*Choice*

 
 
Well I can tell you, Sunday was not the best day I have ever had. All I could think of through lunch at Grandma’s was this stupid situation me and Drew had gotten into. I mean seriously, how were me and Drew gonna pass as girls in front of all our mates, one afternoon and some luck and suddenly our fates are sealed.

“Hey Rhod!”
“Oh hi Maddy”
“Thought I’d better let you know, Drew’s sister Juliette, well she knows it was you and him on Saturday.”

Well I thought I would die right there.

“So it’s off then?”
“Don’t be daft, course not. She’s not going to say anything is she?”
“I guess not”
“Well I’ll see you tonight then Rhod”
“Ok”

To have salvation so close only to have it snatched away!
 
I got to Maddy’s early, Ally and i were playing on Maddies PS2 when Drew and Bernie arrived.

“Hi guys”
“Hi”
“Cheer up Drew I might never happen”
“It already has”

I guess he was referring to his sister.

“Come on guys, get with it. Mum says it’s ok to go online for a bit and I want to show you some neat stuff”
“I thought we were doing costume stuff?”
“We are” Maddy was really up for this.

We went through to the dining room whereMaddie’s PC was, while she booted up we all found chairs so we could see the screen. As soon as the connection was made Maddie went into favourites and clicked a link.

“This is one of my favourite sites”
“What is it?”
“It’s a site devoted to cosplay”

The site opened up and greeted us with some Manga illustrations.

“Ok guys, there’s links to all kinds of stuff but they’ve got some great picture galleries from the various conventions”

She clicked on a link and another page came up, a directory of the galleries.

“I thought we could look through the galleries and get some ideas how to do our costumes”
“Cool” Ally suuggested
“Could we change costumes do you think?”
“Well I guess if anyone see’s one they really like. As long as it still meets our requirements”
“How about we vote on any changes?”
“Ok, but let’s start looking, mum said we could have until seven”

The first gallery popped up and we worked our way through pages and pages of convention pictures. If anyone got excited by a costume, Maddie saved the picture so we could look at them later. There must have been hundreds, thousands of pictures, not all very good .
 
The doorbell disturbed us just before seven.

“I’ll get it mum”
“That’ll be your sister Drew”
“I guess”
“What’s the problem Drew?” I asked
“She knows about Saturday”
“Oh?”

I didn’t want to admit I already knew this tidbit of info.

“Come on guys its not that bad”

Maddy then brought Juliette in.

“Hi girls”

I should have known there was something afoot at that.

“Hi Julie”
“Hi Jules”
“What you doing?”
“Maddie’s been showing us some costumes on the web”
“I thought you guys said you’d picked costumes already?”
“We did but there’s some well cool ones we’ve seen”
“I know,” Ally suggested, “Jules can look at the pictures and pick say ten out, then we can make a final choice”
“That’s a good idea”
“I know, to stop arguments from these two, we can then draw lots for the costumes”
“Sounds fair I ‘spose” I allowed.
“Ok, but only if big sis agrees to dress up too” Drew stated
“Yeah”
“Great”
“Say yes Jules”

Juliette didn’t look too thrilled at this turn of events.

“I was going with Charlie and Anna as Charlie’s Angels”
“Oh come on Julie, I’m sure they can find someone else”
“Hang on, I’ll ring Anna for you”

Maddie went off to the phone and we could hear a muffled conversation then “yes”. She came back into the dining room.

“Anna said you hadn’t decided yet” she accused Juliette

Drew looked smug and Juliette’s face was a picture.

“Ok I’ll do it, but we all have equal choice”
“Fair enough, lets show you the pictures”
 
Even Drew and myself had favourites and we were each trying to influence Juliette in her choice along with the others.

“Look guys, I can’t do this with you all here. Why don’t you go and watch TV or something so I can concentrate. Maddy have you got a pen and paper please?”
“Sure Jules, papers on the sides there, pen by the keyboard. You lot next door”
 
Maddy left the rest of us in the lounge while she procured drinks and biscuits while Juliette settled down to make her selections. Drew and I discussed our least favourite options from what for us was a complete set of bad options while the girls spent the time waiting discussing their favourites. To be fair, Juliette didn’t really take long to make her selections and called us back to the computer after about twenty minutes.

“Ok people quiet down,“ we did as bid, “I’m not going to show you my choices, we all pick blind. Can you get a dish please Maddy?”

We waited while Maddy fetched a mixing bowl.

“Right, I’ve got ten bits of paper,” she indicated a handful of paper balls, “they all go in the bowl and then we each pick one. There’s a number on each one which refers to a picture, I know which numbers refer to which but if Drew picks for me I can’t cheat at all”
“Sheesh you thought of everything there”
“Sounds good”
“You guys ok with this?”
“I guess so sis”
“Rhod?”
“Suppose so Julie” I consented
“Ok then, everyone reach in and take a ball”

We each in turn put a hand in and retrieved a paper ball until only Jules was left.

“Ok Drew pick me one out and give it to me”

He reached in again and took one of the remaining options and passed it to his sister.

“Right then, every one gets a chance to swap their choice now but this is your last chance. After this you are stuck with what you’ve drawn. Maddy stick or swap?”
“Stick”
“Bernie?”
“Stick”
“Rhod?”
“Er swap I think” well I just didn’t fancy wearing a wedding dress and I just had a feeling!
“Ok then pick another ball then drop the other one in the bowl.”

I picked a different bit of paper, then Juliette continued.

“Drew?
“Stick I guess”
“Ally?”
“I’ll stick too”
“Well I’m going to swap but I want Rhod to pick for me”
“Ok”

Finally everyone was happy selections were made.

“Lets see what everyone’s got, open your papers”

Juliette went back to the PC and got ready to open the pictures

“What are your numbers?”
Drew replied first, “Six”
“Three” was Bernie’s draw
“Four” that was Ally
“I got nine” I admitted
“Number one for me, what’s yours Jules?”
“Eight”

She clicked the mouse on each picture and our choices sprang up on the screen.

Maddy Bell 05.04.03
Copyright 2003