AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shift my weight, rubbing my feet. “It’s for the winter formal. I went shopping with Sadie.”
She covers her mouth. “You’re going to a dance?”
I nod, slowly.
She’s a bomb of excitement, waiting to go off, shoulders bobbing. “You have to try it on.”
“Right now?” I stagger back. “Why?”
“Please? I’m sure Caleb would like to see it too.” She smiles over at him, her head tilting up, along with her eyebrows. “You haven’t seen it already, right?”
Caleb raises his shoulder. “I mean, I don’t know if you’re supposed to see what your date wears before the dance.”
“What? It’s not like it’s a wedding. Who cares—” I say.
A small unexplainable sound peeps out of Mom. “A date to the dance? Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?”
Caleb laughs. I roll my eyes.
“Please try it on. Who knows if you’ll ever go to another one?”
“Wow, thanks, Mom.”
There’s a scheming glint in her eye as she looks between Caleb and me. “Or I’d love to hear more about how you two started dating?”
I jump toward the stairs. “And I’m trying on the dress. I’ll be back in five.”
“Don’t forget your shoes,” Caleb says, handing me the box.
I take it and hurry to my room to escape whatever Mom was seconds away from asking Caleb.
My bedroom door catches on the pile of dirty clothes as I open it. I cringe. It’s becoming overwhelming. The mess continues to grow and Mom refuses to help clean it. She made it very clear that I’m almost an adult and need to use it as an opportunity to be responsible. The clutter never bothered me before, but something about the idea of Caleb or Sadie seeing it makes my skin crawl.
I set the box on the bed and slip off my sweats, stepping into my dress. The fabric is still as smooth and comfortable as I remember.
I pull my new shoes out of the box. I didn’t get a chance to try them on with the dress earlier, and I want to see how they look together. I’m hoping it won’t be a massive mistake I’ll regret ten years from now when I look at pictures.
They’re navy blue high tops, lacing part way up my ankles. I’m still in mild disbelief that Sadie managed to talk me into a color other than black.
When I stand, the dress flutters over the shoes, making them hardly noticeable, but I know they’re there and I’m comfortable. That’s what’s important. I fluff my curls to try and breathe some life back into them before marching back down the hallway to the stairs.
Mom is anxiously waiting at the bottom with her phone held up, ready to take a million photos.
“Mom,” I whine, shielding my face.
“Oh, stop it.” She gestures, signaling me to move my hands. “I want to remember this.”
I give her a look, but I drop my hand to the rail anyway as I come to a stop halfway down. “So?”
“Baby, you look gorgeous,” Mom says.
Her words fly over my head because I’m distracted by the soft side smile tugging on Caleb’s lips as he leans against the wall behind her, his hands in his pockets.
I can’t help but smile back.
“Come down and do a twirl,” Mom says.
I eye her with a pout. “A twirl? Really?”
