Chasing Astrid Malone

2. TUTU'S AND TUTORING

Brenda, Carly, and I drove to a bridal boutique in downtown Charleston.

Carly looked directly at me and said, "No matter what, you are leaving here with a dress for prom."

It's no secret that I don't have an eye for fashion and prefer the comfort of a T-shirt. Brenda chimed in, "And if we tell you to try it on, do it. Trust me, A, you're gonna look great."

We walked in, and the woman working was on the phone, frantically taking notes. She looked up at us and pointed to the left side of the store. I'm sure she knew three young girls were here for prom dresses and not wedding gowns.

We walked past the white gowns and through the door on the left. The whole room was wall-to-wall lined with every imaginable colored dress, and no two were the same.

After looking through what felt like hundreds of dresses, I didn't see anything I liked, but Carly had a stack of dresses for her and me, ready to try on.

Brenda came out of the fitting room wearing a short pink dress made almost entirely of tulle, showing far too much skin.

Her red hair flowing over her shoulders covered up most of her cleavage, but not much was left to the imagination in this tutu if you know what I mean.

"BOOOO" Carly gave a thumbs down to the dress, and Brenda was off trying on more. Brenda finally chose a black sleeveless floor-length dress.

Carly fell in love with the first dress she tried on. A silver, empire waist, floor-length gown that looked beautiful on her caramel skin. 

Brenda handed me a dress and pushed me into the fitting room. Each dress was short and brightly colored, making me feel self-conscious of my pale skin.

Brenda handed me the next dress. "This blue one will look great on you and show off those sexy legs you hide from the world." I came out feeling like a ghostly ballerina.

The woman who had been busy on the phone walked in and looked me over. "Hello, girls. Are you finding everything ok?" She looked over at Brenda and Carly, smiling. "Those dresses look stunning on you." She glanced back towards me and stared for what felt like forever while my friends were thanking her.

"I have just the right dress for you, sweet girl." She turned and left as Brenda opened her mouth to decline. Brenda looked offended. I think she prided herself on being my prom stylist.

A moment later, the woman came back in with a long white gown. "This dress is on sale out front, and I think it will look beautiful on you." She handed me the dress, and I gave Brenda an apologetic look before going to try it on.

The dress was form-fitted from my chest to my lower hips, then flowed to the floor, pooling slightly on the ground. Sheer light lace rose to my neck, and the back of the dress was cut low. My skin, in comparison to the bright, white dress, had a tan tone that was very flattering.

Walking out of the fitting room, I expected Brenda to criticize the dress because it wasn't her choice. As they took a look at me, both girls opened their mouths with wide eyes and immediately started praising the dress.

"WOW A! You look hot!" Carly was used to seeing me in baggy clothing and looked shocked. "That's the dress A. Wrap it up. She'll take it," Brenda, the bossy, addressed the woman, who was pulling out just the right shoes to pair with the beautiful gown.

...

At home that night, I finished my homework and couldn't stop thinking about how I looked in the dress. I slipped it back on and stared at myself in the mirror. Daydreaming, I imagined some handsome boy waiting next to my dad at the bottom of the stairs while I ascended down slowly.