Trouble's Favorite

Chapter 23

The girls and I were hunting for dresses for the past five hours. I repeat, for the past FIVE whole hours!

     “Don’t you think it’s pretty?” Maki asked, lifting the dress a little higher for us to see.

     Making the situation worse, Dona added, “I think this looks good too,” showing Megan a black cocktail dress.

      “You seriously got to hurry up, people! My feet is killing me!” I retorted.

      “Just give me another minute.”

     “You’ve said that for the past five hours already!” I exclaimed, finally giving up.

     “Three hundred minutes,” I heard Megan say.

     “What?”

      Checking out for another dress, she explained, “They’ve said that for the past three hundred minutes.”

      I rolled my eyes out of frustration. “I know you’re smart. Whatever.”

     “I’m hungry. Let’s go grab something to eat,” Dona decided.

      Happiness filled me the moment I heard something related with food. Gosh I’m so hungry and I’m dying.

     I needed a bed so badly. I needed a rest. Girl shopping is too exhausting. Remind me of not doing it ever again.

     I marched to my room and immediately took my shoes off and hopped on the bed. I certainly love how this feels. Ugh, my energy’s certainly drained from the whole day shopping.

*

I stared blankly at the shopping bags next to my bed first thing in the morning. It reminded me of how close prom is and it’s freaking me out when I think of the possible chance that I’d be going to prom alone.

     Maybe I should just try forgetting about it for awhile and just try on my dress. I haven’t had the chance to completely enjoy the outfit last night since I was too drained.

     I decided to have the dress the girls have chosen for me. Trust me when I say I don’t know how to choose my own clothes without their help. Most of my outfits were more likely chosen by them or by mom. There were times when the dress they got for me was way too short that you could almost see my…um, butt. But there was one thing that I got to choose last night, though: it was the four inches, shiny red stiletto shoes. I bet you’d agree it looked good with my black cocktail dress.

     I got a good view of myself this time. The dress wasn’t showing much of my cleavage, just enough to make my boobs look a bit bigger than what it actually is. Funny how this dress could make me look kind of stunning. Okay, forget about the ‘kind of’, I’m really stunning. Now I can’t wait to wear this to prom, all I simply need is a date to make it much more romantic and memorable.

     Don’t forget the person who keeps sending you letters, I added. How I wish that person would just reveal himself.

*

The girls and I were actually having a girl-date at Starbucks, and all we did was talk about our plans before and after prom and graduation.

     The thought of me finally leaving high school was both painful and exciting. Come to think of it, I’m finally starting a new chapter of my life, which goes to say my friends and I are going separate ways. These girls are my family and it’s too much for me to bear not seeing them. But who knows, change of plans and we might decide to go in one school.

     Reading Nicholas Sparks’ The Choice, I was practically having fun even without them talking to me. I’m way too engrossed with the book rather than talking to them. Hello, we talk every single day at school, isn’t that boring?

     “We should have a girls’ night out before prom and we’ll stay up all night,” Maki suggested to the group.

     “Aren’t we supposed to have a beauty rest?” asked Megan.

     Maki rolled her eyes in disbelief. “Who cares about beauty rest?”

     Nobody answered, everyone just shared a look. “See, no one does!” Maki continued. “Maybe we could at least help each other with the outfits, make-up and all the next morning, right? And we go to prom together.”

     “Good idea!” Dona chirped. “We could at least hire a limo!”

     Megan shook her head. “Don’t you think we should just let the boys fetch us?”

     Maki threw her hands in the air in frustration. “Dude, stop saying ‘don’t you thing we should blablabla’. Forget the boys, they’re useless.”

      Megan shrugged and didn’t say anything else. “But I take what Megan said. Don’t you think it’d be more romantic if our prom date fetches us?” I suggested. Actually, I was too shocked myself for suggesting something like that. I thought I was too engrossed with the book?

     “Says the girl who doesn’t have a prom date,” Dona teased.

     “Oh, you don’t?” Megan asked.

     I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

     “What do you mean you don’t know? That question only requires a yes or a no answer. Don’t you have a prom date?” she repeats the question once again.

     “I don’t know,” I told them once again. “Do you?” I asked her.

      “Stop asking a question with a question. I was asking you first.”

      I gave her a slight smirk. “You’re too touchy. My, don’t you have a date?”

     “I asked you first,” Dona reminded me, sticking her tongue out.

     “Elder’s first.”

      “I’m a month older than you, Chloe, which goes to say you answer me first.”

     I mentally slapped myself for forgetting that she was actually 36 days older than me. Life’s not fair to me! Why?! “Fine. I got letters these past few weeks but the sender remains anonymous.”

     “You got letters and you didn’t mention anything to us?” Maki asked me in disbelief. “I thought we were friends! You should’ve told us earlier! You should’ve told us everything!”

     “Stop nagging! I didn’t tell you because I thought… you know, you were all pulling a prank.” I told them, lowering my voice as guilt overflowed within me.

    “Ugh.”

     “I’m sorry!” I apologized, feeling bad about what I thought the whole time.

    “Here’s the deal, if someone invites you to prom, he should fetch you. With or without us, you decide, it’s all up to you,” Maki suggested to all of us.

     “Good idea!” Dona agreed.

      Megan and I nodded in unison, knowing that we don’t really have any choice.