“I think you should really go with this blue one” Jae said for the nth time. He sat on one of the white velvet cushion couches of the room while Emily stood on a platform.
She had her back against Jae, checking the different angles the mirrors provided. She ransacked the new tulle gowns of the store. She found them quite unique compared to most evening gowns people wore.
Not to mention, how youthful their aurae gave.
She had two dresses in mind.
The one she currently wore was a deep blue chiffon that covered her from her shoulders down to her feet. The neckline had been cut into a princess-scoop. The tulle of the same color had been cut and stitched around the shoulder area that ruffled with slight movements, covering her upper arms. The tulle had applique lace flower petals stitched onto it. The designer also covered the bodice with the same cloth in order to blend it with the A-line skirt.
“I think this one makes me look old,” Emily replied. She couldn’t put her finger on it as to why. Most of her fashion decisions so far had been instinctive rather than logical. She could work on the latter when she reached college.
“I think it makes you look like a fairy tale character” Jae argued. He meant it. The girl in front of him seemed to have jumped out of a story book, “Add a bit of wings and you look like a fairy.”
“A blue fairy?”
“A sky fairy.”
Emily crossed her arms over her chest and took one last glance, “I’m trying the other one.”
She stepped down the platform to grab the other dress when an attendant came by, escorting two new customers.
“Wow, you look like Cinderella” Alex said as soon as she saw her cousin. The evening gown did remind her of the Disney live-action remake. Emily also had blonde hair which only emphasized the resemblance.
Emily groaned, “All the more reason to reject this dress.”
“Why?” Jae cut in. His eyebrows scrunched at the blonde sky fairy.
“That’s for me to know and for you to never hear from me” she answered, already taking the other dress from a rack. She stepped back on the platform and closed the curtains.
Alex walked over to the other couch in the room, Logan hot on her heels. She raised her eyebrows when she saw that it had shopping bags.
“What are these bags?” She asked, peeking inside. She spotted several blouses, two bottoms and a pair of shoes. In one bag, it had a smaller one with a chocolate bar in it.
“Oh, they’re clothes I picked out for you to wear this weekend” Emily yelled from behind the curtains.
Jae cleared his throat.
“Alright, fine. Jae picked some of them” she rolled her eyes, even if no one could see.
“You already shopped?”
Alex put away the bags to clear up the seat. They didn’t need to be on a chair. They didn’t have legs that could get tired. The place had a fluffy carpeted flooring anyway. It wouldn’t get dirty easily.
“We had time and nothing better to do,” her cousin explained. Jae chose not to speak up. The reason had been because he drove too fast for Emily’s liking. For that, she claimed that he needed to let her decide on what they’d do while waiting for the appointment time. All of her first choices had seemed too girly for him—things he didn’t think Alex would wear. He kept complaining about her choices much to her dismay.
“Well, I’ll go check on a dress while you change,” Alex said, gesturing for Logan to sit, “Just call me when you’re ready for a reveal.”
“You got it!”
The Parker brothers waited on their respective benches. Alex had gone out of the room to search for a dress while Emily took her time changing.
“Hey, man” Logan cleared this throat. He rested his arms on his thighs, twiddling with his fingers, “I haven’t been able to say it but thank you.”
Jae raised both of his eyebrows and snapped his head towards his brother, “For what exactly?”
“For what you did for Alex.”
“You mean back at the restaurant?” Jae cocked his head.
“Yeah, if you hadn’t been there, Alex might have been able to stay in Woodlands longer” his brother kept his eyes on the floor, his voice softened as he spoke, “I’m not sure how much of the situation you know but I can tell you that what you did meant a lot to Alex.”
“And to you?”
“Well, yeah” Logan’s face winced between a smile and pained expression, “Who wouldn’t be grateful for the chance to be around their best friend more?’
Jae hid a smile. He never thought that Alex’s situation would be the one to lessen the gap between him and his brother. They’re probably still not that close since Logan didn’t say his real feelings out loud.
Then, Jae wondered how aware was he about them? It wasn’t like Logan was the smartest kid on the block when it came to his EQ.
“Alright, I’m ready!” A shout interrupted the brotherly session.
Emily’s hands popped out between the curtains. Slowly, she spread her arms wide, dramatically opening them just enough to reveal her dress.
The chiffon skirt of this ivory gown had a tiny bit more poof than the previous one. Below her knees, it had flower embroidery cascading around the skirt. The satin bodice had intricate black stitching that framed her waist and her chest, sporting a sweetheart neckline. Its sleeves wrapped around her upper arm, leaving her shoulders bare.
“I… I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this dress” Emily gushed. She placed both of her hands on her chest. Her blue eyes twinkled like shooting stars, “This is the one no matter what you guys say.”
An instant frown appeared on Jae’s lips. His eyes zeroed in on the girl’s exposed skin. Wasn’t she supposed to be 16? Why did she dress up like she’s already in her 20s?
“Oh, this one is nice” Alex piped in. Logan glanced over his shoulder. She carried a paper bag with her, placing it next to the other ones then, took a seat next to Logan. She placed an ankle on her knee and crossed her arms over her chest, “It adds to your youthful glow?”
What youthful glow? Jae huffed in his mind.
Emily squealed excitedly, “You should see the back!”
Oh, great. More bare skin.
Emily shifted her feet, taking her time to show the backside of the dress. Where her upper back should be exposed was a big bow with laces that reached all the way to the floor—as if her sleeves had been tied together.
Alex chuckled, “Now, I get it.”
“It has some flair” Logan nodded beside her, “It’s a very Emily dress.”
If Jae could be drawn to an anime, he’d have a visible tick right below his right eye. His two companions did not help his case.
“I like that” Emily twirled back around and pointed at Logan, “A dress only Emily can pull off.”
“I take it we’re satisfied with this one, Ms. Greenwood?” The attendant asked from the doorway.
“Absolutely!”
“What does the boyfriend think?” she smiled, nodding her head at the blonde boy with the look of disdain on his face.
===
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