Confessions of a Teenage Broadway Star

09 » ❝Someone Gets Hurt❞

"And you chose her over me - are you kidding?"
- Someone Gets Hurt, Mean Girls

CONFESSION NUMBER NINE: Remember when Scarlett said that she knew nothing about boys? Her point still stands. 

         "Sorry I'm late, I had a thing with Parker, and-" Scarlett stumbles into the dressing area in Forever 21 breathing hard (it was a long run in from the parking lot, okay?) and wishing that she'd decided to put on her shoes before she got out of her car. On one hand, it'd seemed like a good idea to just run for it and put them on when she got to the store, but on the other hand, no shoes should take that long to put on. 

         Still, Scarlett obviously made the wrong choice, because now, she's not only going to have to buy a dress for the dance, but a couple of boxes of band-aids, too.

         Peyton spins around to face her in a light purple dress, and Scarlett immediately shuts up. In fact, all of the girls shut up (Audrey on the bench and April, who's just walked into the dressing area with another pile of dresses on hangers) because wow, Peyton really knows how to pick a dress for herself. Peyton notices the girls staring at her, and turns around to glance in the mirror before looking back at her friends. "What? Did I put it on wrong?" she asks. 

         Audrey's the first one to say it: "You look gorgeous, Peyton." 

         "I second that," Scarlett puts her hand in the air like a middle-schooler. "That dress is perfect for you," she gushes, grinning. 

         "Really?" Peyton asks, smiling at her reflection. Audrey picks out a pretty deep blue dress with matching navy coloured heels, and emerges from her room at the same time April bounds out of hers, clad in a white denim number with lace sleeves. The girls gasp at each other in unison, evoking laugher from all four girls in the dressing room. "Scarlett, aren't you going to try something on?" Peyton asks. 

         Scarlett shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know, I've never been very good at picking out clothes," she admits (her style only got slightly better since the girls took her shopping, and is slightly proud of the rose patterned sundress that she's paired with red Lip Smackers gloss and black flats today). 

         April rolls her eyes, grabbing Scarlett's hand and dragging her around the store, piling dresses in her arms in record time before shoving her into a dressing room. Buried in a pile of dresses that she's sure weigh more than Scarlett herself, she takes a deep breath and looks at herself in the mirror on the back of the door. Alright Scarlett, you can do this. Parker taught you some dance moves, and April's picked out some dresses already for you. It's just a dance, and it's just a dress - nothing to be afraid of, she tells herself. Now get up, try those dresses on and show your friends that you're ready for this. 

         Dress by dress, Scarlett emerges from the room and shows her friends, getting a detailed review for each one. Through the many colors and styles, there aren't any that she's particularly fond of (she's used to floral patterned sundresses, not formal strapless/sequin numbers) until she's tried them all on but one. A bouncy red dress is hanging in front of her with straps that she's actually comfortable with and little red flowers laced into the skirt. A red sash made of silk fits perfectly around her waist. Scarlett doesn't think much before throwing it on and stepping into the dressing area, where her friends are piled onto the couch in the centre, waiting for her. 

         The room is silent when Scarlett emerges, staring at her friends expectantly (they're not exactly known to keep their opinions to themselves when it comes to picking clothes). And Scarlett's never been too fond of the color red (especially not on herself) but she can't help but mentally scold herself for not thinking to try it on sooner, because in a certain light, she almost reminds herself of a more flowery version of Idina Menzel in the Tango: Maureen.