ballerina

“Which one would you prefer, kid?” He questioned, giving her a look. “There is a right answer and a wrong answer.”

“Uh, the normal suit. Definitely the normal suit.”

“Nope, if I buy that suit I’m going to wear it anywhere I go with you because you chose it and you must love it.” Mark teased, knowing that he wasn’t actually going to choose a suit that was super bright and colorful.

“Alright, I’m either gonna have to master the art of pretending not to know you when we’re in public, or you’re gonna need to ditch this idea and buy a normal suit,” Mollie laughed.

“Mhm, it would. And you don’t wanna cover the fancy parts of a dress,” with raised brows, Cam shook his head, as if he was talking about some super serious matter. “But maybe you’ll find something that makes the picture in your head go away ‘cause you’ll be all like ‘heck this is it! This is what I want! Forget my pre-existing dress ideas!’, y’know?” He chuckled at his own words, running his fingers through his hair. “Going with the flow is my favorite thing to do,” he nodded, “so I can tutor you in the art of not planning things if you’d like. It’s very fun once you get the hang of it.” At Mollie’s question, Cam stroked the light stubble on his chin, narrowing his eyes. “Probably, like… the opposite of a prom-posal. Making one of those clever signs, but instead of asking him to prom, breaking the news that you’re not going.”

“See, that makes a lot of sense. And it feels like it should’ve been something I just knew. How’d you become so educated on prom dresses and hairstyles and when the right time to wear what is, exactly?” Mollie couldn’t help but let out a laugh when Cam mentioned her finding a dress she hadn’t been planning for. “Okay, I can promise you that whatever I go with, I’m not going to end up saying heck, this is it! But I get what you’re saying. I’ll do my best to go in open-minded,” the younger girl agreed. “Sure, you can try tutoring me in that art. But many people before you have, and it hasn’t worked out so well for them,” she informed him. “Mm... as much as I appreciate that offer, I think I’m gonna pass on that. As of right now, I think I’m gonna go, ‘cause everyone seems to think I’m gonna have fun. But if I decide to back out and need a cruel, clever, backwards prom-posal sign made, you’ll be the first person I’ll come to.”

“Stuck.. that definitely doesn’t sound like the right word,” she agreed. “I know you’re nervous. It’ll be okay though, Mollie. Once you’re there, it’ll be a lot less stressful.” Lexie knew she worked a lot, but she also knew this was a time when she needed to step back for a day or two. Her daughter was so much more important than being at work, and truthfully she was excited about going to help Mollie pick a dress. “I’ll talk to the chief about getting at least one day off this weekend, but I’m going to aim for two. And then we can take our time picking the perfect dress.”

“That’s what everyone’s been saying. That it’s fun and stuff. I just haven’t been to a school dance since I went to homecoming my freshman year, so it’s been awhile. I dunno. I’m sure you’re right and it’ll be fine, I just worry too much.” At the mention of taking two days to look for her dress, Mollie cracked a smile. “Really? Y’think you might be able get two days off in a row?” With her parents working so much, and being pretty busy herself, it was rare that she got to spend an entire day with them, let alone two. “Yeah, that’d be good. It’d probably be a good idea to hit a couple different stores before deciding on one.”

 HE HAD TO BE honest with himself. This situation wasn’t one he felt too comfortable with. Mostly due to the fact that Baily had no idea why on earth someone would ask him about dresses, and such. –– he had grown up with Zola, his best friend who also happened to be his sister but in a way, he felt as if that was different. “ um ––” the dark-haired male started, slightly unsure about it all. He could, however, notice that she was being very nervous about everything; or she was just naturally filled with many words. He’d take a bet on the first. One thing he knew, was his answer to the last question. “ sorry —” Bailey started. “I don’t know about the dress, but I do know that you shouldn’t go with someone you don’t want to go with” 

Mollie had always been an anxious person. And over the past few months or so, that’d become even more apparent. And whenever she’d get nervous, all the thoughts in her head would spill out of her mouth at a mile a minute, as if she had no control over them. She hadn’t meant to unload all that on Bailey, even though she had. She was just stressed. “No, it’s okay. I mean, I didn’t really expect you to have an answer. I was just... thinking out loud, I guess,” the younger girl shrugged. “It’s not really that I don’t want to go with him, I think. It’s more just going in general that’s freaking me out.”

“Yup, and I loved every minute of it. I never had to decide on just one dress and got to buy all of them. It was great,” she grinned thinking about the memory. Lola nodded, “Cam’s right and of course he would know. We were a thing so I’m not surprised that he picked up on a little fashion sense.”

Oops. Mollie definitely wouldn’t have brought him up if she’d known that. “Oh, sorry. I guess I just... I didn’t remember that. Was that awhile ago? Or have I just been seriously bad at paying attention lately?”

“It would be totally like that and as much as I would say you wore it better, it’d wouldn’t be as fun as having something that no one else has. Oh yes Thanks for that remark, I keep forgetting that you’re so much younger then me.” Tulsa stated with a shake of her head. “That’s good that they are better, I do hope that they get better at least because I know Junior and Senior years are like the prime time to make sure your marks are important, but to be fair, it’s not about the marks, it’s about whether or not you know the stuff when it comes down to it.” she shrugged. “Well you’re right I do work a lot, perks of being an intern I guess, and you do have the studio, I guess it’s a good thing you’ve got dancing to keep your mind off of everything.”

“Mm, yep. Almost ten years. It must be my incredible sense of maturity that makes it seem like less,” Mollie joked. “I do feel like I know the stuff we’re learning, I just don’t always have time to do the busywork they give us. Plus, if I’m not gonna go the whole college route, how important are the grades, really?” the younger girl shrugged, her gaze shifting towards her lap. “I, uh. Right, yeah. It... it is nice.”

“What is with all of my children wanting me to wear crazy things? You guys are the ones who will be embarrassed. I don’t care.”

“Well, since I’m a very busy person, and hardly ever get to go to any of those events that involve you wearing a suit, I’m okay with it. But... maybe you should buy a black, normal back up suit, just in case I do ever wind up having to go somewhere with you while you’re wearing it.”

“Oh my god yes, this one girl, I think her name was Jessica or something, she had the same one as me and I was so mad.” Tulsa frowned a little bit. “Well I’m glad that he’s taking you. Oh shit Mollie, that sucks, I could tutor you when I’m not at the hospital if you want. Like are you grades better then they were?”

“Yeah, I guess that would suck. It seems like then it’d turn into a who wore it better sort of thing, which would be annoying. But I’m sure you’re the one who wore it better, if that helps. I mean, I was pretty young when you went to prom, so I’ve only got vague memories of it, but I remember you looking really pretty,” Mollie smiled softly. “Yeah, I think I’m glad too. Nervous, but glad. They’re... they’re slightly better. I don’t have as many C’s as I did at this point last semester. But they’re nowhere near the straight A’s I got freshman year. ‘N you don’t have to do that, Tulsa. I know you work a lot. The last thing I’d want to do if I were you was spend my down time tutoring. Plus, I don’t have a ton of free time anyways. I’m pretty much always at the studio.”

“Some of them, but I was talking more about the aggressive ones, they’re the worst.”

“How aggressive are they?”

“Always a suggestion though Mol, you never know what might happen when you get there, trust me you wouldn’t want any other girls wearing the same dress as you.” Tulsa urged once more. “Oh so that explains why it’s a senior prom. He’s a senior? I didn’t know you were doing bad in Chemistry.”

“Yeah... that’s true. Were there people at your prom who showed up wearing the same dress?” Mollie asked. “Mhm, he is. And yeah... I am. I mean, I was doing worse last semester, which is why mom wanted me to have a tutor. But it’s still not going great. And neither are my other classes, really. I’m just... I’ve been having a hard time, I guess.”

“I think red would be pretty. You’d look beautiful in either red or black though. Definitely stay away from white, it’ll wash you out,” Lexie said. “You don’t have to do an updo, and there’s a few ways to do them depending on how short you want to cut it..” She stared at her daughter for a moment. She recognized that rambling, the speed of her words. Lexie got like that too when she was nervous and stressed. “Let’s just.. take a deep breath here for a minute, okay? Don’t scrap the idea, you’re going to have a great time. And you don’t want to just bail on the person you said yes to.. Just breathe, we’ll get it figured out, Mollie.”

Mollie paused for a moment, taking a deep breath like her mother had suggested. “Yeah... I kinda figured I was stuck once I said yes. I mean, I guess stuck isn’t the right word, because I do think I wanna go. I’m just... nervous, I guess,” she shrugged. “But, okay. I guess the whole haircut thing isn’t too big of a deal then, and I’ll avoid white. Can you come with me to pick one out, maybe? Like, next weekend, if you don’t have to work? I mean, If you’re busy, I get it. I just wanna make sure I bring someone who’ll tell me if something I try on makes me look like a troll.”

“No, not really, it’s more to do with the clients than the actual case” Tasha shrugged.

“Mm. Are they annoying?”

Lola shook her head laughing, “It took three whole weekends of my time but I loved every minute of it. And as for the dress, since you don’t know the theme, I say black… Black goes with any theme and it matches anything your date decides to wear. As for your hair, I’m digging the up-do and the long hair would work best for it but if you were to cut it short, definitely wear it down because it would frame your face so well.”

“What sorta dress did you wear? Or, dresses, I guess. Oh my God, did you have to get a different dress for each one?” Mollie asked, her jaw dropping slightly at the thought. Just having to get one was stressing her out, she couldn’t imagine having to get that many. “Cam told me to go with my hair up if it’s got a fancy neckline or something like that, and hair down if it’s strapless. Is that right? It sounds right, I just wanna make sure. Not that I don’t trust him, but, y’know... you seem to have a lot of wisdom in this area.”

“Wow,” the brunette laughed softly before shaking her head. “Maybe you should just try to stay home if you’re going to fake stomachaches that often. Pretty soon she’s gonna catch on,  that or send you to your parents for excessive testing. When I was like fifteen, she once got my parents in on a fun  game to convince me I was dying, so good luck.” Nodding quickly, she sighed. “I mean, I guess.. there’s just a lot I could do, but also – a lot holding me back,  you know?” Shoulders shrugging, she sighed.  “Anyways,  it doesn’t matter. How are things with you?”

“Dying? Oh my god, what’d they convince you that you had?” Mollie laughed. She couldn’t picture her parents ever pulling something like that on her, but she could definitely picture Amelia doing it. “I do get it, yeah. I feel that way a lot. What stuff is holding you back?” she asked, glancing over at the other girl. “Oh, uh. Fine. Good, I guess. Nothing too exciting to report.”

Maxine let the hair be blown off her shoulders as she walked into the hospital. Her face still done up from her recital. She didn’t want to go home, not yet that is. And it was the closest place to get a bag of ice to calm her ankles down. “Do you know where I can find my dad? Jackson Avery?” She asked a nurse, who gave her a shrug and kept walking. “Really..” She muttered quietly to herself.

“He’s probably somewhere with my dad,” Mollie guessed. “I mean, I don’t know where that is, ‘cause no one’s been able to help me either. So for now, I’m just waiting here,” she stated, plopping down into one of the chairs in the surgical floor’s waiting area. “You look nice. Where’d ya come from?”