when we were kids and I convinced you to be the Wendy to my Peter Pan because I wanted to play the boy for once?”

“Well,” Ned said, sitting down on the couch. “I was smitten. And nine years old. Did I mention I was terribly smitten? And you looked like a dashing Peter Pan.” 

Chuck shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “You looked downright beautiful as Wendy, perched on that cardboard box wearing my dress.” “I have to admit, wearing a dress felt liberating. Not that I’d wear it now. But I’ll leave the dress-wearing to you. You look much better in them.” Chuck gave a quick twirl, plopped down on the far side of the couch and faced Ned. The green scarf landed on Ned’s lap. “Speaking of looking better,” she looked at him, “do you mind?” Ned gazed back at her, and a smile spread across his face. “Of course not. It looks better on you, anyway.” “It smells like you,” she said by way of explanation, pulling the long sleeves to her nose and sniffing them. “Eau de Ned. It feels like being hugged by all the things I love about you.”

Ned smiled at the girl he loved from the opposite end of the couch and thought about how he would give her all his sweaters if it meant that she felt loved and hugged. He held her green sweater to his chest and hugged it. Chuck smiled back and hugged herself, snug in his sweater.