Jocelyn T. answered • 03/13/19
Experienced Elementary/Middle School Tutor
He started when he saw her tawdry getup: the cheap plastic "diamond" earrings, the strings of grey and white plastic pearls and chains of stainless steel gold looping around her neck; the layers of brightly-colored silks and tasseled shawls draped over her shoulders that hid her small, delicate frame stood at sharp contrast to her pallid skin. Unfortunately, he didn't wipe away his stunned, mortified look before she noticed his expression. She wrinkled her brows, her mouth forming a petulant pout. "What?" she demanded. "Don't you like this look? I think it's quite appropriate for the ball."
He snorted with derision. "Hate to break it to you, darling, but you look like a blind, half-lucid prophet decided to dress you up and turn you into his apprentice."
She lowered her gaze and seemed to wilt in front of him. Her voice was small, barely more than a whisper. "You know, you could've been a little more solicitous with your criticism." She paused, chewing on her inner lip. "I honestly thought I looked gorgeous, like a real lady. Adding that jewelry seemed innocuous enough too...I guess I thought wrong."
He sighed. It wasn't her fault she had absolutely no fashion sense. Abandoned by her mother when she was 8, she fended for herself on the streets for the next half of her life, working odd jobs and scrounging up scraps of clothing where she could; she made do with what she had, and, if he was being honest with himself, this is probably the most dressed-up he's ever seen her. His gaze softened, and he smiled as he gave her a conciliatory hand. "Come on," he said. "Put your afternoon plans on hiatus. I'm going to take you shopping."
The light in her eyes and the radiance in her answering grin was more than worth the exorbitant amount of money he was about to spend. In that moment, despite her getup, she looked truly ethereal.
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I think this covers all the words. Hope this helped!
