Adelaide

After school on Thursday, Nadira, Sophia, Jacey, and I all head out to the mall via bus. Due to the fact that Christmas is slowly creeping up on everyone, we know there's no point in driving in because there's a high chance we won't be able to find any parking.

Sophia and Nadira already have dresses because they had their dates planned a long time ago. Jacey and I had been planning to skip out on the Winter Formal and hang out at my place until the others came home. But things have changed within the past couple of days. Justin asked me, and Kaden Evans, the captain of the boys' football team asked Jacey. So now we're both frantically looking for dresses.

Thank God we have our friends to help us out.

"What about this one?" Sophs calls out.

Jacey and I both look up from the rack we're searching. She's holding a hot pink and sparkly V-neck dress that looks like it would barely cover my butt. I shake my head. "Too short." And I'm not a fan of hot pink. I like softer colours. Like the shade of pink the rose was that Justin gave me.

Jacey also shakes her head. "Hot pink with my red hair? I don't think so."

Sophs huffs out a frustrated breath and puts the dress back. "You guys are so picky. This is a really nice dress."

"Yeah," Jacey snorts. "If you want guys constantly gawking at your ass."

My cousin shrugs. "Gotta show off what you got."

I roll my eyes. Sophia has always been bright and vocal, with no fear about showing herself off. She's highly confident and can sometimes act like a total jerk, but she's a good person. I know that no matter what happens between us, she'll always have my back just like I'll always have hers.

To my left, Nadira comes into sight, both hands gripping multiple dresses. "So I don't know what the two of you are really looking for, but I grabbed as many as I could." She stops in front of us and holds an arm out to each of us. "These ones are yours, Jacey. And these ones are for you, Addie."

After taking the dresses, I inspect them closely. The colours range from black to a deep blue to a beautiful shade of coral. The styles differ, but in the end, they all look like they'd at least go down to my knees.

Jacey looks at me. "Try them all on?"

I nod even though this is the part I hate the most. Trying dresses on is one of the most annoying things possible. I've hated it since I was little. In fact, I remember throwing a temper tantrum when I was about four or five because I didn't want to wear a dress to the family Christmas party. That's one of the few times Mom has looked like she was about ready to lose it on me.

The process of trying on dresses takes over fifteen minutes with all the judging we do to each other. The coral shade makes me look washed out. The green dress Jacey tries on makes her look like she's dressed up as a villain from Batman. Some are too short for my liking, others don't fit around Jacey's bust size.

When I come out in my final dress, Sophia is nowhere to be seen. "Where's Sophs?" I ask Nadira.

She looks up from her phone and shrugs. "She didn't say. I suspect she had a call from Zander, but you never know with that girl." She frowns at my dress.

"The neckline looks weird on me, doesn't it?" I ask.

Nadira nods, looking just as disappointed as I am. Out of the ten dresses I tried on, none of them have worked. With my sock-covered foot, I kick at an invisible stone and then sit down next to her. "This sucks," I say. "What am I going to wear to this stupid party tomorrow?"

"I don't know," Nadira sighs. "But I promise you that we are not leaving this mall until we find you something."

"What are you wearing to the dance, by the way?" I ask.

Nadira whips out her phone in a flash and unlocks it, searching for her pictures app. It's almost like she was waiting for someone to ask. "So," she says, handing me her phone. "Nanni and my mum made me a saree that takes me back to my roots in India. They modernized it a little, but it still reminds me of home."

When I see the saree Nadira is wearing in the picture, I gasp in awe. "Oh my God. It's beautiful." And it truly is. The saree is teal and navy blue, with gold accents embroidered around the hem, sleeves, and neckline. The drape matches the colours of the dress, but it has more gold in it, making it a beautiful eye catcher. I look at my friend. "It is going to look beautiful on you."

Nadira bumps her shoulder against mine. "Not as beautiful as you're going to look when we find you a dress."

"Please," I scoff. "Your dress is going to turn heads. No one else is going to be wearing one of those."

Nadira, being modest, just shakes her head at my statement even though she knows it's the truth.

From the other side of her changeroom door, Jacey interrupts our conversation. "If you two say a word about this dress, I will throttle you."

Nadira and I exchange a glance before Jacey steps out wearing some puffy, glittery white dress that looks like something the Tooth Fairy would wear. It looks ridiculous. I clamp a hand over my mouth. Nadira snorts.

"Don't say a word," Jacey warns, glaring at us.

We both look at her, trying our hardest to keep a straight face, but we fail when a muscle in Jacey's cheek twitches.

Within seconds, all three of us are laughing.

"What were you thinking when you picked out this dress, Nads?" Jacey asks between gasps for air.

"It looked like a nice dress on the hanger!" she protests in the midst of a giggle fit.

Another wave of laughter takes over, and I lean forward clutching my stomach. Laughter is a contradictory element - how does something that's good for you, hurt so badly?

"My God," I sigh after the laughter dies down. I look at my friends. "We're hopeless, Jacey. What are we going to do?"

"Try some more dresses on," Sophia says from behind.

We turn around. Just like Nadira did early, Sophia has collected an abundance of dresses for us to try on. I internally groan. Honestly, though this is a lot of fun, I'm sick of changing from one dress to the other. I want to go home and lose myself in a hockey game.

Jacey sighs, taking several dresses from Sophia. She then glances at me. "Round two?"

"Round two," I sigh, taking the rest of the dresses.

* * *

Jacey finds her dress within the first three. It's white, but not gaudy like the other white one was. It's a simple dress, long and flowy with a bedazzled bodice area and a neckline that dips low enough to show a bit of skin.

Me on the other hand?

So far, I'm a lost cause.

Nothing seems to be working for me. There's something wrong with every dress I try on. Which is why, when I'm down to my last dress, I don't expect too much.

But as soon as I have the dress zipped up and I'm looking in the mirror, I know this is the dress. It's all black and doesn't really scream holiday party, but I couldn't care less about that. This short black high-neck dress skims my figure to give it a silhouette-like effect and it's sleeveless. The skirt part hugs my hips nicely and it has two elegant, billowy layers of ruffled fabric that cross over the front of the natural waist. As for the neckline, it's asymmetrical and compelling. I love it.

And when I step out of the changeroom, all I get is positive feedback.

"Oh my God," Nadira says, "Justin is going to love this dress."

"Buy it," Jacey smiles.

Sophia doesn't say anything right away, and it's not like I'm searching for her approval or anything, but when she smiles and tells me it looks stunning, I find myself fighting the urge to grin like a fool.

Finally.

I finally have a dress to wear.

When I'm back in the changeroom, I quickly pull out my phone and text Justin. Make sure your tie is black. ;) Oh, and how did your Chem midterm go?

I don't expect him to reply right away, but he does. You found a dress? What does it look like? Not sure - marks are supposed to come out tomorrow at lunch. But I felt pretty good about it. I'd say I at least get a C+ on it.

For a moment, I contemplate sending him a picture of me in my dress. But then I decide against his. Surely, I'm going to be surprised by what he looks like it a suit. So I reply with: You'll have to wait and see. But I'm sure you're going to love it.

Can't wait, he replies.

Knowing that the mall is closing soon and we all wanted to grab something to eat before leaving, I carefully strip out of the dress and pull my jeans, sweater, and Converse shoes back on. With the dress hung over my arm and my bag slung across my body, I exit the changeroom.

"Where are Nads and Jacey?" I ask.

Sophia stands up, tucking her phone away. "They went to buy Jacey's dress. I said I'd wait for you." She carefully glances at me. "So...you and Justin, hey?"

I slowly nod. "I like him a lot."

Surprisingly, Sophia smiles and bumps my shoulder with hers. "Good for you guys. I'm happy for both of you."

Her comment surprises me. I distinctly remember her calling Justin a weirdo during lunch at school. But maybe she's grown to like him. He has been eating lunch with us every day he's been able to, and he's been over when the family has decided to visit.

"Thanks," I reply with a smile. "I'm excited for tomorrow."

"Me, too," my cousin replies. "Are you and Justin still carpooling with Zander and I?"

I nod. "It's the best thing to do. Justin is coming over after school anyway and you, me, and Zander all live in the same area."

"Awesome," she nods, adjusting her bag. She nods at my dress. "Now let's buy that dress and get the hell out of here so we can get some food."

"Sushi?" I ask excitedly.

"Obviously," she replies, linking her arm through mine as we head for the cash register at the back of the store.

As we walk, I run my fingers over my dress.

Tomorrow night is going to be fantastic.