I don't own As Told By Ginger Okay? The real world has been much too harsh on me and my family this past summer economically. Much too harsh. But my life's woes are not what you are here for. Enough with the A/N, on with the fic!

It had been a few days since the last planning session that Courtney and Ginger had for the prom, and it was now a free weekend for her, one where Miranda agreed to take Courtney shopping for a prom dress. In her purse, she had her dad's credit card, to which he agreed to pay for both girls' dresses when she had found out about some interests her father had with kickbacks to Spangler Military Academy and the police station. She had found an agreement he had with the judge to send wayward youth to the academy, and he would get significant kickbacks, which had made sense in her mind, knowing a police officer or sergeant's salary. As they entered the mall, Courtney looked around nervously.

"What is your problem?" Miranda said.

"Oh..." Courtney started. She didn't want to admit she didn't have much money for a dress. "Why don't we get an Orange Julius?"

"Fine," Miranda said, letting Courtney get her one too and sitting at the table. It was always a sensitive topic when money came up, no matter how much Miranda tried to make it not be. She did have a fair bit of money from her family, nowhere near Courtney or Mipsy did when they were in junior high, but she always could afford the latest looks and styles with ease. While Courtney did wear what she could afford well, it was still quite a blow to her that she never fully got over. There was a tense pause as Courtney sipped her drink. Sighing, Miranda spoke up. "Look, we can see what JC Penny has before we go to Nordstrom's." She heard Courtney take a breath to object. "Your dress is on me. I caught something of my dad's dealings that would be very embarrassing for a lot of this town's judicial system to know, so I used that to get him to agree to buy your dress. So you don't show up in some 30-year-old nightmare you got from Goodwill."

Courtney paused. It was so much to take in, and how Miranda said it so casually. She knew that blackmail was something Miranda was fully capable of and more than willing to do, but for her own benefit? She knew the disparaging remark towards thrifted clothes was her trying to stay her mean girl self without making it seem like she was treating Courtney differently. However, ever keeping of her Gripling resolve, Courtney went on. "If I had found something good at a thrift store, you know I could make it something wonderful. Remember our Lucky Jr. High days?" She said. "Will stood me up, and I had to walk there because Blake had gotten Winston to drive him for his own reasons.

"You do have a way of salvaging things." Miranda sighed.

"Well, let's do like you suggest. I do have a duty to look good as one of the main organizers of this event after all." Courtney smirked. Miranda rolled her eyes as Courtney headed along to the JC Penny to look at the dresses there. She looked around, hoping that some of the former group that hung out with Courtney in middle school and abandoned her after the scandal with the Gripling family weren't there. They were often very bad to her and treated her like garbage because the money wasn't there anymore. It drove Miranda mad, and she had the feeling that one of them might be around. They ditched you for Courtney when you were fighting and ditched Courtney when she lost the money. Miranda told herself as they headed through the mall past Nordstroms and to JC Penny. Courtney didn't say much. There were times she yearned for the ability to shop there like money was no object; that time had passed. There were times she could find a fancy item on clearance, and with the money she made from working at Louis Vuitton, it did enable her to maintain some of her former Gripling regal look, but this was rather an exception than what actually happened.

As Miranda and Courtney headed past, sipping what was left of their Orange Julius, a familiar loud and, to Miranda rather annoying voice spoke up. "Hey Miranda!" At this Miranda winced in annoyance as Courtney looked on her curiously.

"Mipsy." Miranda moaned.

"Oh." Courtney sighed. Stiff upper lip. You're a Gripling. You rise above any challenge you face. Mipsy is nothing but a hanger-on. Besides, she didn't need my money; she had a fair amount of her own if she could have bribed her cousin at Avalanche Arts. She figured that it was not going to be pleasant, so she headed over to the mall directory to give Miranda the space she would need and distract Mipsy from her. It had humbled her to how she was in middle school, but it still hurt.

"Hello, Mipsy." Miranda said coolly, trying to hide her displeasure at the thought of running into her.

"So, prom season is coming up. I myself have not gotten anything just yet. Narrowed it down between a few of the more exclusive bridal boutiques and what they have at Saks Fifth Avenue here in the mall." She rifled through her crossbody bag for a catalog, which Miranda knew well; it was all over Lucky High School. It was sent out by one of the town's boutiques every year. She recalled Dodie moaning about it when she said her mom made her get a job to help pay for the one she wanted and that working part-time would cut into her pep squad time, even though she was still the gopher. If I had put in 3 years trying to get on the pep squad and I was still the fucking mascot, I would just stop trying and move on with my life.

"Well, good for you." Miranda said coldly.

"What are you doing here?" Mipsy asked, looking over at the directory where Courtney was moving ever so slowly to the other side, hoping that she wouldn't be seen.

"Shopping," Miranda said. "Got a problem with that?"

"No, no, I just didn't think you would be here..." Mipsy said, looking over at the directory, and noticed Courtney. "With her."

"Courtney is my friend. What of it?" Miranda said. It was times like this that it took all she had from strangling Mipsy. Sure, they were friends at one time, but as time went on, they grew further apart, and Miranda knew where her loyalty lay.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Mipsy said as Miranda narrowed her eyes threateningly. She knew how Mipsy was getting close to saying something she would regret, and Miranda would not take things like that lying down. "I think it's good you still hang around with her."

"Courtney didn't do the crime, and she did nothing to me." Miranda said. "You may think that the money is all that matters about her, but she's been nothing but good to me and generous with what she has, loaded or not." Miranda said. She turned around and headed to Courtney, "Come on, we have better places and people to see." Courtney looked up as Miranda grabbed her wrist and walked away.

"Miranda!" Courtney said, startled.

"I don't want to get kicked out of this place for beating the shit out of that bitch Mipson." Miranda said. "At least when you are here with me. You work in this mall. I want you to save some face."

Courtney took her wrist from Miranda's and followed her to JC Penny and looked around at the dresses there. Miranda stood back and smiled at Courtney, smiling, looking at the dresses. "Should I have a slim line dress or one with a large, flowing skirt?"

"Meh." Miranda said, shaking her hand. "It's the dress you're wearing."

"Why are you so blasé about this, Miranda?" Courtney said, causing Miranda to smile a little inside. Mipsy may have put a damper on the day, causing Miranda to resist every urge she had to choose violence, but this was something she cherished about the friendship she had with Courtney. "Prom is something that you will remember for a lifetime, something that you will cherish all of your days!"

"Nothing," Miranda said, getting up and looking at the dresses. "Pastels tend to do better on you, with your light-colored hair and all."

"And I must simply find one that suits you. I do like dark purple on you, but also hunter green suits you well... a slim line dress is best; you certainly do not have the grace for those large, flowing princess skirts..." Courtney said as she looked through the racks.

"I would not be caught dead in one of those dresses." Miranda said as she looked at a hunter green halter-style dress. "I kind of like this one..." She said to herself as Courtney grabbed it and shoved it into her hands. "Try it on! You will never know until you see."

"Hey, we're shopping for you..." Miranda began.

"You said both of us." Courtney corrected.

"How about this?" She said as she pulled a powder blue slim dress and handed it to her. "Try this while I do and we can figure this out together."

Meanwhile, Ginger, Dodie, and Macie were in Ginger's room talking as Dodie went on about what she and Chet were wearing, how they would match, and just how Ginger needed to plan everything perfectly. Ginger sighed, not wanting to admit it was getting old fast, but it was her friend Dodie after all. "Oh, and I forgot, have you talked Orion into going to the prom with you yet?"

"He wouldn't be swayed." Ginger said.

"But you're in charge of organizing it. What about I don't know...Darren?" Dodie asked. Ginger narrowed her eyes. Darren was the past, and she had wanted to move on with her life. "Fine. But you can't go alone."

"Dodie, if Ginger is fine by herself..." Macie began when Ginger spoke.

"Courtney and I agreed that since we are both in charge of planning and setting up, we should go together. No one asked her yet either." Ginger explained.

Dodie's eyes widened as she got this juicy piece of gossip. "Not only is Courtney not asked to the prom by anyone, but she asked you to go with her?" Oh my gosh! This is bigger news than when she got lice!"

"Dodie!" Ginger scolded. "It's just as friends. It's the 21st century anyway; who needs to abide by dumb old traditions that don't make any real sense? Besides, the way you are obsessing over her like some gossip rag would over a celebrity is gross. And the lice thing was in junior high. Let it go. In 2 years we will be in college and graduated."

"Fine." Dodie moaned. "But your dress..." She began flipping the pages of the worn catalog sent out every prom season.

"Is the one my mom had for hers. It's a beautiful yellow Miss Rubette that looks awesome." Ginger said.

"But Ging-" Dodie said.

"I've made up my mind." Ginger said. "Now can you let me have some peace?"

"Fine," Dodie said as Macie followed.

"You're my ride." Macie reminded her.

"See you Monday." Ginger waved, secretly glad that Dodie was gone. It was getting much too much her popularity chasing and gossip lately. She didn't want Dodie spreading what she had said about going with Courtney to anyone, and even if Carl's theory was true, that was Courtney's decision to come out with, not hers or anyone else's. "God help me," she sighed, looking at the ceiling.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I hope to get better about the updates, but life is what life is. Anyway, remember to read, well, you just did and review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm.