No More Mistakes

Chapter 18

"What about this one? It's your colour." Tanya told Alice as she showed her the blue gown in the fashion magazine she was flicking through.

Finals were finally out of the way and Junior prom was around the corner, the monumental end to a crazy year. Normally, prom wasn't Alice's style. She was usually more content with a few beers at the Whyte Wyrm with FP and friends but after the academic year she had had, a night to let loose was well needed. If only she the money to afford the perfect night.

"Yeah but the price tag is a little too green." She sighed as she flicked through the magazine in her hands.

Tanya sighed and placed the magazine down. "You've pretty much said that about every dress we've looked at."

"Well none of them are in my price range. In case you've forgotten I've got a kid to feed and checks and shitty tips from weekend shifts at the Wyrm don't exactly stretch far."

"I'm starting to think you don't even want to go to your prom. I would've killed to go to mine." Tanya revealed

"Yeah well maybe you shouldn't have broke that girls nose and you wouldn't have been banned from it." Alice jokes. "Besides, it's not that I don't want to go, I just want the night to be perfect and I can barely afford a damn corsage." She explains sadly.

Suddenly, a wave of realisation hits her and she begins to panic uncontrollably. "Who am I even kidding? What am I gonna do? Turn up in my underwear? I don't even know if senior will be available to baby sit that night. I haven't thought any of this through! Fuck it! I'm just not going." She huffed after she finished her rant.

"Okay Al, calm down. After the year you've had, you deserve to let loose for a night and be a teenager, even if it is a shitty booze free high school prom." Tanya jokes

"Oh, I'm sure FP had a plan for that booze ban anyway." Alice reveals. "But you're right I guess, I shouldn't let money get in the way of my junior prom."

"And I'll baby sit Charlie if you need it." She kindly offered. "Now get your shoes back on." Tanya told her as she rose from the couch.

Alice put the magazine down and furrowed her brow. "Wait, why?"

"Because we're going shopping, I'm sure we can find you an outfit at the mall." Tanya finished as she gathered her things and reached for her brother's car keys on the mantel.

Alice reached for her boots and buckled them on. "Did you forget I was broke? The only thing I can afford there are socks, a plain pair." She expressed.

Tanya turned back around to her friend as she stood at the door. "Honey, who said anything about paying?" She rhetorically asked as a sneaky smirk donned her face.

Alice smirked back, knowing exactly what she was implying. Lifting, as they called it, had been a regular hobby of theirs since they were pre teens. She bit her lips as she followed Tanya out the door and towards the car.

Meanwhile on the other side of town, operation get payback on Mantle was in full swing. FP had Charlie for the day, he had insisted Alice go over to Tanya's to hang out while he took Charlie over to Fred to "catch up", really, he just didn't want her to know what he was up to.

He arrived onto Elm Street, with Charlie tightly secured against him in a baby sling wrap that Alice had insisted they needed.

"Shall we see what Uncle Fred is up to today? See if he can help us get revenge on that stupid rich prick who said all that awful stuff about Mommy?" He cooed to the infant before knocking on the door.

He heard Fred yell out to his mother that had it from the other side. "Hey. What's that?" Fred questioned as he pointed at the sling against FP's chest.

"It's a sling for babies." FP answered him. Fred moved out of the way to let him in.

"So what's up?" Fred asked leaning back into his couch.

"Mantle's what's up." He expressed as he sat down in the seat opposite him.

"Oh God, you were serious about that? I thought you'd let it go by now." Fred sighed as he ran his hands down his face.

"Well you thought wrong. I need your brothers jack."

"No way, I will not allow my brother to be an accessory to your crime, or prank, whatever you have planned." Fred explained

"Oh come on! I need your help. I'd do it if it was you." FP pleaded. Charlie began to gurgle in his arms and he tried to calm him down by rubbing his back.

"See? Even Charlie thinks you're being stupid. Don't you? Your Daddy is being stupid isn't he?" He cooed at the baby.

"Besides you said it's better to get my aggression out on Mantle without violence right?" FP explained.

Fred furrowed his brows at FP and twisted his mouth. "Uhm, I never said that."

"Yeah you did, just not in those words." FP answered back.

"No, what I meant was Mantle's not worth it and to ignore him." Fred explained.

"Well if that's what you meant, then you need to be more careful with your words, and be better at explaining things." FP joked.

They were both interrupted by Fred's mother entering the living room carrying a tray with lemonade and cookies.

"Here you go boys. I'd thought I'd leave these before I go to the store, figured you'd be hungry." She says kindly as she lays the tray down on the coffee table.

"Yeah, he's always hungry." Fred joked as he reached for a cookie and then shoved it into his mouth, earning an unimpressed look from FP.

"So what are you two up to today?" She asks as she puts her coat on.

"We were just gonna go hang out for a bit, maybe go to a friends house." FP answered with a sneaky smile on his face.

"Oh which friend?" Mrs Andrews asked, oblivious to what the boys had planned. Fred narrowed his eyes over at FP before glaring back at his mother.

"Marty Mantle, he lives up in Wilcott, has a TV in his room and everything." FP expressed with faux excitement.

Fred immediately interrupted their exchange as he didn't want FP revealing too much to his mother. "Mom, you should get to the store before it closes, we're out of washing detergent by the way."

"Okay, okay, I get it. You boys want to be left alone. Well I'll see you later. And FP tell Alice I said hello." She smiled before walking out of the door.

"Will do Mrs Andrews!" FP waved off as she left. Once she did, Fred stretched his leg out and kicked FP's ankle.

"Ow, what was that for?!" He said as he rubbed his injured foot.

"You know what for jackass. I don't need my Mom knowing anything about your revenge of the nerds plot against Mantle." Fred almost yelled. "What were you gonna do anyway?"

"Follow me out to your garage and you'll find out." FP smirked as he rose up from the couch. With Fred reluctantly following him outside.