The Hockey Player (2)

6. Aurora's POV

"Oh, Aurora...." Mom cooed at me. I looked down and ran my hand over the smooth wine red folds of the short layered dress. The skirt layers were fanned out like petals of a flower from my waist, which hugged tightly.

"Holy fuck!" Raine raised her eyebrows at me and scanned me up and down. "I mean, I see your legs....you need to shave those, you beast"

"Raine..." I looked down and realised she was right.

"Not done" she insisted. "I see your shoulders! But keep your arms down because I'll throw up if I see you didn't shave your pits"

I swear I shaved three days ago....She's making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Raine" my nose twitched in annoyance.

She continued, regardless of my annoyance. "And your boobs! I assumed they'd pop out from your mosquito bites years ago, but it's hard to tell under you hideous sweaters, Aurora"

"You look pretty amazing too" I sighed, looking down her dress. For someone who never worked out, Raine was in amazing shape and the yellow dress, with small straps hugged her body tight. With our height difference, her boobs were pushed into my face though.

She nearly spilled out of her bustling as she leaned over. "I love yours. It's really short, which is good for you know, access"

"Raine" I whispered back at her. I blushed and took a quick glance at my reflection showed my face was as red as my dress.

"I think it's cute, Aurora" Mom said from her seat on the bench behind us.

Of all places to big a Homecoming dress, Mom picked a bridal store.

"Aurora" Raine laughed, pinching the tag under my armpit. "It's a flower girls dress. Size extra, extra large, but still..."

"Well" I looked at the tag, before looking at my Mom. "I felt good and it's comfortable. It's forty percent off, so I'll take it"

"Take it?" Mom's opinion changed and her smile faded. "Its the first one you tried on"

"Yeah" I smiled. "This is the dress"

"You don't...want to try anything else on, Aurora?" Her face fell, like I ruined her excitement. "Anything?"

"No, I'm good"

"I'm not done" Raine squinted at her reflection in the mirror. "I look like a giant fucking banana. I'm definitely going to try a few more"

I sat down next to Mom on the bench and smiled at how comfortable the dress was. Raine poked her head out of the dressing room and winked at me. Her next choice was a red bombshell with a thigh high slit.

Unlike me, Raine loved shopping, clothes, skin care and makeup. As she whirled around in option after option, my shoulders started to slump and my spine rounded.

"You sure you don't want to try on something else?" Mom mumbled to me.

"Nope"

"Don't forget shoes" she reminded me as she stood up, heading to the clothes rack. "You won't like this, but with Matt's height, I suggest heels"

"With Matt's height?" I smiled, flattening my hands on the bench behind me and braced myself back on to them. "I might as well stand on a chair"

I had been practicing walking around the house in three inch wedge black heels. My ankles wobbled with each step and I face planted into my bedroom carpet.

"I definitely don't have to worry about heels with Ryan" Raine furrowed her eyebrows. With her 5ft 10 frame, naturally blonde hair and curves, Raine was the envy of many girls and attention grabber of guys at school.

She was in her longest relationship with Ryan. He was on the cross country team, an inch taller than her, studious and soft spoken.

She was happy, so I was happy for her. Even if that meant half of my lunches were spent alone.

"Before I forget..." I looked over at my Mom, as she looked through dresses like she was on a mission.

Sometimes I felt bad Mom didn't have a 'girly girl' daughter, someone who wore makeup, shared her love of shopping, pedicures, gossip. The only thing we shared, was a love of cooking.

"Mom wants you to come for dinner tonight"

"Uh...no offence, but why would I do that?" She narrowed her eyes at me through the mirror.

"She made you a birthday cake" I shrugged. "You're always welcome at our house"

"We both know with Dan I'm not welcome" she said, frowning.

I rolled my eyes. "Please come for dinner tonight"

"Thanks, but no thanks" was her response. "You know there's two things I want for my birthday, dinner with your brother isn't one of them"

"He probably won't be there" I sighed. Raine's mom left her and moved out of state with another guy when Raine was thirteen. Every year, her Mom mailed her cards for her birthday and Christmas. And every year, she burnt them.

Raine's dad was a lawyer, who worked long hours away from home. While Raine refused to talk about her relationship with her Mom, anyone from a short distance away saw her decision to leave, factored into Raine's emotional detachment.

"I actually have plans to stop by Ryan's. He was weirdly fascinated with the burning ceremony" She turned away from the mirror and looked at me. "Which reminds me, Aurora...."

"Raine..."

"Are you ready for Homecoming?" She smirked. "Because from what I saw, you're definitely not"

"Isn't that why we're-" I started after Mom shoved a pile of dresses into Raine's arms. As my mouth shut, something in Raine's eyes told me this conversation wasn't over.