‘I agree. Let’s call Flo and Meg. Maybe they have something you could borrow?’ said Pia and immediately started texting again while I wracked my brains for any other bright ideas.
‘Gran!’ I said. ‘She has a trunkload of clothes from when she was young. Vintage stuff. Remember? We used to dress up in it when we were at junior school.’
‘Brill,’ said Pia. ‘Let’s go.’
If we hurried, we could be there in twenty minutes. I already had a dress in mind. A lovely black evening dress with one shoulder strap. Very sophisticated. It used to be too big for me but I’d have grown into it now.
We raced to the bus stop and luckily one came five minutes later. While we were on the bus, Charlie called. As suspected, the Lewises’ flight had been delayed – so Alisha and her wonderful wardrobe weren’t an option.
Once we reached Hammersmith, we ran to Gran’s and banged on the door. The black dress would work, I knew it would. No answer. I banged again. Where was she?
‘Oh no! I’ve just remembered. Gran goes to her art class on a Saturday.’
‘Could you phone her?’ asked Pia.
‘Gran doesn’t do mobiles,’ I said. I looked at my watch. An hour twenty minutes left. Just at that moment, Gran appeared on the corner of the road. She seemed surprised to see us.
‘Phew, thank God,’ I said when she reached her front gate. As she let us in, I explained the situation.
Her face fell. ‘Oh Jess, I’m so sorry. I gave those clothes to the charity shop months ago. They were just taking up space and you’d grown out of your dressing-up phase.’
So that’s it, I thought. Either I drop out of the competition or I wear the hideous yellow number and look like a plucked chicken.
‘It’s not over yet,’ said Pia as Gran disappeared into the kitchen to drop her bags. ‘If your gran had vintage clothes, so do other people. They sell them to shops. Isn’t there a place in Chelsea? There is. Near the tube.’
I knew the place she meant. I glanced at my watch. Would we make it in time? Pia’s phone bleeped that she had a message. She looked at her phone then texted back. ‘Meg and Flo haven’t got anything you could borrow but want to help. They were window shopping in the Kings Road; I’ve told them to meet us at Sloane Square tube.’
‘I’ll drive you,’ said Gran who had been listening from the open door. ‘Come on.’
We hurtled into the car and Gran drove as fast as she could to the shop. Parking was a nightmare, with no spaces anywhere. ‘I’ll drop you, find somewhere to park then see you at the shop,’ she said after we’d driven around the side streets with no luck.
Gran drove back to the shop and we got out. Flo and Meg were already there. They waved as Gran drove off.
‘I’m so sorry,’ said Flo and pointed at the shop. It was boarded up and there was a sign saying; Closed for refurbishment. Open again in May.
‘Nooooo,’ groaned Pia.
‘It’s not going to happen,’ I said. I glanced at my watch again. Thirty-five minutes to go. If Gran drove us, we’d just about have time to get back to Atlas Buildings. ‘God, I hope she’s not too long finding somewhere to park.’ I looked up at the sky. Clouds were gathering, threatening rain. That would be all I needed. My hair went frizzy in light drizzle. Not a good look for the catwalk and there wouldn’t be time, the way things were going, to straighten it.
‘Hey,’ said Meg and pointed at a shop three doors down. ‘Charity shop. Come on. You never know.’
‘A charity shop? No way,’ I said. ‘Who’d ever take a couture dress into a place like that?’
Pia tugged at my arm. ‘It’s worth a try and this isn’t any old area of London. This is Sloane Street. Rich ladies of Kensington territory. I’ve been into charity shops this end of town before and believe me, you wouldn’t believe some of the stuff dropped off. Some of it never even worn.’
She dragged me down the street and into the shop where the girls got busy searching the rails. Old jumpers, shirts, trousers, nothing that looked vaguely wearable for a catwalk.
‘Are you looking for anything in particular?’ asked the white-haired lady behind the counter.
‘A size ten couture dress,’ I said.
The lady smiled and didn’t look as if I’d asked for anything out of the ordinary at all. ‘You may be in luck, dear. My niece runs a vintage shop a few doors down. It’s closed for refurbishment but she dropped a few things off here as I have plenty of storage. Hold on, I’ve got them round the back.’
Moments later, she returned with an armful of old dresses. Brightly coloured fifties style that would look totally out of place on the catwalk. We sifted through and sighed. None of them were anywhere near right.
‘I have to go, Pia,’ I said. ‘If I’m not back, I’ll be out.’
‘Hold on a second,’ said the shop lady. ‘There’s one more.’
She disappeared again and came back with a dress that was covered in plastic. She pulled it out.
‘Oh my God,’ said Pia. ‘It’s perfect!’
It was the most beautiful long bronze silk dress with criss-cross panels over the torso and it flared out at the bottom. ‘It’s vintage Dior,’ said the lady. ‘It would look lovely with your chestnut hair.’
‘Quick, try it on,’ said Meg.
‘And I’ll go and catch your gran. I can see her outside the other shop. I’ll get her to go and bring the car,’ said Pia.
I raced to the changing room, tore off my jeans and jumper and put the dress on. It fitted like a dream. I pulled the curtain back so that Meg and Flo could see.
‘Wow!’ said Meg.
‘Totally,’ said Flo. ‘It makes your figure look fantastic, like it was made for you.’
I glanced at my watch. Twenty-five minutes left. ‘OK. Got to go.’ I quickly changed back and went over to the counter. How much is it?’
‘Eight hundred pounds,’ said the lady.
‘What! Oh no!’
‘How much do you have?’
‘Fifteen pounds.’
‘And I could put in four,’ Flo offered.
‘And me five,’ said Meg.
‘So that means we’re . . . seven hundred and seventy-six pounds short,’ I said.
The lady laughed. ‘Oh dear. Is it for a special occasion?’
I nodded. ‘A teen model competition. All the dresses for the show this evening have been supplied by up-and-coming designers. My dress went missing.’
‘Is this the show with Tanisha?’ asked the old lady.
‘That’s the one.’
‘I saw an article about it in the paper. Hold on a moment,’ said the lady. ‘I’ve got to make a call.’
‘OK but we have to go. Thanks anyway for showing us,’ I said. I knew I was running out of time.
‘No. I mean hold on. I may be able to help,’ said the lady. She went to the back of the shop and made a call. I heard her talking animatedly into the phone. Moments later, she was back with a big grin on her face. ‘The dress is yours for the evening. Cinderella, you shall go to the ball. My niece has just asked that you return the dress, you look after it and that her shop gets a mention in the show’s PR.’
‘That won’t be a problem,’ said Flo. ‘All the other suppliers have their names credited.’
A flash of concern crossed the lady’s face. ‘I . . . it’s an expensive dress and I’ve only just met you. How do I know that I can trust you?’
Flo noticed that Gran had just drawn up outside. She ran out to talk to her. Moments later, Gran came into the shop.
‘I’ll leave my credit card,’ she said. ‘Will that do?’
The lady regarded Gran then nodded and turned to me. ‘And give me your name and address.’
I quickly gave her my contact details. ‘Oh God, thank you, thank you. You’re my fairy godmother,’ I said.
The lady glanced down at the paper I’d written on. ‘Porchester Park?’
‘Yes, my dad’s the general manager there.’
The lady smiled t
hen thrust the dress into my hands. ‘Good luck tonight. Is it open to the public?’
I nodded. ‘Seven thirty.’
‘I might just come along,’ she said.
‘Even better,’ I said. ‘Then I can give the dress straight back to you.’
Pia nudged me. ‘We have to go, Jess.’
I thanked the lady again then we raced to the car and Gran drove like a maniac back to Atlas Buildings. We made it with three minutes to spare.
18
The Finale
‘Number six, go,’ said Suzie.
We were halfway into the evening dress section of the catwalk show. We’d done the casual wear and, so far, the event was going brilliantly. Suzie had been delighted with the dress and given me permission to wear it. Even some of the contestants had come forward to say how perfect they thought it was. It had been a blur of activity since I arrived back at Atlas Buildings: make-up, hair, pep talk from Suzie, into our dresses as the audience were arriving in the main hall and then Tanisha had introduced the show wearing a stunning skintight gold evening dress. As always, she looked every inch the pop diva. The atmosphere was electric from the moment the doors had opened to the public and I was buzzing with excitement to be part of it.
As girl number six sashayed back up the catwalk, I peeked through the curtains. My lot were on row seven: Dad, Gran, Aunt Maddie, Pia, Flo, Meg Charlie, Henry and Alexei. I spotted Tom and a few boys from school a few rows behind them.
‘Seven, go,’ Suzie instructed and the athletic-looking black girl glided off. She looked lovely in a scarlet silk dress.
‘Eight, get ready,’ said Suzie.
Eight was me. I took a deep breath and took my place.
‘Go,’ said Suzie a few moments later. I took another deep breath and stepped out. Bright lights dazzled me as I walked along the walkway. Steady, I thought. Remember everything you’ve been taught. Not too fast. Look ahead. Long steps. Stomp, end, pow. When I reached the end of the catwalk, I did a quick pose with lots of attitude then glanced down at my row of supporters. Nine smiling faces beamed back at me. Dad gave me the thumbs up. Brilliant, I thought. I did a perfect spin and before I knew it, I was backstage with Suzie. It felt absolutely fanbloomintastic.
‘Wow, that was amazing,’ I said to the blonde girl who had been number six. She agreed and we stood to the side and watched the last few girls hit the runway. Everyone looked stunning. It would be hard to pick a winner.
In a short interval, while the judges counted votes, the audience got up to enjoy drinks and elegant snacks that were laid out at the back of the room. Pia appeared in the dressing room. She handed me a sandwich. ‘Bet you’re starving,’ she said. ‘Your gran sent this with strict instructions for you to eat every bite!’
Eating was the last thing I felt like doing but as I bit into the soft brown bread, tomatoes and cheese, I realised that Pia was right. I was starving. As I chewed, I noticed the security man who usually was at the front desk of the building had come in and was talking to Suzie. He handed her a small package. Suzie frowned as she listened to him then she looked over at me and then Keira.
Oh God, what now? I wondered as Suzie left with the security man. Has Keira been brewing more trouble?
Five minutes later, Suzie returned with Tanisha. They both looked very serious.
Tanisha clapped her hands. ‘Girls, girls. I need you to pay attention,’ she called. The room hushed and everyone turned to look at her.
‘It’s with great sadness that I have to say that one of you has been caught cheating.’ A gasp of surprise filled the room. ‘This person will be leaving the competition immediately.’
Everyone turned to look at each other. I felt a pain in the pit of my stomach and glanced over at Keira. Had she set me up? She looked deathly pale.
‘I won’t tolerate this kind of behaviour,’ Tanisha continued. ‘Modelling is hard enough and competitive enough without girls deliberately attempting to sabotage each other’s chances.’ She looked directly at Keira who wouldn’t meet her eyes. ‘One of the dresses was taken this morning before the final rehearsals. What the person who did this didn’t realise is that the whole building is covered by discreet CCTV. She was clearly seen—’
Keira didn’t wait to hear any more. She bolted for the door but three girls blocked her way. She resisted briefly and try to get past them then collapsed in a heap on the floor.
‘Get out of your dress, collect your things and go NOW,’ Tanisha ordered.
Keira got to her feet and shot me a look of pure hate as she crossed the silent room. She grabbed her bag then headed for the cloakroom. No-one said anything as she skulked away.
When she’d gone, Tanisha smiled. ‘Now, girls,’ she said. ‘I don’t want this incident to spoil what has been a great night so, touch up your make-up and get ready to go back out to face the judges as soon as the band have finished. Good luck and remember, you’re all winners. To have come so far out of so many girls and to have stayed the course, takes a brave heart as well as a beautiful face.’
‘See you out front,’ Pia whispered. ‘Good luck.’
I did as Tanisha had instructed and retouched my make-up. As joined the line of girls getting ready to go back out for the final parade, I didn’t know what to think or feel. Keira had been rotten to me, no doubt about that, but she’d been caught and humiliated in front of everyone and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
Out front, the audience were seated once again and there was applause as spotlights flashed onto the judges and Tanisha as they took their places behind a table to the right of the stage. The lights dimmed then came up again as the girl band, the Righteous Angels, blasted into a number.
‘God, the suspense is killing me,’ whispered the blonde girl with the heart-shaped face.
‘I know,’ I said. I loved the Righteous Angels but I just wished they would finish and we could get on.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was in fact only two songs later, the band took a bow and left the stage. Show-time, I thought and I tensed myself for the countdown.
An upbeat soundtrack began to play and the nine remaining contestants sashayed out. I couldn’t resist and did a little jig step in time to the music and the audience laughed.
The music stopped and we all lined up to face the audience. Tanisha stood up and thanked everyone for coming. ‘And so at last, we have our winner. As you can see, it’s been a hard decision as each and every one of these girls in front of you is beautiful. But it’s a contest and the public have made their votes. The winner will go on to do the summer cover of Teen in the City magazine and win the prize of five thousand pounds. And the winner is . . .’
I swear I could hear the pounding heart of every girl in the line-up as we waited to hear. After an agonising pause, Tanisha announced, ‘Misaki Neiii.’
The entire two rows behind my friends and family burst into applause and stood up, followed by the rest of the audience. Tanisha beckoned her forward and Misaki went to claim her prize while all the contestants clapped and cheered. Some girls looked disappointed and couldn’t hide it, most seemed genuinely glad. Misaki was a sweet girl and was a popular choice. I looked at my friends and family. Gran made a face as if to say, never mind. I didn’t. The whole night had been a blast but I knew deep inside, that as far as modelling went, I wasn’t in it for life like some of the others.
Music began to play again and all the girls began to bop along, as the audience below cheered and some people even got up and danced along with us.
Meg, Flo, Pia, Henry, Charlie and Gran were all up on their feet, but further back, I noticed that Tom looked puzzled. He must have been wondering where Keira was. Pia turned around and saw him. She got up and went back to him. I could see by the angry expression on his face that she’d told him what had happened.
As I left the building with my friends and family, Tom was standing at the bottom of the steps having a heated conversation with Keira. There was no other way out so we had n
o option but to walk past.
‘Are you happy now you got me thrown out?’ Keira snarled.
‘I think you got yourself thrown out,’ said Pia. ‘You stole the dress, not Jess.’
Keira’s face filled with rage. ‘God. You are all so not worth me wasting any more time on.’ She went to link arms with Tom. ‘Come on, we’re leaving.’
Tom shook her off. ‘I don’t think so,’ he said and joined our group.
Keira was lost for words and I could almost see steam coming out of her ears. She pulled the collar on her jacket up and stomped off down the road in the opposite direction.
Tom looked embarrassed. ‘You looked really good up there tonight, Jess,’ he said and gestured in the direction Keria had gone. ‘And . . . and I’m sorry about her.’
I shrugged. ‘Actually, I feel a bit sorry for her.’
‘Are you disappointed you didn’t win?’ he asked.
‘No, honestly,’ I said. ‘Though I suppose the prize money would have been nice. In fact, I’m looking forward to putting catwalks and everything to do with them firmly behind me.’
Pia laughed. ‘Fat chance. Don’t forget we have the show to do for school in a month!’
19
Catwalk Show Mark Two!
It was a week before the catwalk show at school and I’d had an idea. I’d talked it over with Pia and she suggested that I showed Tanisha and invited her.
‘Let’s really go for it,’ said Pia.
‘Do you think she’d come?’ I asked. Our school wasn’t exactly the kind of glamorous location Tanisha was used to. ‘And Dad might object.’
Amazingly, Dad gave me permission to ask Tanisha and I went up there completely ready for her to show me the door.
She glanced through my proposal then let out a low whistle.
Oh dear, I thought, she’s not going to buy it.
‘OK. Different. So . . .’ Tanisha started then gave me a big grin. ‘I’m in.’
The scene was set. The lights were low in the school hall and the audience were filtering in to take their seats to the background sounds of a chill-out CD that Charlie had put on the sound system.
Catwalk Queen Page 13
