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"Yes I understand." June March was standing in front of her vanity, her phone sitting on speaker as she fixed her makeup. She was in the middle of putting on lip gloss, the girl rubbing her lips together to spread it.

"Well you've got to understand that he's just confused." John B was on the other end of the line, the boy advocating on behalf of his best friend of course. June had regretted answering the phone call, immediately being reminded of the kiss that had happened the night before. It had been an exhausting day, the girl going to her first day of summer school and taking that dreaded test. Unfortunately her mind had been crowded by thoughts and images of a certain blonde that seemed to always inhabit her mind, so she wasn't sure if she had passed or not. She wasn't too confident. Every time she tried to refocus on the test she remembered the feeling that blossomed in her chest when he kissed her, and how quickly it had snapped away, and how angry she had been when he had done it. Who did he think he was? Why could he still not understand? Why couldn't she stop thinking about it?

"Well I'm confused too."

"Good confused or bad confused?" June let out a groan at John Bs question, her finger swiping at the edge of her lips as she shook her head. She ran her hairbrush through he hair again and it bounced back beautifully, the girl looking in the mirror and trying to see past how ridiculously tired she was. She had spent the better part of the entire night up thinking, asking herself what had irked her so terribly about him kissing her.

"I'm hanging up on you." She said, wishing her life didn't revolve around a boy, and the drama surrounding him. She was confused about a lot of things, but the one thing she really wanted was some space, and the chance to really, honestly take a look at how she really felt about him.

"Don't hang up. We've got to fix this. He's all mopey and upset." John B said, a huff of air going out through her nose as she heard him. He kissed her unprompted and now she had to fix it.

"You know I wanna know something...before me did you call all of his girlfriends and fix their problems too?" June asked with genuine curiosity mixed with sass. John B clicked his tongue on the other side, June taking this as an indicator he was about to reply.

"Before you he never had a girlfriend. So no..." June felt like she had gotten shot when he said it, her eyes closing and her face dropping into her hands.

"Ahh don't tell me that." She rocked forward and shook her head, feeling guilty for something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She tried to fact check him on that but realized he was correct, she had never heard of any girlfriend before her. "What about—"

"Nope. Just hookups. So uh—I'll let you think on that one." The phone call abruptly ended when John B pressed the end call button, June being left to her strange guilt. She leaned forwards on the vanity and approached her own image in the mirror, her eyes running over her features. She tried to find what it was that made her so apparently special, but she couldn't see it. Instead she saw a tired, numb girl...who was barely keeping her head above water.

Before her thoughts could darken she stood from the chair and started to grab her bag. She had been doing this avoidance technique for awhile, determined to enjoy summer to its full extent and not let terrible thoughts and unpleasant urges bring her down. And besides...she couldn't melt down before her big plan.

She looked at herself one more time in the mirror, her pink slip dress making her feel pretty. It had been awhile since she had felt pretty, but she would take it and run with it, because it was nice to not be so critical of herself for once. Finally she left her room, making her way down the stairs and towards the door.

In the midst of all of her personal struggle and relationship issues she had managed to put together a great idea, the girl leaving with the intention of getting her dress for Midsummers. Her plan was that she would buy one that was too long or too big, bring it to the Harris tailor shop, find the safe while Erika was working on it, and get whatever was in there. It was pretty foolproof, and it was killing two birds with one stone. She's getting her Midsummers dress that her mother had been nagging her about, and she was seeking that closure she so desperately wanted. It was perfect.

The ride to the dress shop was spent actively trying to keep her mind on the objective, trying to ignore the fact that  John B had left her with a bombshell she didn't care to know. Of course he hadn't ever had a serious girlfriend, of course. She didn't want to use that as an excuse for anything, but she was already catching herself doing it.  She looked up at the sky and wondered if it was going to rain, the grey clouds making her suspect it probably would.

When she entered the dress shop it only took her about 5 minutes until she found a dress that she fell in love with, her mouth dropping open as she looked at it.  It was a blue dress, long and flowy and when she checked the size she saw it was about three sizes too big. Her lips parted and she didn't even need to look any further, something about this dress calling out to  her. She pulled it off of the rack and paid for it, the girl leaving the store before she ever even considered any other option.

Harris Tailor was conveniently only about a block from the store she had exited, June shoving her hand into her bag to make sure she had the key. She was quick to stop at a trashcan and throw away all the evidence that she had just bought the dress, the girl ditching the tag and then continuing on. She got to the door and sucked in a breath, putting in a smile as she pushed the door open. There was a ringing of a bell and when June lifted her head she saw just the girl she was looking for. Erika Harris.

"June...what a nice surprise. What's up?" The March girl out on a winning smile as she approached the desk, the Harris girl watching her every move. She was holding the dress in her hands on a hangar, so it was clear she actually needed something tailored.

"Well my mom got me this dress for Midsummers but I guess she didn't know my size or something...plus when I tried it on it was a little too long. Plus I wanted to see you." Junes smile and words made Erika hide a blush by looking down at the dress, her head tilting slightly as she looked over it.

"Yeah I can fix that for you. Um...I'll need you to try it on first so I can do the markings and everything but honestly you could hang out here while I do it it shouldn't take too long." Junes face lit up for multiple reasons, the first being that her plan was working perfectly, the second being Erikas kindness, and the third being that she wouldn't have to wait too long for it.

"You're a lifesaver. Seriously." The Harris girl nodded and then walked around the desk, her eyes dropping over June as she gestured for her to follow her. They moved into a different room and there was a small curtained area, a pedestal, and a mirror. There were also a few chairs.

"So you do dress alterations a lot?" June asked, Erika pulling the curtain open for her. Once June closed the curtain, Erika moved towards a box at the side of the room, pulling it open and getting some pins from inside of it.

"I prefer dress alterations over everything else. Not a big fan of suits...wedding dresses are nice." June undressed as the girl spoke, her eyes glazed over as she gazed at the dress. She really did love it.

"Have you found your dress from midsummers yet?" June pulled the straps over her shoulders as she waited for her to answer, Erika quick to nod.

"Yes, oh my god, it's this black dress it's literally so pretty. Plus I'm gonna wear these cute shoes, I literally can't wait for it just because if the outfit." June giggled as she pushed the curtain open, Erika waving her over to the pedestal. June stepped onto it, Erika quick to start as June gazed at herself in the mirror. The dress was beautiful, she thought about taking a picture and sending it to the girls, but she figured she'd wait till it was fully altered.

"I bet it looks good." June said, Erika nodding as she pinned a spot on her side. June remembered why she was here, her head turning as she attempted to look for any other rooms or doors. Her moving caused Erika to pull her back to her spot by her hips, Junes eyes widening at the gesture. She tried not to get flustered at it but she felt the blush on her cheeks starting to rise. Erika was a gorgeous girl, June tracing her eyes across her determined face. Her lips were pink and plump and she had beautiful curly hair. She had mesmerizing features and June clear her throat so she would look away, the girl knowing that developing a crush or god forbid—dating—was not what she needed to be thinking about right now. "Do you guys have a bathroom here?"

"Yeah it's down the hall, if you could just give me a few more minutes." June nodded and then tried to think of something to say but she couldn't shake what Pope had said the other day, her eyes briefly closing as the Harris girl pulled at the fabric near her bust.  "So what really did happen when you left...was it like rehab or like—"

"Kind of...like a mental health rehab I guess. To me it felt more like a prison but that's just...my personal opinion."

"Right. Well I really am glad you're feeling better." June tried to not think of what had sent her away, a smile going to her lips as Erika backed away. She gestured  towards the  mirror and June looked into it, feeling like her breath had disappeared when she saw herself in the fitted dress. It was beautiful, and she knew JJ would love it.

"It looks great." She said, shaking her head to herself as she realized what she had just thought about. The blonde boy was taking over her mind again, the kiss replaying and sending her into a frenzy that slowly crept up on her.

"I think so too. So how about you slip out of it and then I'll take it and get it sewn up and I'll send you on your way."

"Thank you so much Erika seriously. It really looks amazing." The Harris girl smiled as June stepped off of the pedestal, making her wya back towards the curtain. She closed it and attempted to pull the dress off without messing up the pins. However she got it halfway off and then was stuff in the fabric, her attempt to not crease it making her it a complicated situation. "I need help."

"Oh...okay." Erika was over in a few seconds and June heard the curtain open, a small laugh leaving the girls lips as she saw the predicament she was in. June groaned as the dress was pulled off of her, a sigh of relief leaving her lips when it came off. "You were supposed to set out of it."

"I get that now." June said, the girl now standing in her bra and underwear in front of the Harris girl. Erika fought not to look and also tried to fight a blush but the longer the stood there the harder it was to not look. Finally she dropped her eyes over June and pulled the dress out of her hands, June giving her a small smile.  "Where did you say that bathroom was?"

"Down the—down the hall." June pulled her other dress back on and nodded, hoping Erika would show her. They walked together and down a hallway, a door opening to a room with a sewing machine.  "Down there."

June followed her finger down the hallway and saw three doors, her head nodding as she started towards them. Erika disappeared into the sewing room and June looked back, making sure she was gone as her hand rested against the bathroom door. When she realized she was no longer there the March girl pulled her hand back from the bathroom door, turning around and looking at the other door. She turned the doorknob and stepped inside, the room revealing itself to be an office. Her eyes darted around for any sign of a safe, any sign of anything that could be opened with a key.

"June?" Her head turned quickly and she jumped, her hand on her chest as she looked back at Erika.

"You scared me."

"The bathroom was the other door." June walked out into the f hallway with Erika, her head nodding as she realized she had to come up with something fast.

"Well I figured the bathroom wasn't an office." She said jokingly, but Erika seemed like she wasn't as amused.  June quit laughing soon after, her hand lifting and dropping on the Harris girls shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah I just...you'll have to come back and pick up the dress in a few days probably,  just when I sat down  I got a text from my dad and it's an emergency." June felt dread fill her but she nodded nonetheless,  a rumbling sound of thunder from pulling her attention towards the window of the front of the store.

"Yeah that's—that's totally fine."

_________

Guys I finally figured it out.

Be ready bc here it comes