If It Fits (Caitlin)

I stood in a beautiful white dress in a local villager-run bridal shop. Steve suggested that we go to a larger store to have more selection, but I refused. I like to support our local village. They needed to afford adequate shelter from the impending attack and, after all the people of this village have done for me, it's the least I could do. Alex's regular hot chocolate purchases enabled the villagers to build a small shelter, but it wouldn't be enough for everyone. Everyone was pouring their resources into the preservation of their people.
         "Steve est timide?" Alisha spoke first. I didn't know she spoke French, so I was kind of taken aback.
         "Mais non. Il est fort et vif. Il est sportif aussi."
         "Je ne parle français." Emmeline had good pronunciation, but her grammar was prone to faltering.
         "On nit de pas: Je ne parle français. Mais plutôt: Je ne parle français pas."
         "Thank you, I guess." Emmeline blushed. The consultant, Arlene, met our party. I pointed myself out as the bride to be. She looked surprised. Maybe she thought Alisha would be the bride? No. Alisha is too wily and independent. Marcinia suggested that I wear a mermaid dress, but I can't walk very well as it is. I don't need to add a constricting dress to the mix. I tried another dress on. This one was too big. It kept falling off, which was annoying. I ended up picking something else out, which was sublimely beautiful. The right combination of pearls, lace, and diamonds on the bodice sat atop a tulle skirt which just fell in quite the right way. It was my dress. It was ethereal and dreamlike with an elegant simplicity. I could tell just from that quick glance. Then, my body alerted me that I needed to find a toilet. Though I had a diaper on, I wasn't in the mood to be wet for the next four hours. 

I searched frantically and finally found a restroom. Unfortunately, the large stall was full of boxes and there was no way I could navigate it. Honestly, who keeps boxes in a bathroom? I got back to my sisters and felt that familiar trickling. I flushed with shame just as Alisha showed me a box.
         "I've been meaning to give this to you." I opened the box. My cranes! I cried. Years of emotions poured out in the form of tears. For years, Alisha burned the cranes. What would have motivated her to save them? "I'm sorry. For all of those years, I've treated you horribly only knowing an evil master. Now that you've rescued us, this is the least we could do." I didn't rescue them. Steve did. He was up there on the obsidian towers, not me.
         "Oh, really? Thanks." I twirled the crane in my hand. With my consultant, I tried on the dress. It fit in a way that made me see something totally unlike myself. Who was the girl in the mirror? She was just as surprised to see myself as I was. She was a shadow of myself, someone I always wanted to be from the day I could think. She could charm a dragon slayer. It took a while to sink in that I was staring at myself. But my reflection was nothing like me. I envied her poise and charm the way others seek diamonds.

When I walked through, I saw Alisha smile for the first time. Marcinia commented about how I was "so pretty". Emmeline couldn't take her eyes off of me. I stared at myself. Arlene smiled as if she knew my thoughts like an old friend.
          "That dress really suits you." I felt my cane under my fingers. I looked out of place against the white dress. Alisha and Emmeline perused the racks for veils. It did. For the first time, I truly felt beautiful. Steve had always told me that, but I never really felt it. An enthusiastic "Yes" burst past my lips. Emmeline and Alisha came back a veil of their choice. I tried Emmeline's selection first. Just a simple tulle with some nice lace, it complimented the dress. It reflected me. However, I wanted to incorporate an element of Steve's brazen sword-clashing, dragon-slaying personality. This veil did not do that at all. Alisha picked something more glamorous that had his tastes written all over it. It did not, however, match the dress.
          "Hey, did you see the tiara piece thing that came with the first one?" Marcinia chimed in. Emmeline found it and added it to her piece. She placed it in my hair like the good little sister she always wanted to be.
          "It's perfect!" My ring glimmered under the light.
          "Let's send a picture to...What's your student's name? Lexi? Annie?"
          "Alex. She'll love it!" Alex would love it. The tiara made me the queen Alex took me to be.

Then came the time to try on shoes. I am not going anywhere near heels because I would trip and fall on my face in them. Flats won't fit over my AFOs. Anything that meets my footwear needs will ruin the look. I cried again and totally lost my composure. Alisha tried to intimidate me into calming down. Emmeline tried to argue with Alisha. It did not work. I hated their conflict. It escalated and showed no signs of stopping. Eventually, Marcinia stepped in.
          "Shut up. Both of you. You guys are being childish." She turned to me. "It's okay, Caitlin. I'm sure we'll find something." I tried my hardest not to cry as she said it. She was the one who ruined my prom dress so I couldn't go. Now, she's helping me look perfect for my wedding. Their change of heart interested me.

We were told that there were shoes with extra depth available. All of them fit, but none of them went with my dress. They resembled boxes more than shoes. Why don't I just forgo the AFOs and destroy my legs to fulfill the vision of the wedding I've always wanted? No. I needed to follow the routine. But I wouldn't look like a bride. How is something so trivial to me making me emotional?

My sisters and I set out to another store. One of the shopkeepers confused extra depth with extra width, so I tripped and fell on my face. Landon happened to be there. He laughed at me and harassed me. I tried to defend myself, but tears fell down my face. Spaz. Retard. Useless. Freak. His words were fired like arrows into my heart one after another. I felt helpless. I wished Steve could punch him in the face for me, but he was fishing (and presumably fighting creepers) with Jordan. Then, my sisters came to my aid starting with Alisha.
          "No. You are an ableist idiot. Caitlin is an excellent musician and teacher as well as just an all around great person. Her students come out of her class different than they were before. I wish I could say the same of your students."
          "Well, she can't walk very well. And have you seen her drop to the ground and flop like a fish out of water?" Landon tried to justify himself. 
          "Seizures are not an acceptable punchline!" Emmeline threw herself into the fray. "You're just jealous because she's getting married to the slayer of the Ender Dragon. But that's okay because you are not worth her time. You're lucky she didn't plant an arrow in your head yet."
          "What of it? That guy can't talk. Besides, what student would want a teacher like her?" Emphasize "her" with extra contempt and that's what he said to me.
          "Me. I'm her little sister. Now, you had better run or else Alisha will kill you." He ran as fast as he could. Alisha put her arm over me and showed me a pair of beautiful shoes. They were elegant, lacy Mary Janes with pearl details that perfectly complimented my dress.
          "I'm genuinely sorry for the way I treated you when we were kids." Alisha's penitence showed in her eyes. "I just found these knowing they'd be perfect for you." They were. We all left the shop happy and decided to get lunch. Glancing down apprehensively, I saw a myriad of shrimp and squid-related items. No thank you. I am not in the mood to die, especially not when anticipating the greatest day of my life. "It's okay, Caitlin. I called ahead."

We enjoyed the rest of the day as if we had been normal sisters our entire lives. Aside from a few drop seizures, the day went by disaster free.