BUMP (ed)

Chapter 1 ~ A Place in This World

“Got the radio on, my old blue jeans,”

“And I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve.”

“Feeling lucky today, got the sunshine,”

“So, what do you think?” Could you tell me what more do I need, “Elizabeth?”

I’m suddenly snapped from my singing daydreams to see my best friend Maya posing in front of a mirror, turning from side to side so she can see every angle of her new outfit. I look at her blankly, trying to remember what she was asking about. Was it the towering platform shoes? Or maybe the blue cocktail dress?

“Um it really suits you?” I blurt out, accidently making it sound like more of a question than an answer. Turning to face me, she rolls her eyes, hands resting on her hips.

“Were you even listening?” She asks, spinning around so that she can see the floaty back of the dress as it rises. “I asked you whether it’s suitable to wear when I go meet Jake’s parents at their anniversary party.”

Biting my lip, I think of how I could phrase my answer to that question. The dress is very beautiful, no doubt, and it does accentuate her slim figure perfectly…it’s just a little short for a ‘meeting of the parents’ occasion. It’s the same with the shoes; they are quite literally to die for, they’re just… a little bit too high.

“It looks very nice on you…” I say, approaching the subject carefully, “I’m just not sure whether it’s a bit too glamorous?” She looks at me questionably before frowning, looking down at her outfit and then attempting to pull the dress down. Unsatisfied, she looks down longingly at the outfit again.

“I suppose you’re right…” She moans, taking off one of the shoes and cradling it in her hands, “While I take this off could you go see if there is anything better?” Nodding, I leave her sulking over the fact that the party ‘just had to be black tie’.

The shop we are currently in is incredibly crowded and I struggle to see anything through the hordes of people. After searching through rack after rack, finding only dresses that are too short or dresses that are too long, I settle for a few. I know from previous shopping trips that Maya prefers shorter dresses but if I can’t find anything I decide she’ll just have to deal with a longer one. Like many times I have reminded her, having a long dress is not the end of the world. Unfortunately, those dresses I picked are still not good enough.

Eventually, just before I was about to give up, I find a cream dress that I estimate will come to just about her knee. The long lace sleeves make it a bit more conservative but it is still short enough to fit into Maya’s style. I quickly pick up some cream heels, size six, then trudge back to the dressing room with my findings.

“Maya?” I call, tapping on the changing room door, hoping she’ll open it up quickly to save me from standing here awkwardly for five minutes. Luckily she does, and, while she gets changed, I return to my former position on the little, incredibly uncomfortable armchair that is supposed to look trendy.

Moments later she exits the changing room and gives me a little twirl. It looks even better than the first dress in my opinion and it makes her look much more… sophisticated. I can tell however, that if the event wasn’t so formal she’d return to the first one in a heartbeat.

“’Liz, what jewellery do you think I should wear with this?” She asks me, using my nickname and tucking her long blonde hair behind her ear in an innocent manner ,which, by the way, she is not. Innocent that is. I’m not sure why she’s asking me, she’s the one who reads every single issue of Elle and Vogue over and over again.