NOT MY FAULT | Mean Girls

05.

  : * • ✧ everette ✧ • * :

"Hi, Etta!" Gretchen exclaimed cheerily as I walked into homeroom the next day.

"Hey," I smiled, setting my backpack on the floor and sliding into the desk next to Regina.

She looked up from where she had been texting away on her phone, her eyes trailing up and down my body twice, before they finally landed on my face and she gave me a little smirk. "Nice outfit."

"Thanks," I grinned. "I didn't have much pink to work with, so I'm glad I could find something."

"And find something, she did," Regina replied.

I grinned at the compliment. "You look great, too," I said, looking at Regina's outfit. It was true—but I wasn't sure if the outfit was what was making her look great, or if it was just the fact that she was Regina George and was gorgeous enough to pull off a trash bag if she really wanted to.

"I know," Regina replied loftily, but there was a pink tinge on her cheeks. "Hey, what are you doing after school today?"

"Nothing..." I said. "I think Cady wanted to g-"

"Coolness!" Regina grinned. "You're coming shopping with us."

I smiled, trying not to make it seem like I was as excited as I really was. Something about hanging out with Regina was thrilling, as if every moment we were together, I felt like everything was about ten times more vibrant. I could already tell that shopping with her was going to be better than going with anyone else.

***

As soon as we got to the mall, Regina pulled us into a store called 135 that she claimed had the only clothes she would ever wear. Karen and Gretchen immediately wandered off when Karen found some dress that she wanted to wear to an upcoming party that she was invited to, which left Cady and me following Regina around as she debated what she wanted to buy for each of us.

"Oh my God, Etta," Regina said after a minute, pulling a dress off one of the racks. "This would look so good on you. Go try it on." She pointed over to the dressing rooms, where Karen was consulting Gretchen for advice on the dress she liked.

"Okay," I agreed, heading in the direction of our other two friends. Before I could go into a dressing room, though, Cady caught up to me and pulled me out of earshot from Regina.

"What do you want?" I asked her.

"Are you seriously gonna let her push you around like that?" Cady asked. "Come on, Evie. You never used to wear dresses in Africa."

"Because there was no reason for me to wear a dress," I replied. "Let me have my fun, Cady. We're shopping. This is supposed to be fun and lighthearted. Plus, I've never really gotten to pick out my own clothes, and this seems like the perfect time to start."

Cady crossed her arms, saying nothing but rolling her eyes. I quickly escaped into one of the fitting rooms, but not before I heard Regina call for my sister. "Cady, I want to buy you these shoes."

I quickly changed out of the outfit that I'd worn to school and pulled on the dress that Regina had given to me. It was white with small pink flowers all over it, and the capped sleeves and cinched waist fit me better than I expected to. I could only hope that Regina would say the same.