camp love ~elmax story~

pt. 30

max's pov:

i messed around with my bright red hair as i stared at myself in the mirror trying to make myself look perfect. i attempted to tug down the dark blue dress i had on, because it felt way too short for my liking. "are you almost done? there's a big line up lady!" i hear an older woman call out. i immediately felt embarrassed as i open the door and see a few people with clothes waiting outside the changing stall i was in. "sorry.." i awkwardly mumble as my eyes shoot around the dress store trying to find el. after a few seconds i spot her looking at a bright pink dress with spaghetti straps like the dress i was wearing, and from el's expression, she didn't like the dress. she turned around with an annoyed expression, but that immediately disappeared once she saw me.

her jaw slightly dropped as she walked over to me leaving joyce behind with the bright pink dress, and then stared at me in awe. "wow.." she mumbled as she proceeded to look me up and down. i could feel myself starting to get flustered and blush as i awkwardly looked down. "i don't think i like it.." i told her. a confused expression spread across her face as she spoke. "do you not like it, or do you not like what you think others will think of you in it?" she asked me.
"oh- um.." i stumbled over my words as i didn't know what to say next. damn this girl knew me too well.

el got a little closer to me, so the other people around us couldn't hear what she was saying. "max, baby, you look beautiful," she told me. "stunning, gorgeous, everything. you look perfect." she continued as she looked me up and down once again with a calm sweet smile. "but you have to say tha-"
el cut me off by speaking. "i don't have to say anything. i would not say that if it was not true." she told me. my lips curled into a small smile hearing her say that.

"so do you like it or not?" she asked me. i sighed as i looked down at my outfit. "i... like it.." i admitted. her lips curled into a smile as she grabbed my hand and pushed me into the change rooms. "what are you doing?" i asked her as she pushed passed the annoyed people waiting for the change rooms. "change back into your normal clothes, and then give me the dress. joyce will buy it for you." she told me with a soft smile. "are you sure?" i asked her with hesitation in my voice. "i'm sure- now hury up and change!" she said as she shut the curtain in my face leaving me in the change room with a stupid grin on my face.

i quickly took off the dress, and put my original clothes back on as i could hear the mumbled voices of those others waiting their turn. i was about to open back up the curtain when i quickly turned around to fix my hair. i fumbled around with it, untill it looked reasonably good, and then quickly left the change rooms with the blue dress in my hands.

i walked over to el and joyce, and noticed el's eyes were practically sparkling as she was staring at a dark blue dress exatly like the one i had. "soo.. do YOU like it?" i asked her as i hit her gently with my elbow. "uhm- i don't know..." she told me. "oh come on!" i groaned finnally knowing what she felt like when i was to nervous to try on my dress. because joyce was there i obviously could not tell her what i wanted to, and i couldn't call her beautiful, so i just told her to remeber what she had told me. "el, remember what you just said to me a few minutes ago, when i walked out in my dress?" i asked her. "yeah, why?" she asked me. "imagine everything you said then, i'm saying to you right now." i told her as my lips curled into a soft smile. she playfully rolled her eyes and groaned.
"you don't even have to say anything to me and you already convinced me." she muttered as she walked towards the change rooms. i smiled as it was easy to convince her to try on the dress, and i didn't have to put up a fight. i was about to follow el towards the change rooms to wait outside, since the line up that was waiting had already thinned out, but i suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and joyce's voice.

"max? may i have a word with you?" she asked me. i spun around and looked at her with a bit of a surprised face. "uh- yeah." i told her as i felt like it was going to be something about me and el. her eyes darted around the shop, and eventually landed on a bench in front of some high heels. "let's go sit." she told me as she gestured towards the bench. i nodded and walked over there with her. we both sat down, and i looked down at the ground as i began to fidget with my fingers. "so as you know el is soon going to be my stepdaughter.." she stated. "yeah i know.." i told her shyly. "and el has been like a daughter to me since she was 5 years old, and i care about her a lot.." she continued. "yeah i know.." i repeated. "i just want to make sure you are good to her, and you don't hurt her." she told me, finally getting to the point. "erm- she's my best friend.. why would i do that?" i asked her playing dumb. "well you two are very close and..." she slighty stumbled over her words. "last night the lipstick-"

"so what do you think!?" el asked us as she ran over to us with a big grin on her face. joyce stopped speaking and this time it was time for my jaw to drop as i looked her up and down, not caring at all joyce was right there. "wow, you look gor- really great.." i told her almost blowing our cover by calling her 'gorgeous'. she turned into a blushing mess as she stood there smiling. "well do you like it?" joyce asked her. "yeah, i love it!" el told us as she spun around in a circle. i started to giggle as she sat down on the bench beside me. "is that the same dress as hers?" joyce asked pointing at el's dress and then mine. "yeah!" el told her. joyce smiled as el continued to speak. "both me and max have our dresses, when are you gonna get yours?" el asked her. "i already have mine, today was just a day about you two girls." she told us.

el looked really surprised and shocked as she spoke. "geez! you've been engaged to my dad for not even that long, you have a dress, and already know who your inviting!?" she asked her. she shrugged as a small smile appeared on her face. "i don't know, you know me and your father. we both are planners." she told us. "yeah, i kinda got that." el giggled as my nerves started to grow as joyce spoke. "girls. there's something serious i need to talk to you about.." joyce announced as el looked at me with a confused face.