I managed to take down Isaac with every move, his body is sore and full of bruises. I leave the building with Al giving Isaac tips on how to fight. I look at the ground as I walk until something touches my shoulder and I quickly throw my arm but hit nothing, since they ducked. "Woah, it's just me." Clint says, rising to his normal height.
"Don't scare me like that." I say taking a deep breath. "What are you doing here?"
"To get you, remember you're going dress shopping." Clint responds raising his eyebrows.
"Oh," I groan. "right, sorry I forgot."
"It's good, that's why I'm here. Now, let's go shopping." He said holding his arm out to follow. "What's your favorite color?"
"I don't know, never had the time to think about it." I say walking with him, hearing my foot crunch over the fallen leaves.
"Well, you will know today. The guys said they would meet us there." As I walk behind him I almost stumble, but Clint catches my arm. "Did Al tire you out?"
"No, I'm used to fighting and training, but I didn't sleep good last night." I rub my eyes as I yawn. "Just too focused on the attack and dealing with Isaac."
"Hey, don't worry about that. You have your new friends and your brother to back you up."
"Speaking of my brother, where is he? I figured me and him would have training together."
"He had it earlier, don't worry you'll get to see him at the shop." Clint says as we walk into an area with buildings everywhere; it is like a small town. "Who is older? You or Jay?"
"Jay, he's a year older." I respond as we stop in front of a shop with dresses in the window. "Clint, can you kill me?"
"Never, at least not until I see you in a dress." He says smiling putting his hand behind my back and slightly pushing me in the store. I stumble in to see the guys sitting in comfortable pink chairs. Jay looks around and smiles at me, but I give a stern look.
"I've never worn a dress." I say quietly to Clint, but everybody could hear me since there was no one in the store except for us.
I hear a loud screech from behind the dresses hanging up. Her brown hair is tied back in a bun, she is wearing a pink dress, and she had wrinkles under her eyes, but her style tried to make her look young. "Rose Moore. Oh my, Rose Moore is in my shop. Maybe that will teach that sniveling bi..."
"Um, excuse me." Clint interrupts her, I was lost at words from her excitement. "Let's not overwhelm her." He put his arm in front of me as he steps in front of me.
"Right, I'm Miss. Beatrice, let's get started. I think your color is pink." She says smiling but I hear Jay laugh. "What? Did I say something?"
"Her color is not pink." Jay says sitting up. "More like black."
"See, yeah, my brother knows me so well." I said crossing my arms.
"No, no, no. No black for this party. Jay what color is your tux?" She asks walking towards him delicately.
"Black." Jay responds sarcastically but confused at the same time.
"Very funny, but aren't you taken your sister to the dance?" She asks, and I then burst out laughing.
"No!" Jay calls out laughing along with me.
"I'll take her and it's a normal tux." Clint says smiling, walking up next to me.
"Excellent. Come Rose, I have a line of dresses for you." She says dragging my arm and I stare at the guys laughing until they see me looking.
"Are they pink?"
"I will create a line of dresses for you." She then corrects.
I go into a dressing room, which is a huge room, still pink. Miss. Beatrice wasn't lying about a line of dresses, there is literally a line that has dresses on them being brought into the dressing room. I look at all the dresses and take a deep breath and began taking my clothes off to try on the first dress. The dress is blue with silver sparkles everywhere, I walk out the room and I see Jay shaking his head.
"Too sparkly." Lonnie comments, shaking his head in disgust.
I quickly turn around with my face red and try on the next dress, then the next one, and the next one. Miss. Beatrice wasn't going to give up with the pink because she put a pink dress on the line; I immediately gave it back to her without trying it on. I finally reach a strapless purple lace dress with a fishtail hem and a flower at the top corner. I slip it on and zip the back up as far as I could. I walk out, and everyone just stares at me astonished, their look is unclear, and I feel that they don't like it and I turned around heading back but Kyle stops me by putting his hand on my shoulder. "We like it." He then says sincere.
Clint then walks up and lets my hair down and ruffles it up, "There you go."
"Alright, this is the one. Can I get out of it now?" I ask, walking forward.
"What shoes would you like to wear?" Miss. Beatrice asks smiling uncomfortably, obviously not happy with the dress color.
"My boots." I respond honestly. She nods and I go back to the dressing room and realize that I can't unzip it; it gets stuck as I try to zip the zipper down. "I need some help." I call out, grunting.
"I got you." Clint then says appearing past the curtain. His hand slowly goes down my back as he unzips it which makes me have butterflies in my stomach. As he reaches the bottom, he stops before it reaches my butt, I put my hand across the breast of the dress and turned around to see his eyes closed. "Thanks." I say quietly.
"You look very beautiful, especially in the dress." He then walks out, and I can't help but blush a little. Did Clint just say I was beautiful, without the dress? I then get back into my clothes and give the dress to Miss. Beatrice.
"How much?" I ask, pulling my wallet out of my gym bag.
"Oh, don't worry. It's my gift to you, since you are a Moore." She says still smiling uncomfortably.
"No, I don't want to be treated any different because of who my parents are." I say opening my wallet, but she grabs my hand and drags me close; I frown at her and look deep into her eyes, her grip is strong around my wrist.
"I insist. I want you to look your very best tomorrow without going into bankrupt all because of some dress." Her voice is uneasy, and it only makes me curious as to why she is being so demanding. "Just have fun at the dance."
I walk backwards, still staring at her, but Jay grabs my arm and walked me out. "Well, I took a picture." He says letting go of my arm.
"What?" I ask, snappign back to reality. "A picture? Of what?"
"You in your dress. I was going to send it to Mom." He says shaky, nervous.
"No, Jay, listen I know that it is hard for you since I don't get along with them, but I can't help it. Sending them that picture would mean them coming back to put us back in hell, I mean homeschool." I say, walking off, but accidentaly bumping into someone, Al.
"Woah, sorry. Oh, Rose, then I am definitely sorry." Al comments smiling. "Where are you coming from?"
"I was dress shopping for the dance." I say quietly because I don't know how to act around him.
"Do you have a date?" He asked raising; I know just exactly what he is applying.
"Um, Clint is going to take me." I say in a sorrowful voice. His face drops, almost disappointed.
"That sounds great, I will be chaperoning so if there is any trouble then just let me know." He says putting his hand on my shoulder and walking off. I stand there for a minute, just breathing, closing my eyes.
"Hey, you okay?" Kyle asks, walking beside me.
"I'm fine, I just feel like I'm being suffocated." I say then walk off again. As I'm walking I see a shop with canvas' in the window and pretty landscape pictures painted on them. I walk in the store to see my every art tool I always wished to have; I go to the drawing aisle, where there is sketchbooks, pencils, sharpeners, and erasers. I quickly grab one of each and put them on the register, "How much?" I ask smiling pulling my wallet out.
"Eleven-ninety-five." An older man says turning around from restocking the shelves. "Oh, Rose Moore, it is so good to finally meet you. I'm Mr. Briar." He holds his hand out for me to shake and I do.
"You are the first person I've met to not freak out." I say handing him the money.
"Well, I know you and your brother must be overwhelmed," He says putting the money in the register, then the rest come in. "Besides, I would let you have this for free, but I need all I can get to keep the store afloat. Nobody draws, now a day." I then open my wallet and hand him a hundred-dollar bill. "No, I couldn't."
"I insist. Besides I want this store afloat too, I need to get my art supplies somewhere." I say smiling and he takes it smiling also. "Have a good day." I say walking out with my bag.
"Hey, uh, Rose, you wouldn't mind helping a friend out, would you?" James asks putting his arm around me as we go outside, referring to the memory.
"I only help those who are in need."
"She is like the female Robin Hood." Lonnie scoffs.