Hungry

Chapter 3

"How was practice with Oliver?" Adeline asks when I meet her at the mall. I didn't want to go shopping today. Honestly, I didn't want to get out of bed, but I couldn't betray Adeline by ditching her.

"Good," I reply in short.

"Good as in it was the best night of your life, or good as in eh, it was good?"

"I don't know. Does it matter?"

"All I want to know is, did he ask you to the party? Oh, did he ask you to prom? You know that is coming up in a month."

"No and no. Why?"

"I've said it before and I'll say it now, you were made for each other!"

"Friends." I remind her.

"With benefits," she adds.

I roll my eyes. "Can we just get on with this? You know I hate swimsuit shopping."

"Fine. Where do you want to go first?"

"Just lead me somewhere and I will follow."

She smiles and gets this look in her eye likes she's on a mission. She leads me into Hollister and immediately starts her hunt. I take my time mindlessly inspecting everything from clothing to bathing suits to hats. I don't necessarily hate shopping, it's actually quite fun in my opinion. I just hate the dressing room, especially the mirror. Clothing stores sizing is terrible; they make me feel so insecure. I'll fit in one size in one store, and double the size in another.

"Hope!" Adeline calls gesturing for me to come toward her. "Okay, I found four bathing suits that you have to try on!" She exclaims excitedly as she shows of the pieces.

"I said no bikinis, Adeline," I groan.

"I know, but please try them on." She pleads.

"Fine."

I walk into the dressing room and lock the door.

"You better show me each bathing suit!" She calls from outside of the stall.

I put on the first bikini that I absolutely hate. It's a black tube top that barely covers my breasts and black bottoms that are so cheeky it looks like I'm not even wearing anything.

"Absolutely not," I call to Adeline.

"Let me see!"

I open the door a crack, but Adeline forces the door wide open.

"Cute!" she squeals.

"I would never be caught dead wearing this in public. I'm due for a nip-slip any second now!" I exclaim.

"I mean if you want to go to prom..."

"Adeline, I'm not that desperate. Second, we're in tenth grade and I have two more years of high school. I can go another year."

"But you won't be able to go with Oliver after this year."

"I swear Adeline, if you say it one more time I will -" she cuts me off.

"You. Are. Perfect. For. Each. Other," she sings.

I sigh. "I'm changing into the next bathing suit. I'm definitely not getting this one."

I switch into the next bathing suit, which isn't as bad, but I still don't like it. The print is cute. It's white with green palm leaves on it. It ties in the back, but, yet again, it's extremely cheeky.

"This one is better, but I'm still not feeling it." I announce as I open the door.

"I bet you Oliver would like it."

I roll my eyes. "I wonder if he's going. I should have asked."

"I can text him." Adeline says.

"No, it's alright." I say.

"Back to the suit," she says, "I like it."

"Me too, but yet again it's too cheeky. Plus, it's white so when it gets wet everything will be displayed. I don't need a scandal."

"True. Go change."

The last two bathing suits have the same issues. They are designed more for Instagram photos than actually swimming. Every time I put a new one on I felt as if I was Tana Mongeau.

"Well that was not a success." Adeline says on her way out.

"You know what place never lets me down." I say.

"Where?"

"Target." I say.

"Target..." she says slowly.

"What's wrong with Target?" I ask.

"Nothing, let's go," she begins to rush out of the mall to go to Target.

On the way out Adeline keeps pestering me about prom. I honestly have no clue why. I'm sixteen years old just trying make it through high school alive. No matter how much I secretly want to go to prom, it just doesn't seem realistic to me. I need to focus on school, not dates, and dresses, and all of that added stress, right? I mean, if I do ever go with someone, who would it be? I'm not the most social or good looking individual, so I don't know why anyone would want to go with me. Why am I even thinking about this?

"Why do you keep antagonizing me over prom if you're not even going?" I ask.

"I plan to go if someone asks me out. I already have the dress and jewelry picked, all I need is to buy it. I will buy it when someone asks me to prom. It's full circle."

"Geeze, I usually avoid the prom dress section." I laugh.

"I'm really going to need to go prom dress shopping with you." She rolls her eyes.

"I'm not going to prom." I affirm as we begin to pull into the Target parking lot.

After strolling through the swimsuits, Adeline doesn't seem to find anything she likes, but I definitely do.

"Why did we waste our time coming here?" Adeline groans.

"What do you mean, I actually found a swimsuit I like. Plus, it's a bikini, just like you wanted." I hold the product out to her and she examines it.

"It's plain," is all she says as she gestures toward the fitting room.

I will admit that it is plain; actually, it's not plain, it's simple. The top is all black with a gold detailing on the bottom. It has the cups, but it also has a bit of fabric extending to cover the bottom of the rib cage. The bottoms are high-waisted with the golden detailing on the top. They're not too cheeky, but they do make my butt look good.

"Ta-da!" I exclaim as I open the door to the dressing room.

Adeline's eyes go wide, "I actually really like it!" she exclaims clapping her hands together.

"Surprisingly, I do too! Who would have thought I would ever wear a bikini." I say.

"I think we found the one," Adeline smiles.

"Now we have to find you one," I say.

"I already bought mine. As soon as I got the invitation I set off."

"Why didn't you take me?" I ask, hurt.

"You were at drumline," she simply states. "Now get dressed, I want lunch."

I walk back into the dressing room and get changed. When I'm about to walk out of the room my phone goes off.

Oliver: Are you going to the party tomorrow?

Me: Yeah, are you?

Oliver: Yeah

When he says this I get excited and smile to myself.

"Oliver's going." I say when I walk out of the fitting room.

"You know what that means..." Adeline says with a smirk on her face.

I smile and roll my eyes, you know, as usual.