Page 61 of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
LIZ
Liz felt clammy. She’d been sitting in a chair outside the dressing room at Hidden Treasures for half an hour now, smiling plastically each time Rose stepped out with another dress. Rose had tried on at least two dozen today between all the shops they’d been to.
“This one!” Rose said, stepping out of the dressing room.
Liz looked up, speechless for a moment. Her little sister looked gorgeous in a fitted bubblegum-pink dress with a tiny frill that fanned out just above her knees. The dress had two tiny shoulder straps on each side and only dipped to show the smallest amount of cleavage. The back, however, plunged below her shoulder blades. Even though the dress was pink, it wasn’t girly at all. It was kind of an 80s punk rock dress that Madonna might have worn in one of her music videos back then. “It’s perfect,” Liz agreed. “Wow. That dress.”
“It’s vintage, which is so cool right now. I love it,” Rose went on. “This is for sure the one.”
Melody stepped over to them and assessed Rose in her dress. “You’re right. That’s definitely perfect for you. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen that dress. Where did it come from?”
“The rack over there with all the others,” Rose pointed.
“Hmm.” Melody looked over at Liz, her smile fading. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Liz tried to swallow, but her mouth was too parched. “Actually, can I have a glass of water?”
“Sure. I’ll get you one,” Melody said. “Be right back.”
Liz’s hands were shaking. She placed one over the other to try and anchor them to her lap. Rose’s gaze was heavy on her.
“Are you going to have . . .”
“If you say a freak-out,” Liz warned.
“I was going to say an anxiety attack.” Rose came and sat beside her, laying her hand over Liz’s.
Liz blew out a breath. “I’m trying not to think about where you’re going to wear that dress. Perfect as it is. Or the drive to where you’re going to wear it.” She sucked in a breath. She’d rode down the street where they’d had their accident many times before, of course. She usually closed her eyes and pretended it wasn’t happening. When Jo was alive, she’d kept a little wooden cross tamped down in the dirt on the roadside in Alyssa’s honor. Liz guessed it was still there, serving as a reminder. She’d never needed to be reminded though. Alyssa and the accident were always lingering in her subconscious.
Melody reappeared with the glass of water and placed it in Liz’s hand. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Liz drank it gratefully. “I’ll be okay,” she finally said, looking between her sister and Melody. “Everything is okay.” She’d just e-messaged those very words to Bri. It was something she said to herself all the time. Sometimes that was all it took. Just a reminder that the world wasn’t ending and just being okay was enough.
“If you’re this upset about the idea of me going to prom,” Rose said, “then I won’t go. I’ll stay home.”
Liz looked over at her sister. She couldn’t believe Rose would say something so selfless. “No. You should go. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.”
“Well, twice,” Rose said. “There’ll be a senior prom too.”
Liz smiled. “A twice in a lifetime experience. I want you to go. It’s just going to take a few extra deep breaths for me to handle it. And I might be hyperventilating in a bag as you set out on your way there. It’ll be fine. I promise.”
Rose nodded. “Okay.”
Liz looked up at Melody. “Maybe you and I can hang out that night. You can be my distraction.”
Melody rolled her lips together, hesitating before responding. “Actually, I just agreed to go to prom.”
Liz frowned. “What?”
“With Christopher. He and Matt are chaperones, and I kind of said I’d be one too. But I can walk back my yes and stay with you that night if you need me to,” Melody said quickly. “Christopher will understand. I just thought it might be a full circle moment. I never went to prom. None of us did. Maybe this will be healing in some way.” She shrugged a shoulder.
Liz couldn’t imagine how doing the thing that had almost gotten them all killed, that had killed Alyssa, would be healing. It sounded traumatic to her. Like one big anxiety attack that lasted a full night. “I see. No, you should go. If you think it might help you, you have to. I’ll be okay. I’ll just watch TV or read a book to distract myself.”
“Maybe . . .” Melody hedged.
Liz shook her head. “If you’re going to suggest that I go to prom too, you can stop right there. There’s no way.”
