A/N: Prequel to "Pieces". Most likely a oneshot. Just something I doodled while I was bored. If you like it, maybe I'll write more, even though its predessocer (is that how you spell it?) is about three chapters long. I'll update that soon, promise! Anyway enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ann M Martin and her friends own everything...I wonder what they'd say if they knew how I was butchering her characters? ha ha ha...

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"Kristy, what about this?" Stacey asked, handing me a short denim skirt that had some sort of hideous fabric adornement meant to look like a flower on it.

"I would rather die than wear that to school." I said frankly.

"Ooohkay then." Stacey huffed. She examined the skirt again. "I'm trying this on. Be right back."

She disappeared into the change rooms and I turned away in annoyance. Whose idea had it been to go school-clothes shopping anyway? Of course it was Mary Anne's. Who else was so frighteningly insecure about her first day of high school she had to get our much more fashionable friends- that is Claudia and Stacey, of course, not me and Abby- to completely overhaul her so she could show her face at SHS two days from now?

That was why I had been dragged all over Washington Mall- to Aveda's, an obscenely expensive hair salon where Claudia had gotten an ultra-chic, choppy bob cut and Mary Anne had gotten a side fringe(cautious, much?). Then to Stomp Shoes, where Stacey had bought first-day sparkly flats ( it's school people!) and Mary Anne had tried on a pair of red heels that would have looked more at place in a brothel (that's a whorehouse, in case you didn't know). And then we'd been from one clothing store to another. Claudia and Stacey were both holding bags full of edgy clothes and accessories, Abby and Mary Anne had bought a few things each, and I'd bought nothing.

I hate shopping okay? Sue me.

"Hey, Kristy!" Claudia, Mary Anne and Abby appeared from behind a rack, all wearing mischevious smiles. "Come here."

"What?" I said carefully.

Claudia pushed me in front of a mannequin wearing a short, metallic miniskirt and a tight black t-shirt.

"I dare you." she said. "To try that on."

"You've gotta be kidding me." I said. "When have you ever seen me in a skirt, Claud? Ever?"

Abby pouted at me. "What's that matter Kristy? Are you scaaaared?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Fine. Find my size."

"Got it." Mary Anne pushed the clothes into my arms. On top on the skirt and top lay a pair of leather knee-high boots.

"Why do you guys want me to dress up like a slut anyway?" I laughed as they shoved me into a change room.

"Stace, you gotta come see this." Claudia's muffled voice said.

I turned to my own refection and pulled off my plain green polo shirt and jeans. With a shudder, I pulled on the skirt. It was tiny and barely fit over my hips. It seemed waaay too short. There's no way you could play any sort of sport in this, I thought as I pulled on the T-shirt. It stretched across my chest and ended at least two inches above the waistband of the skirt.

Dreading the results, I turned to face the mirror.

It wasn't as bad as I thought. Years of sport has kept me thin and fit. Claudia says I have great legs. And over summer, I'd gotten my first real bra. I was enjoying the novelty of having boobs, even if they were a pain when I wanted to go for a run.

And this outfit actually seemed to make me look...older. Better. Sexy.

"Kristy!" Mary Anne yelled. "Come out of there!"

I pushed open the door.

Claudia whistled and Abby burst out laughing. Stacey's jaw dropped and Mary Anne seemed to be in some sort of shock.

"Buy that." Abby said. "Buy it, buy it, buy it."

"I kinda like it." I confessed.

"Of course you like it!" Stacey cried. "You look hot in it!"

I could actually feel myself blushing. "You really think?"

"Yes Yes Yes!" Claudia yelled.

One of the assistants appeared out of nowhere and gave us a look. "Girls, could you please quiet down or were going to have to ask you to leave-"

She caught sight of me and her eyebrows contracted into a thin line. She looked very disapproving.

I loved it.

"I'll take this, please." I told her, triumphantly imagining the look on my mother's face.

What the hell? You're only young once.