Callie & Clarice [backdated]

[x-blink.livejournal.com]

Clarice & Callie go prom shopping.



It was a week before prom and Clarice did not have a dress. Neither did Callie, but at least she had a date. That was okay though, Clarice didn't need a date to go. What she did need, what both girls needed, was a dress. That was why there was Saturday. On the sixth day, God shopped. On the seventh, he rested from his labors. And it was good.

Standing at the door to Bloomingdale's in New York, Clarice anxiously awaited the doors to be opened. Any minute now. Then....SHOPPING!!! "Do you want a long dress or short dress?" she asked, pondering her own. She'd had both dresses in her time and didn't know what she wanted this year. Two years ago she'd worn an all-white tux. Then again, two years ago she's been a man at prom. It had been an interesting time. This year would hopefully not be quite so interesting.

Callie blinked several times and took another sip of her coffee. "I have no idea," she said with a yawn. Why Clarice suggested they go to Bloomies right as they opened was beyond her. Still she had eagerly agreed to accompany Clarice on the shopping trip not only because she needed a dress herself, but it was far easier to shop with someone who shared your unique problems in finding clothes. Ie: Someone else in the rainbow skin club.

"Um, yes? I don't know. I don't want poofy though. Or too revealing."

The why was obvious, at least to Clarice. They missed the majority of the crowds, they would get better service if they needed it, and it wasn't like they had to drive for an hour and then pay for parking. Plus, it gave them all day if they needed it. And sometimes, when you were part of the rainbow skin club, it could talk all day.

"Not poofy or revealing..." Clarice repeated thoughtfully, her own coffee in hand. Callie was no fun sometimes. Poofy was in, especially if it was short. And short tended to be revealing. "You have great legs, you should flaunt them," the older girl informed the younger and then took a sip of her coffee.

The younger girl looked down at her bare pink legs extending from her shorts, admiring her limbs. They were long, and working in the sun had tanned them so to speak, so Callie was rather pleased with them, at least today. "No I mean like dresses that have so little fabric they look like they're meant for little girls, and would still be so small," she explained. Movement inside the store caught her attention as a female associate approached the front doors. "You know what I mean?"

"Oh, well yeah. I won't let you look like a skank," Clarice reassured her. She'd dressed like a skank before, for various reasons, but it wasn't a good look for anyone. Ever. "Anyways, you're going with Fred, right? So you gotta look...like you wanted to go. And not like he paid you," she held up one hand quickly, "And I know. He's not paying you."

"If anything I should be the one paying him, I was the one doing the asking after all." Callie pulled open the door and ushered Clarice to go in. "Age before beauty."


Flipping Callie off amiably, Clarice sauntered into the store, making a beeline for the formal wear section. "Okay. So. No muumuus or burqahs. How about this?" she held up a flamboyant dress with rhinestones, sequins and feathers. It screamed 'look at me, look at me.' Clarice smiled brightly.

Callie quickly grabbed the most formless and shapeless dress she could find. The fact that it was in puke green only added to the dress' je ne sais quoi in her opinion. "Oh and you can go in this one," she squealed, holding it out to Clarice. "The puke green really compliments your skin tone, don't you think?" She laughed as she shoved the monstrosity back onto the rack. Callie wasn't that mean.

"No thank you. It's not really my style, more of yours. Let's think of it this way, I guess. If you look at an item of clothing, ask yourself 'Would David Bowie wear and slash or approve of this?' and if the answer is yes it's for you and not me."

Laughing, Clarice put the dress back. She hadn't been serious, it was too much even for her. The bright colours were garish. Taking about 5 dresses off the rack almost immediately, she headed for the changing rooms. "I'm going to start trying these on. Hurry up!"

Why was there so much pink, Callie wondered as she wandered around picking up a few dresses every so often. Nothing was really catching her eye. She reminded herself that it was early, and headed into the dressing room next to Clarice. "Find anything good?"

"Not really," Clarice rejected a second dress before trying on a third, I've learned though, just keep trying and don't reject anything on the rack, you might be surprised," then again, there were some things, like the puke green and sequined things they had joked about earlier, that should never have made it on the rack.

"This one makes me look pregnant. Gross. I'm not going to even show it to you." Callie eyed the other two before deciding that neither of them were for her. But maybe for Clarice? "Hey Clarice," Callie held a dress over their divider, "check out this one."

"Pregnant? Eeeewww," and that right there was why Clarice was a lesbian. She did not do the pregnant thing, at all. Taking the dress offered by Callie, Clarice tried it on and turned in the mirror. Damn. Just...damn. She looked good. "You didn't like this?" she called, opening the changing room door.

"No, the cut was really weird." Callie finished zipping up the last dressed she had grabbed. It had been on a whim really, she had seen it on the way to the dressing room. She hadn't really looked closely at it, but now that it was on, she had to admit it looked good. It fit her like a glove, and it was white, so it didn't clash with her skin tone.

"What do you think of this one," she asked, stepping out of the dressing room. "Too much?"

I like it, very 'Earth mother meets Cleopatra,'" Clarice said, looking Callie over. It suited her. And definitely showed off her assets. "I vote: win." She liked her own dress too, it was similar to Callie's a little, but it was more unconventional, more Clarice.

"That color looks great on you." Callie nodded. "Really and the cut is flattering." Pause. "You know what? I think we're done. And it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be."

Clarice shot her a quizzical look, "Shoes, honey. Shoes," she stepped back into the changing room to put on her regular clothes, "The dress is only the beginning."