Girls Just Want To Have Fun
-1-
Bikini Shopping

It was summer again, and the mall was crowded with people. Madeline and I had decided that we needed a break from Benton, from working our fingers to the bone, from just the rustic lifestyle. And so, she and I decided to spend the day roaming Metrocenter Mall, the largest mall in Mississippi. I was over the moon, not only was I looking forward to spending the day with my best friend, who has stood by my side through thick and thin. But also like any girl I would jump at a chance to do a little retail therapy.

Anyway, the first thing we needed and we both agreed on this was the fact that we both needed new bathing suits. After all, summer is bikini season. And so with that in mind, Madeline and I decided our first stop would be the swimsuit section of our local Belks.

Now, shopping for a bathing suit is kind of personal. And it always helps to have a trusted friend with you. At seventeen I was deemed old enough to be  trusted buying my own clothing. But normally mom and older sister would be there to help guide me. But well mom was my mom and Lily was busy with college. What do I mean mom was my mom? Well, mom was still getting used to the fact that her son was now her daughter, despite the fact I'd been living as Jamie for the past three and a half years.

And I don't think she was ready to see her daughter prance around in a string bikini. You know the ones with just three triangle pieces of clothing to cover the bits and pieces with just a bit of string connecting them. But hell I wanted that! I'd been working hard to transform myself from a sky schoolboy to a drop dead gorgeous blonde. And all those hormones I'd been taking had finally given me a nice little rack of boobies. I wanted to show them babies off!

“Man.” Madeline said as she started to dig through the racks of bikini tops and bottoms. “Who knew choosing a bathing suit would be this hard! I mean, I think we should have invited one of our moms to come along with us!” She said, sighing as she stepped away from the rack. “I'm totally out of my element here!”

“Girl!” I said, taking a deep breath as I peered toward my best friend. “Are you crazy or something? You have two moms. One is a no nonsense farm girl who would lay the law down  the law about what we could and could not wear. And will hold us to it. The  other one would pick out a dozen or so suits and tell  you to pick out  one. And if you fussed about her choices she would spin you around and give your bottom a dozen swats right here on the sales floor. And both would expect me to follow your example.” I said as I started my own search.

“Right! And what about your mom?” Madeline asked as she stepped back to collect her thoughts.

“My mom would pick out our suits and say 'take it or leave it' and if we raised a fuss, both of our bottoms would get swatted. Then she would march us out to the car and drive us back to Benton.” I said as I held up a bright pink swimsuit. It's a well known fact that pink looks good on blondes.

“You're right.. Also seems kind of like a waste?” Madeline said as she once more started to dig through the rack.

“What do you mean a waste?” I had decided that I was going to keep the pink bikini. Sure it was nothing more than a pair of panties and two triangle pieces of fabric with a few pieces of string to tie them together. But it just spoke to me, plus it was on clearance. Fifteen dollars, that is a steal.
“I mean, we're only going to wear them like what once or twice?” Madeline said.

“Maybe twice.” I said. “You forget girl are going to Rapids this weekend and of course I'm sure our families would take trips to the gulf coast this summer, and of course there is the annual dunking booth at the fourth of July celebration. I'm sure one of us would volunteer for that.”

“So three times total?” Madeline said, blinking as she started digging through the racks. Finally she found one that was in the same fashion as mine. A panty style bottom and two cloth triangles with bits of string connecting them. And like mine it was on clearance for around fifteen dollars. Hers was Sky Blue though. Because Blue always goes well with girls who have been graced with brunette hair.

“Yes.” I said smiling. “I guess we better try these, right? And we still need to pick out a sundress to wear over them. Plus I'm sure we're gonna need new sandals to go along with our new dresses.” I said grinning.

“Oh and we'll need to paint our nails and toenails a matching color. Pink for you and Blue for me” Madeline suggested.

“Madeline that idea is so so adorable! We'll be like sisters!” I said gushing at that idea. This is why I treasured those few moments when it was just Madeline and I. We could really bond, you know. If you had not guessed it by now, Madeline and I were like two peas in a pod. We were like sisters only we did not share the same mother. And she was neither my older sister or my younger sister, she was my twin.

“I know! But yes, let's go hunt up a sundress. It's a good thing we just got paid!” Madeline said as she started to guide me toward the escalator that would take us to the lower floor. Never in a billion years would I understand why they put the bikinis on the top floor, but kept the sundresses, shoes and prom dresses down on the bottom. Sometimes they would move them though!

“I know, I mean I've been saving my last few paychecks. So I'm good. Plus, Lily and Robin finally pumped up our pay. And I'm shocked Lily and Robin decided to let us off for the weekend. Normally they would want a weekend off.” I said as I followed behind Madeline like a lost little puppy.

“Well according to Robin she had to pay us more. Since we were growing our skill set. According to her, minimum wage just means minimum work experience or minimum skills in a given field. And since we are growing at work, our pay should reflect that growth.” Madeline said. “Also I think she really had to pay us more since the starting pay at Sunflower is around nine dollars an hour.”

I nodded my head.

“I wonder how much she paying Cerridwen then?” I asked. “Cerridwen just started working with us. Really the girl works everywhere.”

Madeline shrugged her shoulders.

“I guess if she pays us ten something she should be paying her about nine. I still feel kind of bad about not inviting Cerridwen to come along with us.” Madeline said as stepped onto the escalator.

I heaved a sigh and nodded my head in agreement.

“Same. But we are taking my car and my car can only seat four. And we agreed we wanted this to be a double date. Plus, I know this is going to sound bad. But she is still just fifteen. And sure we could squeeze her in. But she'll want Daisy to come and I doubt my mom would let me drive her SUV into Jackson. Heck, she was still worried about me taking my car out of Benton.” I said, also heaving a sigh.

“I get where she is coming from though. I find it cute that the two are so devoted to each other. But really, if Cerridwen and Daisy came along with us. We'll have to babysit those two. I don't trust them being alone with each other. Plus I kind of want it to be just us and our boyfriends.” Madeline said.

“I guess, but what the worst the two can do? I mean it's not like Daisy can get Cerridwen pregnant. None of us can.” I paused. “I kind of wish I could. I mean I feel bad for Ben. I am sure he wants to have a child one day. Though we can still have fun in other ways.”

“Hand-jobs in the wadding pool.” Madeline said with a deadpan expression.

“Oh..” I said blinking. I then felt myself starting to shutter. That was not a mental image I wanted in my head. That was a very creepy image. One that made me feel like I needed to rush to confession or say a dozen or so 'Our Fathers' and another dozen 'Hail Mary's' on my prayer beads.

“Right. Like I said, those two can't keep their hands off each other. And I for one don't want to be the one to explain to Cerridwen's mother why her fifteen year old daughter got kicked out of the local water park.” Madeline said.

“Okay! Okay! Okay!” I shouted maybe a little too loud as dozens of shoppers screwed their necks around and peered at me. “Enough is enough! I don't want that mental image in my head girl.”

“Oh quit being such a drama queen.” Madeline teased. “It's not like you've never done anything with Ben before! Come on you've guys been dating for like what? Three years now. I know you started dating when you were a Freshman.”

“Oh we've done things.” I said blushing. “We've just not been caught. Like the first time you and  Mat tried to do something.” I said grinning from one ear to the next. Madeline's face flushed a deep, dark red as she turned her away from me and stuck her nose into the air.

“Anyway, maybe one day we could take Cerridwen to the water park with us. You know she has a birthday coming up, like in a month or so. I feel a girl's day out with her sisters would be a good present. That or a Gothic Topic Gift card.” I said, trying to get the conversation back on track. Because you know I might have derailed it a little.

“Why not both?” Madeline said as she guided me toward the dress section. “And between you and me, I think Cerridwen buys all of her casual clothing from Gothic Topic.” Madeline said, sighing.

“You think?” I asked as I dove into the nearest rack of clothing.

“Girl, have you seen the way she dresses when she is not at school or on the clock? She is a walking poster child for Gothic Topic. I swear to God even the dress she wears to Mass looks like it came from Gothic Topic. Don't get me wrong black looks good on her, it's just..” Madeline's voice trailed a little.
“It's like the only color she wears?” I said as I started searching too.

“Totally!” Madeline said. “It's like the only color she wants to wear, everything and every piece of her outfit has to be black. Like I get it, that's your style. But your only supposed to wear black for funerals or for All Souls day.”

“She is still trying to find her way I guess. But yes, Gothic Topic Gift Card and a day trip to the water park with her two older sisters. Sounds like a good birthday present to me.” I said smiling.

We searched high and low for a good thirty minutes, that thirty minutes of fruitless searching. At the forty minute mark I was ready to throw my hands up and give in.

“Do we really need new dresses? I mean we both own a closet full of dresses?” I asked as I stepped back to collect my thoughts.

“Of course we do! Listen girl, we need to wear a sundress over our bikinis. Most of the other girls are going to wear shorts and crop tops over theirs.” Madeline paused. “I mean that a cute look and all, but we need dresses, I mean we are going for hibachi once were done with the park.”

I blinked and raised an eyebrow.

“So, we're going to spend the day at the water park, splashing around and working on our tan. Then we're going for hibachi?” I asked as I started to resume my search honestly. Finally this time I pulled out a solid pink sundress. I figured it was the best I'll get, plus it was in my size.

“Yep! And after hibachi were going to hit up Dairy Queen for ice cream. Then hopefully we can make it home before midnight.” Madeline said.

“Or else your moms are going to ground you again?” I said, smirking a little as Madeline rolled her eyes. Anyway in the end we found our sundresses, matching sundresses but not too matching, and of course we both had to pick a new vial of nail polish from the make-up counter to match our new bikinis, sundresses and our new shoes. All in all when we left Belk's to explore the other parts of the mall our purses were lighter but our arms were full of bags. And that always a good feeling when you're shopping with your best friend forever.

To be continued.