Shutout

Fashion Shows

"I can't believe you're doing this. My baby's growing up." Briar stuck her bottom lip out and held Ramona's face in her hands. Ramona shook her head until she was free of Briar's fingers coming to pinch her cheeks.

"Shut up."

"This is exciting. I've never been to a real party." Jamie said. Of course Ramona wouldn't be facing this alone. She might be crazy for accepting the invitation but she wasn't that crazy.

The three were at Spirit Halloween, browsing through the isles upon isles of costumes, ranging from sexy nurse to a full body chewbacca outfit. They had been there for half an hour and almost every suggestion had been vetoed. Briar suggesting they dress up as cats? Ramona shot that down, 'I don't want to be wearing the same costume as every single girl there.' Jamie suggested Men in Black. Briar was immediately displeased, 'First, you're the only man here. Second, I want to be cute, not wear a suit.' The three continued to walk through the store, stopping at certain displays but never agreeing on a costume.

"You know what, you two can decide on a costume. I'm just gonna make up something stupid last minute." Jamie says after another half hour passes away. He turns away from the girls, walking to the exit.

"You know what I think?" Briar comments once Jamie is out of sight. Ramona sighs quietly before looking at Briar. Her ideas, all though enthusiastic and bright, were often impulsive and self pleasing. By self pleasing Ramona meant that Briar usually only suggested things that Ramona hates but Briar swears is for the greater good of her life.

"What?"

"I say we ditch elaborate costumes. We're only gonna be sixteen at a halloween party, your first ever party, once. Let's do something fun, something hot. Something that'll make everyone's jaw drop." Ramona paused for a minute, staring into Briar's deep brown eyes. She didn't know how to respond. As much as Ramona would love to say that making everyone drool at her stupid little halloween costume didn't sprout a sly grin on her face, she would be lying.

Before Ramona can answer, Briar begins again, "Oh I knew you would want to!" Ramona starts to interject, to craft a half-hearted response to dismiss Briar's accusation but she can only open her mouth halfway when Briar places her pointer finger flat against Ramona's mouth. Briar presses down lightly, not enough pressure to hurt but enough to get Ramona to be unable to say anything other than incomprehensible mumbles. "Don't even try to deny it, I can see it in your eyes. That little gleam gives you away every time, Ramona Bell."

Ramona rolls her eyes, "Fine." Her reply comes out sounding more like 'mh' against Briar's unmoving finger.

"What was that?" Briar says, leaning closer to Ramona, giggling as she keeps her finger firmly pasted against Ramona's mouth while Ramona tries to push it away.

The girls rummage through several bins of accessories, Briar almost falls to the ground when she finds the headpiece she had been searching for gruelingly. They leave without outfits, Briar insisting that if they wanted to be the shit, they needed better quality than Spirit Halloween. Due to the severe lack of driving ability between the two of them, they decide on the nicest place in walking distance.

That's how they arrive at some bougie boutique a few blocks away, maybe it was a little bit out of a high schooler's minimum wage (or to Ramona's unworking self, no wage) budget but they would make it work.

"We'll just promise to wear whatever we buy at least like five times a month and in a few years it'll be worth like two cents per wear!" Briar exclaims. And with that they enter the store.

Briar dances through the racks of pretty clothes with high poise, dragging Ramona behind her. Somewhere along the isles their arms fill up and they're lugging around a considerable amount of fabric. Ramona is scratching the back of her head at an absurdly asymmetrical neon green and purple skirt that Briar is holding flush against her hips as she prances up and down the open floor in front of her when they hear a pretentious sounding scoff.