Ice Cream in the Summer (One-Shot to "A Dandelion in the Winter")

Ice Cream in the Summer

I spun in the dress. It's wide skirt fluttered as I moved. "So? What do you think?" I asked Amelie. The dress was a light, airy green. I ran my fingers across the silky fabric. 

"I think it's too plain." Amelie studied her nails looking bored. She suddenly got up and swooped down to grab a red dress. "Now, that's what I call making an impression." She smirked as she held the red dress in front of my body. Upon first glance, I could tell it was too tight. My skin itched from just looking at it. "Just try it on." She tossed it into my arms. She looked at her watch. 

"No, we won't have time. Or you'll be late to your date." I pulled off the green dress and changed into my yellow slip. I sighed in relief once the soft fabric fell against my skin. Through all the shopping sprees I've been on, nothing could beat my buttercup coloured treasure. I got out of the stall, and walked to the front desk. 

"I would like to return these please. " I dumped the bundle onto the desk. I smiled at the employe. I knew her. 

"Not going to get anything today dear?" Sarah, the front desk lady swept them off and threw the heap into one of the baskets at the back. "Not feeling in the mood today?" She inquired again. 

"No," I finally gave in.  "My best friend Amelie, she's going to see this guy after this." I rested my chin glumly on my palm. "My brother Andrius is hanging out with his  friends. Mother's still at work." 

"Amelie...you're friends with her?" Sarah raised a skeptical eyebrow. 

"Don't give me that look. She can be a bit...extra at times, but she's great." 

"On well, suite yourself." Sarah gave me a small wave before I walked back to the change rooms. Amelie was sitting on a bench looking at her watch. Her feet tapped noisily against the floor. 

"Katy! What took you so long?" Amelie wore a frown. I could see the irritation in her eyes. But her voice cracked with desperation. "I'm going to be late!" She exclaimed. "And that's not how you make a good impression." She pulled me out of the door before I could say goodbye to Sarah who rolled her eyes at Amelie as we passed. 

We walked out onto the busy bustling streets. Chatter filled my ears. Bright colours of candy shops and windows displaying mannequins wearing the latest designs called out for my attention. But I didn't dwell on them long. Amelie yanked my wrist to her. "How does my hair look?" She fluffed out her red locks that fell in a wavy curtain around her shoulders. She wore a dark green dress that complemented her hair well. 

"As gorgeous as always." I replied, smiling. Most girls at our school would die for hair like hers. Amelie then proceeded to pull out a mascara pen and refresh her lashes. 

"Wish I had freckles like yours." She said. "I always thought they gave you extra luck." She winked. 

I laughed lightly. "Oh no they don't." 

After that, she pulled out a pink crystal bottle from her purse. She sprayed it all over her face. I coughed on it. "Do you always have to put so much?" 

"Is it too much? Or too little?" She obviously didn't hear my comment. She then drowned us in another cloud of the heavy spray. Causing me to almost suffocate. It was an overpoweringly strong flower scent. 

"Clam down Amelie, everything is going to be fine." I held her hands in mine. 

"But what if her likes her more than me?" She muttered under her breath just enough for me to hear. 

"What did you say?" I asked curiously. 

"Nothing. Do you think I should get the chocolate ice cream or the strawberry? Definitely not the vanilla." Amelie cut in, dismissing me. 

"Amelie, what did you say?" My voice rose as I ran after my friend to the ice cream parlor. 

"Never mind!" She turned back to yell. 

"Amelie Karinva! What did you say?" I grabbed onto her arm. 

"Let go of me!" My friend jerked her arm away from my grip. 

"Tell me!" I shouted. Some people were staring at us now. 

"Fine!" Amelie lowered her voice to avoid the attention. "Jack, he's with another girl. She doesn't know about us!" 

"Amelie!" I cried out but she was already jogging down to the bench with Jack. I turned around, stunned at what my friend had just told me. That's when I saw her. And older girl, with long straight dark brown hair blowing in the wind. Beside her was a younger girl around my age. I had never seen any of them before. The younger girl wore an expression of horror. Her eyes dark with sadness and anger as she watched Jack sit next to my best friend putting an arm around her shoulder. The older girl's eyes met with mine, and a moment of mutual understanding shot between us. 

She pulled the other girl away. They soon disappeared into the crowd of people down the street.