It's no brainer every teen hates high school. The whole high school is the best four years of your life is a scam.Stress filled days, the consist weight of society packed into one building, math. There's only one thing that makes high school bearable or even more stressful.
Prom.
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Ray slumped in her English class, struggling to keep up with the reading of Moby Dick. She despised English with a passion. Who invented this overly complicated language with so many rules and absurd silent letters? She absentmindedly scratched the scar across her nose, a nervous/stress habit she had developed over time. Nothing seemed to make sense in high school, and it left her feeling lost and frustrated. And as for symbols in literature, she was pretty sure a red door was just a red door, not some profound metaphor for love.
"This is incredibly stupid," Ray muttered under her breath, unable to contain her frustration.
"Ms. Kokei, would you like to share something?" her teacher, Mrs. Tanner, asked hearing her comment.
"I don't know, do I?" Ray replied with a hint of smugness, causing some chuckles among her classmates. "I'm just joking. And no, I don't want or need to share anything with the class," she added, putting on a sweet smile.
Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the class. "Sweet relief," Ray whispered to herself as she left the room and entered the busy halls.
"Ray!" April's voice called out amidst the sea of students. Ray scanned the crowd and spotted her friend frantically waving. She waved back and made her way through the throng of students to reach her.
"Hey, April!" Ray exclaimed, giving her a high-five. "And Taylor," she added, acknowledging the blonde girl next to April.
"Hello, Ray," Taylor greeted, surprising Ray with her sudden niceness.
"Hold on, did you just call me by my name without any insulting remarks?" Ray asked, perplexed by Taylor's change in behavior. Taylor was one of the popular girls in school and had been less than pleasant to Ray in the past, always pointing out her unique attributes like the scar across her nose, her unusual yellow eyes, or her hair color, which Ray had convinced everyone was dyed when, in reality, it was her natural shade.
"No, of course not. I wanted to invite you both," Taylor said, a little too sweetly for Ray's liking.
"Invite us to what?" Ray asked, crossing her arms.
"To sit at the cool kids' table, isn't that great?" April said, her happiness evident.
Ray raised an eyebrow, feeling a mix of disbelief and annoyance. The idea of separating the "cool" kids from the rest seemed ridiculous to her. But she decided to keep an open mind and see where this invitation might lead.
"Sure, I guess," Ray accepted Taylor's invitation with a hint of uncertainty. "Great, see you on Saturday," Taylor replied before leaving them.
"Can you believe this? We're going to sit at the cool kids' table," April said, wrapping an arm around Ray's shoulder.
Ray shrugged, responding, "Eh, it's cool, I guess."
"I guess? Ray, we're climbing the social ladder here. You should be more excited!" April exclaimed, puzzled by Ray's lack of enthusiasm.
"April, I think we're already cool. I mean, how many people out there are friends with teenage ninja turtle mutants?" Ray smiled, recalling the unique friendships she had formed with the turtle brothers.
"Yeah, but don't you want to be cool in a more 'normal' way?" April asked.
"April, it's hard for me to be 'normal' when I'm already half yokai," Ray reminded her, referring to her non-human heritage. April let out an understanding "oh" and offered a small apology, to which Ray responded with reassurance, "It's alright."
"What are you going to wear?" April inquired as they walked to their next class.
"To be honest, I wasn't planning on going. I thought I'd hang out with the guys," Ray admitted.
"Well, then it looks like we're going shopping!" April exclaimed
-_-_-_-_-_-
Ray and April wandered around the town square, searching for a store to explore. Unfortunately, the first store they entered had limited options, the second was a bit too expensive, and the third had an eccentric fashion taste that didn't quite match their preferences.
"How about here?" April suggested, pointing to a shop named "Mama's Closet."
Ray read the sign and hesitated, "I don't know, it sounds like a place where old people shop."
"Come on, let's just check it out," April insisted, taking Ray by the wrist and pulling her inside.
Inside, they perused the racks of clothes, not entirely sure what to expect. Then, something caught Ray's eye. She reached for a beautiful dress hanging on the rack and examined it closely. It was an elegant off-the-shoulder dress with a puffy skirt, and Ray felt intrigued by its charm. She decided to try it on, wanting to see how it looked on her.
-_-_-_-_-
"How do I look?" Ray asked, pushing aside the fitting room curtains to reveal the dress she was trying on. April observed her for a moment before offering her opinion, "It's cute, but it's not exactly the kind of cute that suits you, you know what I mean?"
Ray nodded, understanding what April meant. "Yeah, I get it," she replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Don't worry, there's more to try!" April reassured her, holding up a few more outfits she had picked out. Ray took them and proceeded to change again.
The first outfit was a loose white dress shirt paired with black slacks and a corset, but April shook her head, finding it a bit too Victorian looking. The next one was a white dress shirt with a black tie and a black skirt. April gave it a so-so response, not entirely convinced. The third outfit, a red dress hugging Ray's figure tightly, also didn't pass April's approval.
But then Ray came out in the last outfit - a white button-up dress shirt with a stylish belt, paired with black leggings and her signature white boots.
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April's face lit up with excitement, giving Ray a big thumbs up. "That's the one!" she declared, her eyes shining with approval.
"Really, you think so?" Ray asked, feeling a little bashful but also thrilled by April's enthusiasm.
"Oh, absolutely! That outfit is so you," April affirmed, adding, "Let's get it!"
Ray smiled, feeling a newfound sense of confidence and style. They paid for the dress, and as they left the store, Ray clutched the bag with excitement. "This was great," she said, genuinely appreciating April's help.
"Of course! When you hang out with April O'Neil, everything becomes great," April teased playfully, and the two friends headed to April's house, sharing laughter and excitement along the way.
