Chapter 6
885 Words
Chapter 6The next Sunday was my nineteenth birthday. I had planned to go home to Boston to spend it with my family, but the alternator in my car died on Thursday night. I called around and found a place that could get a cheap rebuilt unit that would work, but they wouldn’t have it in until Monday. I was really grumpy on Friday when I told Anne about the whole thing. She responded with appropriate sympathy and told me she’d spend the day with me, and then she got a wicked gleam in her eye. I had no idea what she had planned, and I was annoyed and depressed enough not to care.
When I woke up Sunday morning, Anne was already up. She greeted me with a teasing smile and said, “Happy Birthday, sleepyhead! We have a project for today.”
I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. I was grumpy from just waking up, and Anne’s excitement was sweet but a little annoying. I answered her with a skeptical look, and said, “I would ask what that project is, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t tell me. I’m going to take a shower.”
Anne just grinned a big Cheshire cat grin and said, “Have fun.”
I stumbled down the hall to the bathroom in my nightshirt, with my towel over my shoulder and my bathroom kit in my hand. After a few minutes under the warm water, I felt a little more cheerful, and I decided whatever Anne had planned would be better than moping around feeling sorry for myself. I finished up in the bathroom and walked back to our room. Anne was sitting on her bed reading, waiting for me, and I saw a gift-wrapped box sitting on my bed.
I had never thought of Anne as particularly bouncy, but right then she reminded me a little of my last roommate Ellie. She jumped up when I came in, with a big smile on her face, and waited for me to open her present. I didn’t know what to expect - I really didn’t expect anything at all - but she was so very excited about it, so I picked up the box and made an appropriately big deal of ripping open the wrapping paper. Inside the box was a dress made of soft blue cotton. When I pulled it out and held it up to myself, Anne almost jumped up and down with glee and asked, “Well ... are you going to try it on?”
I don’t wear dresses. Mom makes me go to Mass on Sundays when I’m home, and when I do, I wear a shapeless floral thing that I hate. Other than that, it’s blue jeans, sweats or shorts with a tee shirt; or maybe a pair of khakis and a button down shirt when I have to look semi-nice. I’ve never liked spending money on clothes when nobody looks at me anyway.
This was something altogether different. I was skeptical - I really doubted I had the kind of body to fill out a dress like that - but Anne’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I actually wanted to see how it looked. So I quickly dried my hair, put on some underwear and slipped the dress on over my head. After a little squirming and pulling to get everything in place, I grabbed my glasses off the dresser and turned around to look in the mirror.
I was stunned. I looked like an actual girl. Maybe even a pretty one. The dress fit perfectly, and did all the right things for my body. It was snug in the waist but loose in the skirt, accentuating my skinny hips and giving me a little bit of shape. The V-neck and the way the material gathered over the breasts made it look like I had a respectable chest. If I had known that the right clothes could make me look like this, maybe I would have paid more attention to shopping.
Anne’s grin got even bigger, and she said, “Turn around so I can see you from the front!”
I did, and I felt very girly as the skirt twirled around my legs. After holding the pose for just a second, I grabbed Anne in a big hug and said, “Thank you, sweetie. I love it!”
She hugged back with a warm smile and said, “You’re welcome.”
I took a few minutes to brush out my hair and admire my new dress in the mirror, and Anne said to me, “I know you’re on a tight budget this year, especially having to replace your alternator, but you really should spend a little money on yourself from time to time. Buy yourself a nice outfit or something once or twice a semester.”
I replied, “Only if you go shopping with me - I really have no idea how to find clothes that make me look good.”
Anne smiled again - she couldn’t stop herself today - and said, “Deal. You come shopping with me anyway; we just need to pay more attention to you when we’re out.”
And the wicked gleam in her eye from Friday came back as she said, “Now it’s time for the second part of our project. I’m taking you to get your hair cut. We’re going to see Don - he’s the best haircut in town, and it’s only fifteen bucks. That’s more expensive than having your Mom cut your hair, but it’s totally worth it.”
I was apprehensive, but after the dress, I was more than willing to give Anne the benefit of the doubt. I meekly said, “Okay.”
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