With my chin tilted up defiantly,I strode past the woman towards the dressing room. Just daring anyone to stop me. When I got to the dressing room, I tried on the size 2 dress that the saleswoman had miraculously brought.But the secondI looked in the mirror,the bitter aftertaste of chocolate bubbled towards my throat.
In so many ways, it was like looking at myreflectionfrom a year ago.Everything about the girl looking back in the mirror was the same. The same muscular yet lean features. The same slightly unmanageable wavy blonde hair. The same pale face. But… the eyes. They were tired, and the light seemed to have dimmed like a star that was slowly dying.
I shook my head, trying to ignore that depressing thought. Maybe instead oftrying togo to medical school, I should’vebeen an actress. I was certainly dramatic enough.
I swayed my hips and watched the breezy fabric swish around. Not that Iwould’vebeen able to afford this dress with an actress’ salary. Although, even being a starving actress was outside my realm of possibilities. My father wouldn’tallowanyone to hire me. If I wasn’t working with him, he’d rather I be penniless and miserable.
I heard a grunt, and a box dropped to the floor. Which could only mean that the saleswoman had finally brought the shoes. I was almost impressed. Based onherexpression from earlier, I’d assumeshe'dbe more likely to call security than bring me my size.
I swung open the curtain at the same time I heard a familiar high-pitched voice. A voice saved for Chihuahuas and my old high school classmate Piper.
“Iaskedyou to get me the shoes incyan. In what universe would anyone call this cyan?” Piper sighed behind a curtain.
“I’m sorry, let me get you the right color,” the formerlysnarky saleswomansaid demurely.
The curtain opened. Thesaleswoman's neutraleyes widened for a moment, then narrowed.
“Oh my Gawd, Selene,” Piper’s voice rang from the dressing room.
She sprung from the dressing room, nearly knocking over the gaping saleswoman. Piper was wearing a body con white dress with shimmery white feathers draped on it. On anyone else, it would havelooked like theyhad rolled in pigeon feathers. On Piper’s tan body it looked like she had just stopped at a party full of Angels, and she was the focal point. Her bony arms stretched open.
When Piper wrapped me in a hug, it felt like I was suffocating between Piper’s fake boobs. Still a better death than whatever Ray would have planned if Imissed my next loan payment.
Piper moved out of the embrace and studied me with narrowed amber eyes. Finally, her lips moved into a smile that showed off her formerlyinvisalignedteeth. Piper took a step back and cocked her head like she was appraising a designer’s new springcatalog.
“I haven’t seen you in forever,” Piper said, flicking her straightened hair back with awaveof her manicured hand. Idetecteda hint of hurt in her eyes, but it flashed away immediately.
“It’s only been two months,” I laughed, hiding my hands behind my back. I knew Piper would try to drag me to get a mani-pedi if she saw the amount of dirt underneath mychippedfingernails. Something I definitely couldn’t afford right now. Not that I could afford anything I was trying on, yet here I was.
“So, what have you been up to?” I asked.
As soon as I asked thequestion, regretknotted up in my stomach. Now I would have to make up some lie about what I’d been up to when she inevitably asked me the same thing.
Piper pressed her tastefully plumped lips together and began, “Well, I’m having this party Friday. I invited you, but you never texted me back.”
“Lost my phone again,” I lied with a fake laugh. Two months ago, when Ray’s threats had materialized, I’d stopped checking Piper’s messages. She knew exactly how to persuade me to goclubbing or shopping, and that was the last thing I needed.I rubbed at the spot underneath my bra where the rib had recently healed. Yeah, really the last thing I needed to be doing was spending money with her.
Although, I wondered if Piper had actually invited me, or if she was just payinglip service. In a way, I was glad I hadn’t checked my phone. I didn’t want to know the answer to whether or not Piper had actually missed me being in her life.
Piper’s eyes softened.“Typical. So anyways…”
My body relaxed as I listened to who was going to the party. Who she couldn’t believe was taking who. I’d missed this, the way she tried to sweep me back into her world without anyjudgment. I wish I could meld back into that world so easily.
Piper crinkled her eyebrows and said, “Speaking of which, where have you been?”
I mimicked the gesture Piper had used earlier, flicking my hand as if it were a fly, and hoping she wouldn’t comment on my nails. I felt like an actress trying toshift intoa former character, but merelybecominga caricature. Maybe I should seriously consider being an actress. I could kill it as a tree.
“Oh, you know, traveling. I had been meaning to see more of Eastern Europe,” I lied.
Piper’s mouth curled slightly at the sight of my hand, but her mouth gaped open dramatically when she looked at the ground. I followed her gaze, slightly concerned my gun had fallen out ofmybag. Relief flooded through me when I realized she was staring at the black shoes I had asked for earlier.
“I bet those will look perfect with your outfit,” Piper said with a knowing smile. IfPiper's occupationdidn’t consist of trashing her apartment sothoroughlywhen she partied that I was surprised her maid didn’t quit, then she really should have looked intobeing in sales. She was good. And I had a sinking feeling I wouldn’t be able to resist her persuasive comments.
I shrugged.“Haven’t tried them on yet.”
I remembered the 800 dollar tag on them, but tried them on anyway, praying they wouldn’t fit. A year ago, I wouldn’t have even looked at the price tag. Spending the last two months basically homeless had shifted my perspective around money.
I slipped my foot into the obnoxiously high arch and pressed all of my weight onto my forefoot. When I crouched down to tug the fabric around my ankles, I miraculously ended up not falling onto my ass.When I stood up, Piper clapped her hands together like a clapping monkey. With most people I’d find it obnoxious, but with her she seemed so genuinely excited that I couldn’t help but smile.
