[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180330/c5d5513a452e7e8d1237b7bc4d469160.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/ZCmxUGq.gif[/img] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180330/61f378ad75dc0d542109448d32295a53.png[/img] [color=slategray][sub][@Silver Carrot] [@Fabricant451] collab Featuring: [color=2eb82e][b]Madison Weaver[/b][/color]] and [color=ff6347][b]Shauna Flynn[/b][/color] Locations: Outside School - Beverly Hills Boutique Time: 4:30 pm[/sub][/color][/center][hr][hr] As Madison leaned against the wall at the school’s entrance, repeatedly checking her garmin for the time, she reflected heavily on what both Hana and Lee had said. They’d both acted like Shauna was bad news. And to be fair, she was, but that wasn’t a reason why you couldn’t befriend her. After all, nobody had really tried, Madison included until now. Shauna had gained a deserved reputation as ‘the Shark’, but did people forget that she was actually human? Unlike the freshmen Shauna preyed on, Madison was older and wiser when it came to relationships, was confident in her own sexuality, and most importantly, didn’t want to date Shauna. In fact, she didn’t want to date anyone. Or at least, she wasn’t going to try and make it happen. She wanted to make friends. That was something she sorely needed more than a ‘third time lucky’ relationship. She didn’t have a social life. Plus, Madison felt a bit bad for Shauna. Granted, she’d chosen her life and was, for all Madi knew, happy with her life, but Madi herself had been on the receiving end of high school gossip to the tone of ‘Ew, Madison Weaver was praying on a freshmen!’.Come to think of it, it was only when Shauna started seeing the dyed-haired freshman that people started to realise that Shiloh was Shiloh, and were finally ready to even listen to Madison’s side of the story! So, in a way, she owed Shauna one already, and after today, she’d owe her two. Shauna wasn’t the type to do anything for nothing, so Madi mentally prepared herself for a lot of flirting in the next hour or two. Still, this wasn’t a date! Shauna exited the school fashionably late as always; if Madison was waiting long it was because Shauna knew the value in anticipation. She located Madison and the sideways smirk that Shauna used so well crept up along her lips as she made her approach. Shauna did so love it when they waited for her. [color=ff6347][b]”You look lost, Madison.”[/b][/color] Shauna announced her arrival as she sauntered her way towards the cheerleader. [color=ff6347][b]”Don’t worry, I’ll guide you to safety. I know just how to make a girl find just what she needs.”[/b][/color] If there was an award for subtlety, Shauna would never have been in the running. She threw her arm around Madison’s shoulder in order to walk with her out into the parking lot towards Shauna’s car - the same one that this morning was host to a crying Freshman who didn’t make the cheerleading team. [color=ff6347][b]”And I know just what you need, Madison. A girl on your arm. On both arms. A drink in hand. Eyes on you, just dying to know what’s underneath. And I know just how to make that happen.”[/b][/color] While laying it on thick, Shauna arrived at her car, even opening the passenger door for Madison. [color=ff6347][b]”All I ask...is that you trust me.”[/b][/color] Madison hadn’t shrugged the arm off. She didn’t want to seem rude, yet it was clear she hadn’t exactly appreciated the gesture. Her eyes had a weary lack of lustre to them when she turned to Shauna after the car door had been opened for her. [color=2eb82e][b]”I do trust you,”[/b][/color] she replied, [color=2eb82e][b]”To help me get ready for this party. I wouldn’t have asked for your help if I didn’t trust you to do an amazing job with me.”[/b][/color] Madison then got into the car without any other comments or clarifications. Had she really answered the question? Did she or didn’t she truly trust Shauna as a person? In truth, Madi hadn’t answered because even she didn’t know the answers yet, but by the end of this trip, and subsequent party, she would. She’d know whether or not she could realistically be platonic friends with Shauna or whether she was a fool for asking a favour from the Shark in the first place and everybody was right. [color=ff6347][b]”Try to sound a little more excited, Madi, or I’ll start to think you don’t like me. And I’m very likeable.”[/b][/color] Shauna’s smile was more crooked than a used car salesman and it lingered well after she had settled into the driver’s seat. The car came to life and immediately the sounds of [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQnAxOQxQIU] Truly Madly Deeply[/url] filled the car. Shauna wasn’t about to turn the song off, she in fact seemed to turn the radio up just a bit in case the lyrics weren’t audible. [color=ff6347][b]”Now where I’m taking you is going to change your life. And don’t worry about cost or anything. I have an employee discount and being the daughter of wrestling’s beloved on screen manager has its perks.”[/b][/color] Shauna flicked down the sun visor, and out dropped a credit card. The car rolled out of the parking lot and out onto the street, heading towards a place Shauna knew rather well. [color=ff6347][b]”But first, tell me what you want out of this party. Are you looking for love or are you just wanting to turn heads when you walk through the door? Do you intend on wearing it all night or will it be on the floor in an hour? Details, Madi, details. Your desire is very important to me.”[/b][/color] Madi wasn’t convinced she even could improve her mood. She just wanted to stop worrying about trying to make this friendship work and be herself. Thankfully, something happened that made it easy; Shauna’s song choice. Madi put her elbow on the side of the door, her forehead in her hand, and chuckled. [color=2eb82e][b]”Oh my god. Wait, were you listening to that with the Freshman you pissed off this morning? That would have been a frosty car ride.”[/b][/color] She was starting to warm up, and smile, and laugh. That was a good sign. The ice only got broken further when Shauna mentioned her AWE connections. Madi had forgotten they had that in common. [color=2eb82e][b]”You don’t need to tell me about the perks of AWE parents. I have two of them. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had to pay full price for fitness gear.”[/b][/color] she mused. [color=2eb82e][b]”As for the details, well, I haven’t really thought about it. Well, I’m definitely not looking for any kind of love or long term thing. I also don’t want too much attention. Turn some heads at the entrance, yes. Maybe get a few compliments during the night. That’s fine, but I don’t want to be the Belle of the Ball. I basically just don’t want to make any kind of fool out of myself, and you only blend in at a Beverly Hills party by standing out.”[/b][/color] [color=ff6347][b]”You don’t want to know what I was listening to this morning, and I don’t want you to hear it. But what’s wrong with this song? It’s romantic and sweet and so very ‘of the era’. You know the nineties were so iconic.”[/b][/color] Shauna almost sounded nostalgic there, or at the very least she sounded more sincere than she’d typically sounded around others. The scary thing was, as Shauna was starting to pick up on after she had laughed at Madison’s offhand remark on the music choice, that this was sounding very similar to a conversation. An honest, actual conversation between friends. That couldn’t be allowed. [color=ff6347][b]”You know you shouldn’t be afraid to draw attention to yourself, Madison. You’re a cheerleader, you wear skirts and your physique is better than pretty much the entire girl’s athletic department. You’d kill it if you showed off more.”[/b][/color] It might have sounded a bit on the leery side, but Shauna was being rather honest about it. [color=ff6347][b]”The problem is that I doubt this is a black tie affair so as great as you would look in a dress, we’re going to focus on making the social casual stand out. You don’t want to be the girl that shows up overdressed but you also don’t want to be the girl that shows up in a thong bikini because that’s trashy and you are anything but.”[/b][/color] The song ended and switched over to another romantic song from the nineties, and Shauna turned it down accordingly as she turned them down a road and approached a fancy looking boutique. [color=ff6347][b]”Think of it like...okay, the AWE. Sure, people enjoy the wrestling part but the attire and showmanship of it all is just as important. My mum made business attire look sharp. It’s a matter of playing to your strengths and accuentating what’s already there. Come on, let’s get you in front of a mirror.”[/b][/color] The car pulled into an employee parking space and the engine shut off. Shauna was now in her element of a different sort. Clothing. Style. Women’s fashion, and she was determined to find the perfect outfit for Madison or die trying. Madison didn’t think it was leery to talk about her body at all. The phrase ‘she knew she had a great body’ brings with it connotations of vanity, but in Madison’s case, she accepted it as plain fact, because it didn’t usually matter for her. For her, the great body wasn’t the goal, it was the by-product in her quest to get better at running, better at cheerleading, better at MMA, etc. It’s not as if she was really self-conscious about her body either. Fitness gear and hooded sweaters were simply her preferred everyday look, drawing from her passions in life. She listened at Shauna spoke, as was feeling more and more like Shauna was the right choice. Madi would go as was as to say she was [i]wise[/i] in the field of clothing and outfits. She followed the fellow as they both exited the car and entered the shop. As soon as they entered, the woman behind the counter arced an eyebrow at Shauna, her expression flatly speaking loud enough. [b]”Another one, Shauna? It’s Tuesday.”[/b] Shauna was quick to dismiss the claims with a wave of her hand and an admission that this time was ‘different’. The clerk’s rolling eye said it all, as did Madison’s eyebrow raise and smirk. Regardless, Shauna led Madison over towards the back of the shop where the mirrors and tailoring sections were located. The Irish actress told Madison to stand front and center as Shauna worked the folding mirror to capture every angle before standing behind Madison. [color=ff6347][b]”You look into the mirror and what do you see? You know what I see? I see a girl, no, I see a [i]woman[/i] who has a confident body but a clueless mind. I don’t mean you’re stupid, I mean you don’t really know how to show it off sensually, casually, or even seductively. So many women would kill for your figure, and you can’t just wear sporting gear forever.”[/b][/color] While Shauna spoke she was grabbing a few things from the racks. Starting with a top would be easier. During her little speech she was holding up different clothes in front of Madison. [color=ff6347][b]”The first step is your shoulders. Do you know why I never wear t-shirts? They’re unflattering. T-shirts are what you put on in the morning when you’re coming down for breakfast in a stranger’s home. You’ve got an athletic figure so you need to show it off, and it starts at the top. Flatter the shoulders, accentuate the arms, a sloping neckline is what you want. Fortunately, you have many options, but for you I think a halter strap is in the cards.”[/b][/color] Shauna held a purple top in front of Madison. It was a halter top, v-neck, with triangular straps. [color=ff6347][b]”Rule number two is to never wear anything that broadens your build. You want to show off your muscles and form, not smooth them. That’s why you should never, ever, under any circumstances wear horizontal stripes. Given that this party is on the water, something breezy is what we want, but not too breezy as to be a bother. You want to tease and be alluring and noticeable, you don’t want your clothes being in danger of a malfunction at the slightest wind. Try this on. Don’t worry. I won’t look.”[/b][/color] Shauna handed over the halter top and stepped away. Madison listened with a rather bemused look on her face. She hoped she wasn’t supposed to be taking notes! She also hoped that she wasn’t being expected to make drastic changes to her everyday wear, though Shauna’s comment about shoulder and arms did make her think about maybe getting a couple more vests. Sure Cheerleading made Madi look and feel feminine for once, but Shauna was making her [i]think[/i] feminine. The halter top held in front of her...it really wasn’t the type of thing Madison would really wear, and she wasn’t sure how well it would suit her. She did do a double take when Shauna asked her to get changed here, though. Madi wasn’t bashful, she just thought that Shauna was really pushing her luck. Well, fine. Never show weakness. Never draw blood in shark infested waters. The moment Shauna ‘turned away to not peek’, Madison got changed into the halter top. She practically lived in changing rooms. This was nothing to her. Madi didn’t know if Shauna peeked, and she didn’t really care. If she didn’t, good, she’d made some progress earning Madi’s trust. If she did, her attempt to try and be forward had just backfired on her. Even so, Madison looked at herself in the mirror, and...it actually worked! She did a few quarter turns while she examined herself. [color=2eb82e][b]”You’re a fashion Guru, Shauna,”[/b][/color] the jock chuckled. True to her word, Shauna didn’t peek; she might have told many white lies and false promises in her time, but she wasn’t fully a liar. Peeking would’ve likely been fun, sure, but it would also have been a step over the line. One of these two was adamant that it wasn’t a date so the least Shauna could do was act decent. There would come a time for selfish needs and wants, but it wasn’t here or now. This was about Madison and Shauna was going to ensure that. [color=ff6347][b]”Oh, not at all. I just know how to make a girl feel good. Look good. Slip of the tongue, that was.”[/b][/color] Though even so, Shauna was still Shauna. [color=ff6347][b]”But what did I tell you? Gorgeous. I won’t always be around to design your wardrobe, but just try to keep in mind that shoulders are for more than just resting a head on. Of course, no amount of my excellent eye for figures and sales techniques matter if you forget the golden rule: wear what’s comfortable. Yes, I could lecture you on why t-shirts are the worst, but if they make you feel good then they make you feel good. Style is individual no matter what the magazines or models tell you. If you’re confident, then your outfit is too. Confidence is sexy.”[/b][/color] Shauna had in her hand a selection of pants, some jeans, but mostly pants with a chic design. [color=ff6347][b]”Legs are like shoulders in that you want to accentuate them. While the eyes are drawn to the upper body, that’s no reason to skimp elsewhere, because if they’re looking up there, they’ll be looking down here too. I’ve known many girls with a muscular physique assume that short skirts or mini dresses are the one-stop shop for sexy, but trust me, most clothes aren’t tailored towards builds like that. Don’t get me wrong, skirts are good, but you don’t want to go [i]too[/i] short and have everyone stare for the wrong reasons. You’ll look like sausage stuffed in a bag.”[/b][/color] Shauna stood just behind Madison, holding up different pant options and shaking her head at some that didn’t hit the mark. [color=ff6347][b]”Avoid tight pants no matter how great it makes your ass look. Key words to look for are roomy, fitted, and stretchable. It might seem good to draw eyes to your curves, but not if it means you’re killing your blood circulation. Getting something that you can move in while also fitting your form will accentuate your curves far better than something you need to squeeze into. Think of it like this...when you work out, do you go for form or function? You’re not going to wear something that makes it so you can’t move and lift, so why should you do the same for regular clothes? Here.”[/b][/color] Shauna handed a pair of dark blue pants, mid-rise to hug the waist comfortably while giving the added allure of longer legs. [color=ff6347][b]”Go on. Try it on and look in the mirror. Tell me what you see looking back at you.”[/b][/color] Madison did try them on, though not before checking Shauna was once again turned round. She had to admit, while Madi wouldn’t have gone for skirts in a million years, she would have made several mistakes before getting to this point, but now she knew better. This was pretty educational! The pants were a blend of comfortable and good-looking in a combination Madi knew that she would not have been able to achieve alone, even with her mother’s help. Dawn Weaver. Sydney Ellis. Possibly the only young woman in the world who had a more skewed attractive body/fashion sense imbalance than Madison has now. Then again, joining the army at 16 would do that to you. Back to the present, Madison was staring at herself in the mirror, and grinning. It was clear in her eyes that she was looking forward to what was next. [color=ff6347][b]”My my, I think she likes it,”[/b][/color] Shauna stood just behind Madison once more, admiring the athlete like a proud parent, or at least a proud saleswoman. Again she placed hands on Madison’s shoulders while she beamed from ear to ear. [color=ff6347][b]”A little care with your hair, some makeup, and I’d say you’d be able to charm anyone tonight. It’s working on me, and I’m your wingman.”[/b][/color] Another line casually tossed out, perhaps to test the waters or perhaps to remind Madison that Shauna was still, at the end of the day, Shauna, even if she was showing a more genuine side. The side that clearly had an eye and passion for fashion and making girls more comfortable with themselves and their clothes. [color=ff6347][b]”How are you in heels? Don’t answer that. You never want to wear heels at a party that involves a lot of standing or walking especially if you’re not used to them. No one out there is going to change their mind because of shoes, not when everything else is so eye catching. Heels are for special occasions, and a party isn’t it. But, if you’re happy with this outfit then it’s on me. Consider it a present, and when it works tonight I want to hear all about it.”[/b][/color] Madison didn’t even mind the sleazy lines any more. She was expecting worse, and they hadn’t detracted from anything Shauna had been saying. In fact, they’d been strengthening all of her genuine compliments. So she gave absolutely no reaction to them, as if she’d never heard them. What did get a reaction from her was heels being brought up, she immediately looked at Shauna and shook her head. Heels were absolutely out of the question. [color=2eb82e][b]”Thank you so much, Shauna. I really owe you one after this.”[/b][/color] she instead answered. If it was anybody but Shauna, she would have hugged them right now. A handshake would be too stiff and formal. A fistbump too masculine. She was actually at a loss for what gesture to make, so just stood there with her broad smile slowly deflating. It was harder than she’d first thought, trying to make friends with Shauna. Of course, in Madi’s mind, they were already friends. The challenge from here would be Shauna’s mind. [color=ff6347][b]”No, you don’t. It was my pleasure, and besides I did promise to help you. Just promise me one thing.”[/b][/color] Shauna took a step back but not before giving Madison a light pat on the shoulder - a gesture that seemed woefully pedestrian by Shauna standards but a friendly one all the same. [color=ff6347][b]”Have a good time tonight.”[/b][/color] Given the situation, it was understandable that Shauna couldn’t help but to keep smiling as she admired her handiwork. [color=ff6347][b]”I’d be upset if you didn’t.”[/b][/color] [color=2eb82e][b]”I promise to have a good time, and i’m fairly confident I can honor that promise, thanks in no small part to you.”[/b][/color] answered Madison. [color=2eb82e][b]” Now, didn’t you say you also wanted to look at my hair and makeup? Not that I’m trying to demand any more of you. I could take it from here and it wouldn’t be a disaster.”[/b][/color] [color=ff6347][b]”Trying to get rid of me so soon? Oh, sweetie, I’m not letting you out of my sight until the party starts.”[/b][/color] Shauna led the both of them away from the mirrors and the back of the store back to the front, where Shauna handled the payment and the benefit of an employee discount. No amount of eye rolling from the on-duty clerk could keep Shauna from feeling positive about this whole matter. [color=ff6347][b]”Unfortunately this place deals only in clothes so we’re going to have to go elsewhere. But don’t worry, I know the best place for cosmetics and hair care in the city. I wish there were more hours in the day, but we’ll make do. Come now, Madison. You’re to be my finest work and to do that we’re going to have to draw out your eyes.”[/b][/color] Even though it wasn’t technically a date, Shauna was having more fun here than she would have been had it been a date with anyone else. And that had to count for something.