Gaby Book 17 - Seasons

“So where to?” I asked as we set off for the town centre.
“There’s that place on Niederhut,” Nena suggested.
“They do have some nice stuff,” Steff agreed.

We set off, a school of girls on clunky roadster bikes, for the short ride into the town centre. Yeah Mum was adamant that I was riding home so my Schauff travelled to school in the back of her A Klasse – it just goes in with the seats down. Anyhoo, the six of us toiled our way into the Altstadt and soon scooted to a halt outside of Lehman’s Womenswear.

The window display didn’t look too promising to be honest, I don’t think teen prom princesses are their usual clientele. I think even Mum would be less than impressed with the range of sensible skirts, blouses and foundation wear on show. The only hint of something more suitable was a pair of ‘evening’ dresses although they looked more Gran than Gaby.

“Doesn’t look very promising,” Pia voiced what I was thinking.
“Well where else then?” Con queried.
It might only be a small town but we do have “Orsay!”

We collapsed in a round of giggles – well it seemed funny to us. There wasn’t much point riding, Orsay is just around the corner on Ahrhutstrasse after all. The short walk soon had us parking our steeds in front of the glass frontage and in short order we trooped inside.
To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for, I’ll know when I find it I guess. Let’s get one thing straight, Orsay isn’t renowned for its formal wear, think every day and party so it would be a bit hit and miss at best but at least affordable. It’s easy to get side tracked, I spotted some cool lacy shorts, ten euros, wonder if they have my size?

“I thought we were looking for prom outfits,” Bridg pointed out when we convened outside thirty minutes later.
“We are,” Steff confirmed.
“They’re cool,” I defended, yeah, yeah I bought the shorts.
“I quite liked that dress with the sequins,” Pia told us.
“I thought that red one was alright,” Con put in.
“The scarlet woman,” I opined.
“You see anything, Gabs,” Con asked, “apart from cute shorts?”
“Not really, I suppose that one with the side split’s a contender.”
“Didn’t think you were into flaunting your assets like that,” Bridg mentioned.
“It wasn’t too bad.”
“Coffee?” Steff suggested.
“Have to be quick, I’m cooking tonight.”
“Bakhaus then,” Nena decided for us.

It was decided that a proper shopping trip was needed on Saturday, might have to get the frock in Orsay if I can’t get the morning off. The others set off but when I tried to follow I realised I had a flat, damn. Guess I’ll have to catch the Express, a moment later Con reappeared.

“What’s up?”
“Flat tyre, I’ll have to catch the Zug.”
“You want company?”
I checked my watch, “Nah, it’s ages until the next one, no point everyone getting home late.”
“’Kay, see you in the morning?”
“Yeah – oh I need to pick up a Rye, can you put one away and I’ll stop off when I get there.”
“Sure, see you in a bit then.”
“Tschussie.”

Con disappeared and with a sigh I set off pushing twenty kilos of bike in the general direction of the town station. As I told Con, there’s hardly a rush, I’ve just missed one and it’s twenty five minutes until the next one. A poster in the tourist info window caught my eye so I decided to take a squint inside.

“Ah Gaby, did you get my message?”
I was caught by surprise, Gerta was the last person I expected to find in here.
“Er hi, Gerta, message?”
“I left a message with your mother earlier, your prom dress is ready,” she informed me.
“Prom dress?”
“Young Maximillian is taking you to the Promenade?”
“Er yeah , I mean yes.”
“So you need a dress, which is at the shop, come you can take it today.”

I was helpless to refuse, I followed her back out and found myself following her across to Auf der Rausch and Eloise Couture.

“You’re late,” Mand stated when I finally got home.
“We um went shopping from school,” I advised.
“Con said you had a puncture or something.”
“Um yeah, had to get the train back, you’ve seen Con?”
“She caught me on the way back from training, I’ve got the bread.”
Bum, I forgot all about that.
“Er thanks.”
“What’s in the bag?”

The bag, the one with Eloise Couture emblazoned all over it, no disguising where it came from or where I’ve been. Gerta and Dotty had me trying on the new frock not once but three times as apparently I’ve put on some weight in the er derrier department so Dotty had to make some adjustments. How they knew I was going to prom, that I needed a dress for it, goodness only knows.

“Er, prom dress? Rosti okay for tea?”
“Um sure, you bought a new dress?”
Well less bought, more given.
“Er yeah.”
“Well let’s see then,” she demanded.
“After Cheer, can you get the eggs.”

I think the Swiss call it Bauernstuck or something, basically it’s Rosti with chopped bacon topped with a fried egg, anyway that’s what we had for tea. It was straight off to Cheer then.

“Oh that woman from the dress shop called,” Dad advised as we waited for Pia to appear, “something about promenade?”
“She caught me in town, all sorted.”
“Not another frock?”
“It’s for prom.”
“You’ve got a cupboard full,” he sighed.
“It’s not full.”

Well Mand lost it then, Pia climbed in next to the hysterical blonde.

“What’s going on?”
“T…tell you in a bit,” Mand managed.

Dad let out an exasperated sigh and set off towards the Tanzklub.

“Wow.” Mand allowed.
“Is that all you can say, wow?” we were up in my eyrie, I’m not going public just yet.
“What do you want me to say? Turn round.”

I did as instructed, slowly so as not to fall off my heels, the 12cm heels of course.

“Did I mention, wow?” Mand queried, “Max’s eyes’ll pop out of their sockets.”
“Not sure that’s quite the idea.”
“So go on, how much?”
“Sevnundrud,” I muttered.
“Seven hundred!” she shrieked.
“Shush!”
“Geez, Gab, talk about high maintenance,” she stated.
“It wasn’t my idea.”
“I bet it wasn’t.”
“Gerta got it in for me, I could hardly say no could I?”
“I’d like the opportunity.”
“You know you can borrow stuff.”
“Yeah, not quite the same.”

The dress? Well I can’t say it’s what I would’ve picked but it does look sensational, floor length, pale pink silk with a fitted bodice encrusted with tiny Swarovski crystals. There are more on the nude sleeves so it looks like they are stuck to my shoulders and arms. It’s probably, no it’s definitely a bit overboard for a school prom but this is one frock that will earn its keep.

“Best take it off, gi’s a hand with the buttons.”

All that money and you don’t even get a zip, nope there’re about twenty tiny buttons up the back, which of course I can barely reach.

“Turn round then, geez even the buttons are crystal.”
No wonder it cost so much.

At least Tuesday was less eventful, Dad sorted the puncture, I got to tell the Angels about the frock, well Pia knew of it already so I could hardly not. Which of course upped the stakes for the others, a party dress from Orsay would no longer cut the mustard.
“It wasn’t my idea,” I told them as we pedalled to school.

“We’ve heard that before,” Nena noted.
“Honest, I was gonna get that dress in Orsay.”
“Dunno how you afford that place,” Bridg mentioned.
“I can’t,” I pointed out. I hadn’t told them just how much it was, I didn’t dare.
“Well your parents then.”

I don’t think it’s them footing the bill, I’ve got my suspicions but it’s not my rents.

“Oh dad was muttering about English pies last night,” Con told me, changing the subject somewhat.
“Oh?”
“I think he’s been trying to make some, he might collar you to help.”
“Right,” I allowed, “what’s he made?”
“No idea, he said they dried out too much.”

Hmm, maybe I can make some dosh baking pies.

“You’d best have a suit or something, Strechau,” Con instructed when she collared Max in class.
“Course I have, er what for?”
“Prom stupid, Gabs has got the dress so you better not show her up.”
“Con!”
“He needs to know, Gab, boys always cock stuff up, oh and no trainers.”

Max looked helplessly to me, all I could do was shrug.

“Suit and shoes,” Max noted.
“And tell the others too,” Con went on.
“I’ll tell them,” he agreed.

“Whats got into her?” Max asked when Con left us.
“No idea,” I admitted.
“I’m guessing your dress is er, expensive?”
“Mega.”
“I should make an effort then.”
“You’d better or I won’t speak to you again.”
“Promises, promises!”
“Why you!” I shrieked chasing him along the corridor past my bemused classmates.

Maddy Bell © 15.10.16