Hey Romeo, Don't You Think You're Just a Tad Overrated?
Preparations
"She always was, and always will be, my guardian angel."
-excerpt from Camaxtli Gallagher's blue notebook
"What do you think?" Alyssa threw back the curtain to the dressing room with a huge flourish, striking a model pose in front of us.
I cocked my head to the right and Will squinted.
"I dunno…" I began slowly, "I mean, the shape looks flattering, but it's—"
"—too pink," Will finished.
Alyssa pouted as she turned to face the mirror. "I guess…it is a bit obnoxious, isn't it?" she scrutinized her reflection.
"A bit?" Beth questioned as she exited the other dressing room. "Do you like this one?" Beth twirled for us, her ice-blue dress fanning out around the knees.
I smiled. "I like it, Beth. You look beautiful."
Will stood up and adjusted the thin straps of her dress and pulled at her torso. "It looks good on you. And I like the length," he said, noting the choppy layers that rested around her knees. "The dress sorta makes your boobs look bigger too," he added on an afterthought.
"Shut up," Beth grumbled, heading back into the dressing room as Alyssa and I burst into a fit of giggles.
"Not as big as—" I started in a singsongy voice.
"Megan," Alyssa sang as she too, headed back into her dressing room with her second choice.
"Oh my gosh, are you talking about that sophomore girl? I swear, she definitely got a boob job!" Will whispered excitedly. He was always up for gossip. "It's all silicone! And I heard her dad is like some sort of famous Hollywood plastic surgeon!"
"Really? I didn't know that," I replied.
"Okayyyy! What about this one?" Alyssa announced, stepping out again in a tigh-fitting crimson dress that flared out at the hips and hit a couple inches above the knee. It was strapless and there was an intricate twist at the bust-line.
"You sure like to make a statement," I remarked, "but it works. I love it! And it matches your hair too!"
"You should definitely leave your hair down. Maybe curl it into soft ringlets," Will added. "Very sexy."
Beth pulled the curtain back, dressed in her jeans and a sweater combo again, the ice-blue dress draped carefully over her forearm. "Looking hot, Alyssa," she commented with a smile.
"Then I'm getting this one!" Alyssa proclaimed, skipping back into the dressing room.
"You don't want to look at dresses too, Aurelie?" Will asked me as Beth headed to pay for her dress.
I shook my head. "Nah, I'll wait. Nothing appeals anyways." It was true. I had searched for that black and purple Betsey Johnson dress, (or for a look-alike anyways) but no avail.
Will shrugged. "Alright then. But when February rolls around, I'm definitely coming dress shopping with you," he said seriously.
I grinned and nodded.
______________________________
"I can't wait until Tuesday!" Alyssa was nearly hopping down the street, her large shopping bag swinging from her arm.
"Me too," Beth agreed. "It's going to be so much fun!"
I let out a small sigh, imagining what it would be like, just me, my pajamas, some ice cream, and the good ole T.V.
Will noticed my sigh. "Oh, Aurelie," he began. "I'm sorry…maybe we can sneak you out or something. Or kidnap you, so technically you wouldn't be sneaking out, and—"
"It's okay, Will," I laughed off his ridiculous ideas. "Come on, let's get your jacket and your pants measured," I said as I opened the door to the store with a huge sign on it that read Tuxedo Rent.
"Hello, how may I help you today?" an older woman quickly walked towards us, a pleasant smile on her face.
"He needs to get sized up," Alyssa pointed at Will.
The lady smiled widely. "Of course! Come this way, please," she said, leading us to the back of the store.
"It's too long," we heard a familiar voice complain.
"It looks fine," someone else replied in monotone.
"Dude, you didn't even look," the first voice spoke again.
We turned the corner to see Max Austerlitz tugging at his black tuxedo jacket sleeves, and Cam Gallagher sitting in a chair, obviously bored, and reading a thick book. The two boys looked up in surprise.
"Hey guys," Cam said first, his dark gaze sweeping across each one of us and lingering on mine. I averted my gaze.
"Hey," Max muttered quietly. He looked down, unwilling to make any sort of contact with the four of us.
We all returned our greetings awkwardly.
"Hmm. Give me a second, will you?" the lady directed at Will as she rushed over to Max. "This is a bit too long…don't worry, I can hitch it up just a couple of inches here in a minute and you'll be done," she said.
I sneaked a glance at Max. He looked particularly dashing in his black jacket and pants, somehow handsome and cleanly chiseled, all the same. He had gotten a haircut recently too (which I hadn't noticed until now) and his long, dark blonde hair no longer swept into his eyes. I tore my eyes off of him, guilt making my cheeks flame red again. I noticed Cam was sitting, immersed in his book and waiting for his best friend, a large bag on his side labeled Tuxedo Rent. He must have already gotten measured and sized up.
I quickly turned to join in my friends' conversation.
"White?"
"Pink," Alyssa stated firmly.
"How about lavender?" Beth suggested.
"I like the pink," Will chipped in. "What do you think, Aurelie? What color should I wear for the undershirt?"
"Huh? Oh, that. Um…a pale pink. It would look nice," I said distractedly.
"Pink it is then. With a pink tie too," Will stated as Alyssa grinned.
"Alright, you're ready to go," I heard the saleslady say to Max from behind me.
"Thanks," Max answered, and seconds later, quickly sped past us with a hasty good-bye.
Cam followed Max out, his bag in hand. "See you later," he directed at us.
I looked up, just to meet his dark gaze burning straight at me. "Later," I muttered along with my friends, lowering my head to the carpeted floor.
"Alright then! Let's get started on you!" the saleslady clapped her hands enthusiastically as she reached into her pocket for one of those soft measuring rulers, indicating that Will stand straight up and spread his arms out wide.
The rest of us occupied the seats that Cam had vacated only moments earlier as we waited for Will, chatting aimlessly about the upcoming dance, Beth's date, Tyson, and various other things, as I desperately tried to get the image of Cam's deep, smoldering eyes out of my mind.
-excerpt from Camaxtli Gallagher's blue notebook
"What do you think?" Alyssa threw back the curtain to the dressing room with a huge flourish, striking a model pose in front of us.
I cocked my head to the right and Will squinted.
"I dunno…" I began slowly, "I mean, the shape looks flattering, but it's—"
"—too pink," Will finished.
Alyssa pouted as she turned to face the mirror. "I guess…it is a bit obnoxious, isn't it?" she scrutinized her reflection.
"A bit?" Beth questioned as she exited the other dressing room. "Do you like this one?" Beth twirled for us, her ice-blue dress fanning out around the knees.
I smiled. "I like it, Beth. You look beautiful."
Will stood up and adjusted the thin straps of her dress and pulled at her torso. "It looks good on you. And I like the length," he said, noting the choppy layers that rested around her knees. "The dress sorta makes your boobs look bigger too," he added on an afterthought.
"Shut up," Beth grumbled, heading back into the dressing room as Alyssa and I burst into a fit of giggles.
"Not as big as—" I started in a singsongy voice.
"Megan," Alyssa sang as she too, headed back into her dressing room with her second choice.
"Oh my gosh, are you talking about that sophomore girl? I swear, she definitely got a boob job!" Will whispered excitedly. He was always up for gossip. "It's all silicone! And I heard her dad is like some sort of famous Hollywood plastic surgeon!"
"Really? I didn't know that," I replied.
"Okayyyy! What about this one?" Alyssa announced, stepping out again in a tigh-fitting crimson dress that flared out at the hips and hit a couple inches above the knee. It was strapless and there was an intricate twist at the bust-line.
"You sure like to make a statement," I remarked, "but it works. I love it! And it matches your hair too!"
"You should definitely leave your hair down. Maybe curl it into soft ringlets," Will added. "Very sexy."
Beth pulled the curtain back, dressed in her jeans and a sweater combo again, the ice-blue dress draped carefully over her forearm. "Looking hot, Alyssa," she commented with a smile.
"Then I'm getting this one!" Alyssa proclaimed, skipping back into the dressing room.
"You don't want to look at dresses too, Aurelie?" Will asked me as Beth headed to pay for her dress.
I shook my head. "Nah, I'll wait. Nothing appeals anyways." It was true. I had searched for that black and purple Betsey Johnson dress, (or for a look-alike anyways) but no avail.
Will shrugged. "Alright then. But when February rolls around, I'm definitely coming dress shopping with you," he said seriously.
I grinned and nodded.
______________________________
"I can't wait until Tuesday!" Alyssa was nearly hopping down the street, her large shopping bag swinging from her arm.
"Me too," Beth agreed. "It's going to be so much fun!"
I let out a small sigh, imagining what it would be like, just me, my pajamas, some ice cream, and the good ole T.V.
Will noticed my sigh. "Oh, Aurelie," he began. "I'm sorry…maybe we can sneak you out or something. Or kidnap you, so technically you wouldn't be sneaking out, and—"
"It's okay, Will," I laughed off his ridiculous ideas. "Come on, let's get your jacket and your pants measured," I said as I opened the door to the store with a huge sign on it that read Tuxedo Rent.
"Hello, how may I help you today?" an older woman quickly walked towards us, a pleasant smile on her face.
"He needs to get sized up," Alyssa pointed at Will.
The lady smiled widely. "Of course! Come this way, please," she said, leading us to the back of the store.
"It's too long," we heard a familiar voice complain.
"It looks fine," someone else replied in monotone.
"Dude, you didn't even look," the first voice spoke again.
We turned the corner to see Max Austerlitz tugging at his black tuxedo jacket sleeves, and Cam Gallagher sitting in a chair, obviously bored, and reading a thick book. The two boys looked up in surprise.
"Hey guys," Cam said first, his dark gaze sweeping across each one of us and lingering on mine. I averted my gaze.
"Hey," Max muttered quietly. He looked down, unwilling to make any sort of contact with the four of us.
We all returned our greetings awkwardly.
"Hmm. Give me a second, will you?" the lady directed at Will as she rushed over to Max. "This is a bit too long…don't worry, I can hitch it up just a couple of inches here in a minute and you'll be done," she said.
I sneaked a glance at Max. He looked particularly dashing in his black jacket and pants, somehow handsome and cleanly chiseled, all the same. He had gotten a haircut recently too (which I hadn't noticed until now) and his long, dark blonde hair no longer swept into his eyes. I tore my eyes off of him, guilt making my cheeks flame red again. I noticed Cam was sitting, immersed in his book and waiting for his best friend, a large bag on his side labeled Tuxedo Rent. He must have already gotten measured and sized up.
I quickly turned to join in my friends' conversation.
"White?"
"Pink," Alyssa stated firmly.
"How about lavender?" Beth suggested.
"I like the pink," Will chipped in. "What do you think, Aurelie? What color should I wear for the undershirt?"
"Huh? Oh, that. Um…a pale pink. It would look nice," I said distractedly.
"Pink it is then. With a pink tie too," Will stated as Alyssa grinned.
"Alright, you're ready to go," I heard the saleslady say to Max from behind me.
"Thanks," Max answered, and seconds later, quickly sped past us with a hasty good-bye.
Cam followed Max out, his bag in hand. "See you later," he directed at us.
I looked up, just to meet his dark gaze burning straight at me. "Later," I muttered along with my friends, lowering my head to the carpeted floor.
"Alright then! Let's get started on you!" the saleslady clapped her hands enthusiastically as she reached into her pocket for one of those soft measuring rulers, indicating that Will stand straight up and spread his arms out wide.
The rest of us occupied the seats that Cam had vacated only moments earlier as we waited for Will, chatting aimlessly about the upcoming dance, Beth's date, Tyson, and various other things, as I desperately tried to get the image of Cam's deep, smoldering eyes out of my mind.