Chapter 2: It's all about the dress...NOT!
As Carbine and Charley walked towards the dress shop, they both had a feeling they were not going to like anything that was in there. Especially since Carbine had given Charley the warning that everything there was overly modest. All the females had to basically be covered in fabric bags.
Charley looked around and saw how much the world of Mars had changed since the first time she came here. Buildings sprouted up, practically over night. There were now places where the population could live. Could work. And have a good time.
Of course, Charley sometimes felt as though she would never fit in with the Martian mouse population.
Looking around the bustling city of Mars, Charley examined the area more closely. Many of the buildings were modeled after their original martian caves, deep hollows of red compacted soil with large circular openings. Their homes were built the same way with multiple rooms attached to the main room. They had somehow managed to acquire Plutarkian steel and used it in their construction.
At least some good came out of their skirmish with the smelly stink fish.
"Hello, Earth to Charley" Carbine chuckled as she gently nudged her friend's shoulder.
"Yeah. I'm here" Charley acknowledged that she was drifting in her thoughts.
"Well, we're here. I know there isn't going to be much for selection but, maybe the next time I go to Earth, you and I can have a fun time picking out a non-traditional dress" Carbine halfheartedly tried to sound excited but, wasn't feeling up for the task.
"That would probably be a lot more fun for you. There's so many stores in Chicago that I'm sure you'll find something that would blow your mind as well as Throttle's" Charley tried to stay positive for her best friend. She knew, deep in her heart, that Carbine and Throttle had been together for several years and had even joked about getting married...sometime. But, this ceremony was being forced upon them and they were not happy about it.
"Well, let's try to make this most of a bad situation" Carbine tried to chuckle but, it came out as a snort, to which Charley giggled and then shook her head.
"Alright, even though this is more like going to battle and trying to find the best armor for he job" Charley retorted as she opened the door for Carbine and, after Carbine walked in, Charley followed closely behind her.
"Miss Carbine. So good of you to come. Your mother and future mother-in-law have been patiently waiting for you to come" the sales clerk stated with a small smile and gave a quick glance over at the parents, who were sitting there with their arms folded over their chests and staring at them with disdain.
"It's about time you decided to show up. Where were you?" the older female mouse stated as she stood up.
"Mother, I told you I was meeting up with Charley this afternoon and that I would be here when I got here" Carbine had no qualms with standing up to her mother. Besides, she had just about had enough of this wedding. Even though there was very little time given to plan this grand event.
"Well, at least she showed up. I was actually betting that you were going to stage a protest and not even bother to show" Throttle's mother stated with a mild chuckle before regaining her calm disposition.
"That was a temptation" Carbine growled out each word.
"Lucky for you, we did some shopping while we waited on you to show up" Carbine's mother stated, deliberating ignoring the human female. She had made it a point to not even take her daughter's friend into consideration for any part of the wedding but, Carbine protested and argued so much that she had no choice but to include her mechanic friend.
"Ugly. Hideous. Wouldn't be caught dead in it. Next!" Carbine callously stated as she looked through the half dozen or so dresses that her mother had picked out.
"Carbine!" he mother chastised as she watched Carbine plop herself down, sideways, in one of the chairs.
"I want my best girl, Charley, to pick it out. She knows me better than anyone. That includes Throttle" Carbine chuckled as she gave the mechanic a large grin.
"Your father and I are paying for the dress and if I don't approve of it then it will not be purchased" she stared down at her daughter, knowing that Carbine was deliberately being rude to her because, she had no interest in getting married to her boyfriend/betrothal of the last several years.
"And, your point? I'm not going to wear something that I despise to my own wedding" Carbine was already at the end of her rope with her mother's attitude and was making it known that she had no interest in getting married. Throttle may have been the love of her youth but, he was not the love of her now and future self.
"You're impossible. You becoming a general certainly went to your head. We have rules that you seem to have forgotten about that you must abide by" Carbine's mother firmly stated but, it was obvious that her daughter was refusing to hear another word because, Carbine was already joining Charley in the racks of dresses, determined to find one that would work for her.
"Huh? What was that about no rules?" Carbine chuckled as she and Charley went on a mad search hunt through the racks of dresses trying to locate one that fit the rules of the wedding but, would also make Carbine feel a bit better about the whole situation.
"Not funny" was all she responded with as she sat back down next to Throttle's mother.
"You should be happy that you have a mother but, it seems like you two are always at odds with each other" Charley was determined to figure out why it was that mother and daughter were constantly fighting.
"Let's just say, my parents haven't moved forward to the present day. They've been so stuck in the past that the rules haven't been upgraded and none of the elders are budging on any of them. Because several of us have been exposed to Earth and its customs, there have been many things that the younger generation wants changed. On top of which, the war with the Plutarkians didn't help matters much either" Carbine spoke softly so as the two female patriarchs wouldn't hear and try to intervene with their private conversation.
"Ah! That makes sense. I wish there was something that I could do to help you out of this situation" Charley calmly stated to Carbine as they each pulled a couple of dresses that met the rigid requirements of the ceremony.
"Pity. This one is pretty but, lacks coverage, even with all this lace" Carbine was about to put it back on the rack but, turned when she saw Charley grab something off a counter.
"How about these super long gloves to go under the sleeves and that would help with the coverage issue?" Charley stated as she handed Carbine a set of white opera length gloves that would cover up to the middle of her upper arm.
"Great idea. I'm so glad you came with me" Carbine was finally feeling optimistic of today but, she knew that could change in a matter of minutes with her mother. Throttle's mother was a bit more laid back about everything but, she still had to obey the old rules even if she didn't like them.
"Well, we each found three dresses that I am going to try on that may be hopeful contenders that will meet your approval" Carbine laced her statement with heavy sarcasm as she stared at her mother with an icy glare.
"We'll see" her mother snarled as she glanced from her daughter to Charley, whom she considered beneath their species and could hardly understand why Carbine considered her to be her best friend.
"Uh huh" Carbine nodded her head and walked into one of the fitting rooms with an arm load of dresses and the sales consultant right behind her.
Charley sat down next to Throttle's mother in order to avoid the contemptuous glare of Carbine's mother.
Throttle's mother's name was Elaine. She only came up to Charley's shoulder and was very slender. Her golden blonde hair hung to her shoulders in soft, beach-like waves. Her muzzle was more slender than the average mouse and her ears were slightly smaller. Overall, Charley thought Elaine looked very delicate but, was extremely lovely to look at.
Carbine's mother, Lilith, on the other hand, had a more severe look. She had long black and gray hair that was pulled severely away from her face. She stood about as tall as Charley and was built a bit bigger than herself. Lilith was obviously a product of a rigid upbringing and it showed.
"Okay, Charley, you actually did pick the best one and I really like it a lot more than the others" Carbine said as she stepped out of the dressing room.
There was nothing demure about the tulle drop-waist ball gown that Carbine was trying on. It had an illusion boat-neck and long sleeves that were completely lace. Luckily, Carbine wore the gloves underneath to cover her arms. In fact, it was downright bold to pick such a timeless and sophisticated wedding dress. The gown, which also featured a sweep train and lace appliques on the bodice and skirt. It was perfect for a modern woman, such as Carbine but, it was still a classic beauty.
"Oh, that's really lovely. I like it" Elaine said with a big smile. With the minor adjustment that Charley suggested, the gown fit perfectly with the requirements.
"I guess it will have to do" Lilith stated with a haughty tone.
"Really? You're actually not going to argue with me on it? I'm shocked" Carbine said, knowing that her mother was not the type to back down from an argument.
"Don't be. It fits the requirements and you like it. Two positives in my opinion" Lilith stated as she stood up and paid for the dress while Carbine got changed back into her uniform.
"Okay, what's next?" Charley asked as soon as Carbine stepped out of the room, dress draped over one arm.
"We're going to go have some fun at the new bar that just opened up downtown. Heard it was karaoke night tonight" Carbine gave Charley a wink as they walked out of the store, dress in hand, and then placed the covered gown into her mother's vehicle so it would be taken to the ceremony site.
"Sounds like fun. Harley joining us?" Charley inquired.
"Yuppers. Let's hurry up before we have to do something else not fun" Carbine chuckled as they quickly fled down the road to avoid being caught by the two moms.
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. If anyone has any questions, comments, concerns, or things that you would like to see featured in the upcoming chapters, please feel free to let me know and I'll see what I can do. Also, I do apologize for me not posting chapters as quickly as I would like. Too many things to get done and not enough hours in the day. Many CYBER HUGS to all readers and reviewers.