The Sexy, The Shy and The Dragon

Chapter 1: The Gained Costume

    Amy was working at the local pet store. She absolutely adored animals, such as small, fluffy puppies, and they relaxed her, which was good timing because she had been stressing over a party that her crush, Adam, was hosting in two days. Working was the only time she wasn't extremely nervous and queasy, well, until her phone buzzed with her room mate's name flashing on the screen.
    Cassy, her annoying yet hilarious roommate, was plopped down on her cushiony chair that was stationed inside the room she and Amy shared. She tapped her long, painted fingertips against the smooth surface of the desk, staring at her reflection on the window. She was bored, so she decided to call her roommate, Amy. She shoved her hand down her expensive leather purse and rummaged blindly through the crazy assortment of makeup materials, crumbled receipts from her recent shopping, and random coins jumbled up. She wrapped her hand around the rectangular figure of her jewel-budded phone and fished it out through the flurry of things. Cassy turned the modern phone on by a press of a button and tapped on Amy's number, bringing her phone up to her right ear. She waited impatiently for her to pick up. She knew that she may not answer because of her shifts at the pet store, but she still tried anyway. She pushed the chair from its place by the desk and rolled around on the carpeted floor. She then remembered Amy's crush's party that was being thrown two days from now. She suddenly became giddy and hyper, energy surging through her at the thought of partying the night away with lively music and of course, boys.

Amy grunted in disappointment and answered the phone, "Cassy, what do you want this time? Remember I pay for the both of us.."
"Oh, I know!" Cassy laughed loudly. "Just reminding you about Adam and that party! You and your hot crush should go and dance together to the slow music, then kiss..." She trailed off dreamily, imagining the dramatic scene that was so cliché. "I would obviously just be standing by and watching the whole thing while you two get together and MWAH! Kiss! Then become girlfriend and boyfriend... Then make kissy faces at each other- that's what you would do for sure. You should buy a really fancy costume for it!" Cassy talked really fast, almost incomprehensible.
All the while, Amy was blushing and her heart was beginning to pound against her chest at the thought of it. She actually had been thinking, 'what if that actually happened?'. "I-I..." She had a loss for words, fumbling around with her vocabulary to think of a response.
"Hah! Got you, didn't I?" Cassy sneered playfully. "Are you almost done with you shift?" She inquired curiously. She wanted to pick out a costume for her like last year. But last year, it was a complete catastrophe. Cassy has bought a really revealing princess costume for mature adults, and got uh, 'toyed around' with at a certain Halloween Party. She pushed the chair back into its original position. She leaned over the lengthy desk and gazed out the window once again, staring down at the miniature specks of honking cars and hustling people. "I bet you're fawning over a picture of Adam right now!" She smiled widely, teasing Amy.

Her face was flustered at this point and she struggled for words. She hated when Cassy did this, but she admitted, she absolutely LOVED Adam for all sorts of reasons. She finally managed to find her voice, "Y-yeah...why?"
"Let's go to the mall together! And shop for a costume!" Cassy shouted into the phone, to snap Amy out of her little trance. She straightened her posture and crossed her arms, irritated. Amy always was in that condition after she just teased her. Her phone was neatly placed on her shoulder, perfectly balanced. Her cheek was pressed against the screen. She spun around multiple times in the chair, getting herself dizzy while she awaited her response.

Amy shook her head, snapping out of the daze and unrealistic fantasies about her and Adam. She wiped her mouth mostly because she was drooling. "But, I thought you already have a costume."
"I know, I know. It's the witch costume," Cassy grumbled with a roll of her piercing blue eyes. She stood, scooting back the chair and bounding towards the closet, swinging the door open, making it produce a sickening creak on its rusty silver hinges. She flipped through the line clothing before she found the gloomy witch costume. Its sleeves were black lace, and the leggings were a gray, translucent color. She pulled it away from the closet and placed it on her bed, examining it before saying into the phone, "I just want to help pick out yours!"
"Come on, please don't" She hated it when she helped her with clothing. She would always get revealing ones, and they were to humiliating. Once, when she wore a revealing outfit Cassy had persuaded her to wear, she had her picture taken and spread all social media, ruining her internet life. "Cassy, why can't I just go as a ghost?"
"You need something flashy!" Cassy replied in a whiny voice. She huffed in annoyance at her behavior and yelled, "You come here now!" And hung up, pressing the red button that cut the line.
She sighed and looked at the time while she put her phone in her pocket, "Why does it have to be closing time already.." She grunted sadly as she put up her apron and locked the door to the store. She started to head for her apartment, which wasn't that far away.
Cassy stood up and trotted to her classic bed, admiring her common witch costume for a brief second before flopping down beside it, her legs dangling above the soft flooring. The ceiling light flashed down on her, painting her face in gold showers. Her arm was placed on her forehead to block some of the blinding light that flitted through the glass of the electrical light. Cassy used her free hand to scratch a bug bite on her neck. She was bored out of her mind.
After about 15 minutes, Amy finally got to the apartment. She walked into the lobby and instead of taking the elevator, she took the stairs. She was dreading going shopping.
Cassy groaned impatiently, strolling across the room and creaking open the door. She peered through the thin gap to see if Amy was coming. When she just saw an empty, narrow hallway, a frown dug through her skin. She slammed the door shut, receiving shouts from the people next door. She winced at the scolding (which was every day) and sat back down on the folded blanket atop her mattress. She picked up the costume and heaved herself to her feet, placing the exquisite outfit back into its place in the dark closet.
Any finally made it to their floor and knocked on the door. She didn't know if Cassy was home, but she had a great feeling she was. She opened the door and walked in, shutting it behind her, "Cassy?"
Cassy leaped up in excitement and sprinted eagerly to the door, whipping it open in mere seconds. "Hey, Amy!" She greeted her with a bright, enthusiastic smile. Her eyes ignited in light after seeing her. "You're finally here," she commented. "Let's go now!" She chirped in a sing-songy voice. She pushed Amy roughly towards the elevators, pressing the down button harshly. "I think a maid would look cute on you. Or maybe a cat? Hey, how about a little fairy?" She suggested.
"Oh come on, what about a ghost? I always like that there aren't revealing." She pleaded. She wasn't really the type of person to show off her looks, not like there were much to show off. She had kind of a decent petite nerdy look.
"No! I already said no! You're so boring," Cassy complained. The doors opened to the elevator and she hauled Amy inside, immediately closing the door so she wouldn't try to escape her wrath. "Shopping, shopping, shopping!" She chanted repetitively. She danced around while the elevator dropped to the first floor, making an abrupt stop. She staggered before straightening. "Well, let's go!" She cheered, pumping her fists in the air before dragging Amy out with her.
"But why not!" She tried to escape her grasp, but that was easier said than done. Compared to Cassy, she wasn't exactly strong.
Cassy tightened her grip on her wrist. She arrived at her average car and opened the door to the shotgun, throwing her in. "Stay there or you will be slapped," she cautioned her. It happened before. She shut the door and walked to the opposite side, hopping into the driver seat. She plugged the key in and turned it, starting the engine.
"There's no need to remind me of my dad..." She said quietly. Back when she was a child, she would could home and be welcome by a slap by her drunken father before he died. She sighed, hating to think about him. He was one of the reasons why she was nervous in front of people.
Cassy suddenly felt awful for threatening her like that when she already experienced it a lot of times before. "Sorry..." She apologized. Even if she was energetic and ignorant all the time, when she apologized, it was truly sincere. She wrapped her arms around Amy and gave her a light, comforting hug. She started to drive, remembering the route to the mall.
"Thank you..." Amy quietly said. She still didn't wanna go to the mall, but she was afraid that Cassy would hit her again.
Cassy smiled softly. They arrived at their destination. She opened the car door and slid off, shutting it behind her. She took out her leather wallet and grinned cheekily. "Hurry and get out!" She dashed away into the horde of shoppers, disappearing into the crowd.
She opened the door and got out, "Wait, Cassy!" She hated being at the mall, but hated being at the mall alone more. She walked inside the mall, afraid.
Cassy had run off to another place in the mall, completely forgetting about Amy. To Amy's right, there was a mysterious store. It was shadowed and the flickering ceiling lights were obnoxiously dim. It seemed empty and creepy-looking, the silhouettes creeping up along the walls and crawling across the tiled floor. This was a place Cassy would go into to terrify Amy. There were Halloween costumes lined up in arrays, all mostly scary. There was one that seemed to sparkle, one that stood out. It was metal knight armor, with a dragon crest centered in the middle of the chest plate.
Amy looked around for Cassy, spotting the creepy store. She figured that this would be a good store to check out, mostly because it was so close to the exit of the mall. She peered through the Windows of the store, but the dim light wasn't helpful, so she decided to walk inside. Setting off the bell that hung above the door to let the cashier know there was a customer coming in.
The cashier looked up from the newspaper he was scanning over. "Hello," he welcomed her in a raspy voice. "Anything you want here?" he croaked. His gray hair was sprayed out and his round glasses were pushed up to the bridge of his pointed nose. The haunting shadows loomed over Amy as she walked inside the small shop. "Don't worry about the light, this place is just old, kid," he gave her a toothy smile.
She gave him a nervous smile, "Sorry, my roommate brought me here to get a costume for Halloween, it's stupid. I should just go"
"No, no. It's been a while since someone came here. This place is magical," he told her with a wink. He leaned back in the rickety wooden chair, stifling a yawn. He then beckoned to the armor. "That beauty I found in England might fit you," he exclaimed with a laugh.
She looked at it, "It's shiny and not revealing!" She gleefully said. "Is it heavy though?"
"Nope! It's light and flexible. And it will transform you into something unexpected," the cashier chortled gleefully. "The price is really cheap since no one bothers to come here, even if that metal is from the ancient years, preferably the medieval times," he informed her. "Four dollars!" He smiled. "You can try it out," he offered.
She giggled joyfully, "Really!" She gladly picked it off the stand, surprised by its extremely light weight design. " Do you have a dressing room? I'll pay you after I try it on!" She wanted to try it on badly.
"Yeah, over there," he answered. He waved his hand towards a small room with only a curtain to shield it. He gave her a wide grin once again before returning to reading the newspaper. He soon looked up sharply, seeing that she was still standing by the marble counter. "Don't come complainin' to me if something happens to you," he warned her with a glint in his eyes. He sounded sarcastic by his tone to Amy, but he was actually serious about it. "This place is magical," he repeated the phrase. "Now go along and wear the suit. The dragon on it is beautiful, ain't it?" He poked the engraving with his bony finger.
She didn't really know what he meant by that, I mean it's just a costume. "It really is quite beautiful." She said before heading to the dressing room and pulling back the curtain so she could be covered. She started to take off her green sweater and black leggings until she was in her blue and pink bra and panties. She, then, begun to put on the costume.
He waited for her to finish.
She looked at herself in the mirror, "Wow, so light, shiny, stunning..I'll take it!" She gleefully shouted and got her regular clothes back on. She went to back to the counter, holding the costume. "I'm sorry, but my smallest bill is a five" She said, pushing up her glasses and looking through her pocketbook.
The elderly cashier nodded in acknowledgment. "Alright, miss. I warned you," he flashed a smile at her before leaning down slowly to open a miniature drawer. He looked over the coins and paper cash that was stuffed inside the tiny drawer before picking out a one dollar bill. He closed it gently before straightening, coughing a bit at the dust underneath the desk. He swatted the air in front of him. "Apologies, young one. Here is the change." He handed her the money before taking her five dollar bill and placing it neatly inside the drawer. "Thank you for shopping here," he thanked her. That line was always used in stores when a customer bought their product.
"Your welcome. Thank you for the lovely costume!" She gladly waved, walking out of the store. She still pondered about what he meant about the warnings..but she had to find Cassy now.
Cassy reappeared at the creepy store entrance after spotting Amy's figure inside. "Amy! Where have you been?" She shouted, grabbing her shoulders firmly in her hands and shaking her. "I almost called the police!" She smiled, but the expression crossing her eyes was serious. "And what were you doing in there? Do you not know of that place?" She interrogated Amy, her eyes averting to the costume in her hands. "What is that? Don't tell me it's your new costume," she said with a low groan. She kept changing the subject.
"Cassy, it's okay, I've done and yes this is my costume" She hugged it to her chest. "And no, I've never set door in that place before til now"
Cassy exhaled softly, shaking her head in disapproval. "It's not fancy, but oh well. You can wear it, I guess. But I don't know if that's Adam's taste," she giggled in a teasing tone. She hugged her stomach, bouts of laughter escaping her lips uncontrollably. "What if Adam's taste is not your style? Like what if he likes revealing clothing or likes hot girls?" She covered her mouth with her free hand, trying to stop laughing.
"You mean girls like you?" She said quietly. "The costume is cute in its own way, like me"
Cassy's laughter quieted into a soft chuckle. "Nah, Adam would never fall for a girl like me. And I guess the costume's pretty," she shrugged. She crouched down to take a closer look at it. "Woah, look at that awesome dragon! It looks epic," she gawked at its figure and the color, blinking several times. She then stood back up. "Awe, now I'm jealous," she said.
"It is epic! But, how are you jealous? You have that revealing witch costume that you've had to wrestle two women to get, remember?"
"The dragon's just pretty. I don't like the armor, though," Cassy responded in a know it all voice. "That was hard! They kept yanking it away and kicking each other!" She mimicked the fighting, her hands making motions and waving in the air. "They almost ripped it, too," she whined.
"But I still like it and you're still gonna where it, right?"
"Of course! It's so fancy and flashy. Gotta attract those boys you know," she said in a teasing voice. Cassy lead her to the exit of the mall and to her car. She unlocked it and beckoned to the passenger seat before hopping into the leather driver's seat. "Ready to go?"
She got in and buckled up, nodding. "Have you ever been in that shop?"
"I've heard rumors of it," she responded with a shake of her head. Cassy shuddered, recalling the scary stories her grandparents used to give about it. "It was said that the owner of the shop is a witch or wizard and the costumes were people that she/he killed!" She whispered to Amy, leaning towards her a bit as she drove towards their apartment
She shook, getting scared of the costume, "It's just a rumor, right?"
"Maybe... Rawr!" She screamed at her, using one hand to suddenly lash out and grab her shoulder while using her other hand to steer the car. Cassy waited for her reaction, a sly smile on her face.
She jumped out of her skin, "No!" She slightly punched her, "I hate it when you do that"
Cassy laughed. "Come on, stop being a party pooper!" She cooed. She parked the car in the crowded parking lot, getting out before Amy could. "I'm gonna lock you out of the apartment room~!" Cassy called behind her as she raced inside the tall building, jogging up the stairs quickly. She was athletic, so she could run fast. Cassy had stolen all the keys from Amy and hid them in her pocket, so Amy couldn't get in if she was to be locked out.
"Wait no!!" She ran after her but had to take some short breaks. She was the kind of girl that ignored sports and read books and watched anime.
"Bye~!" She sang down to her. Her voice echoed through the first floor. Cassy had to run a long way and soon grew exhausted. Their room was on the eighth floor, and the stairs stretched long and far. She slowed down, sitting on the stairs and panting.
Amy wasn't even on the first floor yet, but got into the elevator and pressed the button for their floor. "I'm a nerd" She smiled, adjusting her glasses.
Cassy heaved herself to her feet and continued running, finally reaching their floor. She stumbled around, searching for their room.
The doors opened and she quickly went to their room, knowing exactly where it was. She finally beat her at something and got inside and locked Cassy out this time.
Cassy huffed, seeing Amy's shape flash in the corner of her eye and enter their room. She internally screamed in defeat and trudged towards the door, fishing out the room key from her jacket pocket and hooking it inside the keyhole. She then twisted it and unlocked the door, kicking the door in the process, obviously frustrated. "How could a nerd like you beat me?" She joked.
She was putting her costume on her bed, "Brain over brawn" She giggled.
"Shut up," Cassy sniffled. She then smiled. "You finally won a race," she pointed out. "Accomplishment achieved!" She cheered.
"Yay!" She clapped at her accomplishment. "Movie night!"
"What movie?" Cassy peeped, lifting her head, eyes shining at the thought of a movie. "Something with action and real people instead of those Japanese cartoons you make me watch," she complained.
"Hey, anime is awesome. It really is, but since it's almost Halloween, I got a classic, Wolf man!"
"I don't like classics, but oh well," Cassy said, scrunching up her nose and furrowing her eyebrows. She sat on a cushion in front of the t.v., signaling for her to turn the movie on.
"We are just opposites, you know that." She giggled and popped the tape into the VCR. She started the movie and quickly went to sit beside Cassy.
Cassy stared at the screen pulling a bowl of popcorn in between the space that separated Cassy and Amy. "Popcorn?" She offered while still concentrating on the movie
She nodded, grabbing a handful of popcorn, popping a few pieces into her mouth before munching on them
Cassy stuffed a handful into her mouth, crumbs falling from her lips. She chewed noisily, the rustling as her hand dug through the popcorn adding to the chewing noises.
This continued til Amy's eyelids felt heavy. She yawned loudly in her hand, but she didn't want to miss the movie.
Cassy continued to scoop up popcorn and eat while watching the classic movie. "It's actually pretty good," she remarked. She flinched back when a terrifying scene flashed to view.
Any smiled and clapped, not even scared. It was one of her favorites, so she's seen it a ton of times.
At the end of the movie she hooted and clapped, smiling. "I guess this classic passes the boring line!" she exclaimed
Amy was already out like a light. Working at the store was tiring today, lifting up bags of food and etc.
Cassy turned to stare at Amy. She laughed before picking up Amy effortlessly and carrying her to her bed. She dropped her, turning and starting to her own.
Amy cuddled with a white teddy bear and slept.
Cassy curled up on her bed, not bothering to change into her pajamas. It was late at night, and she was drowning in fatigue.