Dress shopping. Oh, the horrors.

Sophie must've groaned at least 600 times already as she followed Biana and Linh around the stores. There were at least ninety different boutiques, each tailored for a specific style or size or design. Sophie hadn't found anything that she liked yet and she was bored out of her mind as she watched her friends squeal and laugh whenever they saw "the new perfect dress". Why did she agree to this? Why did she ever think to agree to this?

"My feet hurt," Sophie complained. That wasn't all that hurt. Her entire body was aching from trying stuff on, walking in heels, and running around the "mall" that was more of an empire of fashion.

"Stop complaining and just enjoy this for what this is!" Biana said, plastering on a smile. She still hadn't gained Tam's forgiveness, but she was working on it, along with Sophie and Linh's help and pleading.

"I can't! I hate dresses! I hate shopping! I hate THIS!" Sophie whined.

Biana ignored her, much to Sophie's annoyance. "Gosh, that dress is so pretty!" Biana squealed at a mannequin.

"She can't hear you," Sophie said, referring to the mannequin. Biana rolled her eyes.

"Duh, I know, but I wasn't talking to her..." Biana trailed off. "Fine. Let's go in here."

"Elaborate Elf?" Sophie asked.

"Ooh, I go here all the time!" Linh said. "They have the prettiest clothes for smaller people like me!" Linh was known for being rather slim and petite and she had a hard time finding clothes that fit her so far.

Sophie sighed and followed Linh and Biana into the store. The storefront was all colors, sparkles, glitter, beads, and just stuff, and Sophie was not feeling excited about this store.

"Oh my gosh. This store is so cool!" Biana said, fangirling. They walked through the aisles and aisles of dresses, skirts, blouses, scarves, sashes, belts, and jewelry. A lady came rushing over at the site of teenage girls, smiling widely and gesticulating all over the place.

"Good afternoon! I am Elda, your personal assistant of the day!" She took Biana's arm and started looking her over, measuring her, it seemed. "What is your goal today?"

Biana said, "To find a perfect dress for the dance!"

"Oh yes, the big gala dance! The ballroom dancing event that everyone has been talking about!" Elda said. Her voice was smooth and silky, and her hair was piled on top of her head. She was wearing a dark navy blue mini-dress that showed off her long legs. Sophie could never wear a dress like that without feeling uncomfortable. Hah, she couldn't even wear a cape without feeling uncomfortable. "We've never been so busy since that dance was announced. What kind of dresses are you looking for?"

Biana spoke up first as Linh walked around the store and Sophie stood off to the side. "I want something... mature. Long. Beautiful. No glitter, sparkles, or any of those childish things." Sophie rolled her eyes at Biana's aloofness but followed along.

Elda said, "Here at Elaborate Elf, we like to give many choices. There are the fitting rooms, so pick as many dresses as you want." Biana shrieked.

"This is so gorgeous!" It was a turquoise flowy gown with a dark blue sash to go along with it. There was a silver brocaded lace pattern down the front and the side, and small silver beads made up the hem. Biana seemed to have forgotten her no beads policy as she squealed and even Sophie had to admit it was a beautiful dress. It was definitely Biana's style.

"Feel free to try it on! We have that in many different styles, colors, and sizes." Elda walked around the racks. Biana grabbed the dress and walked into the fitting room. You could hear the fabric swishing...

Five minutes later, Biana emerged from the fitting room. The dress was breathtaking.

"Wow, Biana. You should definitely get that one. It is so pretty!" Linh said, rejoining the group.

"Yeah, you would definitely win Tam back with that dress!" Sophie added.

The dress fitted perfectly to Biana's curves. You could just see her slim waist and broad hips as she twirled. The turquoise brought out the color of her eyes. Fitz's eyes. Sophie turned away. Biana shrieked as she turned around and around. Elda walked around her and said,

"You look like an angel, darling. I have the perfect accessories for that as well! Just one second, let me go get them!" She scurried off and came back with a white-silver sash, a thick cardigan with a gold stripe down the side that Sophie generally would not like but ended up loving, and silver earrings. She also brought a makeup kit that she held out to Biana. "For you."

"Thank you so much! You're amazing!" Biana took the items and went back into the fitting room to change back into her clothes. She walked out holding the dress and handed it Elda, who carefully packed it up and stored everything away into a large bag for Biana to hold.

"All right. Who's next?" Elda asked, looking at Sophie and Linh. Sophie looked the other way. She didn't want to go, period.

"I'll go!" Linh volunteered, looking excited. 

Elda asked, eyes gleaming, "What kind of dress are you looking for?"

"Umm, well, I was thinking maybe mid-length, a lighter blue, a little glimmer," Linh shrugged. "But I'm happy to go with whatever you think would be best."

Elda led Linh to an aisle with shorter dresses than Biana's floor-length and Sophie and Biana followed.

"Pick!" Linh looked excitedly through the dresses, grabbing a few, trying them on, and finally decided on one that had an open back with small straps to hold it up, and a low-cut V-neck. She tried it on again and finally concluded on buying it. It hugged her curves, and her dark hair was so pretty against the dark blue. She also had a silver necklace and a makeup kit that was full of all sorts of glamorous colors that would perfect against Linh's pale skin.

Elda looked around and noticed Sophie. "Ah, so it seems that your friends have both gotten what they wanted."

Sophie sighed. "I guess I'm next then. I want short and simple. Not too complicated. Maybe solid colors and nothing too flashy or bold. I also don't want to trip."

Elda snapped her fingers. "Yes. We have just the type!"

Sophie followed Elda to a more secluded corner of the store with darker colored dresses and fewer sequins and glimmer and glam. Sophie leafed through the dresses on a maroon-red rack. She must have tried at least ten different dresses before she finally decided on the almost-perfect one. It was a dark red, almost pink dress, with a maroon belt and a silver buckle and a black hem, interwoven with white string. Sophie liked it. It was a mini-dress and it hit above the knee and more on the thighs, and she kept pulling it down, self-conscious of herself. She turned to look at herself in the mirror and she couldn't help but catch her breath. She looked like Biana and Linh did, almost. 

"Oh, my God, It's beautiful!" Biana squealed, surveying her friend. "Though I liked the lace one better."

The "lace" one was a sheer, completely lacy dress with NO cover. Sophie sighed and shook her head. "Biana, I would NEVER wear something like that."

"Fine, fine. I agree. It wasn't you. But I like this one. It really accentuates your hair and your features. And it brings out those hidden curves," Biana said, giggling.

Elda came bustling over, asking if she needed a different size. Sophie shook her head no and Elda gave her her accessories: white-pink pearls, a silver ring, and three gold bracelets that jangled on her wrist. She also gave Sophie her makeup kit and Sophie stared inside at the colors.

Finally, when all three were satisfied, they bought their dresses, jewelry, and makeup. They walked out of the store, everyone satisfied, including Sophie, though she would never admit it.

Next, they headed to the shoe store which was across the street from the dress shop. Sophie didn't know what type of shoes she wanted but she supposed she had better pick them out quickly. Biana immediately walked over to the highest pair of stilettos Sophie had ever seen and bought them on the spot. They were black and strappy and totally Biana's style.

Linh and Sophie took longer to choose. Linh finally picked out a pair navy blue kitten-heels with a long blue strap crisscrossing in the back. Sophie, after much deliberation, picked white two-inch heels that she was sure to fall in but which Biana and Linh insisted would go "perfectly with her dress" and they were done.

The three girls had finally gotten their outfits for the dance.

Biana squealed, "I can't wait to wow the boys!"