Safe Haven

two

"No."

"Oh come on! Don't be a prude!"

"Who says 'prude' anymore?" I pawed through the clothing racks at this little boutique Sage dragged me into, finding nothing of interest. According to her, there was a party coming up this weekend and going was a must. Parties-- well, crowds of intoxicated teens regurgitating chips, spiked punch and having casual sex--was not my idea of a good time. Why couldn't we just invite a few people to go bowling or something?

"But Jared is throwing the party and you know how I feel about him." Sage pouted her glossed lips and widened her brown eyes as if that'd make me agree to going. I sighed and walked around her to sift through more hangers and she flitted after me.

"By all means: go. I'd rather stay home." I muttered, checking the price tag on a shirt. 50 Bucks? No thanks.

"Just come with me for 2 hours and if you hate it, we'll leave! Plllleeeaaaasssseee? Please. Please. Please. Please--"

"Alright! I'll go!" I snapped and cringed when she squealed loudly, earning us shrewd glares from the other shoppers.

At lunch, Sage yammered about finding the 'perfect' outfit and finally busting a move on this Jared guy. Seeing how excited she was kind of chased away the sour feeling in my stomach and I found myself getting excited too. Soon, we were both chatting about seeing all our classmates for the last time and what we'll wear and who we hoped gained weight. And then she mentioned buying me a pushup bra to which I adamantly refused.

"But you'd look hot!"

"Are you implying that I'm not already gorgeous?"

"Oh shut up. I meant that you'd look sexy."

I sipped my soda. "I think I'm sexy enough in my sweaters and tights."

Sage groaned loudly and took a vicious bite out of her turkey sandwich to prove her frustration. "If you'd just take my advice, you'd be drop dead gorgeous."

I thought about it for a moment. Sure I had potential, but Sage was being dramatic. My skin was the color of a banana muffin, my hair was black and shiny that twisted in wild curls down my back, and my eyes were hazel like my dad's. I had full pouting lips and a beauty mark on the left corner, I stood at 5'2" with shy curves. Sage was a looker though; she was 5'6" with deep brown hair that gathered at her slim shoulders, brown eyes, healthy skin, a straight nose and light pink lips. She was Latina, with the body of a dancer, and she always looked good.

"Can I at least pick out your outfit?" she tried again, picking the tomatoes out of her sandwich. I really wanted this conversation about my lack of sex appeal to end, so I relented and told her that she could. Sage lit up like a Christmas tree and gushed how 'totally hot' I'd look and chattered on and on  about the sheer epicness of this impending party.

Great.

So here we were, holed up in my room on that fateful Saturday night. I sat on the edge of my bed while Sage rifled through my closet like a rabid squirrel digging up nuts. I sighed as I gazed forlornly at the growing piles of clothes that littered my room, dreading the clean up, and startled when a ball of clothing was hurled at my face.

"That's it! That's the one!" she chirped whilst I held her pickings out in front of me. It was a pair of colorful leggings that Sage had talked me into buying a few months back and a clingy black tank top. In a word: it was skanky.

I curled my lip and Sage skipped over to her purse, rooted around, then whipped out something lacy, "This too!" she brandished the ghastly article of lingerie. A push up bra.