“Don’t worry about Miss Daisy. She’s in good hands now.” Eliza winked as Daisy emerged from the bathroom.
“So . . .” said Eliza as Daisy cautiously entered the room. “Let’s see, where to begin here.”
Daisy looked very uneasy now — kind of like a deer in the headlights. DJ just hoped she didn’t make a run for it.
“Well, you are tall,” said Eliza as she had Daisy turn around for her. “And you’re thin too.”
“So I’ve heard.” Just then Daisy tripped over the area rug by the bed. DJ caught her by the hand and helped her regain her balance.
“But you might need walking lessons,” said Eliza a bit snidely.
“I promised Daisy that you’d be helpful, Eliza.”
“Of course, I’ll be helpful.” Eliza smirked at DJ. “But I’ll also be honest.” Eliza was standing in front of Daisy now. Because Daisy was about three inches taller than Eliza, she had to tilt her head up to peer closely at Daisy’s face. “Can you handle honesty?”
“If it’s meant to be constructive.” Daisy frowned. “But if you’re just ripping on me, I’ll probably say adios, amiga.”
“I want to help you.” Eliza gave her a catty smile.
Just then someone knocked on the door. DJ opened it to let Rhiannon in. “Casey said you needed me.”
“Yes,” said Eliza. “It’s time for Project Daisy.”
“Project?” Daisy looked even more concerned now.
“Sorry,” said DJ quickly. “Eliza didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yes . . . yes . . .” Eliza nodded to Rhiannon now. “Grab that pad and pencil over there, okay? You can take notes for me.”
Rhiannon got the items, then sat down on the window seat and waited. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Okay . . .” Eliza pressed her lips together and slowly walked around Daisy, looking up and down as if taking a full inventory. “Obviously, the hair is all wrong. And it’s so damaged that I think all we can do is cut it.” She turned to Kriti. “Is that the January Vogue? Look for the Ralph Lauren ad. You know, the girl in the peacoat standing on a dock?”
Kriti flipped through the magazine until she finally located it. “This one?”
“Yeah. See her hair?”
“Cute,” said Daisy.
Eliza ripped out the ad and shoved it at Rhiannon. “We’ll send this with her to the salon. Same cut. Same highlights. It’ll be perfect.” Next, Eliza took Daisy to the bathroom where she and Rhiannon gave her a quick facial. They brought her back into the bedroom to begin applying makeup. DJ had discovered an unsolved Sudoku puzzle in the back of a magazine and was attempting to work it, casually listening as the girls experimented with the makeup on Daisy. She really wanted to sneak out, but suspected that Eliza would get mad since this was supposed to be a “group project.”
“How’s that?” Eliza pushed Daisy in front of DJ, waiting as if for approval.
DJ blinked in surprise. “Wow, she looks really good, Eliza.
Nice job.” Okay, it wasn’t easy to admit that maybe Eliza really did know what she was doing.
“Thank you.” Eliza nodded in satisfaction.
Now Daisy peered at herself in the closet door mirror and smiled. “Hey, I do look better. Cool.”
“This is just the beginning,” said Eliza. “We’ll try to get you in for a cut tomorrow after school. Then we’ll do some quick clothes shopping — just one outfit for now. We’ll figure out the rest later. Is that okay, Daisy?”
“Sure, I guess.”
“We’ll start the complete makeover on Friday night and finish it on Saturday morning. DJ will present you to her grandmother at breakfast.”
“Me?” DJ wasn’t too sure about this.
“Yes, you. She’s your grandmother, DJ.”
“But you’re the best sweet-talker,” pointed out DJ.
“You do the introduction, and I’ll jump in and back you up,” promised Eliza. Then she turned back to Daisy. “Plan on spending the night here on Friday. Okay?”
“You’re willing to give up your Friday night for me?”
“It’s an investment in our future,” said Eliza in a business tone. “We want Fashion Week to be a success.”
“And fun,” added Kriti.
“But if Madison and Tina go, that will not be the case,” said DJ.
“So, are you in?” Eliza asked Daisy.
“I guess so.”
“It won’t be easy,” warned Eliza. “You have to be willing to work hard.”
Daisy nodded slowly. “I’m willing.”
“Meet me after school tomorrow,” commanded Eliza.
“But I have basketball practice.”
“Make an excuse,” said Eliza.
“Friday is a short practice anyway,” DJ reminded her. “You probably won’t be missed.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’ll make an excuse for you,” DJ assured her.
“Good,” said Eliza. “Now meet me by the east exit,” she told Daisy. “Do not be late. Do you understand?”
Daisy saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”
Eliza barely laughed. “You may think I’m kidding, but you have just enlisted in Eliza’s boot camp. Don’t expect this to be a walk in the park.”
As DJ drove Daisy home, she was about to apologize for Eliza when Daisy spoke up. “This is going to be so awesome, DJ.”
“Really? You’re up for it?”
“I can’t wait.”
“Wow . . . cool.”
Daisy sighed happily. “This is like a dream come true for me.”
“Seriously?” Now DJ couldn’t even wrap her head around this. Eliza’s makeover madness sounded like pure torture to her. And she should know since she’d been through pretty much the same thing herself. In fact, thanks to her grandmother, DJ felt like she was stuck in permanent makeover mode, like it would never end. But Daisy seemed to be welcoming it.
“Yes. I can’t wait to see how it turns out, DJ. I mean, I know that I’m plain and homely and gawky and — ”
“You’re not — ”
“Don’t try to be nice, DJ. I know what I look like. I have mirrors in my house. I’ve heard other girls making fun of me enough times.”
“Girls can be so brutal. And some of them put way too much importance on superficial things like appearances. Trust me, Daisy, I know. But, really, it’s what’s inside that counts, right?”
“Maybe . . . but I’ve always had this dream . . . you know, this great hope that someday . . . somehow I’d grow up to be a beautiful swan — remember that story ‘The Ugly Duckling’?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I always related to that ugly duckling. Big and clumsy, never fitting in. I’ve dreamed of waking up someday and finding I was pretty. I’ve wished and even prayed for it. But it just never seemed like anything other than a fantasy, you know?”
“Until now . . .” Of course, even as DJ said this, she wasn’t so sure that Daisy’s dream was going to come true. For all DJ knew, it could turn into a nightmare. Oh, sure, Eliza claimed to know all there was to know about fashion and beauty, but what if Daisy proved to be too much of a challenge for her? What if Eliza’s makeover didn’t work? What if Grandmother rejected Daisy? Or, even worse, what if Grandmother said something mean to her?
“Oh, man . . . if I could look even one-fourth as beautiful as Eliza . . . or you, DJ, I’d be deliriously happy.”
“I’m not beautiful.”
“You are too!”
“Well, you know what they say . . . beauty’s in the eye of the beholder.”
“Take it from me, you’re beautiful. All you Carter House girls are beautiful. Everyone says so. Oh, they might be jealous of you guys, but I’ve heard them talking. They know you’re all beautiful.”
“Thanks.” DJ cleared her throat. “And I’m sure you will be too . . . when Eliza’s done with you. But don’t forget, she’s only working on the surface. Like I said, you’re beautiful on the inside, Daisy,
and that’s what really matters.”
“That’s easy for you to say. But I’d like to be pretty on the outside too.”
“Don’t worry.” But even as she said this, she had her doubts. More than that, DJ wondered if she was compromising her own values by participating in Eliza’s beautification project.
Since when had she cared about things like this? If she could do as she liked, she would simply go her way and let Grandmother and girls like Eliza go theirs. As it was, it seemed that not only did their paths continuously cross, they became so entangled that sometimes it was hard to tell them apart.
Daisy let out another happy sigh as DJ pulled into her driveway. “It’s just too good to be true,” she said dreamily. She opened the car door, then turned back to DJ. “I can’t believe you picked me for this, DJ. You’re such a good friend! See ya tomorrow.”
“See ya,” DJ called back. But as she drove away, she replayed Daisy’s words . . . too good to be true. Daisy was probably right. It was too good to be true. Oh, what if they were simply setting poor Daisy up to fall on her face? What if she was in for a huge disappointment? That would be too cruel. Why had DJ allowed herself to be pulled in?
As DJ drove home, she prayed for Daisy. Not that she would miraculously wake up and be beautiful by Saturday. But that she wouldn’t get hurt in the process. If worse came to worst, that DJ would be prepared to pick up the pieces. Chances are there would be pieces.
10
BY FRIDAY NIGHT, IT SEEMED that Project Daisy, as Eliza insisted upon calling it, had become top secret. Not only that, but Eliza had taken complete control. While somewhat relieved that she wasn’t expected to help, DJ wasn’t sure if this was such a good thing. But since she didn’t hear any screaming coming from Eliza’s room — and she knew that Daisy could probably take Eliza — she wasn’t terribly worried. She was curious, and she was concerned that Daisy might be overly influenced by Eliza — or deeply hurt.
Kriti told DJ that Eliza had taken Daisy to her hair salon, as planned, and then sneaked her up to her room without anyone besides Kriti seeing her.
“I couldn’t even see her hair since she had a hat on.”
“But did Daisy seem okay?” asked DJ.
“I guess. Or else she was in complete shock.” Kriti put her hand over her mouth and giggled. “As you know, Eliza is a force to be reckoned with.”
“I know.” DJ frowned. “That’s what worries me.”
“But I think Daisy is all right,” Kriti reassured her.
But Eliza and Daisy didn’t come down for dinner that evening. According to Clara, they were eating their dinner in Eliza’s room. Not that it would’ve mattered if they’d joined them since Grandmother had gone out.
“Eliza is really taking this thing seriously,” said Casey as she poured dressing onto her salad. “I asked for a sneak peek, and Eliza said to forget it.”
“But we’re supposed to be in on this too,” said Rhiannon.
“It’s not fair for her to shut us out.”
“I’m kind of glad to be shut out,” admitted DJ. “As long as she’s being kind to Daisy.”
“Well, I heard Daisy laughing before I came down just now,” said Rhiannon.
“That’s right,” said Casey, “laughing so loud she was snorting like a bull horn.”
“I wonder how Eliza will break her of that habit,” mused DJ.
“Don’t worry,” said Kriti. “I’m sure she’ll do it.”
After dinner, DJ was still a little concerned about Daisy.
Why was Eliza being so mysterious? So to be sure all was well, DJ knocked on Eliza’s door. “Everything going okay in there?”
“We’re fine,” called Eliza.
“Do we get to see your progress?” asked Rhiannon hopefully.
“I already told you guys . . .” Eliza’s voice sounded slightly irritated. “The big reveal will be in the morning.”
“Maybe Daisy needs a break,” called out Casey.
“I’m all right,” Daisy called back.
“You’ll see her tomorrow.” Eliza stuck her head out the door. “And don’t forget, DJ, you need to ask your grandmother to allow Daisy to join in the sessions. Then I’ll jump in, okay?”
“Okay.”
“And we can be supportive of the idea too,” said Rhiannon.
“Yeah,” agreed Casey. “Daisy is my friend too.”
“Thanks, you guys,” called Daisy from somewhere in the room.
So it seemed that all was under control. And if Eliza got Daisy to look halfway good, and if they all gently pressured Grandmother, DJ had no doubts that she’d let Daisy in. The big question was would Daisy have what it took to make it to New York? DJ imagined Daisy tripping over her own feet on the catwalk and what Grandmother might say. Still, it seemed worth the chance. Especially considering what she’d overheard Madison say to Tina in the lunch line earlier today. Naturally, the girls didn’t know that DJ, who just happened to be standing behind a post, had also been listening.
“I have it all figured out,” Madison had quietly told Tina. “With Taylor Mitchell off at rehab, we should get in for sure. My mom saw Mrs. Carter at the Chic Boutique yesterday, and she said that Mrs. Carter told her that she was going to pick the taller girls.”
“Fashion Week, here we come,” said Tina.
Just then, the line had moved forward, and DJ had moved out from behind the post. Naturally the two girls pretended not to see DJ — or acted like they didn’t care. Just then Conner had come up. So DJ began talking to him — a good thing since she’d been tempted to inform those catty girls not to hold their breath since Taylor was coming home. But that would’ve blown Taylor’s plan for surprising everyone.
Even so, she did tell Eliza and the others about Madison and Tina’s confidence that they were going to New York. Eliza had assured them of her foolproof plan, which included special “tutoring sessions” to ensure that Ariel and Haley would both be chosen. “And, if necessary, I have some other plans to make sure that no one else has a chance.”
“You’re not going to do anything mean, are you?” Rhiannon had asked with concern.
“Of course not.” Eliza had given her most innocent look.
Still, DJ wasn’t convinced. She knew what Eliza was capable of when she was determined to get her way.
“So Haley, Ariel, Daisy, plus the five of us makes eight.” Eliza had smiled like she’d just completed a complicated algebraic equation.
Of course, as DJ was trying to go to sleep that night, she realized there was a flaw in Eliza’s math — she had left Taylor out of the equation. Naturally, Eliza assumed that Taylor wouldn’t make it back from rehab in time to do Fashion Week. DJ was pretty sure Eliza didn’t want Taylor to come back in time. And now Eliza was getting those three girls’ hopes up.
But once Taylor came home, one of those girls would be in for a big disappointment. DJ suspected it would be Daisy. And that made her feel guilty. Why had she gotten involved in Eliza’s little games? Seriously, why did she even care? Except that she didn’t want to see Daisy hurt. She didn’t want her “Ugly Duckling” story to wind up with a sad ending.
The following morning, when Eliza invited DJ to come to her room for a sneak preview, DJ suddenly realized her worries were for nothing.
“Wow,” she said to both Eliza and Daisy. “This is amazing.”
“I know,” agreed Daisy as she stared at herself in the mirror. “I feel like I’m dreaming. I keep pinching myself.”
Eliza shook her finger at her. “And I keep telling her to stop that or she’ll end up with ugly bruises on her arms.”
“You look fantastic, Daisy!” DJ honestly could not believe her eyes. “If I saw you on the street, I wouldn’t know it was you.” She turned to Eliza. “You are really good at this.”
Eliza beamed with pride. “Why, thank you!”
Daisy’s previously mousy brown hair now had shining golden highlights and was cut into spiky layers that framed her face and softened
her features. The cut of her hair and the highlights made her brown eyes look big and sparkly. And the makeup and concealer were so well done that DJ couldn’t spot a single zit. And Daisy’s outfit, while not over the top, was attractively sophisticated with slim, tapered black pants topped with a pale blue sweater. DJ suspected the cashmere sweater belonged to Eliza since she recalled Grandmother complimenting her on it before. Also, pale blue was Grandmother’s favorite color.
“Very nice,” said DJ. She turned back to Eliza again. “Really, well done.”
“Now, walk,” Eliza commanded.
Daisy slowly walked back and forth across the bedroom, executing a nearly perfect turn. “How’s that?”
“Still needs work,” said Eliza. “But it’s better.” She turned to DJ. “I’ll keep her in flats until she gets better at it. Besides, she’s certainly tall enough for flats.”
“Wait until Grandmother meets her.”
“That’s why I gave you a sneak preview,” said Eliza. “I have a revised plan.”
Eliza’s plan was to be nonchalant. Daisy just happened to be a friend from school who’d stopped by. “Let your grandmother be the one to invite her in,” finished Eliza.
DJ nodded. Eliza was absolutely right. Daisy couldn’t help but catch Grandmother’s eye, and Grandmother couldn’t possibly resist this tall, thin, pretty girl. “Great idea.”
“So you bring Daisy down a few minutes late,” continued Eliza. “Casually introduce her and then leave it to me to lead the conversation.”
“Sounds good to me.”
It was hard to admit it, but Eliza had both brains and beauty. If she could only be a little bit kinder beneath that flawless exterior. Or at least a little more genuine.
“Are you nervous?” DJ asked Daisy as they slowly made their way downstairs.
“It’s weird,” Daisy said quietly. “But I feel incredibly calm.
It’s like I’m someone else now. Does that make sense?”
“As long as you don’t change underneath it all.” DJ turned to glance at the tall, elegant beauty walking beside her. “I liked who you were already, Daisy.”
“Thank you.” But even the way Daisy said this sounded a bit different from before. In fact, it sounded somewhat like Eliza. Hopefully Eliza wasn’t simply cloning Daisy into another one of herself.
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