The Start Of An Age - Taylor Swift

chapter 17: the dress

~reputation~

I hate confrontations. Like everything about them, being put on the spot is the most awkward and uncomfortable thing ever. That's why I'm so honest with people, so they can't find out about things before I tell them. But of course the one time I decide to try and keep a secret, I get caught.

I'd kind of zoned out for a while and when I snapped back to reality, I was met with Debbie screaming at Karma. 

"Well it's none of your fucking business, you fat cow!" she yelled and gave Karma the most judgemental look I think I've ever seen.

"Oh yeah?" answered Karma, "but what I tell my best friend, as a joke, is your business?" She waved her arms around angrily as she spoke. 

"God, Karma! Move on, get a life!" said Debut loudly, starting to calm down. "That was.. what, four years ago? Have you done anything at all since that happened? Seriously, why are you so caught up in the past?" she looked sad, like she pitied Karma, which was new. When Debut lowered her voice Karma softened too. 

"Cause it was never just a joke.." said Kam slowly and my head turned to her. "I did like her, I just didn't realise it until it was too late.. until I already ruined everything," she said with a frown. I felt bad for her, she seemed so disappointed in herself.

Debut just stared at her before she got a notification from her phone and immediately looked down at it. Shock flashed across her face before her expression turned back to an empty one.

"Everything okay, Debbie?" I asked and she nodded quickly without looking up. "Uh, you sure?"

"Yeah, great actually," she said with a smile as she unlocked her phone. "B messaged me." She said and shrugged happily. I noticed her cheeks reddening as she started typing, but then her expression changed. Her eyebrows pulled together and her smile faded slowly.

"What's up?" I asked and she shook her head. I gave her a suspicious look and grabbed her phone out of her hands. I turned around before she could reach out and take it back.

"rep!" debut yelled and tried to get her phone back but I turned to face away from her every time she tried.

"Oh Debbie, looks like this little party's gonna be fun!" I said as I read through the messages on the screen.

"Give me the phone back!" she replied and punched me lightly on the back.

My future gf 😻💛

Hey so I forgot to tell you, the party's sort of got a dress code..

Oh really?

Yea

Well not the party.. but you kind of...

Huh?

Yea.. wear something hot?? pls 🤭

What

Yeah ofc

No problem

Will do

👍👍

Debut groaned and put her face in her hands as I recited the messages out loud. "Debbie.. not to be mean, but you need to work on this. I mean five replies to one message, one of them being thumbs up? Wow.." I said mockingly and ruffled her hair.

"I know!" she said and and walked over to my bed, throwing herself on it. "I need some serious help! This girl is never going to like me!" 

"Looks to me like she already does," said Karma and Debut looked over in our direction. I nodded slowly in agreement and Debut squealed and threw her legs up, hugging them tightly. 

"rep! I need a dress!" she said and looked at me seriously.

"Oh I've got the perfect one," I answered and started rummaging through my closet. "Looking hot to impress someone is one thing, I've got a million dresses for that.. but looking hot because someone wants to be impressed is completely different," I said, carrying a big box of clothes out of the closet and placing it on my bed. I opened the box and places all the clothes in it on the bed one at a time before getting to the dress I was searching for. I held it up proudly in front of me and turned to Debut, smiling. "Perfect."

Debbie immediately put the dress on and it really was perfect. It was a dark dress in the most gorgeous see-through glittery fabric. It fit like a glove around her slender body. Under the dress was a bodysuit sown into it at the thick straps. The dress was sort of open in the front showing off the body suit which ended just where her thighs started. She seemed to be inlove with the details, tracing over them with her fingers. The bodysuit was covered in jewels forming a sort of snake like pattern from the top to the bottom of it.

"What do you think, Debbie? Good enough?" I asked and smiled at her. She seemed in awe, her mouth slightly opened as she twirled in front of the mirror. "Fun fact, that dress is the Dress, like the one Mother wears at her old tour you know," I said as I studied the girl. She turned around and stared at me.

"No way!" she said and jumped up and down a few times. Then she stopped and gave me a serious look. "rep, I can't wear this, what if I ruin it?" she said, looking concerned.

"Honestly I agree with her, that dress is really special. What would happen if it got a stain, or it ripped or something?" said Karma from over by the closet. I had forgotten she was there for a moment and was sort of taken by surprise when she spoke.

"That's not going to happen though. You'll be fine," I said and gave Debut a reassuring smile. "How about you take that off and I'll put it on a hanger so you can bring it to your room?" I asked and the girl nodded quickly.

"I promise I'll bring this back to you as soon as the party's over," said Debut, looking at the dress that was now thrown over her arm. "Thank you rep, really. You're like a big sister to me, I love you!" she said and hugged me tightly. I couldn't help but smile widely as I hugged her back, Karma looking at me surprised from her little corner.

"I love you too, Debbie."

A/N: Guys i am so sorry for disappearing if anyone noticed. sooooo much has been happening and i was honestly giving up on this story but i've now decided not to so i think i'll be updating it more when i have time!! this year in school is sort of really important for me tho so idk when i'll be writing but i'm trying I promise 🤞