Emma woke up to the feeling of her phone vibrating in her pocket. Normally she'd turn her phone off overnight. Not only had she forgotten to turn off her phone; she had also never changed into sleepwear, and thus was still wearing her shorts and top from the day before. "Wow." Emma said aloud, rubbing at her eyes and face. 'I must have been really exhausted last night. I think I fell asleep before eight o'clock...' She sighed deeply, then turned onto her stomach and covered up her face with her hands. '...What's with me lately? I know I just got dumped and everything, but... I'm never like this.' Emma turned over once again onto her backside, then stared up at the ceiling. 'I mean, I guess it could be because of what Ross said about me. But... then yesterday, before I left the theme park. He held my hands. So... what does that mean?' Emma's thoughts continued to scatter through her mind. "Uggh!" She shouted into a pillow before throwing it on the floor. "Why is this so confusing?"

Emma slid her hand into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She had received a new text from Rydel. "Shoot." Emma had completely forgotten about the shopping day she and Rydel had planned. Emma pressed the Open button. "Hey girl, I'll be there in twenty! Will you be ready?" Emma responded quickly and headed for the bathroom. She took a speedy shower and quickly picked out her outfit. Emma decided on a gray roomy, comfy tank top and a pair of skinny jean capris. She put on a pair of metallic sandals that were cute as well as comfy, which seemed like a winner when it came to shopping all day. Once she'd brushed her teeth and styled her hair quickly, Emma grabbed her phone, wallet and purse and headed for the door.

With the spare few minutes she had remaining before Rydel was supposed to pick her up, Emma bought a coffee from the hotel's cafe. She then decided it was about time she eat some solid carbohydrates, and bought a bagel as well. 'I guess I'll need energy for shopping. I wonder if Rydel loves to shop as much as I do.' Emma had always considered herself a bargain-hunter, purchasing shirts and jeans that were typically ten dollars or less. But she decided she'd be a little less frugal today; after all, it would probably be the only chance in her lifetime that she'd get to shop in Los Angeles.

While Emma stood outside the hotel entrance, breaking apart her bagel, she felt her phone vibrate. Ross had texted her. "Hey, wanna hang out later? We can talk." 'Talk?' Emma thought. 'The last thing I want to do right now is talk to Ross. He'll probably keep asking me what was up with me yesterday.' She pressed the Respond button. "Maybe. If I'm not completely exhausted from shopping, that is." She sent the message as Rydel's car pulled up to the curb. "Hey! Are you ready for an amazing day of shopping?" Rydel asked her with so much enthusiasm that Emma couldn't help but crack up. "Oh gosh, I'm so ready." she responded with a smile.

Emma couldn't believe her eyes when she saw some of the shops; Juicy Couture, Gucci, Louis Vuitton. Then she spotted some of her favorites from home; giant Forever 21, Aeropostale and H&M buildings. "Oh. My. Gosh." Emma told Rydel in disbelief as they drove down a busy street. Rydel laughed. "I know, right? I love this place." Rydel pulled into a parking garage and the two got out of the car. By what Rydel was wearing-teal-colored skinny jeans, heels and a fun, floral Tee, Emma guessed that Rydel shared her adoration of shopping. "Well, where to first? I can show you some of my favorites around here if you want." Rydel said with a smile. "Sure, that'd be awesome." Emma agreed happily.

The two spent the next few hours looking through some more expensive shops. Rydel never tried on anything, and Emma felt relieved when Rydel told her that she didn't like to splurge much while she was shopping. As the two left one shop and began walking down the street, Emma noticed a particular dress out of the corner of her eye. In a window at a boutique across the street was a gorgeous formal dress, a short silver dress with black layers of fabric peaking out from underneath the skirt. Emma realized then that she still hadn't purchased her prom dress.

Emma tried on the dress, Rydel waiting excitedly to see her friend. Emma loved everything about it as she pulled it on; there were simple black details that added elegance but weren't anything too serious. It was just what she wanted. "What do you think?" She asked Rydel as she came out of the small changing room. Emma saw her reflection in a mirror when she came out of the room, and she almost couldn't believe how well the dress fit. 'Wow.' Emma thought. 'This is the best I've felt in days.' "Oh my gosh, I love that dress. You have to buy it." Rydel told Emma excitedly. Emma smiled before checking out the price tag. "Yikes." she said aloud, showing the tag to Rydel. The dress would be $150, about $50 more than she had planned on paying on a prom dress. "Oh, no." Rydel told her, frowning. "So you don't think you can spend a little extra? I mean, you only go to prom once, twice if you're lucky." Emma looked in the mirror at her reflection, then sighed. "No," she told Rydel, then tried to smile. "I'll just have to find a different dress, no big deal." With some regret, Emma headed back into the changing room and changed into her clothes. 'Must not be meant to be.' Emma thought with a frown as she placed the dress back on a rack of clothing. She turned to Rydel, who smiled encouragingly. "I'm sorry, Emma. Wanna head to Forever 21? I love that place. Way more affordable, too." Emma smiled as well, and the two headed out the door.