Lauren could deal with 'princess'. If Anders was the one calling her that. It was cute. She liked it a lot.
"Oh?" she said, intrigued at the mention of a prize, though she was only playing along with his game. She really didn't care about a prize -- the prize itself was getting to spend time with Anderson Hickory, her dear friend who could really do so much better than a shy, awkward, common girl who hardly even knew what a boy was.
She was sad that their time together was coming to an end, though, she knew she would be sadder if she didn't get home on time so she made no complaint as she stood up, straightened out her skirt and looked up at Anders expectantly, patiently waiting for both her prize and her lift back to her home.
Anders strolled down the hallway, only turning around once to make sure Lauren was following. He stopped at the storage closet where they placed their most unwanted items. Half of the stuff in the closet was always given away or just sat there for ages.
It was a walk in closet and a large one at that, not surprising considering the house in whole. Anders stepped inside and reached up to pull the chain above where the lightbulb was to illuminate the room. Luckily for him, his mother always left the place organized, so he found exactly what he was looking for on the spot.
On a high shelf, naturally not high at all for Anderson, sat a gray cat plushy. It was that of a cartoonish design, something cute you would get out of Asia. He nabbed it swiftly, it smelled of sweet confectionery.
"I wish I could have given you a real kitten," He admitted, handing the soft toy to the short blonde before him.
It was just a little cat plushie, but for some reason, it meant the world to Lauren. She took the gray cat in her hands and she was unable to keep the smile off her face as she assessed it. It was cute, but that wasn't it. She had received it from Anderson, who meant the world to her. Who was amazing, and wonderful, and who she loved spending time with.
"Thank you," she said sweetly. After a moment of consideration, she stepped forward and then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. She had never done that before, but somehow, it felt right. Like she wasn't doing anything wrong, which was a new feeling for her.
"You should probably get me home before I get grounded," she said sheepishly.
The days flew by one by one and yet so fastly. Before he knew it the school dance was approaching, the fall formal was almost there. Of course, he had been aware of it, his own sister was leading the decoration squad. The idea of school dances had been in the back of his mind, though.
Now that it was so close everyone was talking about it, getting dates and picking out dresses. It was quite the buzz in their high school. And he couldn't blame any of the students. The last time he had attended a dance ... Actually, he wished to forget that dance completely.
Excited or not, Anders continued on without letting it get in the way of his every day. After school, Jenna had to stay behind, as usual, to help with the preparations of the dance, Eden went off as well, ballet practice Anders believe. And Claudia and Lucas most likely left to go kiss each other's faces off.
He didn't mind any of their absences it left him and Lauren. And since it was hot what better way to cool off than with ice cream.
It wasn't that she had never been asked. No, back in New Orleans, several people had asked her to the various school dances,, and they had been genuine. One had been a sweet and nerdy guy who had crushed on her, and another had been a genuinely nice guy who had noticed that she was always alone and had invited her to a fun night out. She had rejected both of these boys, though, because she had not felt anything for either of them.
She felt the world for Anderson, however. He would never ask her, though.
They were alone, walking the mostly empty streets of Charmaine with ice creams in their hands on this sunny day, unusually sunny for the time of year it was. Lauren didn't mind being alone with Anderson. She quite liked it, even. It was simple, and it was calming.
They passed a store with beautiful formal dresses on display in the windows and Lauren couldn't help but to stop and admire a particular gown, one that was dove gray in colour with small gems on the bodice and long floaty skirts of tulle. It was exquisite.
"Are you going to the dance?"
Anderson inquired, using is small plastic spoon to scoop a small bite of his chocolate ice cream. The question itself was fairly simple and he had no trouble in asking it but after he did so he was filled with dread at the possibility of her answer being "yes". Why? Because that would mean she would have had a date, then again, that wouldn't necessarily be true.
He still had every reason to worry. Lauren was a beautiful girl and would have surely have received many invitations by many good looking suitors. He himself had many invitations, all which he had turned down. He didn't think he was a sentimental, having the need to feel anything toward the person that would be his date but ... When there was already someone out there that he did like, nothing and no one else would do.
"I think might go with the others," "Might" being the keyword. Claudia and Lucas were obviously going together, he hadn't a clue if Eden had a date but he doubted it and he knew for sure his twin didn't. So, he thought he would cling to those two and Lauren. Especially her.
However, if she already had date. His stomach churned and churned as he looked through the glass window and the dresses on display.
"Oh, no, probably not," Lauren said immediately, with not a moment of hesitation. She hadn't meant to be distracted by the dress and she certainly didn't mean to get her hopes up and delude herself into thinking that Anderson would ask her. Because he wouldn't. He just wouldn't, he had a hundred thousand girls lining up for a chance at being his date. Why would he settle for her?
She turned away from the window with one last longing look at the gray dress and turned her blue eyes back up to Anderson. "I mean, I don't have a date so I'd look pretty stupid if I went by myself," she said with a shrug, before averting her gaze back to her ice cream. She scooped a little onto her spoon, popped it into her mouth and prayed to the heavens she didn't believe in that she didn't come off as lame as she thought she sounded.
"What about you? You don't have a date?" Lauren was one hundred percent certain that some gorgeous model had asked Anderson to the dance and that if she went, she'd be forced to see them flirting and looking amazing together if she went and that was why Lauren didn't want to go. She knew already that she was spectacularly out of Anderson's league, but that didn't mean she needed to see confirmation of it.
"Nope, I thought I would be going with a small group." Anders admitted quite easily, though, his voice was low and thoughtful.
It was a relief to hear she didn't have a date, which was sort of asswholish of him. As her friend he should have wanted her to have a date but he didn't and it almost brought a smile to his face until he realized she wouldn't be going and she should be. He wanted her to go or else the whole thing would be a bust. A huge, unenjoyable, boring bust.
Anders was almost sick of school dances, this one was supposed to be different because she was going to be there. Or so he had thought. She wasn't going to go and why?
"You should come. You have to come. With me." It was a slip of the tongue, but since it was already out there he went on. Even though he knew he shouldn't, he did. "Will you come as my date? As friends, but, still."
Lauren was unable to keep her eyes from growing as wide as frisbees when she heard his words. Was she dreaming? Was she having some intense hallucination? No, this was real life, and Anderson freaking Hickory had just asked her, boring, nondescript, average Lauren Winter, to the dance.
Why? What could have possibly influenced her to do such a thing? Was this a trick? Was this a pity date? Lauren found that she didn't even care, because Anderson had asked her to the dance.
A bright smile cracked across her face and she beamed as she looked up at Anderson and nodded. "I would love to go with you," she said, smiling widely because she had truthfully never been happier in her entire life. "I mean, I don't have money for a good dress so I'll probably show up in a potato sack but still, I'd love to go with you."
Yeah, and the others, whatever. All she could think about was Anderson in that moment.
Anders was feeling a peculiar mix of shock and pure elation. It was just as friends but it was still a little accomplishment none the less. Now, he had an actual reason to go the dance besides the miniscule fact that everyone else was going because God knew he wouldn't have mind staying home. The last dance had went too was not the fondest of memories but this one fore sure would be.
With a smile, Anders shook his head. "I wouldn't care if you come wearing rags, I'd dress to match." He said jokingly and meant all that was said. He didn't ask her because he wanted a flash date but a date that he would actually enjoy being with all day and night. And frankly, she was one if the only few people he felt that way about but a different light. Admittedly, a more romantic light.
"Still, it is a dance and we should go all out on these sort of things. So, let's get you a dress, I'll get you a dress." Anders decided in just a moment. "And I won't take no for an answer so don't bother arguing with me."
"What?" Lauren said blankly when Anderson told her he'd buy her a dress. Lauren had never had anyone else buy anything for her, except her parents and grandparents, but they didn't count, they were family members. She had never even been given a bottle of water by a friend or a date, so how the hell was she supposed to react to hearing that her friend would buy her a dress?
"Anders, these are so expensive," Lauren said as they stepped into the dress store. She immediately checked the price tag of the grey dress she had been looking at and almost threw up upon seeing that it was three hundred dollars. Lauren had never seen that much physical money in her life. She did not know how people could afford to shell out that much money on items like dresses.
"Anders, no, I can't let you do this," Lauren said, hugging herself uncomfortably. Just then, the store attendant approached them, a pretty red headed girl with nice makeup and cute nails and a beautiful face. She looked like someone Anderson would be seen with, not Lauren.
"Hi, how can I help you two today?" she asked sweetly.
Anders was one to stay to true to his word so he disregarded Lauren's protest and smiled at the attendant pleasantly. He was buying her a dress and that was final and maybe he'd throw in some shoes with it. There was a saying about having good shoes take you good places and he believed so.
"As a matter of fact, I think you can," Anders nodded his head and gestured to Lauren. "We're looking for a dress, a formal dress for a fall dance."
He looked back at Lauren, looking her up and down, from head to toe, trying to estimate what size she was with his eyes alone. Maybe a ten at largest. His first thought wasn't to ask seeing how much she was against the idea of him buying her a dress.
"What size are you?' He asked, leaning his side against the front counter.
"What -- I don't know, like, a six? Anders, really, this is too much, you can't --"
"Yes he can," chirped the sales assistant, taking Lauren's hands and pulling her away from the door. "Come on, honey, we'll find you some gowns so you can at least try them on."The sales assistant seemed to have picked up on both Anderson's money and the fact that he wasn't going to leave this store without making a purchase, so she was determined to make a good sale.
The woman, whose name tag read STACEY, lead Lauren to a back room and began to sift through the tens of dresses hanging on racks. "Did you have anything in mind?" she asked Lauren sweetly.
"No! I didn't even want a dress. This was all his idea."
"He's a lovely boyfriend, I wish mine would buy me dresses."
Boyfriend. "He's not --"
"Did you have anything in mind?"
"Well ... I really liked that gray dress in the window, but --"
Before Lauren could even finish her sentence, Stacey had her in the dress she had been looking at, but in her size, and Lauren had to admit, she looked nice. The bodice clung to her curves but the skirt spilled out to hide her legs, which she hated anyway, in long floaty tulle. The gray of the gown looked lovely against her skin and hair, and Lauren would be lying if she said she didn't want the gown.
Stacey lead her out to where Anderson was waiting, and Lauren was so embarrassed that she couldn't even look at him. "What do we think?" Stacey chirped to the one male.
Anders sat in a seat outside the dressing room passing the time on his cellphone. Or to be more exact he was checking the balance in his bank account. Needless to say, he had plenty to spend. The Hickory always saved his allowance and all the money he earned, such as the checks he received from winning competitions. He hadn't a thing to worry about while shopping for a dress with Lauren and even if he hadn't a lot, he still would have bought her a dress.
When Lauren reentered the room and he looked away from his phone there was no way of stopping the huge and brilliant grin that spread across his face. By far, Lauren was the most beautiful girl he had seen and this dress only help to show that. It was perfect. She was perfect. He only wished that she could see what he did.
Anders chuckled joyfully, still unable to wipe the grin from his face. He stood up from his seat and clapped his hands. "You look amazing, though, there is no surprise there. Is this what you want? We can have you try on other ones just so you're sure." Truthfully Anders wouldn't mind seeing her in more than one dress and forever imprint the picture in his mind.
"You really are a princess." He remarked, beaming.
Anderson's compliments brought a flush to Lauren's cheeks and she looked up to see his wife smile. Her heart fluttered, as if she couldn't believe that he was saying such things to her, and she really couldn't. But, she didn't think that he was lying. She thought that he was being genuine, and that made her incredibly happy.
"I ... yeah, this is the one I want." Lauren hadn't even noticed the other dresses. This had been the one she had seen in the window and this was the only one she could see herself in. Besides, Anderson thought she looked beautiful in it, so why would she want to tamper with that?
"Wonderful!" said Stacey, clapping her hands together in delight. "You look absolutely stunning. Would you like to see some shoes as well?"
"No, no, no, that's fine," said Lauren quickly. The dress was already too much money, she wouldn't allow Anders to spend more on her. She didn't deserve it. She pointed at Anderson warningly. "Don't even think about it."
"Just wait a second before you make up your mind," said Stacey. She disappeared for a second before she came back with a shoebox. She opened it and pulled out one absolutely beautiful heeled shoe. It was a gray stiletto with little gems on the platform, and it was obvious that Lauren loved them, but she saw the price tag and shook her head. Fifty dollars was far too much for shoes.
Anders didn't bother talking to Lauren on the subject. He simply scooped up the box and set it on the front counter to be paid for. He smiled gratefully at the store attendant and puller his wallet from his back pocket. "If you could wrap these up along with the dress I would really appreciate it."
Once the only store employee that seemed to be on duty had left them did he turn and address Lauren. He shrugged a shoulder innocently and looked around the shop and the many gowns and dresses that hung on the racks. It was a familiar surrounding, he had been any many women clothing stores, especially brand named ones.
"This is literally the fastest time I've spent shopping with a girl," Jenna was a fashionista, so, it took forever. But she did most of her shopping online. The one girl who would drag him around for hours was ... "With this dress, you'll be the belle of the ball."
"Do you go shopping with girls often?" Lauren teased, though she didn't really know if she wanted the answer.
The shop assistant took Lauren back to the changing rooms and helped her out of the gown. Lauren had kept her bra on -- she would have to pick up a strapless one as the gown was strapless -- and her white tights, to hide the ugly scars on her thighs that she was very much ashamed of. She hated them so she never wore any garments that could show them.
Once she had put back on her baby blue dress and gray cardigan, she went back out to Anders. Lauren's dress was folded carefully and put in a big box, and that box, along with the shoes, were put in a big bag and handed to Lauren. She thanked Stacey and followed Anderson out of the store.
"Thank you," she said, just as her phone buzzed. It was a text from her father, asking where she was. So she called him.
A few minutes later, after she had explained that she had gone dress shopping with Anders for the formal, she hung up and looked up at her friend apologetically. "My dad invited you over for dinner again. Probably to suss you out before the dance."
"I suppose I can give away my time for dinner," Anders checked the time using his cellphone and shrugged a shoulder in answer. After doing so he made sure to call his parents, they constantly worried, which he didn't blame them. Anderson didn't exactly have the cleanest and most safest record. And Jenna wouldn't be done with after school duties til late so he was sure he'd still have time to spare before picking her up.
"I have to say, I'm more used to being interrogated and attempt intimidated on the due date. This is new," Anders noted lightly, joking on the matter.
The drive to Lauren's was a smooth one having taking the same path there each time. He parked in front of the house and opened the door for Lauren. He was slightly unsettled walking up to the front door, it was the same nervousness he has felt when he first came over, it was for an entirely different reason.
Joshua Winter was waiting in the living room when they got to Lauren's house. He was wearing an old AC/DC T-shirt and brown shorts with no shoes, and he hadn't changed much since last time Anderson had seen him. He still had the same greasy hair, scrub of beard and slightly suspicious glint to his eyes.
"Well, if it isn't the lovebirds," he said, putting his beer down on the coffee table and standing up to greet them. "Lauren, I didn't know were going to the formal."
"Neither did I," Lauren said, trying to hide the bag behind her legs even if she knew it was fruitless. "Anders only asked me today. And it's not a date, we're going as friends."
"If you say so, blossom." Joshua's eyes met the bag. "What's in there?"
"My dress and shoes."
"Can I see?"
Lauren showed him the shoes first, before setting the box on the coffee table and taking out the one with the dress. She picked up the gown and held it against her body so her dad could see the full garment. Katrina came in to see too.
"Wow, that's pretty, how much was it?"
This was the part Lauren had been dreading. She took the receipt out of the bag and handed it to her father. Joshua's eyes widened when he read the figures.
"THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY?" he shouted. Lauren and Katrina both jumped and physically flinched away from him at the same time, as they always did when Joshua got angry. It never ended well.
"Lauren, how the fuck do you expect us to pay this?"
"I bought it for her. As a gift." Anders immediately clarified. He had placed a hand against Lauren's back as if to reassure and comfort her. And that was exactly what he was trying to do knowing how much of timid girl she was. She didn't deserved to be yelled at and bit for something he did for her either. Not while he was on the seen.
He didn't like anyone taking that tone with her, structuring her name with same word as a swear. Even if that "anyone" was her father, it angered him. He didn't buy her the dress for her dad to get angry at her, hell, he didn't even by the dress just so she could wear it to the dance. He had bought because he thought it would make her happy, even if just a little.
And that unsettling feeling he felt earlier was stronger than ever. He didn't want to automatically think of Mr. Winters of like ... The horrid men he'd been tangled with, most of, almost all his life. He was just upset ....
Anders still couldn't help but feel protective. "It's just a gift." He repeated. A simple gift, not him flaunting money nor anything else.
