decisions decisions

Kyle looked miserable and Ellie knew he thought it was all her fault.

"You were just bound to make a slip up and you know it," Ellie said about the matter once she got up around noon on Saturday morning.

He gave her a grumble and took his bowl of cereal to his room. She really wished she'd stayed in bed, but she really wasn't a late morning person who liked to sleep. She kept dreaming of being stranded in the dark somewhere on her own, having to walk around a strange town hoping something was open. So she could use a phone since hers wasn't working. It was a terrible dream. She hoped Homecoming wasn't terrible.

Not that she'd gone to to much trouble about it. She had something sparkly that she'd picked up thrifting a few weeks ago. Although, she felt like a baton twirler in the thing except it was a dress. She wasn't showing off her legs in it. Usually, you didn't wear something like that to homecoming. Maybe it was too much. Maybe she'd stick with something not so glittery and blue. It wasn't like she would be on stage or anything. Why had she even gotten the thing? It wasn't her at all.

Then the other out-fit was a strapless wedding gown that didn't quite zip all the way. She decided to rip out the zipper and put in button holes on the zipper sides so she could put in a silk ribbon to lace it up. That would work. So simple.

About four in the afternoon she decided that was not going to work, after all. She kept falling out of it . She just couldn't get it tight enough.

"Dad, I have to go somewhere to find me something to wear to Homecoming," Ellie announced a little after four.

"Oh, no you don't. You've got a closet, plenty of things." He informed her.

"But not for Homecoming." She looked at him as if he better take her somewhere. This was critical. What was she supposed to do?

She called Eric then.

"Hullo." He still sounded sick. But he came over anyway and drove her to Good Will. She didn't have that much money to spare for a dress.

There wasn't a lot to choose from.

"Just go with the red one," Eric suggested. It was short with the spaghetti straps. "Everyone will be in black. Might as well look like you're ready for a party instead of a funeral."

"If I have to wear red, you have to wear red," Ellie told him.

"What?" Eric winced. "I have my suit already. There is nothing red about it it."

"Then I'm not wearing red," Ellie said.

"Then don't," Eric said. "Just pick one."

Ellie couldn't decide on anything.