Chapter 2

The next morning at breakfast Jane tried to time her request perfectly. She knew money was always tight and where the other kids at school swapped Nike for Adidas, Gap for French Connection, brown for black, white for yellow as soon as the latest style mag dictated it, she had to make her clothes last. It didn't help that Sharon bought them for her, obviously thinking she was still 12 not 16 in 3 weeks time. Jane had been a 'late developer' and though she was now a nice 32B the other kids still made jokes about ironing boards when she was near. She had only really had one friend in her whole time at school, but when push came to shove, she had chosen to be with the 'in crowd', a peripheral member to be sure but a member non the less. At first she had still come round to Jane's and avoided teasing her as the others did. But soon they noticed and the ultimatum was issued and accepted so Jane's only friend now was her mom.

"Mom?" Jane asked as Sharon finished her second cup of coffee.

"Yes, Honey?"

"You know it's my birthday soon?"

Her mom laughed and squeezed Jane's shoulders as she said. "Of course I do, Honey. I was there when it happened, you might not remember but I'll never forget!"

Jane allowed a small laugh at her mom's much used joke before continuing. "Well there's a dance at school the following week and I wondered."

"What sort of dance?" Sharon cut in.

"A disco is all, nothing special, I'm not going with anyone or anything." Then in a voice that showed the depth of her sadness touching Sharon to the core added. "Who'd ask 'plain Jane the ironing board."

"You are not plain, Honey." Sharon objected; but in her heart she knew her daughter would never be thought of as 'drop dead gorgeous.' Sharon looked at her daughters sad face and the old blue gingham dress she was wearing and wondered, not for the first time if she had been too strict with her, she just didn't want Jane making the same mistake she had, wearing sexy clothes and getting pregnant at 17, never having the chance to go to college.

"You just need to make a little more of what you have honey." Sharon said as she got her makeup bag from the side, here lets try a little mascara and lip-gloss. Sharon hated seeing Jane's contemporaries turning up for school in tight vest tops and skirts so short Sharon had, in her youth, had thicker belts. She especially hated the way they made up their faces like sluts. So even having relented and let Jane wear a little makeup she would not go beyond a little powder in addition to the other 2 items. Even Sharon had to admit it would take more than this to get Jane noticed but she didn't really want her to be yet.

"Thanks mom!" Jane said as she looked at her face in the compact mirror.

"About the dance?" Jane tried again. "I couldn't have a new dress for my birthday could I? Something just a little bit special?"

Sharon thought about the red ink on the bottom of the latest bank statement and the 'ignore these' pile of bills on the mantelpiece but couldn't turn Jane down when she looked so hopeful and so used the tried and tested "We'll see, Honey."