Lisa
"We'll get you out." I assure her softly. "Stand up."
Weakly, she stands and I rise to my feet, gently spinning her around so that I can take a look at the zipper running down her back. She collects her long brunette hair cascading down her back and pulls it over her shoulder to give me better access. The tiny zipper is a quarter of the way down the track, and my fingers brush against the lacy fabric and the warm, smooth skin of her back as I grasp it. I give the zipper a few tugs, trying to be gentle, but it won't budge.
"Damn it..." I mutter, while still tugging. "We need a lubricant of some kind." I think, and suddenly a lightbulb goes off in my head. "Wait here." I tell Nini, already running out of the room.
"Where are you going!?" she yells after me.
"Just wait right there!"
I run down the stairs and into the kitchen, rifling through the cabinets for any sort of cooking oil that Judd may have, but I didn't have any luck with it. As a last ditch effort, I open up the refrigerator, happy to see a tub of butter in there. I snatch it up and go running back up the stairs.
"What is that?" Nini asks, while eyeing the item in my hand as I enter her room.
"Butter." I say, quickly flashing her the container before ripping off the lid and tossing it on the bed.
"What?" Her eyes nearly bug out of her head.
"Turn around." I instruct her.
"Lisa..." she whines, looking at me wearily. "Are you serious?"
"Do you have a better idea?" I ask.
She huffs, shooting me a dry look before reluctantly turning around.
Reaching into the tub, I get a large glob of butter on my finger and slather it all around the zipper and Nini lets out a little shriek when I accidentally get some on her skin, whining about how cold it is.
"Sorry." I mutter in concentration, and suddenly her shoulders begin to shake with what I assume to be tears, but when I pull away to look at her, she's laughing. "Are you laughing right now?"
Her laughter grows louder, with her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "If Barbara saw us right now..." she laughs harder, unable to finish her sentence, and I can't help but chuckle, despite the circumstances.
"Hold still." I say, while grabbing the zipper. I go to give it one sharp pull but my fingers are still slick from the butter that my hand goes flying, the zipper completely slipping from my grasp.
That sends Nini into a fit of hysterics, her laughter almost maniacal. Tears streak down her face because she's laughing so hard and I can't help but laugh along with her.
"Hold on!" I laugh, while trying to catch my breath, and wiping my fingers on my jeans. "Get ready." I say, and she laughs, holding the front of her dress to her chest.
I grasp the zipper and give it one hard tug and it finally gives way, sliding down the track with an awful sound that tells me it's not going to go back up, ever again.
"Shit!" I say, sobering up, but Nini just keeps on laughing. "I think it's broken."
Nini laughs, while flopping back down onto her mattress, and holding her stomach. "This is my life!"
"I'm so sorry, Nini." I apologise, while panicking over her ruined dress.
She flicks her hand dismissively at me. "I hated this dress anyway."
"But, Nini, you need a wedding dress." I remind her.
She gives me a careless shrug, an almost drunk looking smile on her face.
I let out a sigh and flop down next to her on the bed, with the both of us staring up at the ceiling in silence.
"You've always wanted to wear you mama's dress anyway, right?" I ask, turning my head to look at her.
She turns her face towards me, with her kind, gentle eyes staring into mine, and she nods.
I get up and go over to her closet, reaching for the large box on the top shelf, and pulling it down. "Then wear it." I say, while presenting the box holding her mama's wedding dress to her.
Nini props herself up onto her elbows, with her eyes soft. "Barbara would have a hissy fit."
"Maybe." I muse. "But the Nini I know, wouldn't give a damn about it."
She grins, while standing up and walking over to me, taking the lid off the box. Carefully, she pulls the dress out and holds it up to her body, glancing at her reflection in the floor length mirror in the corner of her room. "I don't even know if it will fit." she admits.
"My mama's pretty good with a needle and some thread."
Her eyes grow soft as she looks at me. "Really?"
"Did you forget that she was the one who altered your prom dress?" I smile. "And it's not like you can wear that one anyway." I say, while gesturing to the dress she has on that's now ruined. "You have to wear something."
Nini sets her mama's dress down on her bed and surprises me by throwing her arms around me, and hugging me tightly. "Why are you always so good to me?" she whispers into my chest.
Instinctively, I wrap my arms around her. "You were my best friend, Nini. We have a lot of history together."
We stand in the middle of her room, while embracing each other in silence.
"I know I'm an awful person, but can I ask you for one more favour?" she whispers.
I close my eyes, while bracing myself. "What is it?"
"Will you come to the rehearsal dinner on Friday night?"
"To take pictures?"
"Not exactly..." she trails off.
I take in a deep breath through my nose. " Nini..."
"Please..." she whispers, with her voice desperate and pleading, using that tone that can make me do just about anything. She pulls away, while looking up at me with those mesmerising blue eyes. "I could really use a friend there."
We're not exactly friends, Nini, I wanted to say.
"Please?" she repeats, sensing my hesitation and batting her lashes, and making me cave just like that.
"Alright." I agree, and she lets out an excited squeal, while hugging me tight.
Only Jennie Kim. Only she can make me this crazy.
"Let's get your dress fitted first." I remind her, and she lets go of me to slip out of the dress that Barbara picked out for her, while I box back up her mama's dress, placing it neatly in the box and carrying it out to my truck where we take it to my mama to have it altered.
