New York Debut (14 page)

“What about Casey then?” asked Tina.

“Hey, you’re the ones who were bragging about going to New York,” taunted Casey. “I wouldn’t think you’d need any special help.”

“But maybe you
should
talk to my grandmother,” said DJ.

She saw the sparks in Madison’s eyes and wanted to defuse the situation.

“Fine,” snapped Madison. “If this is how it’s going to be, I’m going to ask Mrs. Carter for a full refund.”

DJ just shrugged. “Hey, it’s a free country. You can ask her if you want.” But as the disgruntled girls made their exit, DJ couldn’t help but giggle as she tried to envision her grandmother handing them back their tuition. “Good luck with that.”

“Yeah,” said Casey.

Of course, what they didn’t know then, and what they found out later, was that Grandmother had been so “touched” by the girls’ strong interest in modeling that she’d given Madison and Tina an old VHS tape from Fashion Week, taken about a decade ago. But she encouraged them to go home and study the tape and practice during their free time.

11

“GET A LOAD OF MADISON AND TINA.”
Casey nodded toward the cafeteria entrance as she and DJ set their food trays at their favorite table.

DJ looked up in time to see Madison and Tina striding into the room like they thought they were on the catwalk with all eyes on them. They were dressed like they’d exchanged high school for nine-to-five jobs in a Manhattan high-rise. Watching the two girls sauntering through the cafeteria, DJ could almost hear her grandmother’s voice directing each move.
Shoulders back
,
hips forward
,
elongated strides
,
one foot directly
ahead of the next.
Had they downloaded Grandmother’s words into their iPods?

“That is so over the top.” DJ couldn’t help but giggle.

“They’re like the Stepford models.” Casey snickered. “Brainwashed by Mrs. Carter.”

Suddenly they were both laughing loudly. But when Madison and Tina drew closer and glanced at their table, DJ stifled her giggles. She suddenly looked down at her food tray, pretending to be highly amused by her soda straw as she peeled off the paper and stuck it into her Sierra Mist.

“If looks could kill,” said Casey quietly, “we’d be history.”

“What’s with Madison and Tina?” asked Kriti as she and Eliza joined them at the table.

“It looked like they were practicing the hostile-yet-bored expression,” said Eliza. “With an emphasis on the hostile.” Then she did a perfect imitation of their faces, causing the whole table to erupt into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” asked Rhiannon as she joined them.

“Madison and Tina,” whispered Casey.

“They do seem to be taking their modeling training a bit seriously,” admitted Rhiannon as she peered over to where the girls were standing — rather posing — in the lunch line now. “Look at the height of those heels,” she pointed out. “Their feet are going to be killing them by the end of the day.”

“I think they want to look taller,” said Kriti.

“Like it matters.” DJ shook her head. “Seriously, who’s looking? Who cares?”

“We’re looking.” Casey chuckled.

“Well, don’t,” commanded Eliza. “Let’s not give them the satisfaction.”

“Hello,” said Harry as he took the seat next to Eliza. “Mind if I join you pretty ladies?”

“As long as you keep the compliments flowing,” said Eliza coyly.

Harry’s eyes suddenly grew wide as he stared at the cafeteria entrance. “Who
is
that?”

They all looked over to see Daisy walking in. Dressed in a short pink skirt — that DJ thought had once belonged to Eliza — and a cute little denim jacket, Daisy made her way toward them. With her shoulders squared and head held high, she seemed to be focusing on each step, like she was afraid she was going to trip and fall. Then, just a few feet away from their table, she looked uncertainly at Eliza.

“That’s the new Daisy Kempton,” said DJ quietly.

“Eliza’s project,” added Casey.

“Come on over.” Eliza waved at Daisy.

Daisy smiled and approached.

“Have a seat,” offered DJ.

“Thank you.” Daisy sat down and removed a small brown sack from her oversized D&G bag. That too looked familiar, probably another one of Eliza’s castoffs.

“How’s your day going?” DJ said to Daisy.

“It’s
so
weird.”

“What’s that?” asked Casey.

“No one even knows who I am.” Daisy giggled self-consciously. “It’s like they think I’m a
new
student. Even my teachers don’t get it. Mr. Myers actually marked me absent in social studies, and he made me show him my ID to prove it was really me. So weird.”

“But is that okay with you?” asked DJ.

Daisy smiled now. “Oh, yeah, totally.”

Although Daisy seemed happy enough, DJ felt concerned for her. How would she deal with all this attention? It was obvious the guys were looking her way now. In fact, Taylor’s main guy, Seth, couldn’t keep his eyes off of Daisy during lunch. Oh, he didn’t say anything, but DJ suspected that if Taylor didn’t get back soon, Seth might ask Daisy out. How would Taylor feel to be dumped by Seth for someone like Daisy Kempton? Not that DJ would mind if Taylor and Seth broke up. Especially now that Taylor had done rehab. Seriously, Seth could be bad news for Taylor. On the other hand, he could be bad news for Daisy too.

“Earth to DJ,” said Conner quietly.

“Huh?” DJ turned to him and smiled. “Was I spacing?”

“Yeah, a little.”

“Sorry.”

“Are you done?”

She looked at her tray and grinned. “Looks like it.”

“Want me to walk you to class?”

“Sure.”

Once they’d dumped their trays and were away from the others, DJ admitted her concerns for Daisy. “I’m just worried she won’t be able to handle it. I mean, at first I was worried that I was setting her up for a disappointment,” she told him. “That we’d get her hopes up for going to New York and then she’d be let down. But now I’m pretty sure that my grandmother will pick her to model.”

“She sure looks like a model.” Conner shook his head. “I didn’t even recognize her.”

“You’re not the only one,” said DJ. “Seth looked like he wanted to have her for dessert.”

Conner laughed. “It is kind of a shocking transformation.”

“Well, she might be a head-turner now, but Daisy is a sweet girl underneath all that glam, and this kind of attention could mess with her mind.”

“How so?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I guess I’m just tired of all this.” DJ sighed.

“All this what?”

“All this obsessive focus on appearances. It’s like my grandmother is spreading her beauty poison everywhere. First it infects Carter House. Now it’s all over Crescent Cove High. It’s like superficiality is contagious — epidemic even. And the truth is I just get sick and tired of it!”

“Now, tell me how you really feel.”

She looked at him and laughed. “Sorry. I guess I just needed to vent.”

“That’s okay. But you know what’s really cool?”

“What?”

“All that focus on fashion and beauty don’t seem to change you, DJ.”

Suddenly she felt slightly defensive. “Is that your way of saying that I’m not fashionable or beautiful?”

He laughed. “No way. That’s not what I’m saying. You are definitely fashionable and beautiful.” He lowered his voice now. “But you do it naturally. It’s just who you are, DJ. It’s like you don’t even have to try.”

She chuckled. “Well, my grandmother wouldn’t agree with that. But thank you just the same.”

“It doesn’t turn your head either. You just go on being who you are — your real self. You do sports, and you have a good time, and it just doesn’t obsess you.” He discreetly nodded over to where Tina and Madison were striding along the other side of the breezeway now. “Not the way it does some people.”

“Okay, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Still, DJ felt aggravated by the end of the day. She couldn’t wait until their New York debut was over and everyone could get back to life as normal. Not that she really knew what normal was. But all this fashion nonsense made her feel weary.

Things didn’t seem to improve much as the week wore on. Madison and Tina continued to strut their stuff at school, acting as if every day was just one more dress rehearsal for Fashion Week. Eliza continued tutoring Daisy, Haley, and Ariel as well as making her superior comments and observations about others. DJ caught Kriti throwing away her untouched lunch. And Rhiannon thought she was getting an ulcer.

“An ulcer?” asked DJ as they walked to geometry together.

“I’ve been having stomachaches,” Rhiannon confessed.

“And I think it might be stress related.”

“Seriously?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“But you always seem so laid-back and well-adjusted, Rhiannon. I don’t get it.”

“I try to be laid-back. And I’ve been praying that God will give me strength. But sometimes I feel like I’m living in a 24/7 beauty pageant. I mean, day and night it’s all that Eliza talks about. It’s all your grandmother talks about. And now Haley is asking me to help her to prepare for New York. And I want to be nice, but at the same time, I want to say forget it.”

“So, why don’t you?”

“Because I want to be nice.”

“You need to be nice to yourself too,” said DJ. “I mean, isn’t it okay to live your own life, to focus on what you enjoy, what you’re good at? Like your art and designing and stuff.”

“I guess so. But all this modeling business feels like it’s taking over.”

“Only if we let it.”

“Yeah . . . you’re right.”

“And, really, Rhiannon. You’re the sweetest person I know.

But it’s not like you have to take care of everyone. That would give anyone an ulcer.”

“Maybe . . .”

“So why not just give yourself a break. Remember last week’s sermon about loving others as we love ourselves?”

Rhiannon nodded.

“So, don’t forget to love yourself.”

She smiled now. “Thanks for the sermon, DJ.”

“Was I preaching at you?”

Rhiannon laughed. “A little. But I liked it. And I needed it.”

“I’ll be glad when Fashion Week is just a memory.”

“Me too. Although I am looking forward to visiting the design studios.”

“I’m so thankful we decided to do basketball this season.” DJ mopped her brow with a sweat towel as she and Casey and Daisy exited the gym on Thursday afternoon.

“You mean because we won today?” Casey asked as she pushed open the locker-room door.

“No. I mean because it’s one part of my life that has nothing to do with fashion.”

Casey chuckled as she tugged at DJ’s sweat-soaked shirt. “Are you saying these foxy uniforms aren’t styling?”

“They’re stylish enough for me.”

“Me too,” agreed Casey. “I’m counting the days until Fashion Week is over and done with.”

“You and me both,” said DJ as she opened her locker. “I’m sick of fashion.”

“You mean you don’t like fashion?” Daisy looked incredulous.

“Not particularly.” DJ peeled of her wet shirt and tossed it to the floor.

“But you’re a Carter House girl,” said Daisy.

DJ just laughed. “Please,
don’t
remind me.”

Daisy just shook her head. “Man, I wish we could trade places.”

As she peeled off her shorts, DJ considered this. If it were even a distinct possibility, she might’ve taken Daisy up on the offer. But, although Grandmother approved of Daisy, she probably wouldn’t approve of a switch.

“Do either of you have any conditioner?” asked Daisy as she wrapped a towel around like a sarong. “Eliza said I need to take care of — ”

“Here you go,” said DJ as she thrust a bottle at her. “This is really good stuff. Taylor made me start using it when I was swimming.”

Soon they were all in the showers, laughing and joking as they showered and shampooed.

“You’re not washing your hair, DJ?” asked Casey as she borrowed DJ’s conditioner from Daisy.

“No. I’m going out with Conner as soon as I’m done here.

By the way, that means you can drive my car home . . . if you don’t mind.”

Casey grinned as she rubbed conditioner into her short hair. “No problem as far as — ” Suddenly she stopped and pointed across the shower room. “What the — ?”

“Huh?” DJ turned to see Daisy bent over and rinsing her hair now — her
blue
hair! “Daisy Kempton, what is wrong with your hair?” she shouted.

Daisy stood up straight with a confused expression.

“What?” But not only was her hair blue, her face and hands were blue too.

“Look at your hands!” shrieked another girl.

“What?” Daisy stared at her blue hands, then her eyes grew really huge. “Look at Casey!” she shrieked.