Denial is First Step to Acceptance

18. Dress-shopping

Today was the eighth, and me, Lily, Fiona, Alice and Mary were going to get our dresses. We all met up at the entrance of the great hall and greeted each other.

“So, what shop are we going to?” I said, while we walked out the doors. I had no idea Hogsmeade had dress shops.

“Teenage Wardrobe.” Lily said.

“What kind of shop is that?” I said sceptically.

“A shop that sells teenage clothes, for girls. It’s connected to the boys section, Just Dressrobes, so the guys have to go through it first.” Alice said, as though it were obvious.

“Where is it?” I asked.

“Right here.” Fiona said, looking up from her book. Oh, even Fiona had heard of these places?

We had stopped at a large pink store. And in my opinion, Madam Puddifoot made it. It was pink, frilly, and girly. In a negative way of course. We walked in and I was hit with a very heavy perfume.  I coughed slightly, but the other girls seemed fine. They were staring here as though it was the best place in the world. I rolled my eyes as the girls dragged a rather reluctant (who am I talking, I was practically dragged on my back.) me to the dress section.

“Who’s first?” Lily asked.

“MEE!!” Alice screamed.

“Hmm, blond hair fits with...” Mary said quietly. She had a flair for fashion that girl, but she kept it mostly quiet. “light colours or white.”

So, after Lily making me promise I would try helping them find a dress, we scurried around looking for Alice’s dress.

We came back with one dress, which Alice agreed that it was worth trying and did so.

She walked out looking stunning. It was a white floor-length dress, which had a halter top to loop around her neck. It had sequins that sparkled perfectly on Alice.

“A-alice! You look... Buy it!” a voice said near the door. Frank had just walked in with a mate of his.

Alice blushed. “W-well. If you i-insist.” And Frank left to go to Just Dressrobes. “I'm buying it!”

“To win Franks love?” Lily teased. Alice blushed redder. Seeing my bewildered face, she added, “Alice is head over heels in love with Frank.”

“REALLY?!” I said, and so had another voice. “Frank? I thought you were gone.”

“Well, I had to see Alice in that dress again. But Lily, is she, does she actually like me?” Frank said quickly.

“Head over heels.” Lily nodded. Franks face lit up. “Don’t tell her, but, I'm gonna ask her out!” and he skipped his most girly skip back to Just Dressrobes.

Alice came back and said, her face brighter that before Frank complimented her, “Who’s next?”

“Lily!” Lily shouted.

Fiona got up. I found the perfect dress and ran. She came back, huffing, with a dress that seemed far away. “Try it.”

Lily got up and tried it on. She looked drop dead gorgeous. It was a strapless dress made of emerald green satin, perfectly matching her eyes. It was floor-length, like Alice’s, and most dresses.

“Buy it Lily!” We shouted. She nodded and went to the cash register.

“Fiona’s next!” I said, and ran. Okay, surprise surprise, but really. I remember seeing a dress that fitted her perfectly. I brought back a dress floor length as well. It was a traditional red and gold Chinese dress and came with chopstick accesories to put in their hair. She wore it and it looked and fitted perfectly.