Visions of Fate

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: SHOW TIME

I had a date with Ethan the next  weekend. And of course my friends were over to help me figure out what to wear. Because according to Ben I, "didn't have taste enough."

So there I was the next Saturday, with Abi, Ben and Zara in my room, downgrading both my sense of fashion and self worth. I had less than an hour to get ready, but the only thing that had been established was how urgently I needed a wardrobe change.

"You never told us how you met Ethan," Abi said next to me on my bed, while Ben skimmed through my clothes with Zara, downgrading everything I had in my wardrobe.

"It's a really long story," I said, glancing at the pile of clothes already disposed on the floor. "And I'm still running out of time, so maybe later."

"Maybe this could work," Ben pulled out a short white, skintight dress that had been gifted to me by cousin Judy. I had never actually tried it on before, as I wasn't one to show too much skin in my outfits. The way Ben looked up at the dress like it was made of gold made me question my theory.

"Nah, it's too plane," Zara said and tossed it away.

Too plane?? I wanted to scream. That dress was many things, but definitely not the word plane. I snatched my pillow from the head of my bed and groaned into it. At this rate I would never show up for my date. And everything would be screwed up. So much for making friends, Emily.

"This is perfect," Ben said, and I dropped my pillow to see him holding up the dress that Mom had gotten for my sixteenth birthday.

It was an elegant red dress with a sweetheart neckline that pushed up and revealed too much bust. The glitters and sequins decorating the dress formed smooth, seductive patterns all the way to the lower hips, where a slit began, revealing way too much skin. The rest of the dress then went ahead to make up a pool that circled the legs of whoever was crazy enough to put in on.

Ben looked at the dress with diamonds and hearts in his eyes, while Zara smirked up at it in approval. I felt my jaw drop right then. Because out of every single clothes I had in my wardrobe, that was what they finally settled on?

"Absolutely not," I got up and flung the dress over my shoulder. Ben immediately chased after it like I'd just thrown his child off a bridge. "Guys I'm not wearing that dress."

"Oh yes you are," Ben smiled up at what might as well been his child. "This dress is perfect."

"Come on, Emily," Abi urged. "That dress would look so good on you."

"Just wear the dress, dude," Zara gave me a bored look.

I bit my lips, feeling the weight of peer pressure dragging my shoulders down. The dress was admittedly beautiful. With its elegant designs and beautiful patterns.

But it was still one of those dresses that I preferred seeing on someone else, but never on myself.

"I dunno, guys," I bit my lips in thought.

"Just wear the fucking dress and get this over with." Zara my very encouraging friend, said.

"No," I shook my head. "I mean I don't know about this date, about everything in general. I mean what if my Dad comes home and finds me gone? What's gonna happen then?"

Dad had gone to the hospital since Friday morning and hadn't been back since. Though doctor Pierce worried that too much stress wasn't good for him, Dad proved his resilience and persistence by practically living in the hospital with Mom.

The only problem was, I had no idea when or if he would be back that evening. And even I knew that I was in for some potato soup if Dad caught me staying that late outside.