Soulmate

Chapter 22: Red Heels

Grace

    "Seriously! Grace! Look at these shoes!" Becca exclaimed as she held up a pair of sparkly stilettos. She was walking through the store in a pair of bright pink pumps that she skillfully balanced in while I would break my neck if I tried them on.

    I wrinkled my nose at her ridiculous choice in shoes, did she really think that I would be brave enough to wear those? "Um...I don't think so," I rejected as I turned back to the racks. There was a pair of red pumps with an open toe and a bow on the strap that I picked up, and then I decided to try them on. They were brighter than I normally would wear, but I thought they were cute.

    Becca wandered back over to me wearing a different pair of multi colored heels and then she smiled at my shoes. "Those aren't very glamorous, but they are definitely Grace," she commented. "They have my stamp of approval."

    They were a little bit taller than I had been planning to wear, but I could get used to them. "I think they will look nice with our white gowns," I murmured as I stared in the full length mirror. My legs looked long and thin, and my butt looked ten times better with these shoes. Why hadn't I wore heels before? I turned around to walk back to Becca and felt my ankles lock up, but I caught myself before I fell. Oh yeah, that's why.

    She laughed at me as she put the heels she had been wearing back into the box. "You're pathetic. I'll have to teach you how to walk in those before graduation. I don't want to see you fall down the steps," she joked with a bright smile. She grabbed a pair of black boots and looked at the tag. "Ooh! These are on sale. I'm getting them." Quickly, she tried them on and showed them off to me.

    I smiled as I put my heels into the box, I didn't even glance at the price because I know my mom has a savings account just for me to go shopping, but I hardly ever touch that money. "Yeah, they are cute," I agreed with a smile. I looked at the other shoes, gravitating towards a pair of strappy gladiator style black sandals. I slipped them on just as Becca was taking off her boots. "What about these?"

    A smile broke out on her face, showing her perfect white teeth. "What happened to my Grace?" she exclaimed in an overly dramatic voice. "Yes, they're beautiful. I would wear them and I think you should buy them or I will."

    I laughed at her, slipped them off, put them into the box, and put them in the pile with the heels. "We need to get out of here before I buy more shoes," I replied. I know I'm only buying all of these shoes because I want this change in my life, not for my soulmate. I need to give myself the confidence that I deserve. Maybe it'll make me happier.

    We gathered up our shoes and headed to the checkout line. I winced when I saw the price of my purchase because I'm not a shopper, so I'm not used to spending such a large amount of money on shoes I may only wear once or twice. Trying to hide my hesitation, I slid the card, and punched in the pin. I know my mom won't care that I'm spending money; she'll probably be ecstatic because in the four years I've had the debit card, I've only used it twice.

    Becca was still smiling as we left the store, carrying our bags through the loud mall. People were talking and walking, most of them I knew from school, but we didn't stop to talk to any of them. "Alright, so we got your shoes, now let's find you something else. You seem adventurous, so I have an idea," she commented with an evil glint sparkling in her brown eyes.

    I stared at her, I didn't know what she had planned, but I followed her into a clothing store. It looked like Becca: floral prints, sparkles, glamorous, and overbearing. I thought she would lead me to a dress because it was rare that I wore dresses, but she seized my wrist and pulled me to the back of the store. Then, I saw what she was planning.