The Four Beta Brothers
Chapter 35

JUNIPER

I stared at my closet, knowing already there was nothing in here that I'd wear to a dance. In the past, always borrowed one of Moira's dresses. She had more than enough, and after she wore a dress once, she didn't want to wear it again, so she didn't care if I wore

one of her dresses. It saved me money, so I didn't mind wearing a used dress either.

I gathered my stuff and looked up the best bus route to get to the mall. I tried to avoid spending money on unnecessary clothes, but if Asher was taking me to Homecoming, I planned on looking the part. I thought about asking Asher to join me, but I wanted to surprise him with the dress.

So, I trekked off on my own to find the dress. The bus ride was short, and the mall was busy, which was surprising for a weekday. I had finished with my classes and homework for the day, so there wasn't a time restraint.

I wandered the halls of the mall, feeling small in the crowd of people. I had been to the mall plenty of times with Moira, but this was my first time coming here on my own. I knew what stores held the best dresses, and I went to the first one I came across.

I looked through several dresses, but when I saw the price tags, I quickly left. Between student loans and the money I made from tutoring, I had enough to cover tuition, dorm expenses, and even had a little extra fun money. However, spending hundreds of dollars on a fancy dress I would wear a few times at most wasn't something I could justify.

"J.J.?"

I spun, surprised to see Axel sitting on one of the benches near the water fountain in the center of the mall, it had been days since the party, and I hadn't seen him since. Guilt panged my chest, knowing I had left him waiting for me in front of the library. He told me to choose Asher, and that was what I did, but not before telling him I thought about choosing him. It felt like I led him on.

However, as I looked into his eyes, I knew I still cared about him. I wanted to be with Asher. I didn't doubt that anymore, but I also acknowledged that if Asher wasn't in the picture, I would've chosen Axel.

"Are you stalking me?" I laughed, taking slow steps towards him. I made a point to keep space between us.

"I would never stoop to such levels." Axel stood up, but he didn't move any closer, as if he knew it was best we stayed apart.

Say yes, and forget about our connection, because once you say yes to Asher, it closes the bridge between us.

I said yes to being Asher's girlfriend, which meant neither of us could even entertain the idea of being with the other.

"Then what are you doing here?" I was thrilled to see Axel, but I made a point to stay calm.

"I was supposed to meet up with a girl for a date," Axel said. He checked his watch, "But it appears I have been stood up."

I pushed through the pang of jealousy. "Ah, well, it's her loss."

Axel shrugged. "I don't care either way. I was free, and she asked, so I said yes." He had every right to go out with someone else. In fact, if he got his own girlfriend, it'd make it even easier to squash whatever feelings still simmered beneath the surface. "What about you?" Axel asked. "I didn't take you as the mall kind of girl."

"Malls are fun with the right company," I quickly said. I had many fond memories of eating pretzels with Moira while shopping, but those days were long gone.

"Do you have the right company?" he asked.

"I am flying solo today."

"Asher too busy for you?" It was clear he meant it as a joke, but there was a snag in his voice that gave away his true feelings.

"I didn't ask him to come," I admitted. I hesitated to say the next part, but if Axel and I were truly going to be friends, then I didn't want to hold back talking about Asher. "Asher asked me to go to Homecoming with him. I said yes, but I don't seem to have a dress fitting for such an event. Hence my trip to the mall."

"Found anything worthwhile yet?"

I showed him my empty hands and said, "I have found so many dresses that I simply couldn't decide."

"Ah, well it must be difficult finding a dress that would hold up to the standards of such a pretty woman," he chuckled.

I tried to hide the blush forming on my cheeks by looking to the side. "That, and finding something within my budget is turning out to be more difficult than I imagined."

"If that's the case, then I have an idea." Axel smirked and then started walking away.

I rushed after him, confused as to where he was going. "You really shouldn't walk away without telling someone where you're going."

Asher glanced and laughed. "Based on our first meeting, I knew you'd follow."

"You could've at least still told me where you were going." I glared at him, hating how I fell right into his trap. "You're just as bad as Asher."

"I'm probably worse." He expertly dodged the waves of people walking through the mall.

I had a harder time weaving than he did, but I managed to keep up. He didn't stop until he was in front of a small boutique. It was in the corner of the mall, and despite making several trips here, I had never seen it before. "What is this place?" I asked, following him into the store.

Mannequins were placed throughout the store, showing off various styles of dresses. They were not of the current fashion, and some of the designs were wild. Bright colors filled the store, and there were ruffles, sequins, lace, corsets, and every other style I could think of. It was a hodgepodge of designs, and while some of them looked ridiculous, others looked like they belonged in movies.

The store was completely void of customers, except Axel and myself. Even the store owner was nowhere to be found.

"It's my eclectic little gem," Axel said, slowing his pace. "It's where I got this jacket from. The prices are reasonable, and they have a wide variety. Sometimes you have to dig a little to find what you want, but it's worth the effort."

The men's section was significantly smaller compared to the women's, and it did not lack in style. One of the mannequins was showing off a bright purple suit complete with an orange button-up shirt. I was positive it came straight from the seventies.

"I would love to see you wearing that," I said, smiling to myself as I thought about Axel in such bright colors. I hadn't even seen him in a white shirt before. His wardrobe consisted of various shades of blacks, grays, and dark blues.

Axel's eyes widened, and he looked at me like I was insane. "I'll tell you what. I'll put that on for you if you wear..." He paused, looking around the store. His eyes brightened when he found what he was looking for. "That."

He pointed to a dress at the back of the store. It was shamrock green and peacock feathers dousing the skirt. Puffed sleeves hung off the side, and the bodice was covered in rhinestones in varying shades of green. It was a very elaborate design, but when I imagined walking into a dance wearing a dress like that, a chortle escaped my throat.

"What? Not your style?" Axel's eyes glimmered, thoroughly enjoying my reaction. "I think you would look beautiful in green. It would bring out your eyes."

"I would look ridiculous in something like that," I said. "It doesn't matter if it brings out my eyes if it makes me look like a poof ball." "You're crushing my dreams here," Axel laughed.

"And I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about it. I'm not here for your amusement today. You're just lucky I let you come along at all." I knew that wasn't true. I was actually grateful for Axel's presence, but I didn't want him to know just how much I liked him being here. It was a dangerous road to walk.

"If it weren't for me, you'd be stuck wandering around all of those high-priced stores. You'd end up just like Cinderella, unable to go to the ball because she didn't have a dress."

I titled my head, trying to figure out if Axel was being serious. "You do know that Cinderella's fairy godmother made her a dress, so she was able to go to the ball and meet the prince, right?"

Axel hummed, considering my words. "In that case, think of me as your fairy godmother, here to make sure you look gorgeous for your prince charming."