“I like this dress the best on you. My favorite part is the way it falls on you just right,” my best friend Kelli tries to convince me to no avail. I turn toward the mirror once more to study the lavender satin dress. I twirl and try to imagine myself dancing the night away with Jacob and all my girlfriends in this dress. I just can’t see it.

“I don’t know Kel, don’t you think it’s a little too short? I don’t want people getting the wrong idea about me.” I say trying to convince her to see my way for once.

“No I think it’s exactly the right length. What I really think is wrong, is that you are actually looking for a flaw in this dress. Just accept it. You look beautiful in it and you are buying it. Case closed.” I see a subtle smile spread across her face because she knows she won. What am I supposed to say to that for crying out loud?

“Oh, we’ll take it.” I tell the assistant and suddenly I feel the urge to smile too. Finally, the big night is almost here. Just finding the dress makes it seem all the more real. Kel comes over and gives me a quick hug, telling to me change quickly because they have a lot more shopping to do.

I never have understood the pleasure of spending hundreds of dollars at the mall like she does. Shopping mostly bores me, but I was forced to this time. Prom was only 3 days away and I still hadn’t decided on a dress yet. In Kelli’s eye that equals total disaster, so I let her take me shopping. The only reason I didn’t sprint out of the mall because she was at my side. She makes things always a little more fun.

I change and leave the store with a dress in hand. I’m laughing because Kelli just said something hilarious about my hate for shopping. It’s a long standing joke between us you could say.

For the rest of the day, she drags me into an endless amount of stores. I try on just about everything she tells me to but I buy only a couple more items. I prefer my jeans and t-shirts most days. Finally after hours inside that mall, we decide to leave. Walking out of those doors with a few bags and a dress in hand, I look to my side. Kelli is smiling and I can’t help but not to smile back. We’ve known each other since those days when all you did was eat mud pies and finger paint on the walls. Look at us now. We’re seniors, getting ready to take off to different colleges and start out own lives. Most likely our paths will start to veer away from each other once we get closer to the impending day. But none of this matters at this moment because I know she truly is and always will be my best friend.