Cora stayed close to me as we ventured deeper into the store, her gaze falling upon a row of dresses. Those are called dresses; there are many styles that achieve different goals. For example, when a woman wants to attract a man, she may wear a dress that’s lower cut to reveal more of her features. But for others who are looking for a more innocent look, they’ll typically wear dresses with a higher neckline that covers more but still shows off their features. Clothing serves the primary purpose of allowing an individual to express themselves. It’s important to note that certain outfits and dresses are more appropriate for specific occasions. If it helps, think of the clothing you choose to wear as giving the people you interact with an impression of who you are and what they can expect from you. Most girls just wear whatever looks good on them.

  Cora’s eyes lingered on mine, soaking up the information before she picked up a dress, holding it to her chest and looking down. Her fingers glided over the fabric, her eyes shining with curiosity and awe. It’s soft, right? She looked at me, turning her head away, her smile turning into a frown. My heart sank a little, realizing that despite how human she was, she couldn’t feel any form of texture. She could only recognize when something was against her body, but not how it felt. It made me look down at my hands, realizing how much of a gift it is to have-touch. Without it, we would feel disconnected from reality, and even simple activities like hugging someone would have no real value anymore. It would just be an empty world. Cora put her hand on my shoulder. Don’t be sad for me, okay? It’s not fair, I recognize that, but you shouldn’t feel bad about what you can’t control. Okay, so what kind of dress is this? There was a long pause between us as I just looked at her, almost in disbelief. By not having touch and being robbed of this, she was still smiling. That’s called a sundress. It’s light and breathable, perfect for warm weather. She looked at me after a moment, smiled. Yeah, it’s nice. I can see why people would want to wear this and why clothing is so important for humans. Her eyes took on a vacant look for a moment before she corrected herself. No, not humans, but people—just like me.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  She looked at me, a new understanding settling in her eyes. Cora, you understand why clothing is so important, don’t you? She nodded quietly. Well, let’s figure out what size you are. See, women’s clothing sizes are based upon different parts of the body. Here are the three basic ones you’ll need to know. There are bust measurements—this is the measurement that goes around the fullest part of your chest. It’s essential to find tops, dresses, and jackets. Then there are waist measurements—this makes sure that any pants, skirts, fitted dresses, leggings, and other things like that fit securely around your waist. Then we’re on to the last one—hip measurements. This is kind of where it gets a little tricky, but this is the widest part of your hips, which is the upper part of your leg, also sometimes referred to as the thigh. If you get a size-that’s too small, it can feel like it’s trying to squeeze you, making it very uncomfortable. I pulled out a measuring tape and wrapped it around her, noting the number of each of the respective parts of her body. Okay, cool. If you look over here on the size chart on the wall, based on your measurements, you’re likely a size 6 top, a size 8 for skirts, and a size 10 for dresses. But remember, sizes can vary between brands, and it depends if you’re using US sizes or if you’re using sizes from other countries. Each country has a unique group of people, and because of that, they have their own units of measurement and sizes for clothing. So it’s always good to try something on before you purchase it. Cora’s eyes looked at me, her eyes twitching slightly. It’s like learning a whole new language. I thought this was supposed to be fun, not homework. There was a silence between us for a moment before we both started laughing. But then my laughter came to a stop, realizing this was the first time Cora had ever laughed.