"Whatever ya want, Waverly. Just pick somethin' out and we'll get it for ya." Uncle Curtis told me as I looked through the rack of prom dresses.

Purgatory didn't have a very good selection to choose from, but I was determined to find the perfect dress.

"If she gets whatever she wants, that prom dress is gonna double as a graduation dress, Curtis." Gus said, looking at Curtis with her eyebrows raised.
Curtis waved her off. "She's got plenty of dresses for graduation. This is special," he responded.
Gus rolled her eyes. "Graduation is special. I'm happy for her and all, but damnit, Curtis. Don't go spending all our money just to send her to prom."

I sighed loudly, turning around to look at Gus. "Really? You're the one who encouraged me to ask her. After Wynonna did, of course. But you were the one who encouraged my whole "promposal" thing!" I exclaimed.
Gus sighed. "Alright, fine. Just make sure the dress you pick is something you actually want, because we're not comin' back here for a while." She smiled at me.

I smiled back before continuing to go through the dresses. I came across a beautiful strapless aqua-colored dress. I looked at the tag and it read "Sherri Hill Feathered Tulle Mermaid Evening Gown". I took it off the rack and squealed, showing it to Gus and Curtis.

"This one is perfect! And it's my size!" I told them excitedly.
Gus sighed. "Well, what are you waitin' for? Go try it on!" She responded.

I nodded, taking the dress over to the fitting room. When I got in there, I closed the curtains and began to undress. I slipped the dress on and called for Gus to help zip me up. She stepped through the curtains and smiled at me. She zipped up the back and I turned around to face her.

"Oh, Waverly. It's beautiful," she told me.
I smiled, turning around to look in the mirror. "Of course, I'll have to wear a different bra, like a strapless one or those stick-on pads or whatever, but I think it's absolutely perfect." I said, admiring the dress.

"Hey, do I get to see this perfect dress or what?" Curtis called out.

Gus and I looked at each other, smiling.

I rolled my eyes a bit. "Yes, Uncle Curtis." I said before stepping out of the fitting room.

Curtis looked at me and he was absolutely speechless. I knew this dress was perfect.

"I'll be damned. It is perfect," Curtis said.
I smiled at him. "You really think so?" I asked.
He nodded. "You look beautiful, Waverly." He held his hand out to Gus, who took it and walked closer to stand at his side.
Gus smiled at me. "Our beautiful niece."

I looked down, tears welling up in my eyes.

Gus put her hand on my shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong, kiddo?" She asked softly.
I sniffled as the tears fell down my cheek. "I just- I wish Mama could be here..." I fought back a sob.
Gus immediately wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. "Oh, honey. I know... I miss her, too."

I cried in Gus's arms for a good ten minutes before I decided to change back into my clothes. When I got dressed, Curtis took the dress from me when I was done and we went to go pay for it.

The woman at the cash register smiled. "What's the occasion?" She asked kindly as she rang it up.
"Prom. I'm going to prom," I answered. I smiled back at her.
She nodded a bit. "This is a great dress for you. It'll look fantastic on the dance floor. Do you have a date?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I do, actually."
Her smiled seemed to fade a bit. "Well, he's a lucky guy."
I blushed. "Oh, my date is actually a girl... My girlfriend," I corrected her.
She smiled again. "That's lovely. She's very lucky then. You're a beautiful girl."

I blushed again as Curtis paid for the dress. I watched as the girl put the dress in cover, her hands careful with fabric. She would occasionally glance at me with a charming smile I didn't think girls could have. She stopped at some point to turn and write something on a small piece of paper. She folded the piece of paper up and then it seemed to just disappear.

She handed the dress to me and I went to take it from her, but froze when I felt my hand brush against hers.

I pulled my hand away. "Sorry," I apologized.
She smiled at me. "Don't apologize. My name's Claire, by the way." She stuck her hand out to me.
I smiled. "Waverly," I replied. When I took her hand to shake it, I felt a piece of paper in her palm. I had a feeling I knew what it was, but I didn't say anything. "Pleased to meet you, Claire."
Claire smiled that charming smile again. "The pleasure is all mine, Waverly." The way she said "pleasure" made my heart pound.
I swallowed nervously and pulled my hand away, taking the paper with me. I took the dress from her and flashed a nervous smile. "Thank you," I told her.
She nodded. "Of course."

I turned around a little too quickly and walked towards the door.

I can't believe that just happened!

I walked out to Curtis's truck and then stopped, turning my hand over and opening it.

The folded piece of paper she'd written on earlier...

I walked over and put the dress in the truck before unfolding the paper. I looked at it, and sure enough, scrawled in small, yet lovely handwriting, there was Claire's name and phone number.

"Shit," I groaned.
"Language, Waverly." Gus scolded behind me.
"Sorry," I apologized. I folded the paper again and tucked it into the pocket of my high-waisted jeans.

Should I tell Nicole?

I shook my head a bit, climbing into the truck just as Gus and Curtis were. I sat in the small backseat quietly as Gus and Curtis talked about something. I wasn't exactly sure what they were talking about, but mostly because I wasn't really paying attention. Instead, I pulled Claire's number out of my pocket and stared at it. Stared, not because I wanted to use it, but because I didn't know if this was something to tell Nicole about.

I sighed, eventually deciding that I should, and pulled my phone out. I opened up my text conversation with Nicole and started typing.

WE: Hey, so, uh. Something happened earlier...
NH: Should I be worried?
WE: Nope.
NH: So, what is it then?
WE: Well... I was out dress shopping with Gus and Curtis, and there was this... girl. Or- woman, I guess? She looked about 20 or so.
NH: Ok... A woman, about 20 or so.
WE: And... I think she was flirting with me...

Nicole didn't respond for a few minutes, so I thought she wasn't going to at all. It was really nerve-racking. I just kept thinking of all the reasons she wasn't responding.

Like, was she upset with me? Was she jealous? Was she pissed off? Was she gonna dump me?

Finally, she texted back.

NH: You think?
WE: Actually, I know she was.
WE: She gave me her phone number.
NH: Oh.
WE: I totally didn't ask for it. I didn't even give her a hint of interest. I swear.
NH: I know you didn't, baby. It's okay. Thank you for telling me, Waves.
WE: You know I only love you, right?
NH: Yes, I know. And I only love you. You're my world, Waverly Earp.
WE: You're amazing.
NH: Thank you, baby. So are you 3
NH: Hey, speaking of dress shopping. Did you find anything?
WE: I did. But you'll have to wait till prom night to see it ;)
NH: :(
NH: I bet it will be worth the wait.
NH: You look gorgeous in everything you wear.
WE: I love you.
NH: And I love you.

I smiled at my phone before locking it, looking out the window. I thought of Nicole as I watched the buildings pass by. Simply thinking of her reminded me of how lucky I was to have her.

I've never loved someone more.

A/N: Okay, so this is totally a filler chapter. It's been a while, I know, and I apologize! I was babysitting for a while and then I went on vacation, but also I've been working on stuff for my comic book company, ZYRA Comics! We launched our website on August 8th, so if you guys would like to check it out, it's .com

Thank you so much for reading this story, it means the world to me! I hope you guys like this short but sweet chapter!

xoxo,
LyricalDisaster