Stuck with the Bad Boy | ✔️

2. Toast

After about a fifteen-minute drive the mall came into view. It was a large brown building with about a hundred stores. As you already know, I'm far from excited to be here, but at least I might be able to go into some of the stores I like. Call me emo if you want but my favorites include Hot Topic and Spencer's. Oh and the bubble tea place. Not really a store but how could I leave that place out of the list?

We walked and talked a bit before one of Emily's dress store destinations came into view. She just gave me a grin before dragging me in.

Dresses, sequins, lace, it's all too much for a little ole typical grunge girl like me (not to be cringe or anything but.. you know what nevermind, I'm just making it worse).

Emily led me through the ranks to the back and begin her search through the items. Eventually, she handed me a short red strapless dress with sparkles and sequins. It would barely cover my butt, not that that's a huge issue for me actually but with the personality, I put on, this would not be okay. "Try this on for size!" She exclaims.

"Umm... No thanks, Em... I'll stick to the longer more dresses..." I gave a look of slight disgust.

"Fine, but you're not getting away with some Sunday school looking dress. This is a party, after all, you can't go looking like Mother Mary in some plain old dress. I won't have my best friend looking like that." That's my Emily, shallow on looks as ever. I just laughed.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of putting you through such horrors," I said sarcastically.

We left that store a few minutes later, unsuccessful in our dress search. As Emily looks for the next store, the Bubble Tea place comes into view.

"You want tea?" I ask her with a grin.

"Always!" She skips ahead like a child.

We waited in line not so patiently. Once to the front, we both ordered fruity flavored Boba tea. I guess this makes suffering through the dresses worth it. I love this stuff. So expensive, but so good.

I took a sip before speaking, "Where to now?"

"I was thinking Charlotte Russe. They seem to have more dull dresses and I doubt you'll be willing to wear anything but dull stuff." She says.

"Somehow, that feels slightly like an insult." I scowled at her.

"If you want to take it that way, feel free."

I just stuck my tongue out at her.

We entered the store soon after and while Emily went for the expensive stuff on the mannequins, I walked to the clearance sign. I can't afford to be spending that much money on a dress, it would be insane to pay full price when there are perfectly good clearance dresses. Not to mention, garage sales exist. I don't even see the point in malls.

I slid two yellow sundresses out of the way before I saw it. I found a black dress with one strap without any shiny objects on it aside from a few crystal looking items. Instead of a strap on the other side, it was a long sleeve that hung loose with a tighter band at the bottom. It had little openings on the sleeve where you could see skin through. I liked that it was tight but it wouldn't be so revealing as for people to question whether or not I really wanted to conceal myself. The back was low cut to show off my tanned skin. I hate dresses, but I can't say I hate this one.

I took it off the rack and it wasn't in my size. I felt my happiness deflate like a child's balloon caught in a thorn tree. I slowly slid it back on. As I did so, a sweet girl with blonde hair walked up, "Oh that would look lovely on you!"

"Well, thank you," I began, "but it's not my size." I gave a small smile at her compliment.

"I actually took one to the dressing room to try on but it didn't fit. It was too big for me. What size are you?"