Warning: This chapter contains shopping, and lots of it. If you aren't all that interested in shopping or descriptions of dresses, this chapter is not for you.

15: Shopping

Funny how a few hours alone with a group of girls can really make you understand them better, or at least learn something about them you never knew before. Apparently Oonagh had organized the whole thing in advance, because all my other girlfriends acted as though they'd gone through a rehearsal of picking me up from my last class. Quistis was there to greet me, looking official in her instructor uniform.

"What's up, Quistis?" I greeted cheerfully. She drew herself to her full height. I never noticed before how intimidating she looked that way.

"Selphina Tilmitt, you are hereby ordered to join myself and your companions on an excursion to the mall for the remainder of the afternoon." She looked so serious that I couldn't even laugh. I just stared at her. She put her hands at her side.

"You're serious?" I awed. She smiled and nodded her head. "Cool! So we're finally going to have our day out!"

"Please follow me." She turned on her heels and walked towards the Garden entrance.

"Yes, Instructor!" I sang, obediently walking behind her. Waiting for us at the entrance were Rinoa, Fujin, and Oonagh. They were all standing near Quistis' car. Rinoa and Oonagh greeted me with a friendly hug. Fujin offered me a smile and squeezed my hands. There was something about that simple gesture that made me feel lucky to be her close friend.

"JAKE WANTED TO COME," she said in her "normal" voice; she still didn't feel comfortable using her "other" voice around the others. "TOLD HIM GIRLS ONLY." Rinoa and Oonagh each took one of my arms and guided me to Quistis' car; I was too excited and confused to move.

"Shotgun!" shouted Rinoa suddenly. The others stared at her strangely. I pouted in mock disappointment.

"Hey, Rinoa! I wanted shotgun!" Rinoa smiled mischievously.

"First come, first serve." Fujin opened the doors and we all got in, me more or less being pushed into position. Quistis took the driver's seat and Rinoa was shotgun. I sat between Fujin and Oonagh in the back. We all buckled our seatbelts and Quistis started the engine. I remembered the last time I was in a car with her. Hopefully this journey would be much more fun than that one had been.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"A new store opened in Zell's hometown not too long ago," Quistis answered. "Rinoa and I've been wanting to go inside, and this is the perfect time to."

"They specialize in dresses," Rinoa added. We all called Balamb "Zell's hometown" because… well, it was Zell's hometown!

"And why are you here, Fujin?" I wondered, turning to the pale woman. She gave me one of her secret smiles.

"BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR FRIENDS."

"Oh. That's exactly what the goal of my girl's night out was!" Fujin continued to smile. "You already get along with Oonagh, right?"

"GOOD PERSON. EMPTIES LIBRARY." Interpretation: Oonagh got rid of curious gawkers that wanted to take a peek at Fujin while she was getting her reading lessons. Oonagh heard this compliment and blushed modestly.

"It's rude to stare," she said, as if that explained her actions. We had arrived in the town. Quistis pulled into the open garage and paid the gatekeeper. We got out and Quistis led the way to the new store. I hadn't been in the town for a while, but it mostly looked the same. We would have to visit Mrs. Dincht before we left. The new store Quistis was talking about was close to the dock. It had a single door and a window that allowed us a glimpse of the interior.

"Petites first," Oonagh said, poking me gently.

"I'm not that short!" I protested. My friends laughed politely. I sighed and entered the store. There were lots of dresses in many different sizes. My eyes fell on a rack that was labeled "petites". A middle-aged woman was standing behind the counter. When we all were inside, she greeted us with a smile.

"Welcome, ladies. Please take your time." Rinoa was an expert in shopping. She pounced on the dresses and almost instantly found five or six she thought would look good on her. I was fairly experienced in shopping myself, but I was a bit pickier than she. Fujin stood stock-still, watching us silently with her eye.

"Is there anything the matter?" Oonagh asked.

"DON'T SHOP," answered Fujin with a shrug.

"That's okay. That's why we're here!" Rinoa smiled, grabbing another dress. "Quistis and I will find something that suits you."

"I thought we were just shopping for me," I frowned.

"Nonsense," Quistis chuckled. "When girls go shopping, they always have to buy something for themselves. You should know that." That's when I realized for the first time that Quistis was like me… well, a little bit like me, anyway.

"Excuse me, ma'am!" Rinoa called, her voice muffled from the dresses she carried. "Where's the changing room?"

"To your left," the woman answered. Rinoa turned to her left and tried getting in the room without dropping her armload. The rest of us followed, me barely able to control my giggles.

"Okay, here's how we do this," Rinoa instructed. "We'll take turns trying on these dresses. Whichever one we all agree looks the best is going to be bought." That sounded good, especially with experts like Rinoa and Quistis as judges. We took seats and Rinoa went in with her many dresses.

"How many do you have?" I wondered, my voice tinkling with a suppressed giggle. There was a pause as Rinoa counted them.

"Eight." I about fell over in my chair.

"Hurry up, then. The rest of us would like to try on dresses," Quistis said in her usual bossy tone.

"Okay, okay." There was another pause. For a while all that could be heard was Rinoa getting dressed and the rest of us breathing. "Ladies, I present to you the first dress on the Rinoa Heartilly collection." The door opened and Rinoa stepped out, twirling around in her dress. She had on a black sleeveless dress with thick shoulder straps. I stuck my tongue out.

"Not you at all."

"TOO BLACK," Fujin added. Quistis and Oonagh confirmed their agreement. Rinoa sighed and went back in the room. I glanced at Fujin and thought about that black dress. You know, she would look good in black. But not with those ugly straps.

"How about this?" This time Rinoa had on a blood-red dress. The dress had no sleeves or straps and a dip in the neckline would tempt any men that would pass by. She turned around and showed us a bow, with a train trailing behind her. "The train makes it hard to walk in, but other than that it's easy to move around in."

"If you wear that, poor Squall's going to have to fight off guys all night long," I noted.

"I think it's perfect," Quistis smiled. "Red and black really go together. All we have to do is fix your hair up a bit so it won't get in your eyes." Rinoa observed herself in a mirror. Her smile told us that she was definitely going to buy it. She changed one last time and came out with the dress cradled in the crook of her arm.

"There are still six others in there. Oonagh, you're about my size, aren't you? You should try them on." Oonagh meekly got to her feet and entered the dressing room. Rinoa paid for her dress and joined the "judges". We didn't have to wait long before Oonagh came out with her first dress. It was emerald green printed with flowers that were different shades of green. It was hard to judge. The neckline, which left her collarbone exposed, was decorated with cloth flowers, as was the hem of the skirt.

"It seems a little childish," Quistis mused, pursing her lips in thought.

"I think it's cute!" I chirped. "All it needs are flower earrings and a flower necklace. You would look so cute!" Rinoa studied Oonagh for a few moments.

"I agree with Selphie," she said at last. Oonagh looked to Fujin for her input, but the pale girl shook her head, silently reminding Oonagh of her inexperience in shopping. Oonagh sighed and went back to take the dress off. In a few moments she returned with the dress in tow.

"It does look nice. True it may be childish, but I like it." With that said, she went to the counter to purchase the dress. It was now Quistis' turn to be judged. She couldn't use any of the dresses Rinoa had picked out because she was taller. She entered the room, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

"The least you could do is return these to their proper places, Rinoa." Rinoa groaned and obediently took the dresses back to where she found them. Suddenly one of them caught my eye and I took it from her. It was black like the first one she tried on, but a silky kind of black. I handed it to Fujin.

"That's for you. I want you to try it on when Quistis is done." Fujin took the dress silently. Quistis walked out to display her dress. It was a two-piece deal. She had on a white blouse with sleeves that came to her elbows and a red skirt.

"Keep the blouse, lose the skirt," I advised.

"Agreed," Oonagh smiled. "Perhaps blue?" Rinoa joined us and made a face when she saw Quistis' ensemble.

"What're you trying to do, look like a business woman? No, dear. I think a dress is the way to go for you." Rinoa was the ultimate authority when it came to outfits. Quistis sighed in exasperation and went back to try on something else. In a few moments she returned, this time definitely wearing a dress. The dress itself was yellow-green. It was cut just below the breast in a triangular shape, exposing a white skirt underneath. The sleeves were blue-green with white silk at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.

"Oh, so cool!" I grinned, clapping my hands in delight.

"Much better," Rinoa smiled.

"NICE," Fujin offered, speaking for the first time in a while. Quistis smiled modestly and got her regular clothes back on so she could pay for the dress.

"Miss Petite? It's your turn," Oonagh said, eyeing me significantly.

"Oh, okay." I gathered the few dresses I had liked and went into the changing room. I hung the dresses up and looked through them, trying to decide which one to try on first. I chose a sky-blue dress. Carefully I got out of my SeeD uniform and into the dress. I glanced at myself in the mirror. The neckline just barely exposed my collarbone. The sleeves were long and part of them extended to a few inches below my fingertips. The skirt was easy to move around in, but the hem reached my ankle bone. I liked it but I would have to see how the others reacted. I stepped outside.

"Perfect!" Rinoa exclaimed. Her mouth turned down a little. "That hair, though. Looks like we'll both need a new hairdo."

"I think it's beautiful, Miss Petite," Oonagh smiled.

"LIKE IT," Fujin added. I curtseyed politely.

"Thank you for your input." I got back into my SeeD uniform and went to the counter.

"Will this be all for you, ma'am?" This middle-aged woman was calling me "ma'am"! It made me feel more grown-up.

"Yes, please."

"That'll be five thousand two hundred sixty Gil." I paid for the dress. The lady put it in a bag for me. I thanked her and joined my friends. Fujin wasn't in her seat, so I assumed she was trying on the dress I gave her.

"How much was yours, Selphie?" Quistis asked. I repeated the amount I had paid. "That's not too bad. Rinoa's was about the same price. Mine was over six thousand, but that was probably because it was fancier." Fujin appeared before us, looking very uncomfortable in her dress. It was strapless like Rinoa's, but it was much more modest. Instead of her front, it was her back that was partially exposed.

"You know what it needs?" Rinoa questioned. "Black gloves." I had to agree. Fujin looked pretty but the look wouldn't be complete without black gloves.

"I think I might have some that would work," Oonagh spoke up.

"BUY?" Fujin asked.

"Buy it!" I insisted. Fujin smiled and left our company so she could get into her comfortable clothes. She held the dress, still looking unsure.

"SURE?"

"Buy it!" Quistis ordered.

"BUT…"

"Buy it!!!" Rinoa and Oonagh shouted in unison. Fujin held up her hands in surrender. We all watched her to make sure she really bought it. She did buy it and we left the shop with our new dresses. There's something very triumphant about getting a dress that not only looks good, but also agrees with the tastes of four other women.

"Hey, let's go visit Mrs. Dincht before we go!" Rinoa suggested.

"That's what I was going to say!" I whined.

"That sounds like a good idea," Quistis nodded, ignoring my protest. "It's been a while since we've seen her." This time I took the lead and we all entered the Dincht residence. I could smell fish being cooked and I started to get hungry. Fujin was the only one that hadn't been inside Zell's house. She observed it with silent curiosity. Mrs. Dincht was busy in the kitchen.

"Zell? Is that you? About time you came in to see me!"

"Not Zell, Mrs. Dincht," Oonagh answered.

"Oonagh? Who else is with you?"

"Me!" I sang. "Rinoa and Quistis too." Mrs. Dincht took the fish off the oven and came out to greet us. Even if Zell wasn't her biological son, he still was a lot like her. She first put her arms around Oonagh, then proceeded to hug me, Rinoa, and Quistis. She came to Fujin and patted her on the shoulder.

"It's always nice to get a visit from Zell's friends, but I don't think I know your name, dear."

"FUJIN. FUJIN YUN." I had never heard Fujin tell anyone her full name before. I always assumed she didn't have one.

"Nice to meet you. I was just making lunch. Do you girls want any?"

"Yes, thank you," answered Quistis politely.

"Sit down, then." We all took seats. Mrs. Dincht shuffled around the kitchen, bringing out plates and utensils for us. "I haven't gotten a letter from Zell lately. I hope he hasn't gotten into trouble again."

"Not anything serious," I smiled. Mrs. Dincht poured water for us. We began to eat the meal she had provided for us. She joined us momentarily. "Just out of curiosity, what did he say in his last letter?"

"Oh, not much," she shrugged. "Just that you and Nida weren't having any luck selling tickets. Did you ever find a date for the Festival, dear?"

"I'm going with Irvine." Zell won't even write to his mother? What's up with that?

"How nice for you. He's such a nice boy."

"Anything else he said?"

"He mentioned that Seifer came back to the Garden."

"But that was, like, a week ago! He hasn't written to you since?"

"That boy!" Mrs. Dincht sighed, impatiently clicking her tongue. "Doesn't write, doesn't visit. It's like he's miles away instead of a few minute's drive from here! Selphie, Oonagh? Will one of you be so kind as to tell him to get his lazy butt over here to see me?" Oonagh and I grinned.

"We will," Oonagh assured her.

"Thank you. By the way, dear, how have you been lately? Seeing anyone? I haven't seen you much since you stopped seeing Zell. Found anyone nice?"

"Yes, ma'am. A very nice man named Walter Oren. He's an instructor at the Garden." Mrs. Dincht smiled and patted Oonagh's hand.

"That sounds like the perfect man for you. I just hope my Zell finds someone he likes. Or at least someone who can handle him as well as you did." She turned her attention to Rinoa. "And how's Squall been treating you?"

"Very well, thank you. He and I are going to the Festival together."

"How about you, Quistis?"

"I agreed to go to the Festival with Nida, but…"

"That's wonderful, dear," Mrs. Dincht interrupted. But she did it in a way that didn't offend Quistis. "He seems like such a nice boy. It's too bad he's so shy. I would've thought that being around Selphie would cure him of it. You'll have a good time with him, I'm sure." Fujin tensed up. It was almost like she could sense that she would be questioned next. "I don't know you too well, dear, but I'm sure you're a nice girl. Are you going with anyone nice?"

"NOT DATING," Fujin answered with a weak smile.

"I meant to the Festival, dear, of course."

"NO."

"No? Why not?"

"DON'T WANT TO." Mrs. Dincht shook her head sadly.

"You're going to break a lot of hearts some day, my dear." I giggled into my hand. Quistis absently glanced at her watch. She made a face.

"You'll excuse us, Mrs. Dincht, but we should return to the Garden. Thank you for the meal." We politely cleaned our plates and left the house as we found it. Mrs. Dincht saw us off. She waved cheerfully.

"Tell Zell to come see me soon, and tell him he'd better bring a girlfriend with him!" We assured her we would. "See you again, girls! Have fun at the Festival!" Her voice followed us to the car.

"I swear, Zell is so much like that woman it's scary!" Oonagh sighed.

"Well, where else would he have gotten it from?" I giggled.

"SHOTGUN," Fujin said. She smiled at our surprised faces.

"Fujin, you are the very last person I'd expect to say something like that," I told her dumbly.

"I can surprise you," she answered in her "other" voice. Rinoa, Oonagh, and Quistis looked completely baffled. They stared at her as if trying to figure out if the sound had truly come from her. Still smiling, she quietly got into her claimed seat and folded her hands in front of her. It took the others a few seconds to get over their shock.

"That was… strange," Quistis noted.

"She trusts you now," I realized.

"Cool," said Rinoa blankly. We all got into the car and Quistis drove off. Lots of things had happened, and lots of questions egged at me. One of them kept resurfacing, however: why didn't Zell come to see his mother?