It's A Dance

It's A Dance (17)

It was a week before the graduation and Iliana, Taylor and I were going shopping. I hated shopping for clothing, it was pointless and it took so long. The other two would want to try on every dress they possibly could and I would only try on the ones I liked.

"What about this one?" Iliana yelled across the empty aisle and showed me a long black dress. I wrinkled my nose at the ugly thing and saw the cashier watching us from the corner of her eye. She was middle aged like most women working in fancy dress stores were.

"Why don't you try it on?" I asked. She rolled her eyes at me and added it to the growing pile on her arm. Where she and Taylor had ten dresses each I had three. I sighed and trudged into the dressing room area behind them and went into my own little sterile white cell before trying on the three I had. None of them were quite what I was looking for. I wanted something that reflected the dancer aspect of me. Something a little dramatic but still appropriate for the ceremony and the huge party the school was holding afterwards.

"I think I found the one!" Taylor yelled to us. I stepped out of the tiny cell in my street clothes and looked down the short, mirrored hallway at her. It was a tight satin-like, strapless powder blue fabric at the bodice with a floral appliqué and a ruffled bottom that stopped just below the middle of her thighs. She grinned at us and twirled around. I nodded my approval while Iliana whistled at her.

"Time to find Ebony one!" Iliana announced. We all knew she would take the longest to find a dress. She and Taylor raced away to find dresses for me to try on while I sat on the red carpet floor against a mirror and pulled out my phone. My background was a picture of Landon getting hit in the face with a football. He hated the picture but it made me smile every time I saw it.

"I found the perfect one," Taylor said as she came back with red fabric draped over her arm. I took it and disappeared into the dressing room. After quickly changing into the strapless dress I stepped out to look in the mirror. It had a red lace and sheer bodice with rhinestones here and there. The tulle skirt resembled a red feather boa. It hung close to my body and fell to the middle of my long legs. The pretty feel was ruined by the black ankle socks I wore. The little ducks on them really offset the formality.

"It's the winner," I said to the two girls. Iliana cheered while Taylor grinned and gave me a hug.

"Landon will love it," she whispered in my ear. "You look beautiful."

I was almost as red as my dress when she let go and I hurried back into the dressing room. When I came out Iliana was in a black and pink ombre strapless dress. It had layers of tulle at the bottom and a floral band under her bust. After we had paid we went to the food court.

"So how are you and Daxton?" I asked Taylor with a wink as we sat down in the bustling food court with blue trays bursting with Chinese food. Iliana laughed as she unwrapped her chopsticks and skillfully lifted some chicken lo mein to her mouth.

"We're so different but it seems to be working really well. He's going to a university about a fourteen hour drive away though. It's pretty far. I think we're going to try the distance thing but it might not work out well." Taylor pushed her food around with a fork; she had never been able to use chopsticks.

"I'm sure you will be fine," Iliana assured her. "Ms. Commitment Issues over here is worried as well."