CAGED ✔

《 Chapter 13 》

I sat carefully on her bed watching her. To my greatest surprise, she unzipped her skirt and pulled it down. I turned away quickly. I had never beheld the nakedness of anyone.

"How do I look?" Iyanu questioned after some minutes. I turned to look at her. She looked so beautiful with the gown clinging to her lithe figure.

Unlike mine, her gown was fitted and exactly her size. I loved the ribbon sown on the gown. It was just like the dresses my grandma took away from me; dresses my mother purchased for me.

"You look very beautiful, Iyanu. The dress is so beautiful. I like it." I replied truthfully and she smiled.

She walked to her dressing mirror and stood by it,  assessing her figure on the mirror.

"It looks a little big on me. Don't you think so?"

I almost laughed as I stared at her. If something fitted as this was big for her, I wonder what she'd say about my dress.

"It is perfect for you," I told her.

"You think so?"

"Yes, I do."

"Thank you." Iyanu turned away from the mirror and stood before me.

"What are you wearing? Can I see it?"

"It's nothing special. "

"Mmmm. . .I want to see it. When people say their dress is nothing special,  then it's really to die for."

"Not mine. It's really nothing special compared to yours."

"Let me still see it." She insisted.

I sighed as I got up to pick my bag which was lying by the bed. I wasn't used to showing people my clothes or checking out outfits. I simply wore what grandma picked.  I pulled my gown out of my bag and handed t over to her.

"Put it on. The beauty of a dress is seen when it is worn." Iyanu smiled at me, obviously pleased by what she had said.

I sighed heavily. How was I going to dress up with her in the room? I needed a secluded area to put on my dress.

"Could I use your bathroom?" I asked timidly.

Iyanu looked amused but she nodded anyway so I clumsily walked into the bathroom with my dress in my hand. I pulled my clothes off and wore the dress my grandma chose for me.

I walked out of the bathroom after mustering the courage to come out. Seeing Iyanu's dress made me ashamed of mine.

"What in heaven's name is this?" Iyanu fell into fits of giggles. "Don't tell me you're wearing that to the engagement party?"

I felt like melting as I stood fiddling with my fingers.

"Isn't this your grandmother's dress?" She laughed again. "It's so big, like a tarpaulin. You look like you've been thrown into a big sack."

People laughing about my attire wasn't new to me. Grandma bought nothing but oversized clothes for me — my uniform included; it had always been a source of amusement to my classmates.

Grandma had requested for a uniform twice my size: my skirt was almost touching my feet and my shirt was so long, I had to fold it. My wardrobe was filled with oversized clothes of various sort.

I looked funny and I knew it. It was only a  wish to have clothes my size. Once, my mother came visiting with a bag of beautiful clothes and shoes for me. I had been very glad and had expressed my gratitude only for grandma to seize them when my mother left with the guise that those clothes were for sleazes and whores.