The To-Do List

The perfect dress for the ball

"Pst. psssssssst. Pst. pppppsssstt." "Hey, beautiful" "Goodmorning sleepyhead" "Hey, are you dead? Come on Viv." Jillian and Killian stood over Vivian's bed, taking turns poking her. "Huh..?" Vivian rolled over, lazily opening one eye. "Ah geez.. is it time to wake up already?" Jillian sat next to Vivian, "Get up or I fart," he threatened. Killian's eyes grew wide as he jumped and ran outside closing the door. Vivian locked eye contact and said "You won't. Bet." It was so silent a pin drop could've been heard. Her eyes started watering before she even smelt it. Her face became wet with tears and she sat up, touching her face, "What the.." Vivian jumped out of bed and ran to the door trying to pull the handle open. Killian solemnly shook his head and held the doorknob tight. She saw the fear in his eyes and she slowly turned around as she heard the door to the hallway shut and Jillian locked the door, smiling. She turned, eyes wild looking for an escape, more tears coming. Then the smell hit. Like a thousand ton sack of sand had hit her in the chest, the smell violently shoved it's way into her nostrils, invading all her senses. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. She couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't smell. All her senses had blacked out. What seemed like an eternity later but was probably about a minute or two, Vivian slowly blinked and looked around. She stood up and looked at Jillian, smugly settled onto her comfy bed. "I warned you." He smirked. She looked into his eyes for about .5 seconds before she ran to the bathroom and hurled. She brushed her teeth, put on some clothes, and came back into her room. A very mellow smell lingered. She felt her stomach coming back up and focused on settling it, but she could barely think. "That can not be healthy Jillian." She said. Killian was still outside, still wide-eyed, waiting until it was safe. Jillian's eyes flitted towards the door and in a second he'd leaped off the bed and was outside pulling Killian to the side, out of view. Vivian heard it then: footsteps. She whirled around and began pretending to put clothes away in her dresser. Moments later her doorknob rattled and her stepmother stepped into her room. "What in heavens name is that smell and what are you doing?" she shrieked, ripping the shirt out of Vivian's hands. Vivian stepped back and placed her arms behind her back and stood up straight. "I-" Vivian tried. "Did I say you could talk?" Her stepmother cut her off. She threw her arms up and let out an exasperated sigh. "I ask you for one thing! Can't even manage even one simple thing!" Vivian was confused until she remembered that she had been ordered to do something..."Where are the girls' dresses!" She shrieked, getting very close to Vivian's face. "You were supposed to order their dresses for the Shamblin ball the day they got that invitation! After all I do for you! You can't order my daughters' dresses for their ball?!" She continues shrieking. Vivian sighs. Her stepmother slaps her across the face. "Don't you dare sigh at me you incompetent, stupid girl! You'd better go into town right now and get them the finest dresses and be back here in no less than two hours!" Vivian stared straight ahead and nodded. Her stepmother turned on her heal and left her room, slamming the door shut. Vivian went into the bathroom and touched her cheek. It was red and stung. Vivian leaned over the counter and stared into her own eyes. 'One day.. one day I can leave and never come back. I'll take my father's trust fund, it's rightfully mine anyways, and I'll leave and never look back. One day soon..' Vivian felt a hand on her shoulder and she was pulled back into reality. She nodded to herself and turned around. "We'll meet you at the car, it's just around the corner," Jillian said softly. She looked him dead in the eyes. "I don't need your sympathy, Jillian." She brushed past him, grabbed her stuff and left her room. Vivian left the house and wordlessly got into the car. They started it up and left for town.

When they'd parked and gotten out of the car Vivian looked at both of them and said, "All right, what? What is wrong with the both of you? I'm not some puppy you just saw get kicked. I'm fine. What did you drag me out here for anyways? I need to get those dresses." Killian grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a dress shop, "why, for that exact reason! To get you a dress for your ball tonight!" Jillian nodded, excited like a puppy. Vivian laughed and followed them into the shop. When they opened the door, a little bell rang and almost instantaneously, a man appeared seemingly out of thin air. Vivian looked around. This was a very expensive dress shop. She looked at the boys and they nodded, smiling. "My name is Marv. How may I be of assistance?" The man was a stout, short man with a large smile on his face. Jillian flashed a smile at the man before saying, "Our Lady Vivian here would like a dress for a ball she is attending tonight." The man's eyes twinkled as he responded, " A ball? Well well well, that is wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Waited a bit til the last minute though, didn't we? Hmm. Well, be that as it may, we'll find just the perfect thing for you!" He took her hand and brought her to a little platform in the middle of the room, she stepped up onto it and looked into the many mirrors she was now facing. "Now hold still just a tic while I take down your measurements so I can find you a dress that fits perfectly!" Vivian nodded and held still while the little man fussed about her taking down all her measurements. All the while, Vivian watched in the mirrors as Killian and Jillian were making faces and horsing around behind her, making it hard to hold still. A giggle escaped and Marv stood up, red faced from bending, and said "Ma'am, please! If you could hold still!" "Sorry sir" Vivian straightened and avoided looking at the buffoonish boys behind her. "All done!" Marv backed away and hurried to the back room with all the dresses. "Whew, that was stressful, especially with you two knuckleheads!" Vivian said with an exaggerated sigh. The three of them laughed and sat down in the chairs near the platform. "And what might your price range be ma'am?" Marv's question floated to the storefront from the back room. Vivian looked at Jillian and opened her mouth but Jillian ignored her and answered back, "No price range sir, this is Miss Vivian's big day! She can have whatever she very well pleases." A squeal of excitement escaped from the back room. "Jillian-" Vivian started. Killian cut her off, " Don't worry about it V". Vivian looked at Killian questioningly but let it go. The little man came back into the room with his arms so full of dresses, they could barely see him. "Up you go. Onto the platform now." Vivian stepped back onto the platform, her back to the mirrors. Marv started, "Now, for your body style, I'm assuming you'd like a long dress?" Vivian turned and looked at herself in the mirrors then turned back around, nodding. "But it needs to have mobility, I want to be able to move around a lot in it." Marv's eyebrows rose questioningly, "But miss, it's a ball, not a yoga club." Vivian quickly spewed out "For dancing! That's what I meant. For dancing, oh, I love dancing! I want to be able to get my boogie on!" Vivian threw in a giggle. Killian silently laughed behind Marv, seeing Vivian fluster. She glared daggers at him. Marv's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Oh dear, then none of these will do! You'll want something slender perhaps then, possibly with a slit down the side. Alright, I'll be right back!" Marv gathered all the poofy dressed and shuffled back to the dress room. "Oooh, something a little sexy," Jillian teased Vivian. Vivian rolled her eyes and said, "Why not? I've gotta catch his attention somehow." "That won't be a problem," Killian said. Jillian nodded in agreement. "You're quite a minx," Jillian threw in with a wink. Vivian laughed and Marv re-entered the room. He piled his dresses onto a chair and handed the first one to Vivian, directing her to the dressing room on the other side of the room. Vivian changed quickly and stepped back onto the platform. Jillian and Killing both looked at her and nodded. "Yep, that's the one!" They said in unison. Marv huffed and exclaimed, "If you two cannot behave yourselves quietly, then feel free to wait outside. That's only the first dress!" Vivian looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was a deep purple color that showed quite a bit of cleavage from a slit in between her breasts, and hugged her body in an hourglass shape, with a small slit at the bottom on the right side. She looked sexy. Marv waited expectantly for her comments. "It's nice... but a bit stiff. I like how it hugs my body, but I feel as if I were to squat, or even sit, it would rip." Marv looked surprised, "Well that's because it would!" "Well, then how am I going to dance in it?" Vivian asked. Marv huffed and handed her the next dress. She changed again and came back out. This dress was a dark olive color that complimented her skin tone. This dress was an off the shoulder, with a tight waist, and a bottom that flared out. "Give us a little spin!" Marv exclaimed excitedly. Vivian spun around and the bottom opened up and spun around her like a tutu. Vivian smiled, "I like this one! Can I squat?" She asked. "Yes, you may!" Marv said. Vivian slowly squatted, the material of the dress following her and hugging her body the whole while. "I like this one, but let's see the other ones," Marv nodded and handed her the next dress, "Shall I set this one aside?" Vivian nodded and went to change again. She came back out and looked in the mirror, with one was a geometric nightmare. It had one shoulder that pointed awkwardly up, and the chest area of the dress was very flat and rectangular. The waist area had much extra fabric making it look a bit like an accordion, and the bottom was shredded like limp noodles. Vivian looked back and the three men fervently shook their heads no. Wordlessly Marv handed her the next dress. Vivian changed into the new dress and came back out. It was a tight fitting black dress that showed off her curves in every right way, the material was stretchy and it had a long slit on the right side. ' Long enough for a roundhouse kick' she thought. "I like this one, let's set it aside with the other one." Marv nodded and set it aside. Marv handed her the next dress, "I think you're going to really like this one." Vivian smiled and went to change again. As she was changing into the dress, she was surprised to see that is was a two piece set. The first piece being a romper of sorts with spaghetti straps and tight enough to show off her curves, but loose enough to have a wide range of mobility. The second piece going on outside of the romper almost cape-like. Her head went through an opening at the top and her arms through long, flowy sleeves that covered her bare shoulders. She had to suck her stomach in a bit as the waist of it was the only tight part of the outfit, tightly hugging her chest and stomach. The bottom of it flowed smoothly, but not openly despite the large slit down the right side of the ensemble, to the floor. However, when she walked out of the dressing room onto the platform, the bottom of the outside piece up to her tight waist, flowed almost goddess-like behind her. When she stopped and turned to face the three men, the bottom collected itself again, closing itself around her legs. Vivian felt amazing, the fabric was definitely mobile, it felt amazing on her skin, it was comfortable, and from the gaping mouths of the three men she was facing, it was gorgeous. Vivian smiled and nodded. "I think we found the one". The three men were speechless but all nodded in agreement. Vivian went back into the dressing room and changed back into her clothes. She came out with the outfit and handed it to Marv who rang it up. "You will definitely be turning heads in this!" Marv exclaimed triumphantly. Jillian and Killian nodded in agreement. After Marv rang up her outfit, Vivian said, " I totally forgot, I need to see your poofy ball dresses, about the same measurements as me. I need to get two more dresses for my two sisters." Marv nodded, handed Vivian her bag, and headed back to the dress room. "Oh, a pink one and a yellow one!" Vivian yelled back at Marv. She received a grunt in reply. The three of them sat down in the chairs. Killian checked his phone and said, "Hey, how long will this take?" "Shouldn't take too long, I'm not going to try them on, just get the fanciest ones they have" Vivian replied. Killian nodded and said, "Alright, well I think I'm gonna head home and take care of some stuff before tonight, I'll leave you guys the car." Killian winked at Jillian and Vivian. "Yeah, that's cool. See you later Kill," Jillian said with a nod. Vivian nodded, "Yeah." Killian took off as Marv re-entered the room. He laid out an insanely frilly pink dress. It was about twice the size of Vivian, and very extravagant. The yellow one, equaling its pink partner in size was practically the same aside from color. "Perfect. I'll take those two please." "Of course ma'am," Marv rang up the two dressed. "Thank you so much for all of your help Marv," Vivian said. "It was no problem at all," Marv said to Vivian, then turned to Jillian, "You're a very lucky man, I'd keep an eye on her at that ball," Marv said with a wink. "Oh, we're not-" Vivian started. "Oh don't be shy babe," Jillian gushed. He pulled Vivian into a hug as they waved goodbye and left the dress shop. Jillian laughed as they made their way to the car. "I have to run these home. I'm assuming you two want to toss in a little extra practice before the big show?" Vivian said as they shifted into gear and left the shops. "No problem, we'll swing by. But I have a surprise for you before the ball. We also have some things to discuss and plans to finalize." Jillian said, turning on the radio. He began tapping the steering wheel with his thumbs to the beat of the music. Jillian stopped on the street next to Vivian's house. "I'll wait here." Vivian nodded and grabbed her sisters dresses from the back seat. "Back in a jiff" Vivian said through the window. She walked towards her house and went inside.
Inside, she immediately dropped the bags and covered her ears. When the door behind her slammed shut, the wailing stopped, and Vivian hears running footsteps coming down the stairs. Her sisters snatched the dresses from the floor where Vivian had dropped them and glared at her. "WE ONLY HAVE FIVE HOURS TO GET READY NOW THANKS TO YOU!" They shrieked as they ran back upstairs. Vivian shook her head and rolled her eyes. 'What brats,' she thought exasperated to herself. As she was about to turn and leave, her stepmother came from the next room. "Finally, your home. What took you so long?" She questioned Vivian. "I had to try on all the dresses in the whole shop almost, and visit numerous shops to find the perfect ones," Vivian said. "How was the bus ride?" her stepmother asked. "It was fine as always." "Hm," She looked Vivian up and down, "Well your chore list is on the fridge and if you were wanting to attend the ball for even a minute, you should've gotten started about three hours ago." Her stepmother cackled. "Well, off you go now. We'll see you tomorrow darling," With that, her stepmother left her. Vivian walked into the kitchen and looked at the list on the fridge. 'There's no way I'm going to be able to even make a dent in this' Vivian thought to herself. The list was full of random things, like vacuuming the tile stairs, replacing all the lightbulbs in the house, painting the girls room the same color but shinier. Vivian sat down on the counter and thought. 'I'm not going to get home early enough to do any of these things. Nothing on that ridiculous list is going to get done. Stepwitch is going to be beside herself. What do I do?' Vivian rubbed her temples. "That's it." She said to herself. She hopped off the kitchen counter and went to the front door and slipped out quiet like a mouse. 'What is she going to do? Ground me forever? I've never disobeyed, not once. I've always done everything that's been asked of me. But not today. Not this time. I'm done. I'm done with her, I'm done with those two brats, I'm done with all of this nonsense. Let's see what happens. It's time to dust some Fangs.' With her mind made up, Vivian slid into the car and Jillian pulled away from the curb.