Misfits (#2)

28.

Aurelie's eighteenth birthday has been one she's anticipated since she was twelve. Her aim's always been to throw the wildest, biggest party of the year. Tonight's that night.

I'm sort of terrified.

When she came over to my house in a rush of excitement and business, I showed her my outfit. It was just my usual but telling from the way she looked at me like I'd committed a freaking murder, I don't think it was of her standard.

Now, we're in a shopping mall and I'm following her around like a lost puppy. I mutter, "Why do we have to buy something new? I can wear one of my dresses."

"I love you, Vy. But your dresses are hot in a I'm richer than all of you, regal sweetheart way. And we've always said that my eighteenth is the night we dress slutty." She explains, rifling through a rack of dresses. I stand by her, fidgeting with my skirt.

"You said that." I point out, "I can't dress slutty. I'll look stupid."

You have to have a specific allure for that. A sort of confidence that catches eyes, which I don't wear well. Aurelie grabs my shoulders and spins me around to her so quick I almost get whiplash. I actually have to blink a few times in order to regain my composure.

"You're gonna look hot. And I'm gonna prove it to you." She grins, turning back to the shelves, " Johnny Cade won't know what hit him."

"I don't like Johnny Cade." I try to tell her. He'd tried hitting on me a few days ago and now Aurelie's spinning it all out of proportion. When I try to tell her about Everest, she changes the whole topic. I follow her as she goes, "Aura?"

"Hm?" She pulls out a red latex dress and I literally almost flinch. Not only is that a fashion travesty - shabby stitching - that would cover nothing. She smirks like she knows it.

"No." I give my opinion and then continue to reiterate, "I don't like Johnny Cade."

"So who do you like?" She absently asks, putting the red dress back and hurriedly walking over to the next rack, "I barely see you anymore. I know its cos of a boy."

When I stay quiet, not knowing how to approach this, Aurelie narrows her eyes and turns to me. She stands in her assessing pose. I squirm under her scrutiny until realisation seems to dawn, "Oh, come on. We're still on Everest Jones, Vy?"

I swallow, suddenly feeling like an idiot. I don't know what it is. Maybe her condescending tone or the way she seems to dismiss it.

"I like Everest." I say meekly, "I don't like Johnny. I don't even know him."

"Oh, but you know Everest?" She turns back to the dresses.

I wince a little and I'm about to settle on keeping quiet. But Everest's been trying to teach me how to speak my mind. That my voice matters, just as much as anybody else's. Don't let anybody keep you quiet.

"Yeah." I say. Don't back down, Vy, "I know him cos he's who I've been spending time with. I like him, Aurelie."

"Vy." She sighs and turns to look at me softly, "I get it, you know? He's a pretty face and a good fuck-"

Something snaps, "If somebody said that about a girl, you'd get angry enough to tear off their heads."

She blinks back, "I- okay. Relax." She seems to slink back slightly at that and a sense of pride starts in my chest, "Whatever. I'm just looking out for you, as your best friend. You're not the same person he is. You're all heart eyes but I just— Everest's made a point to be anything but that for years."

She tips my chin up, "I'm just looking out for you, okay?"

I nod and force myself to smile a little. She smiles too and then sighs, "Okay, let's find you a pretty dress. One that'll make Mr Jones all puppy dog eyes for you."