Chapter One

Formal dresses hang on the walls all around the shop. I stand on a pedestal trying on a silver floor length halter neck dress. I thought it was a beautiful dress, but want to try on a couple more before deciding.

“I’m going to try on the next one,” I say, turning to the guy sitting on the chair next to the changing room. Seeing Steven sitting in one of the small chairs the formal shop has for people to wait in is comical simply because of his height. At six feet tall he is taller than most of the other members of his class, if you combine that with his athlete’s build, he looks like a giant sitting in a child’s chair. He has black hair, emerald green eyes and a pale complexion.

“Take your time,” he says. “I want you to have the right dress, Sis; otherwise I’m going to have to hear about it for months.”

I poke my tongue out at him, walk into the changing room and shut the door behind me. Untying the knot on the dress I let it drop into a pool of fabric around my feet. After hanging it up I turn to the next dress, a short knee length, cyan, button up number with a bubble skirt and spaghetti straps. Looking at it I realize I’m going to need help. Putting my head out the door, I see Steven looking at the selection of ties the store holds.

“Steven?” I call to him.

He turns to me with a questioning look. “Yeah, Kayla?” he asks.

“Can you ask the assistant for help please?” I ask in a sweet voice.

“Sure,” he says, turning to go to ask for help.

Pulling my head back in the room I turn to look at the mirror. Looking at myself I could see how short I truly am. At five foot two I’m shorter than almost everyone else in my class. I have long caramel brown hair, a few freckles on the bridge of my nose and hazel eyes.

Just then, the assistant comes through the door. “Your brother says you need help?” She asks sweetly.

“Yes, please this dress buttons up in the back and I’m not going to able to do it myself,” I explain.

Grabbing the dress off the hanger, the assistant helps me step into the dress and then sets herself to buttoning up the back of the dress.

“Okay, sweetie, all done,” the shop assistant says.

Walking out of the changing room, I see that Steven is sitting back in the chair near the door talking on the phone. Spotting me coming from the room he says bye and hangs up.

“Did you forget to tell Michael you had this appointment? Because he called me asking why you weren’t answering your phone,” he tells me. “He also asked me to tell you that he is taking you to lunch.”

“Okay,” I reply. “So what do you think?” I ask with a twirl.

“It’s nice, but it doesn’t suit you. The style and color are all wrong,” Steven says.

“Well let’s try on the next one,” I reply.

After walking back into the dressing room with the assistant, she helps me out the cyan dress. Hanging on the hooks on the wall are two dresses, one a short spring green cap sleeve dress with sequins under the bust and the other is an ankle length peach colored strapless A-line with a sweetheart neckline.

“Which would you like to try on next?” asks the assistant.

“The peach colored one, please.” I reply.

“Sure, don’t look until it’s laced up,” she says, grabbing the dress down off the hook. Helping me step into the dress, the assistant steps behind me and starts lacing up the back of the dress.

Just as the assistant finishes lacing the dress up, we hear the bell above shop door go off and the sound of voices muffled by the door.

“Okay, all done, you can look now,” says the assistant.

I open my eyes and look at myself in the mirror.

“Can I try some jewelry on with it please?” I ask.

“Sure, I have just the things for you to wear with it,” replies the assistant, grabbing a crystal flower headband, as well as the matching necklace and earrings.

After putting on the jewelry, I walk out of the room to see a five foot eight tall boy with an athletic build, talking to Steven, turn around to look at me and I instantly recognize him as my boyfriend, Michael Jameson, and smile. The second he sees me, he becomes silent and his mouth drops.

“What? What’s wrong? Have I got something in my teeth?” I ask nervously and lick me teeth.

“No. No you look gorgeous.” Replies Michael.

“Here, try these on,” says the assistant, coming up to me with a pair of silver two inch heels and a peach colored clutch. “These should go with the dress perfectly.”

“Thank you,” I reply, taking the shoes and putting them on.

“So what do you think?” asks the shop assistant.

Moving in front of the mirror, I look at myself and am stunned by my reflection in the mirror. The dress is fitted in all the right places to emphasize my curves and the clutch and jewelry bring the whole thing together.

“I think it is perfect, thank you for helping me,” I reply. “Can I get these please?”

“Sure, I’ll just help you out of the dress first,” replies the assistant.

“Kayla, wait a minute please,” says Michael turning to the assistant, he asks, “can I talk to Kayla alone for a minute please?”

“Sure,” we both reply. Steven turns to the assistant and asks if she can help him pick out a tie.

“So what’s up? Why do you want to talk to me alone?” I ask, turning to Michael.

“I realized that though we may be together it doesn’t automatically mean that we are going to the formal together and that I still have to ask you. So on that note I was wondering if you would like to go to the formal with me?” he asks.

“Well of course I’ll go with you, I’ve been waiting for you to ask me for months now. So if you’re my formal date that means your suit will have to match my dress. So you better get an appointment.” I say.

“Okay, I’ll get an appointment while you’re getting changed.” He replies and turns to go to the assistant.

I turn and walk into the changing room, step out of the shoes and start taking off the jewelry and place them on the table. The assistant walks in and steps behind me to undo the lacings on the dress.

“You are so lucky, most girls have to come in for alterations on their dresses, but your one is the right fit. No alterations required,” says the assistant.

“Well that is great then,” I reply.

“There you go, all done; I’ll go ring these up at the register while you get dressed,” says the assistant.

“Okay, thank you,” I say as the shop assistant hangs the dress up, grabs it, walks out and I start getting dressed.

Once I finish getting dressed I walk out of the room and over to where Steven and Michael stand waiting for me.

“I asked about the appointment and she said she can fit me now,” says Michael.

“Okay, well I was looking at the suits earlier and I was thinking you would look best in black pants, white shirt, a peach colored vest and bow tie and a black tailored suit jacket,” I say, “What do you think?”

“I think that would be good.” Michael replies, giving me a peck on the lips.

Steven turns from talking to the shop assistant and sees the kiss. “Gross, must you pair do that where I can see it?” He asks.

Walking over to the suit section of the store, I poke my tongue at him and reply, “well don’t look then.” Grabbing a pair of black suit pants and a jacket off one of the racks I hand them to Michael.

“Steven, have you got your formal suit yet? This appointment isn’t just for me, remember?” I ask. “Your girlfriend’s formal is the same day as mine.”

“I’ve been looking, but I couldn’t decide.” He replies.

“Okay, well I can help you,” I say, giving Michael a peach colored vest and bow tie and a white suit shirt. “You go and try these on Michael, and I’ll help Steven pick his out.”

“Okay, I’ll be out in a minute to show you what it looks like.” Michael replies and goes to the male change rooms.

“Okay, so do you know what color dress she’s wearing?” I ask him.

“Yeah, Zoey said that her dress is a lilac color, whatever that is,” he replies.

“I know you have no idea about anything but basic colors. Lucky for you, I know a little something about colors,” I say while reaching up and grabbing a Lilac colored bow tie and a lilac colored neck tie. “And I want to see which of those suit you better and I’m thinking black pants, black shirt and lilac vest and white jacket and a black trim around the collar,” I tell him as I grab them down from the racks. “Now go try them on and show me what you look like, try it with the bow tie first.”

Steven goes to the second male dressing room just as Michael walks out of the first.

“Well someone looks handsome in that suit.” I say with a kiss. “It suits you and the colors will go well with my dress. Does it fit right?”

“I’m glad you like it. Yeah, it fits perfectly,” Michael says. “So did you find Steven something to try?”

“Yeah, he just went in to try it on now,” I tell him.

“Well I’m going to get out of this suit so that I don’t ruin it,” he says, turning and walking into the changing room.

Five seconds after Michael goes into the other room, Steven walks out dressed in the suit with the neck tie.

“So what do you think? Is it right?” Steven asks nervously.

“I think it is really nice. Zoey is going to like you in that suit. Does it fit right?” I tell him honestly.

“Yeah it fits right. Okay, so should we get it?” he asks.

“Go get changed and we’ll put it with my stuff to get since Mum did tell me to get them both today,” I tell him. “Did you forget mum gave me her credit card to get them? Also we have to go to the shoe store and get you some shoes and I need to get my nails done while we’re downtown.”

“Okay, well I’m going to get changed out of this suit, I’ll be back in a minute,” he tells me turning to go to the changing room.

After another minute, Michael walks out with the suit hanging on the hangers. “I’m going to go pay for these while we wait for Steven to finish up.”

“He is just getting changed, once he is done, I’ll pay and we can go get some lunch and then we have a couple more things to get for the formal. You and Steven both need shoes and Steven and I need to get our hair cut and I need my nails done.” I tell him. “I think you should get a haircut also and I need to get an appointment to get my hair and makeup done the day of the formal. So we have a busy day ahead of us.”

“So we have to do all this today?” he asks me. “Don’t we need appointments to get our hair cut?”

“Steven and I have an appointment already. I just need to call and see if they have one for you,” I tell Michael.

Just then, Steven walks out of the changing room. “Okay let’s pay for this and get on with the rest of the day. Kayla I can’t believe you waited until there was only a month left to get your dress.”

“Well I had to make sure I didn’t have the same dress as anyone else,” I tell him. “It would be a fashion disaster if I showed up with the same dress as anyone else and then you would hear about it for months.”

Heading to the counter with the boys suits, the assistant comes out from behind one of dress racks. “Have you found everything you need dears?”

“Yes, thank you,” the boys say.

“I think we got it all,” I say, looking at my checklist.

Kayla to be done:

Haircut appointment

Salon appointment (manicure, pedicure, eyebrow waxing, eyelash tinting)

Get formal ticket

Limo

Dress

Shoes

Jewelry

Appointment for makeup done on the day

Appointment for hair styling done on the day

Steven to be done:

Haircut appointment

Get formal ticket

Limo

Suit (Jacket, pants, vest, tie and shirt)

Flowers (Corsage, Boutonniere)

Shoes

Michael to be done:

Haircut appointment

Get formal ticket

Suit (Jacket, pants, vest, tie and shirt)

Flowers (Corsage, boutonniere)

Shoes

“Okay, yes, we have everything we need thank you,” I tell the lady.

“Okay, I’ll just ring this up and you’ll be ready to go. So who wants to go first?” The assistant asks.

“I will, please,” says Michael stepping forward with his suit.

Scanning the tags on the suit, “Okay, so that comes up 280 dollars. How would you like to pay today?” She asks. 

“Can I pay with card today, please? And it’ll be on credit,” he replies.

Once Michael finishes paying, I step forward a put the suit on the counter next to the dress and jewelry that the assistant has already set on the counter.

“I’m getting the dress and stuff with it along with this suit, please,” I tell the assistant.

“Okay, I can do that for you,” says the assistant scanning the items. “Okay your total is 900 dollars. How would you like to pay today?”

“On card, please,” I tell the assistant passing her the credit card.

Once everything is paid for, we take it all out to the car and lock it in the car. Once it’s all locked in the car, we walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

This is the first time I have written a story and I hope you all enjoy and any feedback would be welcome.