Dead Girl Walking ― Aaron Minyard

25. dress

our secret moments in your crowded room
they've got no idea about me and you
there is an indentation in the shape of you
― taylor swift

♦

"AT SOME POINT you're going to have to try something on," Nicky said.

Because Mara had negative luck and Andrew hardly ever let her and Kevin out of his sight, she was forced to tag along with the boys to the mall, trying (and failing, so far) to get Neil clothes that wouldn't embarrass all of them at the upcoming Exy banquet.  

"I could just not go," Neil said. 

"Shut up. You're going," Kevin said, as if he wasn't dreading it himself. All fourteen southern Class I teams would be in attendance, and now that included Edgar Allan's Ravens. 

"If we all have to suffer, so do you," Mara grumbled in agreement. She would much rather skin herself alive than willingly enter the same room as Riko again, but she didn't have much of a choice. If she didn't show her face, Riko would think she was afraid of him, and she couldn't have that.

So she'd brave the shitstorm, no matter how miserable it made her. 

"The other teams want to get a look at you," Kevin told Neil. 

"I don't care," Neil said, making Mara roll her eyes at his petulance. "The only place they matter to me is on the court."

"Don't lose face, Neil." Andrew was systematically tugging clothes off their hangers and dropping them on the floor. He chucked one of the empty hangers at Nicky, who squawked and ducked just in time. Andrew shrugged at his miss and looked at Neil. "You laughed at Riko on Kathy's show. If you don't go, he'll say you're too afraid to face him! For shame, Neil."

"Oh, here," Aaron said, handing Neil a scrap of paper. "Take this before I forget it."

Nicky looked over Neil's shoulder and made a dismissive noise. "Seriously, Aaron?"

"Dan asked me to get a list from Katelyn," Aaron said. 

"Who are these people?" Neil asked. 

"They're the single Vixens."

Mara snorted. "Neil with a cheerleader," she said. "That would be a sight to see."

He glared at her. 

"They're all women," Nicky complained. "That doesn't help us."

"Nicky," Neil started. 

Nicky plucked the list from Neil's fingers and crumpled it. "Your ignorance is endearing, Neil. You're nineteen and you've never looked at Allison's tits? There's no way you're straight. You and I really need to sit down and talk about this sometime."

Mara made a face. "Gross, Nicky," she said. "Being gay doesn't mean you get to objectify women."

"I'm just saying—"

"Save it," Mara grumbled. "I'm out. I need to go find a dress." 

"I'm out, too," Aaron declared, putting his hands up. 

"Stay in the store," Andrew told Mara.

Mara rolled her eyes, turning on her heel. "Yes, Mom."

"I'll ground you!" Andrew called after her, laughing.

Mara flipped him off over her shoulder as she and Aaron followed the signs to the women's section of the obnoxiously large department store. 

Aaron trailed after her as she looked through the formal dresses, trying to find something without a cutout in the midsection or some other bullshit design choice that would expose more of her skin than she liked. She had no issues with cleavage—there wasn't much of it to begin with anyway—but she'd rather not put the canvas of scars on her stomach on display.