Wings of Fire: Jade High School

It's Perfect!

Moon

"This is heaven!" Kinkajou said, beaming as she ran her hands along a rack of fancy dresses, some with lace, some with glittering sequins, and others made from flowing silk. The small boutique nestled into the corner of the mall was perfect for any occasion, and the winter formal was practically screaming for something amazing to wear.

"Maybe for you," she heard Moon from behind her, eyeing the dresses with uncertainty. "This is one of the most intimidating places I've even been." Kinkajou raised an eyebrow, and Moon shrugged. "It's not really my thing."

"Well, that's why I'm here! And Peril should be coming soon, although I think she's about as clueless as you are. I'm sure she'll pick pale pink. Can you imagine? With her hair?" Moon nodded along to Kinkajou's rambling, even though she had no idea what she meant. "Well, I think Peril is running a little late, so let's get started," Kinkajou said, already pulling some dresses off the racks.

She held up an emerald green dress, the shiny fabric glittering in the bright lights. Moon's eyes widened when she saw the plunging neckline. "Kinkajou, no. Could you even see me wearing that?"
Her friend giggled. "Never. But we can still try it on for fun!" She placed it in Moon's arms before grabbing a few other dresses for herself. They walked through the path of racks, and by the time they were done they both had huge stacks of dresses in their arms.

"I'm here, I'm here! Sorry I'm late!" The voice cut through the store and Peril caught up with them through the maze of clothing. Her red hair was tied up in a messy bun piled onto her head and her outfit was a little disheveled, but the circles under her eyes were noticeably smaller than a few weeks ago.

"Hey Peril!" Moon waved from behind her stack of clothes. Peril waved back, her eyes darting around the room with the same confusion Moon had when she walked in.

"This is... a lot," Peril said, gripping her purse tighter. "Ruby tried to give me some advice before I came, but it all went over my head." There was a fondness in her voice though, and it made Moon glad to know that staying with her older sister sounded like it was working out.

"No need to fear!" Kinkajou said, wrapping her arm around Peril. "Moon, are you good to go try on a few while I find some dresses for Peril?" she asked.

Moon nodded, grateful to slip away to the dressing rooms. They were all empty when she got there, so she took the one farthest in the corner. Hanging the dresses on the door, her eyes were instantly drawn to the green dress from earlier, and she couldn't help but try it on. She slipped into it, struggling to zip it up before turning to look at herself in the mirror.

Moon frowned, eyeing herself up and down. The dress was pretty, and the smooth fabric felt nice against her skin, but the neckline was still troubling. She'd always had a childish figure, and the dress just accentuated everything she didn't have. Moon quickly slipped it off, opting for a brilliant red dress instead. That wasn't the one either. Again and again, the dresses just weren't working, and she had started to give up before noticing the last dress hanging on the door.

Tentatively, she slipped it on, and once she had clasped it in the back, she looked in the mirror and gasped, a slow smile spreading across her face. The dress was a rich navy and the bottom looked like it had been dipped in silver, that color spreading up the dress before fizzling out into nothing, the small specks twinkling like stars. Moon fussed with her hair, using her hands to hold it up then down, trying to see what would look the best.

The knock at the door made her jump and she quickly turned around to try and peep through the crack.

"Moon?" Kinkajou's voice called from the other side of the door. Moon relaxed her shoulders and undid the lock.

"What do you think?" Moon asked, laughing nervously and fiddling with the hem of the dress.

"Oh, Moon... I love it! It's perfect!" Kinkajou squealed, pulling her in for a hug. "Now you and Winter can match!"

Moon's face started to burn and she wished there was a way to hide her blush. "What?" she asked, and Kinkajou's face went slack.

"Shoot," she said under her breath. "I just meant... like... you know." She shrugged helplessly.

"No, Kinkajou, I don't know. What are you talking about?"

Kinkajou turned to the sound of another door, where Peril was stepping out in a new dress. "Oh, look! Let's go see!"

Moon sighed, dropping the conversation as she followed her, but her thoughts were a bundled mess. Is Winter going to ask me to be his date? She thought as she sat down in one of the worn dressing room chairs. It didn't help her self-esteem when Peril stepped out in that same green dress, which effortlessly complimented her curves, the color also bringing out her hair. Kinkajou's dress was just as perfect, a cut shade of pale pink with a flattering sweetheart neckline.

But Moon couldn't focus on any of the dresses, and as they checked out, she could only think about how the dress would look as she twirled around the dancefloor in Winter's arms.

Author's Note

Woah... I updated less than a month apart. This is crazy! I've been so bored... all my activities for this year are ending so I've had nothing to do.

Hope you enjoyed!