Broken Soul • Emmett Cullen

chapter eight

"This one makes my butt look so good!"

"Ugh, does this one make me look too fat?"

"You can see my hip bones in this one. I hate it!"

"I could see whatsherface from German class wearing this... better safe than sorry!"

"This dress is way too big. I'd have to get it tailored..."

Alaina found herself at an overpriced dress shop after school with Bella, watching Angela and Jessica try on hideous prom dresses. They nodded, ohh-ed and ahh-ed, and smiled in the right places, as they both wanted to be anywhere but there. Why did I agree to go again? Alaina questioned.

In between dresses, Jessica peppered Alaina with questions about her old school. "So did you have dances at your old school?"

"Yeah, of course. It was just like any other high school," Alaina responded absently, flipping through a prom magazine that was easily a decade old.

"I mean," she said dramatically. "You went to an all-girls school. How could you have dances without boys?"

Alaina groaned. "Jessica, it's not like they locked us in the school twenty-four seven. There were a few boys' schools as well that we would have extracurriculars with sometimes. Yeah, there were only girls during the school day, but there was still more than enough time to meet guys. And I like that blue on you. It looks nice."

Jessica seemed satisfied with that answer and walked back towards the dressing room to try on another outfit. Alaina watched Jessica walkout in a hot pink dress and bright silver shoes. Jessica scrutinized herself in the mirror, playing where her posture to make herself look as thin as possible. That dress wouldn't fit me in a million years, she thought sadly. She became acutely aware of how her hips uncomfortably fit in her too-tight jeans. Nothing in this shop would fit me.

"I would have to get this taken in, obviously, but what do you think?"

Alaina stared at the dress thoughtfully and cocked her head. "Hmm," she said. "I think I like the blue one better. It was better for your complexion and it brought out your eyes. Mike looks better in blue, anyways."

Jessica nodded. "I'm glad you're here -- you're so right. Bella? What do you think?"

Bella glanced over at Jessica, obviously broken out of her thoughts. "Uhm, it looks nice I guess."

"You said that about the last three dresses," Angela said, walking out of the fitting room in a deep red silk gown. She looked absolutely stunning. "You really aren't into this, are you?"

"No," Bella admitted sheepishly. "I really just want to go to this book store. I'm going to head there now and meet you for dinner. Alaina, do you want to come with?"

So that's what Bella was up to. Alaina nodded and grabbed her backpack. "Yeah, let's go. Oh, and Angela? Get that dress. You look gorgeous."

Bella and Alaina left the dress shop and began to walk down Main Street. The wind whipped Alaina's hair wildly around her face, so she flipped her hoodie over her head. "This book wouldn't have anything to do about your crazy theory about the Cullens, would it?"

Bella remained silent, as she turned on her heel to head into an old bookstore, Thunderbird and Whale. "So that's a yes," Alaina mumbled following in behind her. Alaina walked down one of the aisles as Bella spoke with the shopkeeper near the register. The bookstore smelled of vanilla flowers and almonds, as all old bookstores do. She ran her hand across the old titles, stopping when she saw, Spells and Enchantments for your Enemies.