(A/N) I'm sorry, I'll lay off all of the author's notes, go straight to
story, it's not like you guys read these anyway.
*******
As I walked home, I took a small detour to Selphie's house. I promised her that I would tell her if I was going to the dance or not. Of course when I told her she was overjoyed, like usual.
-Kairi, this is wonderful! Oh yes, yes, it's great that you're all friends again. Um hmm. But we have to plan! I think I want a yellow dress, YEAH! To match my hair. Selphie was so strange, he hair was brown, not yellow. Of course we all know that the title 'dumb blonde' would fit almost too well.
-Great, you look good in yellow. I replied unaware of what to say. But it was true, I mean, she wore yellow everyday, and she didn't look bad. I smiled.
-Kairi, I think you should go for something like. Black? No, too gothic with your red hair and all. Hmmm, maybe purple. Or green! Selphie exclaimed.
-Selph, you know that whenever I wear green I look like I just popped out of a Christmas catalogue! I responded. It was true!
-Yeah, right. Then. I don't know. What do you say we take a little trip to the mall! Yeah, just the two of us, we haven't done that in awhile, maybe you can find one there. My mom gave me her credit card! Selphie squealed with excitement. I sighed, this was dangerous.
-All right, let's go. I said. Selphie jumped up and led me out the door, grabbing her purse on the way out.
As we walked down the side walks Selphie babbled on about how she was going to do her hair and what kind of perfume she was going to wear. She made it seem like the dance was going to be tonight, we have two weeks, but everything must be done now. Or, at least in Selphie's eyes it did.
We got to the mall, it was crowded with people. I liked that because the more people, the more alone you felt. That's why I like public places because you're just constantly surrounded by people that don't even notice you.
-So where do you want to go first? Selphie questioned leading me around. I had no idea, where did they sell dresses anyway? I never went shopping for one before. -Ah! Here. she exclaimed as we turned into a shop. It seemed nice, I guess. Define nice again.
Selphie led me around a corner and we came across a row of dresses.
-Okay, so you pick a bunch that you like and we'll try them on! Selphie exclaimed. I looked at her; I don't like decisions very much. -OR! NO! WE COULD CHOOSE FOR EACHOTHER! Selphie shouted almost too excitedly.
Ah, how could it hurt? So I picked out a few yellow ones for Selphie and she picked out some for me and off to the dressing rooms we went!
I reached for the pile and grabbed one. It looked strikingly like something my grandmother would wear. I immediately threw that one to the side. The next one was a silky lavender number. I decided to try this one on. It was very thin and long, but it felt like it was going to slip off, like it was made out of water or something. I took it off and grabbed the next one. This one was purple as well, though a deep shade. I put this one on, but it was a little poofy and had little thrilly things along the shoulders. I took it off and threw it with the others. After a few times, still no luck. I guess I just didn't like any here. Selphie, though, found her 'dream dress' in the first pile I gave her. It was a clothy (hmmm) yellow halter, and it looked 'nice'.
-Hmmm, Kairi, you're impossible! Selphie exclaimed. I sighed. She was right, like I said; I wasn't good at making decisions, or finding things that I liked. I was hopeless and I knew it.
-Well, maybe we'll find something for you at another store. Selphie suggested as we began to walk to the counter so that Selphie could purchase her gown. But that's when I saw it. It hit me like a warm spring breeze. my jaw dropped and I almost fainted. There, in a hidden, middle rack was it; it was the dress I had been searching for!
-I'll be right back Selphie! I exclaimed as I sprinted to it.
-Okay Kairi, take your time. Selphie hummed as she placed her dress atop the cashier's table.
I lifted it off of the rack, it was the single one left, that either meant that people had bought the rest of them or. It was the only one! I let out a sheer giggle as I noticed the size, 5, yes! Just right. I took it and ran into one of the unoccupied dressing rooms. I slowly slipped it on, perfect. I suppose you'd like me to describe it to you, wouldn't you? Okay: It was a deep maroon (more purple than red almost) but in certain positions it looked almost black, made of the smoothest cottony-silky fabric that you have EVER touched. It cascaded down below my feet. It had two thin, ribbony almost, straps that criss-crossed down my back, all the way down. And I mean ALL the way down. It tied in a tiny bow at the end. On the front, it hugged me tightly, but not too tightly, I could still breath comfortably. It wrapped perfectly around my waist. It was thick, double laid to insure that I didn't feel naked. Yeah, this was the one I wanted. Sure, my entire back was exposed and a good section of my upper chest, but it was still good enough to be seen in public, even in school at that.
I had to go show Selphie, she was probably outside waiting for me. I pulled up the skirt with a huge smile on my face as I reached for the door of the dressing room and slowly pushed it open. I was taken aback as I met the stare of, not one, but two people. Yeah, Selphie, and, take a wild guess! Riku. That's right, I said Riku.
-He, he, Riku. What a surprise. I said feeling oddly uncomfortable. He was staring at me funny, gee I wonder why. I turned to Selphie for an explanation. She looked, if not more than Riku did, very surprised, she almost looked like she was about to cry.
-Oh, my, god! Kairi. You-you-you, look.
-Incredible! Riku gasped. I blushed, my face turning almost as red as my hair. Or at least I guessed it was almost as red as my hair. If not as dark as my dress!!! Why was I so embarrassed?
-Well. Thanks I guess. I stuttered, a very awkward moment indeed.
-Well, Kairi and me were just choosing dresses for the dance. Said Selphie to Riku, he didn't seem to notice. -And then Riku spotted me. he was.? Selphie questioned, completely unaware of what Riku was actually doing.
-Oh, I was just. My god Kairi! Are you going to but it or what!?! Riku exclaimed, eager. yes, he was very eager, so eager it caused me to jump back a little, my eyes growing wide.
-Are you feeling okay Riku? Selphie questioned.
-Of course he is. Now let me change for goodness sakes! I exclaimed as I turned around, I felt their shock, obviously shocked at how much skin I was showing. I heard Riku giggle. I quickly reached my hands down to my lower back, took hold of the fabric and heaved it up so that it wouldn't fall so noticeably close to my butt crack. I shut the door and let out a great sigh of relief to be alone with myself once again.
After I changed Selphie bought it for me and now we were on to accessories. Riku tagged along, obviously with nothing better to do.
I simply watched as Selphie tried on bracelet, after necklace, after earrings. I didn't really feel like buying things with Selphie's moms' credit card, so I told her that I could probably find something at home to wear.
Riku and I acted like her critics, telling her what looked best. It took a good half-hour, but she settled on a pair of silver hoops, for earrings, a matching bracelet and, again, a matching necklace. She bought me some mascara and nail polish that matched my dress almost perfectly. For herself, she bought some light cinnamon eye shadow, and a matching shade of nail polish. Then we decided to have some lunch. We headed over to the food court and got some Sbarrows (pizza, if you didn't know). Of course Riku didn't 'eat' pizza, so instead, he had a salad and mineral water (lol. sorry). While in the food court, we ran into, guess who? Sora. This day was getting weird, next we'd be running into Tidus and then. God forgive me for thinking his name. Wakka.
-Hey guys, whatcha doing here? Sora questioned as he pulled up a chair and sat next to me. He smiled at Riku curiously, like they had some kind of secret or inside joke. I don't know, it just seemed bizarre.
-Oh. Just doing some shopping. You know, for th. I kicked Selphie's foot hard; heaven knows what Sora would say if he knew that I bought a dress. God, he'd probably make me model t for him, right here, right now. -Ouch! Selphie exclaimed.
-We're just shopping, for things, you know. I said glaring at Selphie. Sora smiled and nodded slowly, did he know something?
-For 'things'. I see. So, Kairi, you pick out a dress for the dance yet? Sora asked. My face turned red again and I could see the smiles forming on Riku and Selphie's faces. I wanted to go curl up in a ball underneath the table. Sora turned to me and I tried to avoid his gaze, but it was too late. His eyes were like magnets to mine. Hmmm. Interesting metaphor.
-Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. I replied giving him a sideways grin. I got back to eating; I hadn't noticed how hungry I was before, but man. I was pretty hungry! I ate two times as much as I normally did, usually I ate three slices. You do the math.
Anyway, after lunch, the three of us went to my house. Interesting, because we never usually go to my house.
We hung out for a little while, until Selphie had to urgently go home because Tidus had called her from prep. School. Now it was just Riku, Sora, and I. Somehow, it didn't seem as awkward as one might have thought; it was kind of like old times. We walked down to the beach, letting our feet get wet in the surf. We talked, for once like we used to, about other worlds and our destinies. It almost seemed as though we were back at the beginning of this summer, before I went away to camp. I believe that was what made it different, me leaving for two months and coming back, expecting everything to be the same. I didn't want things to change, I didn't want Sora to get taller, and I didn't want Riku to buy a new shirt without me knowing. But I couldn't help it, Sora had grown nearly five inches, Riku bought plenty new shirts, and everything had definitely changed, not just physically, but mentally as well. All I knew for sure was that no matter what happens, no matter what bumps we hit, no matter how hard we fall, the three of us will always be friends. There was no tearing this force apart, not some silly heartache, not me, not today, not fate. I would never let them go, I'd have to let myself go first, because even just one second without them would be the most agonizing (for lack of a better word) experience of my life, because without either one of them, I didn't have a life, thus saying, I couldn't live. Simply put: I didn't want to say goodbye that night, fearing that something would go wrong tomorrow and I would never get a chance to see them again, or share another moment such as this, a single moment where I felt, for once, that I belonged.
*******
As I walked home, I took a small detour to Selphie's house. I promised her that I would tell her if I was going to the dance or not. Of course when I told her she was overjoyed, like usual.
-Kairi, this is wonderful! Oh yes, yes, it's great that you're all friends again. Um hmm. But we have to plan! I think I want a yellow dress, YEAH! To match my hair. Selphie was so strange, he hair was brown, not yellow. Of course we all know that the title 'dumb blonde' would fit almost too well.
-Great, you look good in yellow. I replied unaware of what to say. But it was true, I mean, she wore yellow everyday, and she didn't look bad. I smiled.
-Kairi, I think you should go for something like. Black? No, too gothic with your red hair and all. Hmmm, maybe purple. Or green! Selphie exclaimed.
-Selph, you know that whenever I wear green I look like I just popped out of a Christmas catalogue! I responded. It was true!
-Yeah, right. Then. I don't know. What do you say we take a little trip to the mall! Yeah, just the two of us, we haven't done that in awhile, maybe you can find one there. My mom gave me her credit card! Selphie squealed with excitement. I sighed, this was dangerous.
-All right, let's go. I said. Selphie jumped up and led me out the door, grabbing her purse on the way out.
As we walked down the side walks Selphie babbled on about how she was going to do her hair and what kind of perfume she was going to wear. She made it seem like the dance was going to be tonight, we have two weeks, but everything must be done now. Or, at least in Selphie's eyes it did.
We got to the mall, it was crowded with people. I liked that because the more people, the more alone you felt. That's why I like public places because you're just constantly surrounded by people that don't even notice you.
-So where do you want to go first? Selphie questioned leading me around. I had no idea, where did they sell dresses anyway? I never went shopping for one before. -Ah! Here. she exclaimed as we turned into a shop. It seemed nice, I guess. Define nice again.
Selphie led me around a corner and we came across a row of dresses.
-Okay, so you pick a bunch that you like and we'll try them on! Selphie exclaimed. I looked at her; I don't like decisions very much. -OR! NO! WE COULD CHOOSE FOR EACHOTHER! Selphie shouted almost too excitedly.
Ah, how could it hurt? So I picked out a few yellow ones for Selphie and she picked out some for me and off to the dressing rooms we went!
I reached for the pile and grabbed one. It looked strikingly like something my grandmother would wear. I immediately threw that one to the side. The next one was a silky lavender number. I decided to try this one on. It was very thin and long, but it felt like it was going to slip off, like it was made out of water or something. I took it off and grabbed the next one. This one was purple as well, though a deep shade. I put this one on, but it was a little poofy and had little thrilly things along the shoulders. I took it off and threw it with the others. After a few times, still no luck. I guess I just didn't like any here. Selphie, though, found her 'dream dress' in the first pile I gave her. It was a clothy (hmmm) yellow halter, and it looked 'nice'.
-Hmmm, Kairi, you're impossible! Selphie exclaimed. I sighed. She was right, like I said; I wasn't good at making decisions, or finding things that I liked. I was hopeless and I knew it.
-Well, maybe we'll find something for you at another store. Selphie suggested as we began to walk to the counter so that Selphie could purchase her gown. But that's when I saw it. It hit me like a warm spring breeze. my jaw dropped and I almost fainted. There, in a hidden, middle rack was it; it was the dress I had been searching for!
-I'll be right back Selphie! I exclaimed as I sprinted to it.
-Okay Kairi, take your time. Selphie hummed as she placed her dress atop the cashier's table.
I lifted it off of the rack, it was the single one left, that either meant that people had bought the rest of them or. It was the only one! I let out a sheer giggle as I noticed the size, 5, yes! Just right. I took it and ran into one of the unoccupied dressing rooms. I slowly slipped it on, perfect. I suppose you'd like me to describe it to you, wouldn't you? Okay: It was a deep maroon (more purple than red almost) but in certain positions it looked almost black, made of the smoothest cottony-silky fabric that you have EVER touched. It cascaded down below my feet. It had two thin, ribbony almost, straps that criss-crossed down my back, all the way down. And I mean ALL the way down. It tied in a tiny bow at the end. On the front, it hugged me tightly, but not too tightly, I could still breath comfortably. It wrapped perfectly around my waist. It was thick, double laid to insure that I didn't feel naked. Yeah, this was the one I wanted. Sure, my entire back was exposed and a good section of my upper chest, but it was still good enough to be seen in public, even in school at that.
I had to go show Selphie, she was probably outside waiting for me. I pulled up the skirt with a huge smile on my face as I reached for the door of the dressing room and slowly pushed it open. I was taken aback as I met the stare of, not one, but two people. Yeah, Selphie, and, take a wild guess! Riku. That's right, I said Riku.
-He, he, Riku. What a surprise. I said feeling oddly uncomfortable. He was staring at me funny, gee I wonder why. I turned to Selphie for an explanation. She looked, if not more than Riku did, very surprised, she almost looked like she was about to cry.
-Oh, my, god! Kairi. You-you-you, look.
-Incredible! Riku gasped. I blushed, my face turning almost as red as my hair. Or at least I guessed it was almost as red as my hair. If not as dark as my dress!!! Why was I so embarrassed?
-Well. Thanks I guess. I stuttered, a very awkward moment indeed.
-Well, Kairi and me were just choosing dresses for the dance. Said Selphie to Riku, he didn't seem to notice. -And then Riku spotted me. he was.? Selphie questioned, completely unaware of what Riku was actually doing.
-Oh, I was just. My god Kairi! Are you going to but it or what!?! Riku exclaimed, eager. yes, he was very eager, so eager it caused me to jump back a little, my eyes growing wide.
-Are you feeling okay Riku? Selphie questioned.
-Of course he is. Now let me change for goodness sakes! I exclaimed as I turned around, I felt their shock, obviously shocked at how much skin I was showing. I heard Riku giggle. I quickly reached my hands down to my lower back, took hold of the fabric and heaved it up so that it wouldn't fall so noticeably close to my butt crack. I shut the door and let out a great sigh of relief to be alone with myself once again.
After I changed Selphie bought it for me and now we were on to accessories. Riku tagged along, obviously with nothing better to do.
I simply watched as Selphie tried on bracelet, after necklace, after earrings. I didn't really feel like buying things with Selphie's moms' credit card, so I told her that I could probably find something at home to wear.
Riku and I acted like her critics, telling her what looked best. It took a good half-hour, but she settled on a pair of silver hoops, for earrings, a matching bracelet and, again, a matching necklace. She bought me some mascara and nail polish that matched my dress almost perfectly. For herself, she bought some light cinnamon eye shadow, and a matching shade of nail polish. Then we decided to have some lunch. We headed over to the food court and got some Sbarrows (pizza, if you didn't know). Of course Riku didn't 'eat' pizza, so instead, he had a salad and mineral water (lol. sorry). While in the food court, we ran into, guess who? Sora. This day was getting weird, next we'd be running into Tidus and then. God forgive me for thinking his name. Wakka.
-Hey guys, whatcha doing here? Sora questioned as he pulled up a chair and sat next to me. He smiled at Riku curiously, like they had some kind of secret or inside joke. I don't know, it just seemed bizarre.
-Oh. Just doing some shopping. You know, for th. I kicked Selphie's foot hard; heaven knows what Sora would say if he knew that I bought a dress. God, he'd probably make me model t for him, right here, right now. -Ouch! Selphie exclaimed.
-We're just shopping, for things, you know. I said glaring at Selphie. Sora smiled and nodded slowly, did he know something?
-For 'things'. I see. So, Kairi, you pick out a dress for the dance yet? Sora asked. My face turned red again and I could see the smiles forming on Riku and Selphie's faces. I wanted to go curl up in a ball underneath the table. Sora turned to me and I tried to avoid his gaze, but it was too late. His eyes were like magnets to mine. Hmmm. Interesting metaphor.
-Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. I replied giving him a sideways grin. I got back to eating; I hadn't noticed how hungry I was before, but man. I was pretty hungry! I ate two times as much as I normally did, usually I ate three slices. You do the math.
Anyway, after lunch, the three of us went to my house. Interesting, because we never usually go to my house.
We hung out for a little while, until Selphie had to urgently go home because Tidus had called her from prep. School. Now it was just Riku, Sora, and I. Somehow, it didn't seem as awkward as one might have thought; it was kind of like old times. We walked down to the beach, letting our feet get wet in the surf. We talked, for once like we used to, about other worlds and our destinies. It almost seemed as though we were back at the beginning of this summer, before I went away to camp. I believe that was what made it different, me leaving for two months and coming back, expecting everything to be the same. I didn't want things to change, I didn't want Sora to get taller, and I didn't want Riku to buy a new shirt without me knowing. But I couldn't help it, Sora had grown nearly five inches, Riku bought plenty new shirts, and everything had definitely changed, not just physically, but mentally as well. All I knew for sure was that no matter what happens, no matter what bumps we hit, no matter how hard we fall, the three of us will always be friends. There was no tearing this force apart, not some silly heartache, not me, not today, not fate. I would never let them go, I'd have to let myself go first, because even just one second without them would be the most agonizing (for lack of a better word) experience of my life, because without either one of them, I didn't have a life, thus saying, I couldn't live. Simply put: I didn't want to say goodbye that night, fearing that something would go wrong tomorrow and I would never get a chance to see them again, or share another moment such as this, a single moment where I felt, for once, that I belonged.
