Blue Letter Night

23. Mason wins

While walking to the mall, our usual chatter followed Beth and I as the sun beat down on us. I was trying to get Beth to hurry because she hadn't put any sun screen on. She only laughed and teased me for acting like a helicopter parent, but her shoulder were red by the time we got there.

While we walked I couldn't help but notice how close we were and the occasional bump of our arms. I was pathetic. Just as Beth and I were getting along I had to go and mess it up by getting a stupid little crush. I tried to shove it down and act as friendly as possible, but if Eddie had noticed, even before I did, who else did? Did My parents or even Beth notice? I pushed the thought away and followed Beth into the air conditioned mall.

"I've found your dress," Anne said as soon as she met up with us.

"My dress? Really?" Beth laughed skeptically.

"Oh yeah. It's a perfect colour for your translucent skin, come on," and then Beth was being tugged away by Anne. Alone in the entrance, I sighed and surveyed the store. The usual department store smelled of dust and factory filled my nose and made me sneeze embarrassingly loud.

"Bless you," I almost flinched at the sound of Max's voice which appeared beside me suddenly.

"Thanks. Hey, do you know where the dress shirts are?" I asked still surveying the store.

"Yeah, but I gotta tell you something first," he was looking at me a little more seriously than he normally did.

"Sure. What's going on?" It worried me when Max was serious because nothing was really all that serious between us. Then Max let a small smile slide.

"You owe Beth ten dollars," he said.

"It really couldn't have been Kyle?" It came out as a pleading question.

"Are you kidding? He's totally straight," Max was laughing at my disappointed face before I took a dramatic sigh.

"Well, If Beth is gonna be right, you should do something about it, like ask him out," I was excited to be the big brother in this situation. Of course I always imagined I'd help him out with girl trouble, but this was just as good, and I was sort of excited it wasn't girl trouble because it seemed I had enough of that in my own life.

"I'll make you a deal. I'll tell Oliver when you tell Beth,"

"One flaw in your deal, I don't even like Beth," I wondered if he could see through my lie like Eddie would be able to. It almost freaked me out when he rolled his eyes.

"Sure, whatever. But you should go and give Beth that ten dollars," he gestured with his head over to the fitting rooms where I saw Machelle and Anne waiting outside, assumingely for Beth.

"No please," I whined, "just hold off on telling her for a little while. She always gets to be right,"

"Sorry dude, she already knows. Just go give her the money whenever you're ready to put your ego aside," the way he said it made me think he meant something more, but I'd didn't ask.

I groaned, "you do realize that may never happen," Max shrugged like it's not my problem. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the fitting rooms not even knowing if I was going to give Beth the satisfaction just yet. I didn't really want to give up a ten dollar bill right now; I never had them around and it was nice to have bills and not just fifty dollars in change. I had decided, I wasn't going to tell Beth that I knew, it would be Max and I's little secret.

I was still searching for the location of the dress shirts on my way to the dressing room when I heard Machelle's voice.

"Oh Beth, you look so much like your Mom, so beautiful," I looked towards the dressing rooms and saw Beth standing in front of Anne and Machelle who's backs were towards me. I could see she was in her socks and was standing just outside the woman's side of the dressing room, just enough so Machelle and Anne could see what she was wearing, but all I saw were her socks and top part of her head.

"Hey," I said as a general greeting to all three girls.

"Mason, look! It's Beth's dress!" Anne was so excited, she would've pulled a stranger over to see Beth in the dress she picked for her. I laughed as she dragged me over but Anne was right, this really was Beth's dress. Machelle was also right, she really did look beautiful.

"Doesn't she look great?" She asked nudging me out of my gaze directed at Beth. I quickly looked to Beth to see if she caught it. If she did she didn't show it and instead rolled her eyes and laugh sheepishly. I suppressed my growing smile and rising feelings.

"Yeah," I said pathetically feeling a little distracted, "it's great. Are you gonna get it?"

"Nah, I don't have enough money," she said, "but it really is a great dress Anne,"

"I told you, just let me give you the what? The ten dollars you're short," Anne was insistent.

"No no!" Beth protested, "I'm sure I can find a dress just as good that I have enough for,"

"But it's your dress!" Anne seemed more upset then Beth did.

"It's okay. Besides you need a dress too, keep the money for yourself," Beth was being genuine, I knew she was, but the dress was nice, and Beth didn't have a lot of nice things.

"Ten dollars?" I spoke and they all turned to me like they had forgotten I was there for a moment.

"What?" Beth asked.

"You're ten dollars short?" I asked.

"Yeah, like eight dollars," she said.

"Well, it just so happens I owe you ten dollars," I told her then shifted my eyes towards where Max was standing in amongst the dress shirts. Beth smiled triumphantly, and not because of the dress.

"Well, even though this is nice, I do hope you feel the cold sting of defeat," she smiled widely, a victory smile. I found myself smiling a similar smile despite technically loosing.

"Trust me, I really do," I lied.

"The cold defeat of what?" Machelle was puzzled by this conversation everyone but her seemed to understand.

"Oh just a bet," Max was here now and joined in on the conversation. Anne smiled largely at him and an understanding that they would talk later seemed to pass between them.

"So you are getting the dress then?" Max confirmed. he had already known Beth was short ten dollars. I couldn't tell if this was a scheme to help his sister out, or to confirm what he suspected about my feelings for Beth.

"Yes! Now Beth take off the dress so you can officially make it yours. Oh and Mason, cough up that ten dollars," Anne held out her hand. I quickly shoved my hand into my pocket and got out my wallet. Max smiled smugly and I thought about how Machelle and Anne were always orchestrating situations for their own entertainment. Maybe Max fit in with his family better than I had ever thought.

Anne squealed a little squeal when I put the bill in her hand and ushered Beth back into the dressing room. Beth told Anne she was ridiculous and Anne told her she didn't care.

"Well, I'd say you guys have ten minutes before Anne finds what she needs, and demands we get out of here so she and Beth can take pictures together, so get moving,"