Title: Dress Shopping
Genre: Our Choice Universe
A/N: For Caity, who is my ‘Ally’ of dress shopping.
“No, thank you.”
“It’s not exactly a choice, Tori,” Josh replied. “Your mom said we need to go shopping for a
dress today. It’s on the list!” Josh held it up for Tori to inspect it, but she was unimpressed.
“The rules suck.”
“Sometimes rules suck. But that doesn’t mean we can just break them.”
“Why do girls have to wear a dress for the concert? It doesn’t make us sing better,” Tori
reasoned.
“It’s…just one of those school rules, kiddo,” Josh shrugged. “It’s just for one hour; for one
night.”
“Then I won’t go to the concert.”
“You’ve been practicing your songs for weeks!”
“I don’t care. Dresses are itchy and they suck. I can’t sing when I’m itchy,” Tori explained.
“How about we just TRY to find a non-itchy dress?” Josh suggested.
“No. Such. Thing.” Tori sing-songed.
“We could at least look.”
“You’re just scared Mommy will be mad if we didn’t go.”
“I am NOT…This has nothing to do with your mother!” Josh got a little heated. “This is
about you being in your first grade concert. Now pack it up, we’re going to the mall.”
“Mall?” Ally asked from the downstairs living room. Leave it to Ally to cue in on her favorite
word. “Can I come too?”
“See? Your sister is BEGGING to go to the mall,” Josh pointed out.
“Stu-Pid,” Tori replied.
“Move it, kiddo. We are going to the mall where you are going to at least try on some
dresses or you will lose that precious book of yours for one week,” he threatened and Tori’
s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Fine!” Tori slammed her book shut. “But I’m not going to like it ONE BIT.”
“Fine!” Josh shouted back. “Ally, we’re leaving if you want to come with us.”
“Yes!” Ally came running upstairs. “Just let me get my money. I’ll go fast.” Josh rolled his
eyes. Ally’s version of fast was…dubious at best.
“Benjamin. I have the onerous duty of taking your sisters to the mall. Would you like to join
us?”
“What’s ‘onerous’?” Ben asked.
“Difficult, time consuming, tedious,” Josh supplied some synonyms.
“That sounds fun,” Ben laughed.
“Only if you come along and help me balance out the estrogen in our group.”
“No, thanks,” Ben shook his head and continued playing his video game. Josh really
couldn’t say he blamed him.
Within 20 minutes their merry group had parked at the mall and was engaged in serious
window shopping which made Ally want to stop at every shop and Tori at none.
“How about this one, Tori? It doesn’t look itchy.” Josh pointed a dress out in one of the
windows.
“They’re all itchy,” Tori shook her head.
“It won’t be so itchy if you wear some tights,” Ally suggested.
“I have to wear TIGHTS too?!” Tori shouted and Josh was forced to give fellow shoppers a
reassuring grin.
“She..uh…doesn’t like tights,” he explained. One woman walking by paused in solidarity.
“I’m with you sweetie. They’re torture devices. Just wait ‘til you’re expected to wear heels,”
she told Tori.
“See?” Tori turned back to her dad.
“Give me a break, Tori. Pick three dresses; just three. You try them on, we get the one
you like best, and we’re all done,” Josh negotiated holding Tori’s book aloft as collateral.
“I hate you and I HATE dresses,” Tori stomped into the store with Ally on her tail. In no
time, Ally had helped her sister find 3 dresses that were least objectionable and in the
right size.
Josh paced outside the fitting room door and wondered whether he should venture in or
not when he heard Tori squabbling with her sister. In the end, he decided discretion was
the better part of valor and waited outside until the girls came out. Tori stomped right
toward the store exit.
“Tori, stop. It’s not safe to leave the store without a grown up.” Part of Tori’s autism
diagnosis meant that she wasn’t always aware of dangerous situations. Josh and Donna
had taken great pains to teach her to stop on command to avoid disasters. That paid off
today. Tori didn’t turn around, but she stopped just inside the door.
“None of them worked?” Josh asked Ally.
“They all fit. They even looked cute on her, but she said they all itched. I don’t think she’s
going to go to the concert, Daddy,” Ally shook her head sadly. On impulse, Josh took one
of the dresses to the counter and bought it…just in case. He gave Tori her book back
since she fulfilled her part of the deal and she read silently all the way home. It broke his
heart.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Hey, you did great!” Donna exclaimed holding the fought over dress in her hands.
“I really didn’t,” Josh admitted and told her the whole story.
“Maybe she’ll change her mind come concert night,” Donna sat down heavily next to her
husband.
“You know she won’t,” Josh argued.
“We knew going into this that there would be some things Tori just wouldn’t be able to do.”
“But this isn’t one of them!” Josh refuted. “She wants to sing in the concert. She’s been
practicing forever. She’s been so excited that Mom was coming up for it. She’s doing
exactly what all the other first graders are doing, Donna. Only now this whole experience is
ruined for her because of some stupid dress code for concerts. Are we going to let this
happen? Seriously?”
“What do you suggest we do?”
“What we’ve always done when crackpot legislators try to pass some asinine law; shoot it
down.”
“Shoot down the school dress code?”
“The concert dress code,” Josh amended. “Tori’s right. A dress doesn’t make you sing
better. And…and it’s sexist too! Let’s help her fix this.”
Donna’s face cracked a smile. “I guess there’s no harm in trying.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“I’m not wearing the stupid dress,” Tori announced as her dad came into her room.
“I know. You shouldn’t,” Josh replied and Tori looked up from her book suspiciously at her
father. “I mean it. You were right and I was wrong. You should have the right to wear what
you want to your concert, within reason of course.”
“Within reason?”
“I mean…it’s a special night and the school wants everyone to look their best for this
concert. I understand that. But looking their best doesn’t have to mean a dress. There
were lots of nice outfits at the store today that weren’t dresses.”
“Really?”
“Really. But I’m going to need some help from you on this,” Josh told her.
“Help with what?”
“We’re going to need to write a letter to the school board to ask them to change their
policy. I need you to help me write it. I think you can explain how you feel about this better
than I can. Then we’ll bring it to the school board meeting next week.”
“Do I have to go too?”
“You don’t HAVE to, but I think it would help if you were there.”
“Would I have to wear a stupid dress?” Tori asked seriously and made her father laugh.
“No dress code at the school board meeting; no stupid dress,” He promised.
“Then let’s do it.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“We’re up next kiddo. Don’t be nervous, okay?” Josh cued Tori. He looked over at the rest
of their family sitting behind them for moral support. He winked at Donna who winked back
before giving his neck a quick squeeze.
“Whatever happens, Tori’s going to know we all stood up for her here. That’s worth quite a
bit,” she whispered into his ear.
“Next on our agenda is Joshua and Victoria Lyman with a request to change our school
concert dress code. Will the Lyman’s step forward?” The Board President, Eric Donaldson
requested.
Josh took Tori’s hand and they walked over to the podium together. Josh pulled a stool
over so Tori could be seen at the podium too.
Mr. Donaldson looked surprised to see a child standing before them. “I’m sorry, I was
expecting a husband and wife, not a student.”
“He’s got a wife. She’s right there,” Tori pointed to her mother making the board chuckle.
“So she is. Thank you, Victoria,” Donaldson smiled. “What is it you’re trying to change in
the concert dress code?”
“Sir, my daughter has been practicing for weeks, months really, for the upcoming vocal
concert. Her grandmother is traveling from Florida to attend. But when it was announced
that all the girls were required to wear a dress to the concert, Tori got very upset and is
now refusing to go.”
“What’s so bad about wearing a dress, young lady?” Davidson asked.
“They’re itchy and uncomfortable. Have you ever worn one?” Tori shot back and Josh
could hear Donna’s laughter from behind him as well as the board member’s chuckles in
front of him.
“Well…no, but lots of girls and women wear them and seem to like them just fine.”
“Then they can choose to wear them, but we should have a choice,” Tori replied.
“Hmmmm…” Davidson decided to try a different tack. “There are only a few days where we
ask our female students to wear a dress. Events like the year end vocal concert are very
special and we like everyone to look their best.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but you don’t ask them to wear a dress, you require them to wear a dress or
they are not allowed to participate. And why can’t children look their best without a dress
on?” Josh interjected.
“It’s been the custom here in Virginia that we…”
“Excuse me again, but custom or tradition doesn’t seem to be enough of a reason to
exclude children from a concert for making a different choice,” Josh reasoned.
“Then how do we enforce some sort of dress code for these special events?” Davidson
asked.
“Specifying that children wear their best clothing, specifying items that aren’t allowed, such
as jeans or t shirts…or maybe you don’t enforce a dress code at all and let kids be kids.
These are 6 and 7 year olds,” Josh shrugged. “All I know is that I want my daughter to
have the opportunity to perform in the concert she’s worked so hard for. And she shouldn’
t be forced to be uncomfortable to do that.”
Davidson paused. “I see in your written statement here that Victoria’s sensory issues are
related to her Austim?”
“Many children who have Autism have strong, negative reactions to certain sensory
stimuli, but that’s not the issue here. I merely mentioned it in the letter to point out that this
isn’t just some 6 year olds fit of pique over having to wear a dress. Tori has her reasons,
and other girls might have other reasons for choosing to wear pants instead of a dress.
Our request tonight, is for you to allow all the students to have a choice.”
Davidson looked back at Tori. “If we changed the concert dress code, Victoria, what would
you wear on concert night?”
“This,” Tori jumped off the stool and modeled her outfit for the board. “It’s a satin blouse
with polyester pants and dress shoes.”
“Victoria Lyman. Do you know what polyester is?”
“No, but my sister knows EVERYTHING about clothes,” Tori admitted and Ally beamed. “All
I know is they’re not itchy. I can’t sing when I’m itchy.”
“You don’t like dresses but you like dress shoes?” another council member asked with
amusement.
“Yeah! They’re really shiny so you can see yourself,” Tori bent over to see her face in her
Patten leather shoes. “Plus they also make really cool clicking noises. See?” She did a
little mock soft shoe shuffle.
“Gene Kelly, get back over here,” Josh instructed. “Thank you all for your time this
evening. We hope that you will consider this point of view and make the change that would
allow Tori to participate in her concert.”
“Thank you!” Tori echoed, took her dad’s hand and walked out of the school board
meeting room with the rest of her family.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Look at that beautiful child!” Ruth Lyman exclaimed.
“Believe me, Mom, I am,” Josh told her from behind the camcorder.
“You should have seen the pair of them at the school board meeting, Ruth. They were a
sight to see; double teamed Mr. Davidson like he was the Republican Speaker of the
House,” Donna confided.
“I’ll just bet,” Ruth chuckled. “What was it like going to bat for your daughter instead of a
bill?”
Josh waited until the song was over and lowered the camcorder before turning to his mom.
“Amazing.”
The Principal thanked everyone for coming and announced there’d be refreshments after
the final song of the evening, which featured a solo by Miss Victoria Lyman. Josh and
Donna exchanged looks of shock. Ruth turned from one to the other.
“I take it this part is a surprise?” She laughed. All her children could do was nod in unison,
their eyes fixed on the stage.
The entire first grade rose to sing their finale; America the Beautiful. When it came time for
chorus, Tori stepped forward with her satin shirt, polyester pants, and Patten leather
shoes and sang the entire thing. Josh was overcome with emotion and had all he could do
to hold the camcorder steady. When she finished her solo the rest of the class joined in to
repeat the chorus. The audience gave them a standing ovation when they concluded. It
wasn’t until they got to the cafeteria that they saw Tori again.
She was standing by the side of the wall moving closer and closer to the door. People
were stopping her left and right to compliment her, but Tori was clearly uncomfortable with
the attention of the crowd.
Josh hurried over to her and hunched down in front of her. “You were amazing, Tori! And
you were the most beautiful girl up there, too.”
She smiled a bit but turned away as more people came in wanting their moment with the
‘star’. Donna quickly intervened. “What do you say we blow this joint and go get our
soloist some ice cream?”
“Blow this joint?” Tori’s trouble with metaphors reared its ugly head.
“She means, let’s go.” Josh interpreted. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”
Tori nodded her immediate agreement and the Lyman family left the crowded cafeteria.
When they were seated at the ice cream shop, eating their treats, Donna asked Tori why
she didn’t tell them she had a solo.
“I TOLD you I was singing,” Tori rolled her eyes.
“Baby, everyone in first grade was singing. You had a solo!” Donna tried to explain.
“What’s the difference? Singing is singing,” Tori shrugged and sucked down the last of her
malted.
“Singing is singing, Donna,” Josh laughed at both of them.
“Well, you sang like an angel,” Ruth chimed in and then recognized Tori’s puzzled
expression. “You sounded just lovely.”
“Thank you, Grandma,” Tori recited dutifully. “I’m just glad Daddy and me could talk some
sense into those people.”
“Me too,” Ruth smiled. “You and your daddy make a good team.”
“You should have seen us dress shopping,” Josh snickered.
“Now that you’ve mentioned that…” Donna trailed off.
“Mentioned what?”
“How successful your dress shopping was,” Donna explained. “I thought you could repeat
the performance.”
“What?” Josh’s voice nearly growled. “I only took Tori because you had to take Jake to the
thing.”
“I know. And look how well that turned out. Now you can take Ally,” Donna smiled and Ruth
chuckled.
“No. Way.” Josh shook his head.
“Daddy!” Ally objected.
“Sorry, kiddo, but at least with Tori I knew it would be over very quickly. Shopping with you
is an endurance sport,” Josh apologized…sort of.
“What’s an endurance sport?” Ally asked.
“Something that takes a lot of time and effort,” Ruth answered and Ally pouted at her
father in a look he recognized well from her mother.
“You took Tori dress shopping,” Ally said sadly.
“Wouldn’t you rather do that with your mother? Or your grandmother? Yes! Your
grandmother is only here for a short time. The two of you could spend some quality time
shopping for a dress.”
“Joshua…” Ruth admonished him not to use her or hurt Ally in that one word.
“Or…I could take you dress shopping,” Josh allowed and Ally’s eyes lit up.
“Can we go tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Josh smiled wryly. “I love dress shopping.” Donna rewarded him with a kiss…and a
smirk.
The End.