Growing up Socially Awkward

Ch. Eight - Part 29

 "Are you sure you don't want to come?" Keeley asked Ann. "Girl, this is your first date, like, ever. Im not coming," Ann replied a hint of sass in her tone. They were walking around a thrift clothing store, flipping through the 'dress' aisle. Ann lifted an extra tiny high-cut dress from the rack. "Is this a dress or a shirt?" she chuckled. Keeley giggled in response, then Ann placed it in another spot on the rack and continued shifting through the row. "What exactly are you picturing; for your dress, I mean," Ann asked Keeley. "Owen said semi-formal, so maybe something short and a jean jacket," Keeley responded. Ann lifted a mid-lengthed light blue dress from the rack with spaghetti straps and a v-cut neckline. Dark blue flowers were scattered around its surface.

"How about this?" Ann asked as she walked with the dress toward Keeley. Keeley rested the bottom of the dress on her palm and examined it. "Do you think it'll be too revealing?" Keeley questioned. Ann huffed in response. "It's just the right amount of revealing!" she assured. Ann shoved the dress into Keeley's chest. "At least try it on," Ann demanded, pushing Keeley toward the dressing rooms. The largest room was at the end of the hall. A metal number '12' hung on the front of the door. "Can we have 12, please?"

Ann asked a tired-looking girl behind the counter. She looked college-age, probably a couple of years older than Ann and Keeley. The girl grunted quietly and stood up from the stool she was sitting on. She grabbed a ring of keys from a small hook on the wall behind her. Ann and Keeley followed her down the hall to room 12 and watched her unlock it. The girl turned sleepily to them. "Y'all have under ten items, right?" she asked; Keeley held up the single dress, and Ann's hands were empty. The girl nodded blankly and staggered back to her stool. Ann snickered quietly toward Keeley, and she grinned in return. They both went into the dressing room together. Keeley unzipped her jacket, had a cropped tank top underneath, and wore pink sweatpants. She slipped the dress over her head and tugged the end over her sweatpants. The dress was tight around her middle and rippled on her hips, creating a balance of shape. Ann clapped her hands together. "It's so cute! If you imagine it without the sweatpants, of course," she cheered. Keeley stood silently, staring at herself in the mirror, lightly adjusting the dress and plucking bits of fuzz from it. She grinned at herself in the mirror. "I like it..." she said softly. Ann's smile brightened. "Awww!" she squealed. "Look at my girl growing up!" she wrapped her arms around Keeley from the side and hugged her.