Before Sundown

Once in a century

Saturday had quickly reached me, and it was almost time to leave and meet my friends at the mall. I was standing in my bathroom facing the mirror, and performing the last adjustments on my hair and make-up. I decided on the linen blouse and I softly curled my hair, just so that it would flow nicer down my back. I borrowed my mom's garnet colored lipstick and put some on, taking a moment to look at my reflection. I wasn't seeing this version of me too often, so I thought I should enjoy a quiet moment with myself. I softly smiled at the sight, then I took a deep breath and made my way back into my room. I picked up a small black purse, where I put some necessary things, then I contentedly went downstairs. I said goodbye to my family, assuring them that I won't be too late, and I left for the bus station. 

The traffic wasn't even half as intense as in a normal week day, therefore I arrived at the mall relatively fast. The mall; as big as it could be for a town like Sigswood. It was more like a convention to call it a mall, when you could easily mistake it for just a supermarket with a food court inside. But as there weren't many things to do in Sigswood, besides getting utterly traumatized for a lifetime in the forest nearby or going to the library, the mall was a fairly appreciated spot by the fellow citizens.

The moment I stepped out of the bus, I noticed Elaine walking towards the entrance of the shopping center, so I picked up my pace and called her name.

"Blair, hi!", she said as she turned her head back, and eventually noticing me in the distance. She waited for me to catch up to her with a smile, then hugged me warmly as we got close. "I missed you", she told me as we moved away from each other.

"I missed you too", I said, with my brows lowered and a wide smile on.

"By the way, I love your outfit today!", she complimented me. "This style really fits you."

"You think so?" I replied, with a tone of surprise and uncertainty. "Thank you!" Elaine nodded happily, then she grabbed my arm and led us both inside. We exchanged some small, insignificant talk until the whole group reunited, everyone being excited because we got to spend a girls' day together. 

We all walked into the first clothing store, and thought we should try on some outfits that we'd build for each other. We arbitrarily chose who's styling who, and I got Macie. Anne got to style me. We decided on a five minute duration for us to create each other's outfits, and in no time, we were all excitedly pacing through the clothing aisles. In the first minute, I gave myself time to decide on the style and color palette that would suit Macie the best. She was a very soft and delightful person overall, so I considered she would shine in bright nuances. As I was carefully analyzing the clothes around, I encountered the perfect flowered, light pink blouse. A skirt would match this perfectly.

I walked around some more, picking up my garments of choice, then our five minutes were up and we all gathered back at our starting point, each of us holding a handful of clothes and accessories, being very excited to hand them to their designated model. I gave mine to Macie, who seemed very thrilled about my choice. I reacted with a big smile, then I turned around to my own stylist, Anne, who steadily handing me her pile. I took it into my arms and made my way to the nearest dressing room, then pulled back the curtain after myself. I hung my outfit around, enjoying each piece individually. Anne got me a black Batman T-shirt, along with some dark flared jeans, and on top of that, two small bows for my hair. I laughed to myself at the outfit, witch sort of described my personality perfectly, blending together all the sides of me. And of course, it mixed in a small part of Anne as well. I neatly changed my clothes, then walked out of the dressing room, pretending the hallway was a runway. Andie and Macie were already out, and they seemed pleased with their outfits. Macie was twirling around in the tulle skirt I gave to her, and as they noticed me, they both cheered and laughed out loud, immediately followed by me.