LITTLE SECRET | RAFE CAMERON

10: 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩

Silently, Alice worked her way through the many dresses hanging on the rack in front of her. She should've stayed at home, especially after this morning, but Midsummer's was on the way.

This annual summer event at the Island Club, and she still had no dress, and neither did Sarah.

The two girls had planned to go shopping the day before and Sarah knew how much Alice was looking forward to Midsummers, but something didn't seem right.

She was silent, almost mute. Without a word she strolled trough the store, although she was usually full of energy on shopping trips.

Sarah cleared her throat as she grabbed a dress off the rack and turned to Alice. „what do you think, should I try it on?" She asked, holding it up to her body.

The green dress in Sarah's hands made Alice blink. It was pretty...somehow...well, maybe not.

She had no idea now that her mind was elsewhere, so she just nodded and said nothing.

Sarah hung the dress back and crossed her arms over her chest. „What's wrong with you?"

Alice grabbed one of the dresses and threw it over her arm to try on later. „what do you mean?"

„We're going to Midsummer's, not a fucking funeral, why are you so weird today?" Sarah asked once again, causing her to sigh.

Usually she would tell her everything without hesitation, but Alice hated the mere thought of the conversation she was forced to have this morning.

„It's nothing" She dismissed as John B's words played in her mind like a tape recording and it definitely didn't sound like nothing.

So Sarah kept asking until she finally talked.

„Alright, I went surfing this morning" She started, but got cut off by Sarah's giggle, „What, were the waves too small and now your whole day is ruined?"

A small smile formed on her lips and she wished that this was her biggest problem, but it wasn't that simple.

She kept asking herself why she had never listened to her friend's warnings when she first started hanging out with JJ. He might have been a pure-hearted boy underneath all his problems, but that didn't automatically make him a good person.

At least she knew that now.

„No, John B was there" She said, and maybe it was just her pure imagination, but something changed about Sarah's demeanor when the boy's name was mentioned.

„What did he want?" Sarah asked.

Way too much Alice thought to herself, but only a sigh trembled from her lips.

When her and JJ still were a thing, John B was always really good to her. Something like a older brother, even tho she already had one. There were nights when they sat on the steps of the château's porch together and talked for hours about worries and fears that plagued them, while the crackling of the campfire offered them warmth.

He had always made her feel like it was important how she felt. John B wasn't a bad person. He was just...strongly attached to JJ.

„I think JJ sent him because he wanted to talk about everything" Alice told her as they walked over to the dressing rooms. „he told me how bad JJ feels and shit."

„Bullshit, he's the one who cheated," Sarah scoffed, hanging the dresses she had chosen in her dressing room. „I mean, I don't know about John B, he always seemed nice, but JJ and you is...not it" She leaned against Alice's dressing room with a sigh. „you need someone who knows what you're worth."

She nodded silently, swallowing the seriousness of this conversation until she saw a tiny grin appear on Sarah's lips.

„Someone who sees your worth and is good in bed"

„I'm not planning on getting laid"

„But Midsummer's would be a good opportunity, maybe a quickie on the to-„

„Eww, shut up and help me with the zipper" She cut her off immediately, making Sarah laugh as she entered the dressing room to zip up her dress.

First, she tried on a yellow one. It was beautiful, thin straps and a neckline that showed off her cleavage, but it was too tight at the waist. It was too tight, made her skin look pale and took the charm out of her eyes.

Yellow just wasn't her color.

Next, she tried on a simple white one - because Sarah had also found a white one for herself - but this one wasn't the right one either. It was way too long, making her look even paler than the yellow one before and as clumsy as Alice could be at times, it was bound to get dirty.

„Too boring, try the next one" Sarah sighed as she sat in front of the fitting room, rating each dress Alice tried on.

Hours after hours passed in which the two girls strolled around in the store. Sarah was lucky and quickly found a dress, but due to Alice's broken self-confidence, she found it difficult to find a dress in which she felt comfortable.

Rolling her eyes, she disappeared back into the dressing room. Her eyes wandered to the last dress she had chosen.

It was blue, her favorite color. It shimmered from the silky material it was made of and was tighter around her waist, falling over her hips as she tried it on.

She was exhausted and didn't have the strength to try on any more dresses. If this one wasn't the right one, she just wouldn't go.

She took a deep breath before pulling open the curtain to the dressing room and stepping out.

She turned to the large wall mirror. The blue dress looked like something straight out of a summer fairy tale. It hugged her curves tightly, yet so lovely that it wasn't too much. Her tanned skin was showing, it fell perfectly to just below the floor, so that she could still easily see the white heels, which she had picked out.

She turned to Sarah, who looked at her in total silence. She raised her eyebrows and slowly nodded. „In this dress, your I'm-not-planning-on-getting-laid-plan is useless"

In other words, it was the perfect dress.