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“Okay, like… why’d we decide to do this when we’re basically broke, again?”
“It’s called window-shopping, Bratty. We look at stuff we want now and save up for later!” Catty’s face was pressed up against the display window of a dress shop.
“Since when have we ever saved money for anything besides rent?” Bratty’s mouth quirked up at the corner. We barely save money for rent as it is…
“It’s the thought that counts! Look at this, OMG, isn’t it so me? And it looks like it comes in a 2X!” Catty put out her lower lip. “Man, now I, like, really wish I had money!”
Bratty gazed at the dress Catty was talking about. It was actually much less garish than she would have expected Catty to like, but it was nice, she had to agree–lavender with wide white diagonal stripes, sleeveless, and with a little white belt. It was on a plus-sized model, too, very close to Catty’s size.
Well, couldn’t hurt to go in and look at the price tag. Catty’s birthday is in a couple months… maybe…
“OMG, are we actually going in to look at it?” Catty’s eyes lit up.
“Yeah, like, why not?” Bratty was already stepping inside, looking around for the rack that had the same dress in the window. “Not like we’re in danger of spending anything.”
“Yeah, true,” Catty laughed.
When Bratty found the dress, her jaw dropped.
“Four hundred dollars?!” Catty wailed. “What kind of store is this?!”
A designer one, by the looks of it, as Bratty actually took in their surroundings. She felt like a peasant just standing in here.
The two of them left the shop, Catty’s shoulders drooping. “I wish I wasn’t so bad with saving money. Not that I’d ever be able to buy that anyway,” she said, “but I bet even something kind of like it would cost a lot, too.”
Bratty didn’t respond. She was pretty disappointed that even saving up for Catty’s birthday would be next to impossible. Man, she thought, I wish–
Suddenly, what Catty had just said hit her.
Something kind of like it… she’s right, probably would still cost a lot, but maybe…
“Bratty?”
“Hey, sorry.” Bratty smiled. “Yeah, it sucks. Least we know to actually look at the store before we go in, though, right?”
“Ugh, I guess.”
Bratty didn’t listen to any more of Catty’s griping. A plan was forming, and even if it was a long shot, she wanted to try.
↭
“Okay, girl, last present!” Bratty held a wrapped box behind her back. “You’re gonna be, like, so happy, I guarantee it.”
“OMG, did you kidnap Mettaton or something?” Catty demanded.
“What? No.” Bratty laughed. “We don’t even need to, you know Alphys hooks us up whenever we want.”
“Okay, whatever! Let me guess.” Catty stuck out her tongue as she pondered.
“You’re never gonna guess. Here, just open it.” Bratty handed over the box.
Catty looked it over, shaking it next to her ear, then shrugging and ripping off the paper. Under the wrapping was a garment box. “Oh, more clothes! Yayyyyy!”
“Not just any.”
Catty’s eyebrow quirked up as she opened the box, then she gasped. “Oh my god. You didn’t.”
“Technically, I really didn’t.” Bratty put her hands up. “It’s not the same one we saw in that shop. I found this one at, like, Old Navy. But they looked so close to each other, you know? And they had it in your size. And it was, like, way less. Still had to save up, though. I think I blew a good chunk of a paycheck on it. But, hey. It was worth it.”
“Oh my god…”
“Hold up, are you crying?”
Catty dropped the box and launched herself at Bratty, catching her up in a huge, furry hug. After a second, Bratty returned it, though her brain was still trying to catch up, wondering why Catty was so touched.
“I can’t believe you saved up money for me!” Catty pulled back and wiped her eyes. “That’s, like, amazing! I never thought that could happen!”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I just mean, it feels impossible to save, you know? But–if you can do it for me, I can definitely do it for you!” Catty beamed. “Or, well. I can try, anyway.”
“I mean, you don’t have to? But it would be nice, yeah.” Bratty grinned.
“I have to try this on now. Then we should post selfies on Undernet! Alphys is gonna be so jealous.” Catty gathered up the dress in her arms and started for the bedroom, pausing to kiss the top of Bratty’s head. “Thank you so much, babe.”
“Yeah, no problem.” I am definitely gonna have to save up more often. That was SO worth it.