Fifteen Minutes of Life

Chapter Five

2000+ words guys!!!! A/N at the end :) by the way the picture is the dress in this chapter. Trigger warning as well, I will put a note beforehand.
"Come on Tif you can do it. Only a few more stairs."

After panting for a moment, I compose myself, "Why did the elevator have to be broken the one day we came to the mall?!?"

"I don't know. Maybe they knew we were coming or something."

I look up from where I am standing to where Lewis is standing at the top of the stairs. Taking one last deep breath, I sprint up the stairs and almost fall over my own feet. Lewis catches me before I can process what has happened. Once I'm standing upright again, I make my way to Forever 21. I look over my shoulder to see Lewis following me, a giant smile on his face. "Come on slow poke I'm going to beat you!" I yell.

Lewis only smiles wider, "Yeah yeah I'm coming."

He picks up his speed just a bit but soon slows back down. Shaking my head, I enter my favorite store. Then I realize I have no clue what I am doing. I poke my head back outside of the door and see Lewis standing there waiting for me. "Need some help?" he asks.

Wordlessly, I pull him inside the store, "Alright, do your magic." I say.

He smiles and goes straight to work. He grabs several dresses, all of which look confusing to me, that is until he picks up the last one. It's white, with light pink roses all over it. The leaves connected to the roses are a dark ivory color and the combination is breathtaking. He notices me staring at it and smiles to himself. "Come on Tif, let's go try these on."

A few minutes later, I'm standing inside a little cubicle with a mirror. After removing my shirt, I stop, unable to move. The tiny gashes on my stomach are still there, red against my tan skin. My finger shakes as I reach up to touch one. I don't even feel it anymore; it just feels natural now. "Tif? You okay?" I hear.

I snap out of it, and quickly throw on the first dress. The satiny white dress is just too much for me. I walk out of the changing room and hope Lewis sees how much I hate it. "Nope, turn back around and get back in there. I can tell you hate it." he says.

A small smile plays at the corner of my lip as I walk back in the room. The first dress that pops into my mind is the beautiful one I saw earlier. I thumb through the pile and finally see it at the very bottom. I carefully caress it and take a deep breath. Then, after a moment's preparation, I slip it on over my head. I can't bear to look in the mirror as I zip up the back of it. I straighten it out and decide I have to face it. The instant I look up at it, a gasp escapes from my lips.

It fits my curves, and flatters me. It makes every little part of me that I hate, look beautiful. For once in the past eight years, I feel pretty. "Tiffany? What's going on?"

I snap out of it, and brace myself. Walking out of the room, I keep my eyes to the ground, "Well?" I say, "What do you think?"

TRIGGER WARNING STARTS NOW
Silence fills my ears. A terrifying feeling floats through my brain, and when he doesn't say anything, the voices come back. "Come on darling you know he hates it."

"That dress is ugly on you, and that's only because you are wearing it."

"You could never pull something like that off, you only make it worse."

"You're ugly."

"Disgusting."

"Fat."

"No one will ever love you."

"Hurt yourself."

"Kill yourself."

"Tif."

"TIF."