The Deep End

December

Chapter Song: Adore you- Maisie Peters

Riley and I decided to go to the King of Prussia mall since it was our favorite. We went to a few thrift shops before the mall, because we both love to go thrifting.

We always thought of it as a treasure hunt, even when we were kids. We would beg Tish to take us when she would go. I think she secretly loved taking us. I liked that the piece of clothing already has a story behind it, and then you got to create your own. Since we had no luck, we chose to go to the mall as our last resort which neither of us were mad about.

"So a black-tie backyard wedding huh?" Riley eyed me sifting through the dresses on the rack.

"Mmmm..." I respond eyeing a black chiffon material, "can I wear black?"

"You could but let's find you something different for once," she shrugged.

I rolled my eyes, "so what are you wearing?"

Cal's parents made pretty good money. Well, everyone, in our neighborhood did. I still didn't understand why they would want to have a backyard wedding but still make it super fancy. I didn't ask though. Maybe it was Nolan's fiance that wanted it to be fancy.

Nolan was always so simple about everything. While he has grown up to be successful, money wasn't everything to him. He and Cal didn't care about that kind of stuff. It was the complete opposite of their dad.

"I don't know yet. Maybe something darker since it's winter." She had a few pieces in her hands all ranging in different colors and fabrics.

So far I had a floor-length velvet dress that spread out at the bottom, a mid-length black silk dress with thin straps, and a blush lace top with chiffon skirt attached. I caught Riley smiling at her phone between the racks of dresses.

"Who are you smiling at?" I asked.

"Oh, no one," she sighed happily shifting through more racks.

"Riley." I gave her a look. "C'mon."

"Mason." She bit her lip.

"Wait, Mason? As in our Mason?" I asked her clearly surprised.

"Yeah technically we are going to the wedding as a date but who knows?" She smiled.

"You know I never would have guessed Mason, but I like it," I admitted. "What about Tyler? You guys seem to have some chemistry." I tried to tread lightly on the subject. 

She shrugged wrinkling her nose. "No. He is really hot, but he's more just fun to flirt with." 

Well, that was that. 

Don't get me wrong, Mason was cute. He had dirty blonde hair that was always jelled back. He had deep blue eyes that usually hid behind his square rimmed glasses. He also had a really strong jawline.

He was probably the quietest out of all the guys too, but so incredibly sweet. He just didn't strike me as someone Riley would be interested in, but I think that was all the more reason why I loved the idea of them. Plus maybe Tyler would back off.

I couldn't help but laugh and she poked me with a hanger to get me out of my thoughts. It only made me laugh even more. I ended up throwing the closest thing I could find which was a pointed heel.

She grabbed it then proceeded to pretend to beat me with it. She kept poking my but with it and I tried to swat her away but she chased me around the whole store. Finally, we ended up in a hysterical fit on the floor.

"Have you talked to you know who since the movie night?" I asked trying to catch my breath.

"Uh, not really not since tit pic happened." She grumbled wiping tears from her eyes.

"You really just called her tit pic!" I giggled staring at the luminescent lights above us.

"Well, she sent one to him!" She exclaimed. "Her name is Mariah and she plays lacrosse for the girls' team at St Andrew's," she mocked in a pretentious snob voice.

"Excuse me are you going to try that on?" A woman asked us with a look of disapproval.

"Uh yeah, I am." Riley smiled back at her sitting up.

That was our cue to stop laying on the floor. We headed into a dressing room together and began to try on the dresses. They were all cute but nothing stood out. I liked the velvet dress but something about it just didn't seem right.

"I have an idea." I said unzipping one of the dresses, "how about we pick each other's dresses since we aren't having any luck?" I offered. I felt like we had tried on hundreds of dresses already. I was beginning to get grumpy and maybe a little hungry.

She grinned at me, "let's do it."

We searched around and I thought I wouldn't be able to find anything but hidden away in the back of the store I found the perfect dress. It was a full-length gown with a one-shoulder full-length sleeve. The material was a buttery maroon satin.  It was the perfect mix of sassy and delicate just like Riley. I couldn't wait to show her.

Trying on the dresses were a perfect fit. Riley found another velvet dress that was a deep emerald. It had a split collar that revealed my back. It had long sleeves and it was floor-length like the one I picked for her. As I stared at myself in the mirror I realized that I looked older. There was something different about me, but I couldn't place it.

Riley, of course, loved her dress and almost didn't take it off. I beamed with pride as she danced circles around me. Who would have thought that we knew each other better than ourselves? Interrupting her choreography I checked my buzzing phone.

When I checked my notification I saw that Cal had sent me a photo of him shirtless laying in his bed. He said that he wished I was here. Staring at that photo I started to wish I was too. I heard a hard thump on the floor and Riley popped up behind me.

"Whoa. If I were you I'd lick syrup off his abs." She stared at the photo in a daze.

"Me too."

"Are you going to go hang out with him?" She asked.

"What no." I shook my head out of my daze. She stared at me with her wide eyes in shock.

"Kenny you have to go!" She yelled at me trying to unzip my dress.

"Riley no!" I tried to swat her away. "I'm spending time with you".

"Kenny if Cal McCormick sent me a shirtless picture I would run as fast as I could," she gave me a pointed look.

"Hey that's my-" I paused. I didn't really know what to say. Was he my boyfriend?

"He's your Cal," she stated. "So go run after him!"

"Riley." I sighed still unsure.

"Besides I think everyone is going to your house anyways so no matter what you'll see him".

"Mason told you?"

"Duh!" She laughed. Her smile always reached her eyes when she did.