Nothing Personal

It was the weekend after Zo and Alex talked on the phone and a few days after Dorian’s first round of chemo. He had gotten through it the best he could. He was still sick from the treatment, but wasn’t throwing up or had the chills as much as he did the first two days. The doctor had said that he had handled it better than most of the kids.

But Zo couldn’t help but wondering if the way Do handled it was good, what happened with the other kids. But she just shuddered and pushed it out of her mind. She did really want to know. She had thought that it was horrible, and couldn’t imagine what the others were like.

He was still in the hospital but the doctors promised that he would be released in the next few days. Zo had faithfully visited him every chance she could and when she came back the next day after he had talked to Alex, she could tell he was in better spirits. She made a mental note to have him call again when he wasn’t feeling well. It really seemed to help.

So now, on a lovely Saturday afternoon, she found herself in the next town over with Penny shopping. Her mother had told her to go and do something for herself since there was really nothing she could do for Dorian at the moment, and needed something to get her mind off of everything. So, she called up Penny, and they drove to look at the different shops in the downtown area.

“Hey, Zo, do you know what you’re wearing for graduation yet?” Penny asked as they wandered down the sidewalk passing all the shops and hunting for their next place to discover.

“Um, that honestly is the last thing on my mind now. How far to graduation again?” She asked as she put her coffee in her other hand since it was starting to burn her.

“One month and ten days,” Zo just rolled her eyes. But it got her thinking. What was she going to wear?

She had a few dresses that she could choose from, but they were old and not anything she would love to wear for her graduation. Not that she cared too much about what others thought about what she wore, but it was her graduation. She had to make sure she looked a little nice. Besides, it might be her only graduation. She didn’t even know if she was going to college or not.

Her mother nagged her about going; just like she did with Colter, and now he was stuck in his second year and hating every moment of it. He just did it to please their mom and got average grades because he went out drinking his cares away ever night. But now that Do was sick, he was actually not always out and seeming to care more about school. It was strange, but their mother wasn’t complaining. Zo really didn’t even know what she wanted to do with her life.

“Hey, look at this!” Penny said as she pointed to a shop that was just down the way a little. And from what Zo could tell from the window display, it was a dress shop. “We should at least check it out,” Penny continued when she caught the hesitant look on Zo’s face.

Zo gave in, and they linked arms and walked inside to check the shop out. When Zo looked around, the shop had white walls and shelves and dresses everywhere. Literally. Penny was already scanning the racks leaving Zo alone and she figured she mind as well look. The shop looked expensive, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look around.

*You’re such a girl,* Alex muttered as she reached out to look at a blue strapless number. She checked the price tag and instantly put the dress back. $150 just for a dress? No thank you. She would much rather spend that amount of money on traveling or a new camera, not a dress she was only going to wear once.

*Yeah, a girl with a draining bank account. Why do these stupid things have to be so expensive? * She muttered as she found another dress and checked the price. $100. It was a little better.

*Penny dragged you in there didn’t she?*

*Mmhmm,*

A while later, she finally found three dresses that were in her price range and something she would be willing to be seen in. Penny, on the other hand, had found about five dresses and they both made their way to the dressing rooms and started to try them on.

*Close your eyes you pervert,* Zo teased as she took the first dress and began to change into it. Alex only laughed as he started to hum to himself and read a book he had been trying to focus on.

*Ok, tell me what you think.* She said once she finished putting it on. She stood in front of the mirror and sent the image in her mind’s eye so Alex could help her.

She tried on the first, which was a blue dress with little dots and Alex said he liked it but when she showed Penny, her friend shot it down right away. Going back to change again, she took the white and black polka dot one and showed both of them. And got the same reaction. Finally, on the third and last try, she showed Penny the black dress she found and the girl actually liked it.

Penny had found a strapless dark blue dress with a little bow added that she was in love with. And after Zo gave her approval –not that it mattered anyway, the girl was going to get it if Zo liked it or not— they made their way to find some shoes to go with them.

Zo found a cute pair of white flats with a flower on the toes while Penny went all out and got a pair of black heels. After they found what they needed, they paid and then made their way back out to look at the other things in the shops. Making that what they did the rest of the day.

When they finally decided to leave, Zo let Penny drive since she was tired and didn’t really want to drive. She messed with the radio a little and once she found a station, she settled back in her seat and keeping a small conversation going with Penny as she drove.

Once Penny stopped at her house, they said goodbye and she helped Penny take her many bags into the house before getting back into her car. She drove back down to the hospital to go see Do and spend some time with him since she hadn’t seen him all day and she wanted to see how he was doing….