Contest entry: BroTP

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She spun around in the sparkling red dress, looking at herself nervously in the mirror. She observed the way the dress fit loosely around her waist, and the way it seemed to tighten about her top. She posed herself, wondering if it looked better at a different angle, if she should try something another color, if she looked okay in sparkles. She couldn't come to a conclusion, and with a sigh she opened the dressing room door and just as nervously awaited a response.

"It looks nice, Miss Amy!" The young rabbit responded, as she always tended to. It was always "nice" or "pretty" or some similar word, and it was always said in the same enthusiastic tone.

Amy sighed, and Cream didn't understand why. "What's the matter? It looks great to me!"

"But, Cream, everything looks great to you." She stole another glance at herself in the mirror, dissatisfied again. "Just, be honest."

Cream tilted her head, ears dangling to the side as she did so. "I am being honest. It looks nice!" She couldn't understand why Amy couldn't see that, but she tried her best to be patient about it.

"Well, let me just try one more on…" Amy shut the door firmly and took another look at herself, biting her lip as she did so. If the dress was tight at the size she had now, she had a feeling her next option wouldn't work. Yet with determination she began to pull it on anyway.

Outside of the dressing room door, Cream waited for her friend on one of the small green sofas. Her stomach was beginning to growl ,as it had been awhile ago that lunchtime had passed, and they still hadn't visited the food court. Still, she did her best not to complain. Maybe Amy was just in a shopping mood and had forgotten the time. Either way, Cream hated to interrupt and so instead stayed silent.

Suddenly she heard Amy murmuring to herself followed by the sounds of undressing.

Amy at last emerged from the room, her usual clothes back on, and racks of clothes hanging over both of her shoulders. "Alright, Cream. Thanks for being so patient! We can head to the food court now," she said, her voice unusually lower than normal.

"Okay!" Cream replied, noticing this difference but deciding not to ask about it yet. She didn't want to sound nosy, so she did her best to pretend not to realize.

Extending her arms, she offered to take some of the clothes for Amy, but the other just shook her head, sighed, and continued on.

"Miss Amy."

She continued to look downwards at her salad, not eating it but forking through it anyway.

"Miss Amy?"

She looked up at the bustling food court around her, looking for the voice as if she'd forgotten she wasn't alone.

"Miss Amy."

"Yes?" She finally gazed at her companion, their eyes actually meeting for the first time that day.

"Why didn't you buy any of those clothes?" It was a simple question, but for Amy it was a lot more personal than it seemed.

"I-I just didn't want any." She went back to forking through the salad, losing her eye contact with Cream.

"Oh." Cream looked down at her own empty plate, realizing that Amy had barely eaten any at all in the time they'd had. "Why aren't you eating anything?" her eyes flickered up to her friend's and found they still would not see hers.

"I'm not that hungry I guess," Amy said, standing up. "Are you ready to go?"

As they made their way through the parking lot Cream hung her head, keeping her eyes on the shadows moving across the pavement.

She didn't understand why Amy would be acting this way. She knew she had to find out, she had to know what was wrong, or she would feel that she had failed her friend.

Amy unlocked the car as they got to it, Cream instinctively taking the seat beside the driver's. Amy climbed in after her, no longer trying to fake a smile. It only worried Cream more.

As the car started off, Amy's eyes focused on the road stronger than they had before. She was doing her best to hold back tears, trying not to break down in front of Cream, but the feelings stirred inside of her and strained to get out.

Amy cleared her throat, hoping talking would help calm her emotions. "Thank you for coming with me today, Cream. It's always nice to have a shopping companion!" She forced the enthusiasm into her voice, but she genuinely meant the words.

"You're welcome, Miss Amy." Cream looked over at her abruptly, the setting sun catching in her eyes as she did so. "But, please tell me, okay? What's wrong? What's bothering you?"

Amy breathed deeply, steadying the storm. "Well, it's just sort of silly…I don't really think it's something you'd-"

"Miss Amy, if something's bothering you, it can't be that silly." She watched Amy, determination gathering in her eyes that she wasn't letting this go. Not when it meant so much to Amy.

Amy bit her lip, eyes still on the road but her mind elsewhere. "I'm not thin enough to impress Sonic. I'm not enough in general. All of my training and exercising…I guess it was for nothing." Her voice cracked a bit at last, causing her to clear her throat again.

"But why, Miss Amy? Who told you that?" Cream looked at her friend with worry, hoping that somehow Amy would see…

"Well, no one did. But- but I know it's true. Why else can't I get Sonic? It's because I'm not-"

"But you are good enough, Miss Amy, and I think you're amazing how you are. You don't have to be thin enough, or anything else to prove that!" Cream tried her best to emphasize the words, wishing she could make Amy believe it.

Amy sighed quietly, putting her turn signal on at the light they had approached. The sun was bright in her eyes, and she put the car shade down to block it from her face. "I wish you were right. I- I hope you're right. But if Sonic doesn't see me that way, I don't know if it really matters…"

Cream looked down at the car's beige flooring, searching for words she couldn't seem to find. "If I said that you were amazing, doesn't that count?"

The car began to go again, and Amy reflected on the words Cream had said. Sonic's opinion wasn't the only thing that mattered. If his mattered, then didn't Cream's? Her own best friend's opinion of her? Shouldn't she stop looking at Sonic for her view of herself, and start looking to the people that were closest to her?

Maybe she needed to see herself that way too.

As they pulled into Cream's driveway, she suddenly burst into laughter.

Cream looked up at her quickly, startled by the sudden noise. "What's wrong, Miss Amy?"

Amy cleared her eyes and smiled- this time genuinely- at Cream. "You know what? You'reright. Thank you, Cream."

Cream climbed out of the car and curtsied before the driver's side of the car, glad that Amy could see the truth. "I'm glad that you realized it, Miss Amy. You're very welcome!"

Amy couldn't help but climb out of the car and embrace her friend, telling her goodbye as she did so, and thanking her again for letting her see herself in a new light.