Carmen blinked once, then twice as she stared into the huge department. Rows after rows of pretty dresses greeted her wandering gaze. Mannequins posed, modelling crazy new fashionable frocks. A single, harried-looking attendant tried to placate an irritated customer brandishing a small white tank top. She looked at Dylan worriedly, but he just smirked back.
“My cousin works here. It’s like, girl paradise or something, heh.” He looked distastefully at a short polka dotted number. “I used to get myself lost in those dress racks.”
Carmen was only half-listening, though. Her wandering eyes had fallen on a loose little sweater dress hanging dolefully amongst a bunch of brightly colored skirts. The white wool did nothing to camouflage itself amongst the other flamboyantly colored dresses.
“This is a cool place,” she said to Dylan, still staring at the sweater dress. “What’s this place called?”
Dylan smirked. “Stella McCartney. Not like your typical Forever 21, eh?”
Carmen gasped. “Dylan, you can’t afford all this!”
Actually, I can,” Dylan informed her. “My gran is loaded. It’s guilt money, you know. She can’t see me as much as she wants too.”
“How much did she send?”
So Dylan told her.
Carmen’s baby blues widened. “Your gran is nuts.”
Dylan batted his eyelashes in his usual gay way. “I take after her, no?”
Carmen smiled and reached towards the white sweater dress. It looked even nicer up close.
“Ah,” Dylan said, spotting the white garment. “Lena would create.”
Carmen rolled her eyes and held it up. “What do you think?”
Dylan considered. “Not bad. You just need the matching accessories.” He wandered off to find them.
Carmen ducked into the dressing area. She quickly took off the white hoodie and jeans she had on and slipped into the white sweater dress. Then, afraid that she might chicken out if she saw herself in the full length mirror, she quickly scooted out from the cubicle and called for Dylan.
“Here,” he said, reappearing suddenly. He deposited a gold bangle and a pair of black skinny jeans into her hands. Try them with the dress. It’ll look awesome together. Oh.” His eyes widened. “I don’t think white’s your colour.”
Carmen sighed. “White doesn’t clash with my hair, Dylan.”
“No, but it clashes with your skin,” Dylan pointed out. “You’re too pale, yes?”
Carmen sighed again. “So what colour do you suggest?”
Dylan opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a commotion coming from the cubicle opposite Carmen’s.
Clarissa Johnson was wearing the exact same dress as Carmen and was now surveying herself in front of the mirror, surrounded by her usual giggling posse of girls, all long limbed and gorgeous and over achievers like her. Carmen blinked once and then again. Her eyes jealously followed the thick waves of black hair that flowed elegantly down Clarissa’s back, totally straight, no kinks at all.
“This dress is so you!” one of the Clarissa Clones squealed.
“It is, isn’t it?” Clarissa smiled at her reflection, and Carmen bit back a reflexive urge to gag. Although a very intelligent person, she was certainly not articulate.
However, Carmen could see even with her inexperienced eyes that Clarissa really did looked wonderful in the dress. Her golden legs seemed to stretched for miles below the hem of the dress, and the material clung rather tenaciously to her curves. She could feel Dylan’s sympathetic gaze on her, and it was way more than she could bear.
She locked herself back into the cubicle and pulled on her home clothes, then stuffed the sweater dress in the trash bin provided inside the dressing room.
Face it, she told her reflection, smoothing her brilliant hair behind her ears. A leopard can’t change its spots. And you can’t change your looks by trying to dress like Clarissa.
She took a deep breath and stepped outside.
Dylan was waiting for her, looking distinctly baffled. “Carmen, what’s going on? Don’t you want to try out another outfit?” he demanded.
Carmen flashed him a grin. “Gimme a sec, Dyl.”
She seized the skinny jeans and gold bangle, then flitted to Clarissa’s side and held them out to her.
“Here, Clarissa,” Carmen said to the surprised girl. “I think this will go well with your dress.”
Clarissa looked startled, but smiled.
“Thanks Carmen! They are exactly what I was looking for! You’ve got excellent taste!”
Dylan cleared his throat loudly, but none of them seemed to have heard him. Carmen forced a smile at her. “You’re welcome. See you at school.”
And she grabbed Dylan’ and stormed out of the store.
If you can't tell, Yoomi wrote it
Yoomi♥
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