Murphy's Law.

Four - tough crowd.

It was the three-day countdown to the engagement party, and I had still yet to find a date.

It was bordering on a disaster. Each and every guy I asked had plans. Granted the number of half-decent boys who wouldn't cause my mother to go into cardiac arrest should I turn up on their arm was slim and select, but I mean what were the chances of every single one of them having plans on a Saturday night?

I suppose they weren't known as the more desirable catches for nothing.

"What about this?" Dana held up a bodycon style dress, holding it against herself and pouting.

I giggled accordingly, but shook my head "Too... sexual. Both my grandmothers are going to be there and I don't exactly want to be the cause of a funeral happening, if you know what I mean."

Dana bit her lip and nodded, casting the dress back to the racks and heading off in search of another candidate.

That was another thing I still hadn't sorted out, a dress.

I guess it was pure luck that Dana and a few other girls had been planning a trip to the mall which meant I didn't have to suffer through it alone. Penny and Summer had disappeared in search of coffees for dwindling energy sources, while I could still see Morgan's auburn hair over by the sunglasses.

"Think hooker goes to church," I said, flicking through the racks "Not too out there, but not too 'I read the bible for fun' either."

"You could've just said happy medium," Dana giggled. "But yeah, I get what you mean."

"We come bearing gifts." Penny held the coffees aloft, passing them out to us one by one.

"We weren't sure if you liked milk or not, or if you were like lactose intolerant but then we decided if you did like it and we have you black coffee then -"

"What the incredibly eloquent Summer is trying to say is there's milk in it." Penny rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Thanks." I grin, taking a sip.

"Ooh, look. What about this one?" Dana pulled a sparkly red dress, and I instantly shook my head.

"Keep away from the sparkles," Penny teased, sparking an argument that made me smile.

When I said Dana was sweet, I didn't say she was a pushover.

With their bickering as a backing track, I moved through the store until finally - finally I found one.

Lavender, bardot neckline and a midi-length skirt. Paired with a respectable pair of high heels, there was no way my mother could complain.

"Well thank God that's over." Morgan mimed wiping her forehead with a grin once we had exited the shop, purchases in hand.

"Shopping for prom with you is not going to be fun," Dana shook her head and I stuck my tongue out at her.

"All I need is a date now, wherever I'm going to find one."

"I'd offer to lend you Neill for the night, but I'm pretty sure he's never seen a tie in his life." Penny rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips at the mention of her boyfriend.

Penny and Neill weren't exactly the fluffiest kittens in the litter if you catch my drift - i.e she's badass and he's bloody terrifying - but together they could give Aaron and Jessa a run for their money.

"I have a cousin you could bring," Summer offered "I mean, he's a freshman and he's got braces, but he's really tall and I'm pretty sure he's got a tux from his sister's wedding last year!"