- Get ready for prom with exclusive outfits and accessories available for a limited time in game! More details below! -

I looked up the dress on my phone while lying in bed. Not only does the dress come in ten different colors, but there is also a set of tuxedos, decorative sashes, and king and queen crowns as accessories. Apparently, today is the last day these items will be in the shop. I probably would have noticed them if I had been playing the game at all recently. It made me wonder... is this the first time JJ had bought clothes like that before? And why would he want to?

"Hey."

JJs voice snaps me out of my wandering thoughts. When I turn over to see what he wants, I see his face peeking at me from the half-open door. 

Okay.  Just act normal. No big deal.

"What did I tell you about knocking before coming into my room, bean head?"

JJ furrows his brow but doesn't say anything, which I find a little strange. We always take small jabs at each other, but we never really mean anything by it. It's usually a very childish name calling back and forth until one of us gives up.

"...Can I have the game?" He asks me.

I look to the console on my nightstand, then sat upright on the bed and swung my legs over the side. I was still curious as to why JJ freaked out so bad, but I didn't want to just keep the console from him. Hes not allowed to have it in his room anymore ever since he was caught playing games at 3 am on a school night. I decide to give it to him, since we have school tomorrow and he has a couple of hours before he has to go to sleep.

"Take it, you little critter."

JJ steps in and snatches the console out of my hand. He sticks his tongue out at me, then spins around and slams the door shut on his way out. I couldn't help but smile at this. Normally, I'd be mad at the way he was acting, but right now, I was happy that he's being like his usual self. I started to put all of what happened today out of my mind. As I lay back down and start to get comfy again, my phone buzzes next to my pillow.

(Girlfriends)

Nisha: yo wass goin on in here?

Mymy: nuthin rite now

Nisha: oh ok

Nisha: so...

Nisha: did ur wig come in the mail yet?

Mymy: nope

Mymy: and im gettin MAD!!!

Nisha: lol

Nisha: u better hope it gets here b4 saturday

Mymy: still got my old cosplays 

Mymy: so it shud b fine

Nisha: rlly? ur not gonna go as basketball guy again r u?

Mymy: wats wrong with that ?.?

Nisha: u use that 1 all the time!

Nisha: change it up plz

Mymy: alrite damn!

I look over to my desk in the corner of my room that has everything that I use for cosplaying on it. I've got two styrofoam heads to hold the wigs I currently own. One is a dark-blue long pixie cut wig to go with my basketball anime cosplay. The other is a curly blond wig to go with my princess cosplay. There's also a bunch of make-up scattered messily on top of the desk. In my closet next to my desk is my third cosplay idea, a magical girl outfit I put together myself. Thinking about how I would look in the completed cosplay, my eyes drifted back to the princess dress.

(Girlfriends)

Mymy: why would a boy want to wear a dress?

Nisha: wtf thats random

Nisha: u mean for cosplay?

Mymy: nah i mean just to wear

Mymy: like outside i guess

Mymy: maybe

Mymy: nvm

Nisha: y u askin?

Mymy: idk

Mymy: i mean

Mymy: i saw a guy wearing 1 today

Mymy: made me think u kno

Nisha: hmmmmm

Nisha: cud b gay lol

Chu<3: NISHA!!!

Nisha: there she is! =D

For some reason, a brand-new wave of panic rushed over me. I jumped up from my bed, flung the door wide open and made my way down the hall to the living room. When I got there, I saw JJ about to enter the clothes shop. He has a startled expression on his face as I stomp into the room and plop down on to the loveseat adjacent to the couch he was sitting in front of. After a few seconds, JJ recovers from his shock.

"Why were you stomping like that!?"

"Uh... sorry?"

I avoid JJs look of bewilderment as he turns back to the tv and continues to play the game. The whole time my phone is ringing with rapid notifications.

I lean back on the chair and hold the phone up to cover my eyes and I check my messages.

(Girlfriends)

Chu<3: Theres nothing wrong with being gay!

Nisha: duh i kno that i was jokin

Nisha: just tryin to get u to say sumthin

Nisha: ur friends r talkin in here and ur ignoring us!

Nisha: mymy asked a question

Nisha: hello?

Nisha: HELLO!?!

The messages stopped after that. After I finished reading them, I noticed JJ focusing really hard on my face. I pretended to scroll through my messages while watching him from the corner of my eye. On the tv, his character Caleb was in the dressing room again. The cursor was hovering over a black pair of jeans, but I noticed underneath those were the prom dresses. My phone started to ring again.

(Girlfriends)

Nisha: OK OK IM SORRY I DIDNT MEAN ANY OF IT

Nisha: it was a bad joke and i shouldnt have made it

Chu<3: apology accepted

Nisha: thank you <3

Nisha: btw

Nisha: this is a gud time to tell mymy about ur thing =)

Chu<3: nisha...

Nisha: just sayin

Nisha: mood is pretty gud rite now

Mymy: wat r we talkin about?

Chu<3: ill tell u later

Chu<3: and about the guy in the dress?

Chu<3: a person can choose to wear whatever they want

Chu<3: and be whatever they want

Chu<3: and should not be judged for it

Chu<3: its got nothing to do with you

Chu<3: and doesnt affect you in any way

Chu<3: at least thats how i feel

Chu<3: so... yeah

I felt embarrassed about how panicked I got at after reading Chu's message. I know that it shouldn't bother me, but JJs my brother! He's not some random person I see on the street. I turn my attention back to JJ for a bit. I guess he finally made a decision because he moved the cursor over to the dresses. JJ quickly looks between the tv and me a few times before selecting the green prom dress. Caleb instantly strikes one of those sassy poses with half-open eyes again.

Ready to make your purchase?

(Yes please!)                                          Nope.

Do you want to wear what you picked out?

yeah!                                            (No thanks.)

After he bought the dress, JJ went back into the dressing room. Then he turned back to me to see if I was watching him again.

Okay. This is stupid. I'm just making him feel uncomfortable by sitting here. If he wants to buy dresses in a video game, then who am I to stop him.

JJ was startled as I suddenly got up from my seat. Without looking at him or the tv, I turn away from him and walk down the hallway back to my room. I keep the door open so I could hear if JJ needed me for something and sit down at my desk. He still has some time before he has to go to bed, so he should be able to buy everything he wants this time. He had all week to get that stuff anyway, what was stopping him before? I looked into the messages again, as the notifications were going off earlier but had stopped now.

(Girlfriends)

Nisha: ill agree to that

Nisha: so... chu...

Nisha: u gonna talk about ur thing?

Nisha: nows the perfect time =)

Nisha: chu

Nisha: CHU WTF

Nisha: WE R STILL TALKING IN HERE!!!

Mymy: wat is goin on in here ?.?

Nisha: nvm

Nisha: not my place to say

Nisha: maybe she will tell u later

Mymy: uhh ok???

I guess whatever Chu needs to tell me would have to wait until she was ready. I put my phone on its charger and started to clean up my desk. Just then, there was the heavy rumbling of the engine of a truck driving down the street. It got louder as it reached our house, then it pulls into our driveway. The engine was cut, and I could hear the door slamming shut.

At the same time, there was the sound of someone running down the hallway. JJ scurried quickly past my door to his room. I jumped up from my desk and poked my head out into the hall.

"YOU KNOW MOM HATES WHEN WE RUN IN THE HOUSE!"

JJ had just run up to his door as I yelled at him. When he turned around, he had panic written all over his face. The same panic he had when I handed him the console earlier today. Then the panic fell away to... sadness? As I heard the front door open, JJ closed the door to his room.

From the hallway looking into the living room, I could see my dad sliding his duffel bag off of his bulky shoulders and placing it onto the floor. His hands almost touch the ceiling as he stretches his back out and as he rests them back to his sides, he lets out a deep sigh. Rubbing his aching neck, he pulled a chair up from the kitchen table and sat down. He looks very tired, but he brightened up immediately as he saw me,

"Hey kiddo! Where's Jerome?"

"In his room." I said as I walked back into the living room. I picked the console out of its dock and booted up the game. Just like earlier, JJ was still logged in in his profile. Caleb was in the dressing room again, but he was wearing his favorite green jacket with the tiger on the back this time. I know that he didn't have time to get everything he wanted. I logged out of his profile for him and then put the console back. I picked up the controller JJ was using and sat down on the couch.

"Gonna play a game?", my dad asked as he was taking off his work boots.

"Yeah. I got some stuff to buy."