never the color grey

"Well?" Daisy glared at Josie. She was standing in the dressing room in the most frilly dress. And it was strapless. It was for the Valentines dance.

"Its really not you." Josie shrugged. It was as if something else was on her mind.

"What?" Daisy tilted her head so, trying to figure Josie out. Why wasn't she happy? Her so-called rock-star boyfriend was bringing her to this bash. "Who is it now?"

"Its nothing." Josie glared back and pulled Daisy's black rimmed glasses off her face. "Don't wear these tonight."

"Why not?" Daisy didn't understand. The glasses were not an issue with Max.

"Don't you want to look like his date instead of a study-buddy?" Josie informed her.

"Is that what you think we are?" Daisy winced. Every second she was with Josie she felt less and less pretty.

"Look, you've got a great guy. Its just, he has no idea how handsome he really is. If he did, he wouldn't be with you." Josie reminded her.

Daisy swelled with a little bit of anger, then a little bit of fear. She fought back tears. Maybe it was true, if Max woke up and figured out she was nowhere in his league..then what? Daisy snatched her glasses back.

Daisy couldn't wait to get out of the dress then. She went back to the dressing room to change. She came back out with her favorite hat and Hello Kitty Tee shirt and wore out jeans.

"You are getting the dress, aren't you?" Josie asked as she left it behind.

"Why should I?" Daisy could hardly speak. She didn't feel pretty. It was impossible to be pretty. Especially, with Josie around.

Max was listening to Derrick talk about Henry's style. How he needed to get that look. Somehow. They were digging through suits at the mega thrift store while Josie and Daisy had gone to the department store, a bit further down the strip mall.

"Well, you better go with the bow tie." Max found a red one and baby blue one. Of course, he couldn't imagine himself in one. Really, it was so warm and sunny out. He looked out the old store glass windows to see Josie and Daisy in a fuss.

"What could they be fighting about now?" He said slightly amused yet kind of frustrated.

"Huh?" Derrick was holding a pin stripe suit. He was going to try it on.

"Here." He handed him the bow ties and went to see what was going on.

Of course, as soon as the cold chill of February hit him, he wished he hadn't have thought how sunny it could have been.

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" Josie was screaming as Daisy was taking off as if she would not go anywhere with Josie.

"Hey, what's going on?" He put his arm around Daisy as soon as he could and walked her into the mega thrift store. "Are you OK?"

She frowned as if Josie hurt her.

"Do you want me to go beat up somebody?" He looked at her seriously, even though he didn't have it in him. He was not really a fighter.

"Yes. No." She could barely speak.

"Just forget about Josie. OK?" He lead her to the fancy dresses for prom and big dances. Immediately, he found her a pink lacy dress with spaghetti straps. "I like this. This is so you."

"No its not." She winced.

"It might be." He coaxed her into trying it on. "I'll go find something. Then we can see if its us." He smiled.

"And if its not?" She still looked sad.

"We'll be somebody else for Valentines day. I guess." He kissed her on the cheek. "Come on, you know you're beautiful. No matter what." He believed it too.