Mortality

The Hand of Fate

Jessica drives faster than Charlie could even dream of, getting us to Port Angeles by four. My first "Girl's Night Out" is going about how I expected it. Head banging to Jessica's CD collection, chatting about college and the future. I put in my two cents about Angela applying for a librarian job — which would be perfect for her — and got a bit of a shock when Jessica said she'd gotten a job at Newton's Outlet.

"You really want to be stuck with Mike every day after school?" I ask, sitting up.

"Well, no ... not really, no. But our dads are good friends, and it pays pretty well. Like, ten bucks an hour. Better than McDonald's or something."

"Yeah, true. Oh hey, there's the sign!"

"Welcome to Port Angeles!", a beautiful little tourist trap, more polished than Forks, with the Small-Town vibe that most places would kill for. I look around the unfamiliar landscape, the cheerful people, the old buildings mixed in with fresh signs and structures. It doesn't take long for Jessica to find the department store — apparently, she knows the town well.

The dress selection isn't large, but that doesn't matter to Master Shopper Jessica, who manages to fill an entire rack with dresses for her and Angela to try on. Judging by the length of a few of them, practically at the floor, I think she's more focused on Angela than herself. I settle on a small stool beside the three-fold mirror, my feet free-hanging just inches over the tile.

Jessica wastes no time posing for me in the various dresses she finds, giggling and smiling the entire time. All she needs is a tiara and she'll look like the princess she obviously feels like. But instead of finding that, I find a long pink dress with crystals along the ... I think it's called a bodice. I run it to her, biting my lip when I hold it out for her to examine. Jessica's jaw drops.

"Oh my God, Bella it's perfect!" She grabs it and twirls. "Oh, Tyler is gonna be so shocked."

"Tyler?" I blink, looking at her in surprise.

"Uh yeah. After Mike rejected me, I decided to woman up and ask Tyler to go. Only as a friend, though. We'll do the Cupid Shuffle, drink some punch, it'll be fun!" I'm not sure I believe her, but just the idea of going to the dance with someone, rather than alone, seems to thrill her. "I just wish you'd be there, Bella. You may like it."

"Yeah, no. People with two left feet don't dance."

"Speaking of feet, I found the shoes!" Angela's voice calls from a few aisles away. Jessica grabs me by the wrist, and we run over to all the shiny flats and heels that make my ankles hurt just by looking at them. The girls gravitate to their own preferences, and while I'm glad Angela found the perfect pair of white ballet flats, I'll never understand why Jessica in all her Hobbit existence got six-inch stilettos.

Never.

It doesn't take half as long as I expected for them to have their dresses and accessories picked, sized, and paid for. I check my phone for the time — snorting at a text from Charlie that comprises a cat video and him asking if I'd remembered my pepper spray.

Actually, that's a good question ... I pat my pockets down, earning a snicker from the girls. Erm ... well, what Charlie doesn't know won't hurt him. Right?

"Hey, look over there," my head jerks up, my eyes wide. I look around, realizing that we had left the store behind and were halfway down the boardwalk. This is ... not my best moment, admittedly. I follow Jessica's excited point, her arm right in front of my eyes. "My uncle owns that bookstore."

"You have an uncle?" I ask stupidly.

"Yeah, though my parents don't really claim him. You'll see why. C'mon!" She runs faster than one would expect someone as small as her to go, especially with her arms loaded down with bags. Angela bounds to keep up, clutching her bag to her chest. By the time I catch up with the pair, I'm panting, my tongue hanging out like a dog's.