"Are you alright, kiddo?" Linda Gibson put a hand on her shell-shocked son's arm.
That snapped Jon out of his reverie. "Did you see what Zoe was wearing? I can't believe you let her go to school like that!"
Linda was suddenly slightly less concerned for the teenager's well-being. "The dress comes down to her knees, and it looks smart on her. I'm glad she's branching out from wearing all black, and I think you should be glad, too."
Jon turned to his father for some moral support.
"Don't look at me, Jon," Roger said with a half-smile. "Your mom's the expert on dresses in this house. Or at least she was," Roger examined his son's clothing choices for the morning more closely. "It seems you've also been doing some branching out today."
Jon's face reddened as he dug into his cereal. "It's-- it's just what I felt like wearing. And besides, I've got jeans under my dress, I'm not showing myself off like some, like some--"
"Watch what you're about to say about your sister," Linda warned. Jon backed off, and finished his breakfast in silence.
Jon hoped to feel a little better once he'd met up with Karyn. Maybe she would understand his concerns and take them seriously.
But before he could say anything, she greeted him first. "Hey, Jon-boy! Is that a new outfit?"
The question stopped Jon's thoughts for a moment. Was it new? Where had it come from? Oh, right. "It's a hand-me-down from Zoe." The idea of getting hand-me-downs felt more comfortable than it had the previous day.
"Well, it looks good on you," Karyn complimented her friend. "A little girly, but good."
Jon bristled. "I'm wearing jeans underneath! It's not girly!"
Karyn laughed. "Whatever you say, Jon. But it looks kind of tight on you, are you sure it's not too small?"
Jon shrugged. "It's a stretchy fabric, but it does seem--" Jon suddenly felt a sense of vertigo, like the ground wasn't exactly where his foot expected its next step to land. Jon staggered slightly, regaining his footing.
Karyn turned to help, but he waved her off. He took a breath.
"Like I was saying, it's a stretchy fabric, and it even feels a little loose."
Karyn took another look at her friend. Why did she think the dress was tight on Jon? It seemed to fit perfectly now.
