pj's are best in PINK! {petal}

[CLARISSA RAMONE]

Clarissa liked routine. She liked schedules. She wasn’t a big fan of change. Of course, she’d had to get used to all sorts of change once Bashful had awakened. On some days, she’d been alright with this because she knew it was helping her. On most days, Clarissa just wished Bashful had never picked her in the first place. On those days, she apologized profusely and wallowed in her guilt.

Saturday nights went to homework and cleaning and a bubble bath. Saturdays were her days to unwind. To consider how her week had been and how next week might go. This Saturday was going to a sleepover. Clarissa never had/went to sleepovers. The last sleepover she’d been to (not including all the ones she’d had with Becky. Those didn’t really count because they had been roomies) had been when she was very young and before her crippling shyness had developed. So, really, she hardly knew how these things went.

In fact, Bashful had laughed at her when she went online to research sleepovers. He’d said he could help her better than the internet could and she had promptly ignored him. She’d even told him that he wasn’t allowed to hang about during the sleepover because it was a girls only sort of deal. He’d just scoffed at her. Luckily, Becky had left behind some things when she went off to college. Some nail polish and Seventeen magazines; she had hardly touched any of these things until tonight.

When planning the whole thing, it was decided they’d have it at Barrie. Baum, being a high school and all, was too be much stricter about it. Barrie, being a college, really didn’t care. The cabbie knew where to go, thank goodness because Clarissa wouldn’t have had a clue, but she knew she’d have to find her away around the college. Large campuses sort of terrified her.

Eventually, she found the dorm building and after wandering three different halls, she found Petal’s room. It was only a tiny bit weird having a sleepover with her dance instructor, but Bashful had insisted since Petal was Happy. There was no way he’d let his dwarf friends get away from him. Clarissa’s backpack was hanging from one shoulder and she had another bag with more sleepover-y things.

… Wow, she really had no idea what she was doing. Hopefully, Petal would have a better hold on the whole thing. Clarissa knocked a few times before waiting patiently for an answer. Thankfully, she couldn’t feel Bashful anywhere which meant he was going to give her the privacy she’d asked for. It was a first for him; he hardly ever listened to her requests. She appreciated it, though.

[PETAL PAIX]

A sleepover! It had been so long! When Petal first moved to her dorm she had planned to have so many of these! But work took over and she hadn’t the time to find a friend who liked them. But then the lovely Clarissa popped in and Petal just had to ask. It was her first free weekend in ages. She would have to spend it in style. Popcorn bags, her favorite girly movies, nail polish, spa facials, and make-up were spread across her bed. She was taking off her own bright yellow polish when she heard a knock on the door.

She squeaked in delight and tossed the cotton ball in the trash. “I’m coming!” she sang. Petal turned up the music and opened the door. She was all decked out in pink and yellow striped pajamas. They were one of her favorite pair. She had many favorites including sleepovers! “Hello girly! Come on in!” she said over the music. Her dorm was in tip-top shape with an empty floor besides the two sleeping bags and fluffly pillows. She thought it only fair that they both sleep on the floor tonight. If they slept at all. Petal had enough activities to last through the night.

“What would you like to do first? I ordered a pizza. I hope you like cheese!” Petal said sitting on her sleeping bag. She had high hopes for this evening and hoped she and Clarissa could become good friends from this. She’d never had a sister but she was certain the connection she felt with Clarissa had a sort of sisterly feel to it. “Do you have any siblings?” Petal asked randomly. Maybe Clarissa could be her adopted little sister. That would be fun!

[CLARISSA RAMONE]

Okay. She could do this. Sleepovers were easy. They were normal. She needed more normalcy in her life. Clarissa stepped back just a bit when she heard Petal call out in case the door were to swing out (which she doubted but you could never know). When Petal opened the door, Clarissa first noticed her bright pajamas. Pink and yellow looked nice together. “Hello,” Clarissa said, smiling and entering Petal’s dorm. It certainly seemed like it was ready for a sleepover. There was makeup all over the bed along with a few movies. She vaguely recognized some of the titles. “How are you?” Clarissa asked, setting her things down and turning to look about the room once before stopping and facing Petal.

Despite Bashful having disappeared, Clarissa still couldn’t help but to wonder if Petal really was Happy. And if she was, did she know? Probably not. Clarissa settled down in front of Petal, glad that the sleeping bag laid out for her was comfortable. “Cheese is fine. You can never go wrong with it, after all.” Clarissa had never cared much for toppings. She could be picky (like mushrooms. mushrooms on pizza? no. just no) but more often than not, she was fine with just picking off anything she didn’t like. “We could… watch a movie?” Clarissa suggested, looking again to Petal’s collection. “Or paint each other’s nails.” At that, she rummaged through her bag for the polishes she’d brought.

Clarissa looked up, a bit startled by the question. It had sort of come out of nowhere. Then again, she didn’t know anything about sleepovers, much less the conversations that went with them. “Nope. I’m an only child.” Clarissa shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “I wouldn’t have minded a younger sibling, though…” Clarissa carefully tossed her polishes into the pile on the bed and looked back to Petal. “Do you?”

[PETAL PAIX]

Petal looked at her new found best friend as she walked through the door. Clarissa was adorable as always! She smiled brightly and let her in.

“How are you?”

“Oh, I’m fabulous! How ‘bout you?” Petal asked. Maybe, she was a bit too excited for this sleepover... Nah! You could never be too excited for something fun.

Petal nodded in agreement and glanced over at the polishes Clarissa brought. They were so pretty! She bit her lip and thought up a plan. “How about we do our nails first and save the movie for when the pizza comes?” she suggested. Petal hopped on her bed and found a light pink with some shimmer in it. “This one would look great on you!” she said holding it up as if she were in a commercial. She giggled. “What color should I have?” she asked motioning to the rainbow of polishes on her bed and in Clarissa’s bag.

So she was an only child! Just like Petal. Odd how she felt like sisters with the girl even though neither of them have ever had the chance to experience that. “Nope! I’m the one and only!” She grinned wondering how she was never bothered by the fact. Though, she was never bothered by anything really. Except for boys who said too much. She wrinkled her nose for a second but instantly recovered. “Well maybe I can be your big sis,” she said happily. She got down from her bed and laid across her sleeping bag. “Though I promise I won’t be as mean and bossy as the ones on T.V.” She giggled again and began to paint Clarissa’s nails. The pink color when great with her hair and such. Petal searched her mind for topics to talk about and asked, “So what do you do for fun around the city?”

[CLARISSA RAMONE]

“I’m fine,” Clarissa answered, nodding as if to further prove what she’d said. In all honesty, she was a bit nervous about the sleepover. She thought she was being rather stupid; there was no reason to be nervous or embarrassed. It wasn’t hard to have a good time. Besides, how could she be worried when there was pizza and movies and nail painting to focus on? Right. Exactly. “I’m looking forward to the sleepover,” she added after a moment, “it’s my first in ages.”

Shifting a bit on her sleeping bag, Clarissa nodded. “That sounds perfect! Movies are much better when you’ve got pizza.” Or any sort of food really. It somehow made the suspenseful moments ten times more suspenseful. “What movies have you got?” Clarissa asked, not having had a long enough moment to catch any of the titles. She hoped there weren’t any horror movies… The last thing she needed was to have the living daylights scared out of her.

Clarissa made a distracted agreeing sort of sound and held her hand out for Petal. When was the last time she’d worried about her nails? Forever, probably. She tended to nibble on them when she was nervous but at least it was a habit she’d been trying to kick. Sitting up a bit more to see the colors on the bed, Clarissa immediately would’ve said yellow. It was the only color she could think to describe Petal – but she doubted it worked as a nail polish. “Maybe pink or yellow,” Clarissa suggested. “Maybe both! Your nails would match your pajamas.”

They were both without siblings, then. For some reason, Clarissa always expected people to have brothers or sisters. It was probably that she still believed people would be like her if they’d been an only child – reserved and quiet. Then again, they weren’t host to a dwarf from a fairytale. Clarissa smiled. “That would be wonderful!” An older sister was probably exactly what she needed. She watched as Petal painted her nails, “are they mean on TV?” Clarissa asked, never really having been one for watching it.

Clarissa took her time to answer the next question, wondering what she could say. “I wander around mostly.” Was there a way to say this dwarf from Snow White kind of tells me where to go and makes me spend tons of money on stuff I don’t care for but I guess it’s alright because it’s helping my confidence? There was a subtle bristle of annoyance from Bashful and she did her best to not laugh out loud at him. “I like finding places I normally wouldn’t shop at… like antique or thrift stores. It’s fun, seeing what sorts of things there are. What about you?”

[PETAL PAIX]

“I’m looking forward to the sleepover,” she added after a moment, “it’s my first in ages.”

Petal nodded. “Me too! I had all these plans but then my mom gave me the studio and I kinda spend all my free time there. Glad I could finally find someone to hang out with!” Petal picked up her movies and shifted through them. “I haaave Across the Universe, a few Harry Potter movies, Finding Nemo, and Happy Feet. Sorry my selection isn’t that great. I could always use that Neflix thing my friend signed me up for.”

Petal had no idea how one program could have so many movies and TV shows. Technology was oddly amazing. She nodded happily when Clarissa suggested pink and yellow to match her pjs. “Also my two favorite colors!” she commented while finding the best match to her clothes. She began to paint careful not to get any on the carpet. It was a devil to get out of the floor.

“That would be wonderful! are they mean on TV?”

“Oh they’re terrible! I was watching a few shows while I had a cold a few months ago. Though my mom told me she doesn’t like watching those shows... soaps I think she called them. She says they make everything more dramatic than they really are. My mom has a big brother and they’re best friends. I should call him come to think of it...” Petal faded off and continued to paint her nails. She felt like she was neglecting her family with all of her business things going on. Though she was certain her mom was proud of her for keeping her studio a float. Right? Petal shook herself out of it and realized she could worry about that tomorrow. Now was fun time! She looked up and asked Clarissa a question. The silence didn’t bug her but she didn’t know about Clarissa.

“I wander around mostly. I like finding places I normally wouldn’t shop at… like antique or thrift stores. It’s fun, seeing what sorts of things there are. What about you?”

“Oh thrift stores! I love them! All of my clothes outside of my dance clothes are from them. There’s so many here too! I love it,” Petal gushed. When she had the time, Petal loved to shop. Even if it was window shopping in Time Square. She never bought anything there. Even with the funds from the studio she could hardly afford a nice shirt in the window. The prices were crazy in this city. “I mostly hang around the dance studio or go on picnics. Central Park is so gorgeous and fairly good at curbing my homesickness.”

[CLARISSA RAMONE]

Clarissa smiled, surprised to see they had more in common than she thought. Clarissa had had lots of plans. She’d wanted to travel all over the world, see new places and try new things. Her mother had taken off with father (for Clarissa’s own good, which she still had yet to realize) to see the world themselves. At least she wasn’t as bitter about it as she used to be. “Couldn’t you let the staff take care of things for a few days? That way, you could try some of those plans.” Petal could also use the free time spent at the dance studio towards her plans but Clarissa left that unsaid. She shook her head, “those are fine. I haven’t seen Across the Universe so we can watch that.”

Watching how carefully Petal painted, Clarissa grew a tiny bit nervous. She doubted she could be this steady when it came to her turn painting Petal’s nails. If she were to get polish on the floor or the sleeping bags, she’d feel beyond guilty. Chewing on her lip, Clarissa smiled again. Pink and yellow seemed like such happy colors, she wasn’t really surprised Petal (the supposed reincarnate of Happy) liked them so much. Bashful made it clear that she’d annoyed him again, a nagging little voice telling her that Petal was indeed Happy and that Clarissa needed to start believing it.

It really wasn’t very reassuring hearing that TV sisters were ‘terrible.’ Having never had a sibling, Clarissa tended to default onto one way of thinking about them. Terrible was not the way she wanted to be thinking. Still, she was almost positive that Petal would make a perfect big sister and that there was reassuring enough. “Watching dramatic shows while sick usually helps me,” Clarissa said, laughing. She tended to watch reality TV if she wasn’t feeling well just because it made her laugh. For a moment, Clarissa looked guilty and sad but it was gone as soon as it had come. She should call her parents…

Again, Clarissa smiled when it turned out Petal liked thrift stores. More in common than she though. “Wow, that’s amazing!” Clarissa exclaimed, wondering why she’d never thought to buy more clothes at thrift stores. The clothes were nice and not at all pricy – she’d definitely have to look into it. “I like looking around antique stores. Finding all these things that people used a long time ago.” Clarissa nodded, “Central Park is beautiful. I’ve always loved it.” It tended to be an escape for her, from the skyscrapers she’d grown to love. “I don’t think I ever asked where you’re from.”

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[PETAL PAIX]

Petal had never thought of leaving the dance studio in the hands of the other staff. They were definitely able to handle the studio for her. She guessed it was because the studio was her baby really. She was being a silly possessive mother. Even if it was just a day a week, she could do so much!

“That actually sounds like a great idea!” she said imagining all the possibilities. She could see a broadway show or go to a spa! Or maybe even take a trip back home for the weekend. It wasn’t too far and she really missed her mothers warm hugs and her father’s guitar playing. Such things couldn’t be sufficed over the internet. Even if it could pretty much everything else.

“You haven’t? Well, do you like the Beatles? It’s an amazing story that mixes Beatles’ covers together. It’s pretty fantastic. I’ve even used some of the music for dance routines,” she said fading off. There she went talking about dancing again. How could she not though? It was her life. Though there were other things she enjoyed... a lot of things! She pressed the open button on her DVD player after she finished Clarissa’s nails and took out Happy Feet. She loved those animated penguins! They were so cute! Carefully putting the CD back in it’s box she put Across the Universe in but didn’t close it yet.

“You still have to do my nails!” she remembered. She gave Clarissa the two best colors in the world (though the other ones were nice too of course!) and began to nod. They really had a lot in common so they’d make awesome sisters.

“Reality TV when you’re sick? I might try that. The people on there act so silly that it’s hard to watch,” she laughed. “Oh, I’m from Ithaca. It’s a little rural place outside the city. Not too far from here really. How about you?” Just saying the name of he hometown made her smile drop a little. She knew that it was natural to be homesick but she didn’t like the feeling at all. Though with Clarissa around, it didn’t feel as bad. She felt like she had a piece of her family around her. She couldn’t explain it but it was a pretty fantastic feeling.

[CLARISSA RAMONE]

Clarissa could understand why Petal wouldn’t want to leave the studio to her staff, if that was the case. It was one of those things that were yours. You had been there since its beginning and you’d be there until the end. It was your baby. Clarissa almost laughed, wondering if Bashful would think this of her. It would explain why he was so protective of her. Clarissa nodded, grinning. “Exactly! You could try so many new things. Cross some stuff off of your bucket list.” Speaking of, Clarissa still had to put one together for herself. Bashful kept insisting she do so, just because they were so much fun and inspiring. He told her that, with a bucket list, she’d have the motivation to get things done. At least, before she died.

Clarissa shook her head, as if to emphasize that she hadn’t seen Across the Universe. Then again, she had always been rather picky about movies she watched. “I’ve listened to them…” She said uncertainly, not wanting to say anything wrong. She knew people who were absolutely in love with the Beatles and sometimes, they went off on her for not positively adoring them. “I’ve liked what I heard.” There, that shouldn’t start any sort of arguing. Clarissa couldn’t really see Petal arguing anyway… “Covers are always nice,” she admitted, not going so far as to say that she preferred a lot of covers to the original songs. (Another thing that had annoyed her music loving friends). “Well, I’d love to watch it, then!” Speaking of dance reminded Clarissa of the class she’d taken at the studio… it seemed like ages ago.

“Are you teaching any more classes soon? That I could take?” Clarissa asked, watching as Petal messed around with the DVD player. “I was just thinking of the ballroom dancing class I took forever ago.” It wouldn’t kill her to learn some more new things. She nodded, remembering that she did have to paint Petal’s nails. Shaking the bottles, she decided to start with pink. “I’ll just alternate, alright?” She glanced up at Petal as if to make sure this was okay before starting on painting her nails. She skipped one each time and she couldn’t help but to think it looked silly, one pink nail and then one clear and the next pink.

Clarissa nodded, “yeah! That’s exactly why. though. They are so silly.” She could remember flipping to MTV and catching an episode of Jersey Shore. Now, that had been a riot. She shrugged, carefully pausing in her nail painting so as not to mess up. “Ithaca sounds… Greek?” She chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking. “Like something from Hercules…” She grinned a little, wondering when it was she’d started referencing Disney movies. (Because in this case, she did mean the Disney movie and not than demi-god. Or whatever it was he’d been). “It sounds nice. Rural is always nice, though a bit strange for me, I guess…” She grinned, feeling like she had just answered Petal’s question. “Born and raised in New York City.”

She closed the pink bottle and opened the yellow, starting on the clear nails. “I’ve lived in this concrete jungle all my life.” She paused, furrowing her brows and sighing. “I’ve always wanted to travel…” Again, she paused, and considered continuing. Petal might as well have been a sister to her… and it was long time she spoke to somebody about her parents (not that it was anything tragic; she made such a big deal of it sometimes). “My parents are off on this world tour, going all these places I wanted to go. They kind of just… dropped me off at Baum.” She laughed, sounding upset when in fact, she had sort of grown used to it by now. “Someday, though…”

[PETAL PAIX]

“Exactly! You could try so many new things. Cross some stuff off of your bucket list.”

“New things sound great but I’ve never thought of making a bucket list,” Petal said. She wasn’t really a list person. Most of the time she just did things as she thought them up. The closest thing she got to listing was her dance schedules. The computer did most of the work for that though.Maybe she could try a list.After she figured out what to do!

Petal was happy that Clarissa had agreed to Across the Universe. She loved all the artistic flair to it. They mixed music, dancing and special effects. Oh and the covers were perfect! “I just love covers. They make you think of songs in a whole new way.” She hopped up not wanting to wait another minute to get everything ready. Being as focused as she was, Petal barely caught Clarissa’s question.

“Are you teaching any more classes soon? That I could take?”


“Oh, classes? I’m teaching a few. Though we’re in the recital season so the professional training classes are closed up. Though summer semester starts in June if you’d like to start then. You’d make a wonderful dancer.... Otherwise I’m always teaching classes on the weekends just for fun,” Petal bounced back onto the floor and nodded happily at Clarissa question about her nails. Gosh, she felt so bubbly! Hanging around Clarissa alway made her good mood sky rocket and now she might get to teach the girl again. That would be so much fun!

“yeah! That’s exactly why. though. They are so silly.”

“Oh! I guess that would make a nasty cold feel better,” Petal said. Another great idea from her new-found sister.

“Ithaca sounds… Greek?” She chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking. “Like something from Hercules…”

Ha! Hercules. That would have been a good movie to watch to. “I guess it is a city in Greece but a lot of towns are named after Euro cities. I found that out when I went backpacking!” She loved talking about her travels around Europe. He parents were amazing for taking her. It was definitely an experience she would never forget. Petal bit her lip when she heard what Clarissa’s parents did. She’s so young to be left alone in the city! Some parents just had no idea. Petal pulled Clarissa into a hug, careful not to ruin her new nail masterpieces.
“I’m sorry your parents left without you! I’d love to take you on my next trip back home. My community would love you. They’re all really friendly and pretty much like family," she said with a nod. If you let them know ahead of time, the Ithaca community would welcome any new stranger with a party. Bonfires and music. Oh, she missed the countryside dearly.

There was a knock on the door pulling Petal out of her homesick thoughts. She looked down at her nails and scrunched her nose. “That must be the pizza man. Can you get that? My nails are still wet. The tip is on the bookshelf by the door."

[CLARISSA RAMONE]

Clarissa nodded, understanding perfectly that some people weren’t the list making type. Bashful wasn’t the list making type which sometimes led to big arguments between the two of them. She liked having a day all planned out. He liked doings things on the fly. It was one of their biggest things to bicker over, even if it was also one of the stupidest. “Well, then… you can just do things as they come to you. Once you’ve accomplished something, you can put it down.” Clarissa shrugged, carefully starting a second coat of the nail polish. “Maybe a journal of sorts so you never forget your experiences.”

Clarissa had honestly never thought much on song covers. It was just a different artist or band singing the same words, playing the same music. Sometimes they were better than the originals. Most times they were not. However, that they could make one hear the song in a whole new way… Well, she’d have to listen to her next song cover with an open mind. Clarissa shook her head without thinking, not even wanting to imagine taking a professional class or being in recitals. Pigs would fly before that happened. She smiled, making a mental note to check and make sure she wasn’t busy in June. Or any of her upcoming weekends, really. All time spent with Petal was good time (something Bashful wholeheartedly agreed with) and that she was learning something at the same time? Well, that was even better!

“I’ll definitely look into them,” Clarissa finally said, wondering what sort of classes would be taught during the summer semester. She thought she might ask before deciding to leave the work (for Petal, anyway) talk alone. They were having a sleepover! If any talk of work was to be had, it would be complaining. (Right? Didn’t most people complain about work to their friends? She really needed a job). Clarissa nodded. She would know, of course, since she had watched trashy reality TV while she was sick. Laughter was the best form of medicine after all, right? Right.

Clarissa blinked, surprised by the sudden hug. She returned it quickly enough, trying not to get emotional about the whole thing. “What was backpacking like? It must have been fascinating.” Perhaps it was just better to hear about Petal’s adventures. She was older and probably had many more stories to tell. “Oh, I don’t mind… not really. Not so much, anymore…” Clarissa shrugged again, closing the bottle of nail polish and setting it aside. “I see now why they did it.” Clarissa smiled. That sounded absolutely lovely! A trip to a new place. It was exactly what she needed. “I’d love that.”

“Yeah, of course,” Clarissa answered, standing and stepping carefully around their little sleepover set up. She grabbed the money and answered the door, exchanging the bills for the pizza. Clarissa thanked the man and closed the door, returning to her sleeping bag. She sat, glancing to the television. “Movie time, then?” Their nails were finished and the pizza was here. What better time to start watching?

notes: i am sorry for this post @__@