smackdown

noun

1. a bitter contest or confrontation.

2. a decisive or humiliating defeat or setback.

Not long after I walked into the store, the sales assistants began a silent argument with their eyes about who was going to serve me. I really didn't look like I had the money to afford anything in the store, let alone the thousand dollar dress in the window.

"Good afternoon, Miss. How can I help you today?" The sales attendant was a lovely woman with a beautiful smile. None of the condescension I imagine she was thinking was evident on her face and I was pleased to see she could be a professional.

"Hi, good afternoon. I'd like to try on the slip dress in the window, if you please." I held hands relaxed before me, careful not to show any negative body language or apprehension I was feeling. A positive outlook bred positivity in others. That's what I'd learned anyway.

"This is the latest in this season's catalogue. Its a beautiful dress. Would you like it in black or white? We also have it in cream, but we haven't racked the cream number yet as they have just arrived by courier." She walked over to the stands holding a few of each size in that particular dress.

"Can she even afford to buy anything in this store?" Said a nasally snarky voice. There was the condescension I was expecting. But instead of it coming from the other sales assistants, it came from three of the girls who were hanging around Liam Ferguson when I arrived at the mall. I ignored them and carried on my conversation with the sales lady beside me.

I hadn't even given her my colour preference before one of the girls behind me grabbed my backpack and yanked it off my shoulders and dumping it on the floor. Wrong move, bitch.

I automatically spun around and was about to smack her hand away when I noticed the smirk on her face. Then I remembered where and when I was. This timeline, I couldn't act irrationally and lash out at people like I did in the past, so I quickly pulled in my arms and rubbed them, as if I'd been hurt. I didn't step back, or shy away, just rubbed my arms while I stared fire and brimstone at the stupid girls ganging up on me.

"Excuse me, what has my buying anything in this whole mall have to do with you. If you hurt me again, I will call mall security and have you charged with assault."

"Assault? What assault, I didn't do anything?" It was the scary thick makeup girl I confronted at the entrance of the mall. She was standing in the middle, hands on her hips like she owned the place.

"Didn't do anything?" I pull off my school jumper and show her the red marks and scratches covering my arms where my straps grazed my arms. Well, that's what I wanted them to think happened. The scratches were my own doing, just a little additional staging to add to the drama.

"Oh, Miss, are you alright?" The sales lady stepped towards me in concern, but I backed away from her carefully, not sure whose side she's on. She saw me move away from her then turned to the girls with a disapproving frown on her face.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves, going around hurting others like this." It wasn't the store lady who said this, but my own mother. She moved past the girls and came up to me, rubbing my arms carefully.

"Are you OK, honey? Does it hurt?" I grimace when she runs over the scratches, but shake my head anyway.

"It's OK, mum. I don't need anything in here anyway. Let's go."

"Miss, are you alright? Can I get you anything?" The store lady and my mother helped me with my things and fussed over me, completely ignoring the girls who had caused all the trouble.

"I'm OK. It doesn't hurt." This was one of the lines that Eyva used to say so often when she'd harmed herself and blamed it on me. Neat trick to learn, because it gained me more sympathy and righteous anger. Another shop assistant came over to ask if we needed any first aid, but I just shook my head and took mum's hand, my eyes on the floor, and pulled her towards the entrance. She pulled me to a top.

"Wait, honey, didn't you say you found the perfect dress in here? Why don't you try it on, if you think you can. If it doesn't hurt too much that is. I made this time especially for you, lets find a dress for the wedding, OK?" She squeezed my hand, then looked around at the store. The girls had been escorted out with scowls on their faces and daggers flying from their eyes towards me. I think it helped that we ignored them and their nastiness, and we gained sympathy from the sales ladies in the store.

I turned to the dress on the rack and pulled out the white one. The lining was a soft silky material and felt smooth on my skin. The main fabric was a viscose silk organza mix with large sequins hand sewn all over the front and back panel. Gold sequins were splashed across the fabric in a pleasing design, leaving the dress looking fresh and energising. Not too froofy, not too girly. For a sports enthusiast like myself, this fit the bill perfectly.

I tried it on, and I felt so beautiful in it. I quickly tucked my hair up into a low bun on the left side of my neck, leaving a few tendrils hanging around my face to soften the look. The cuffs covered the scratches on my arms adequately, and I was surprised that the length didn't look too long or too short on my toned legs.

"I think I will need a pair of golden strapy sandals to go with this, mum. Can I please use your Jimmy Choos, please? The gold colour will match the dress perfectly." I step out of the changing room to find my mother in a state of shock. She was staring at me, opened mouth.

"What? Did I put it on backwards?" I asked then turn back to the mirror to check. The sales assistant followed me in to help settle the dress in the back and assured me that the dress was on correctly.

"I think your mum maybe hasn't seen you wearing a beautiful dress like this before? Maybe, perhaps, she didn't realise how beautiful you are?" I know that the sales lady is sucking up just to ensure the sale, but when I look back at my mother, she has her hands over her mouth, silently crying. I sigh and offer her a tissue from the box in the change room and hold up my hand before she can speak.

"If you started lamenting about how your baby girl has all grown up, I'll leave the dress behind and wear shorts and t-shirt to your big day tomorrow. Mum, I like this dress, I'm buying it."

And that was that. When I was changed back into my school clothes, and handing the lovely dress to the sales lady, mum was still wiping tears carefully to avoid spoiling her makeup. I squeezed her hand on the way past and followed the sales assistant to the counter to pay.

"I'll pay, my treat." Mum tried to stall the sale but I quickly passed over bank card before she could.

"Nope. Mine." And $998.00 dollars was debited from my savings account.

"How can you afford that much, Lily?"

"Meh, just savings for a car. Wont need it where we're going. It is money was well spent on this particular dress. Not only did I look freakin' hot in it, but I would be able to use it again if a business banquet... or something like that comes along in the near future..." I mumble the last part remembering I'm not supposed to know about Wallace's business banquet that will be held at the end of the month.

"Ok, Lily, if you're sure."

"Yes, I'm sure. Now, let's go for ice cream, mum. The fat free yoghurt kind." I carry my new bagged purchase out of the store with my mum in tow and smirk at the blond bimbos waiting outside.

"Have fun shopping, ladies." I call out on my way past.