sidewalks.
“That’s where we’re going, ladies,” Claire commanded as she parked in front of So Chic . Apparently, they had the best dresses.
Claire cut the engine, and we all got out of the car. There was a set of double doors and a display behind each window. The mannequin to my left was wearing a long blue beaded mesh dress, and the other a pink strapless couture dress. A potted plant sat outside the door, a SALE sign was pasted on the glass.
The door jingled as Claire pulled it open, and we all gathered in behind her. Claire went straight to a specific rack, like she’d been there before. Jessica followed her, and Katie darted towards the dresses against the wall. I wandered around the store and settled at a circular rack of beautiful dresses, sifting through them while the hanger scraping the metal made a screeching noise. I picked up a yellow Armani strapless ball gown with pick-up beading shirring and sequins. When I turned over the tag, my eyes swelled at the price. Claire caught me looking at that dress and walked over to where I was standing.
“That’s a nice dress. You should try it on,” she said.
“There’s no point. I can’t afford it,” I said, hanging up the dress.
“It won’t hurt to try it on.”
She took the dress off the rack and handed it back to me. I could tell she wasn’t going to let it go, so I let out a big sigh and asked the sales lady for a dressing room. While I was trying on the dress, I could hear the clinking of jewelry and the sound of the cash register opening and closing. The murmur of people chattering wafted throughout the store.
I overheard Jessica whispering something to Claire. Claire, what’s the deal? Why are you being so nice to her? Do you think she suspects something?
Claire said, Ssh! “Come on, new girl! Hurry up already!” she badgered from the other side of the door.
Once I was dressed, I opened the door and stood in front of a mirror. Claire stared for a moment, then smirked. Katie was looking at some earrings and did a double take at me.
“Hanna! You look ah- may -zing!” Claire gushed.
“Thanks,” I said.
She was right. I did look amazing. The color of the dress complimented my blonde hair and fell perfectly at my waist. I just wished I had bigger breasts to fill it in a little more. It didn’t matter, though, because I couldn’t afford it.
“Oh my gosh! Hanna! What happened to your wrists?” Katie blurted.
I could feel my cheeks burning, and I immediately crossed my arms over my chest, trying to conceal the scars.
“I...uh...my cat scratched me.”
“Really? Your cat? ” Claire asked, dubious.
“Oh. Well, you should put that cat down,” said Katie.
“I know, right?”
I tried to laugh it off, but I could tell Claire wasn’t buying it. Jessica stood behind her with her hands on her hips, not saying a word.
“ Anyywayyys. You’re getting that dress,” Claire said, pointing at it.
“But I can’t–”
“I know . You can’t afford it,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I got it.” A ding blared from her purse, and she scoured through her bag and took out her iPhone.
“What? I can’t,” I protested.
“You can, and you will. Oh, and just FYI: I don’t take no for an answer. I have a hard time with rejection, so just say thank you and smile, k?”
I could see Jessica smiling insidiously from the corner of my eye.
“Why would you do this for me?” I asked.
“Because we’re friends, and friends do things for each other.”
“O-okay, thanks, Claire. I owe you.”
“I know,” she said as she texted.
She didn’t take her eyes off her phone. She spun on her heels and walked over to Jessica, and the two of them giggled.
As I turned around and stared at myself in the store’s body length mirror, a knot formed in my stomach. I felt like I’d just made a deal with the devil.
CHAPTER SIX—SKELETONS IN HER CLOSET
The next day before first period, I was collecting books from my locker when I felt a
“That’s where we’re going, ladies,” Claire commanded as she parked in front of So Chic . Apparently, they had the best dresses.
Claire cut the engine, and we all got out of the car. There was a set of double doors and a display behind each window. The mannequin to my left was wearing a long blue beaded mesh dress, and the other a pink strapless couture dress. A potted plant sat outside the door, a SALE sign was pasted on the glass.
The door jingled as Claire pulled it open, and we all gathered in behind her. Claire went straight to a specific rack, like she’d been there before. Jessica followed her, and Katie darted towards the dresses against the wall. I wandered around the store and settled at a circular rack of beautiful dresses, sifting through them while the hanger scraping the metal made a screeching noise. I picked up a yellow Armani strapless ball gown with pick-up beading shirring and sequins. When I turned over the tag, my eyes swelled at the price. Claire caught me looking at that dress and walked over to where I was standing.
“That’s a nice dress. You should try it on,” she said.
“There’s no point. I can’t afford it,” I said, hanging up the dress.
“It won’t hurt to try it on.”
She took the dress off the rack and handed it back to me. I could tell she wasn’t going to let it go, so I let out a big sigh and asked the sales lady for a dressing room. While I was trying on the dress, I could hear the clinking of jewelry and the sound of the cash register opening and closing. The murmur of people chattering wafted throughout the store.
I overheard Jessica whispering something to Claire. Claire, what’s the deal? Why are you being so nice to her? Do you think she suspects something?
Claire said, Ssh! “Come on, new girl! Hurry up already!” she badgered from the other side of the door.
Once I was dressed, I opened the door and stood in front of a mirror. Claire stared for a moment, then smirked. Katie was looking at some earrings and did a double take at me.
“Hanna! You look ah- may -zing!” Claire gushed.
“Thanks,” I said.
She was right. I did look amazing. The color of the dress complimented my blonde hair and fell perfectly at my waist. I just wished I had bigger breasts to fill it in a little more. It didn’t matter, though, because I couldn’t afford it.
“Oh my gosh! Hanna! What happened to your wrists?” Katie blurted.
I could feel my cheeks burning, and I immediately crossed my arms over my chest, trying to conceal the scars.
“I...uh...my cat scratched me.”
“Really? Your cat? ” Claire asked, dubious.
“Oh. Well, you should put that cat down,” said Katie.
“I know, right?”
I tried to laugh it off, but I could tell Claire wasn’t buying it. Jessica stood behind her with her hands on her hips, not saying a word.
“ Anyywayyys. You’re getting that dress,” Claire said, pointing at it.
“But I can’t–”
“I know . You can’t afford it,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I got it.” A ding blared from her purse, and she scoured through her bag and took out her iPhone.
“What? I can’t,” I protested.
“You can, and you will. Oh, and just FYI: I don’t take no for an answer. I have a hard time with rejection, so just say thank you and smile, k?”
I could see Jessica smiling insidiously from the corner of my eye.
“Why would you do this for me?” I asked.
“Because we’re friends, and friends do things for each other.”
“O-okay, thanks, Claire. I owe you.”
“I know,” she said as she texted.
She didn’t take her eyes off her phone. She spun on her heels and walked over to Jessica, and the two of them giggled.
As I turned around and stared at myself in the store’s body length mirror, a knot formed in my stomach. I felt like I’d just made a deal with the devil.
CHAPTER SIX—SKELETONS IN HER CLOSET
The next day before first period, I was collecting books from my locker when I felt a
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