by Chloe Taylor
“Could you ask for the messenger bag as an early Christmas present or something?” Zoey suggested as she browsed a rack of shirts.
“I tried that already. My parents said that the money they’ve given me is as much as their budget allows, and if I want any extra, I have to babysit,” Shannon complained. “But there’s no way I can babysit enough before school starts to earn the money to buy something that expensive.”
She held up a chartreuse shirt.
Zoey shook her head. “Maybe in a different color?” she asked.
Shannon shrugged and put it back on the rack.
“My parents say they can’t understand why it’s so important to me to fit in. And they keep asking what kind of friend would demand that I buy things that are so expensive.”
“I wonder that too, to tell you the truth,” Zoey said.
Shannon gave Zoey a sharp look, as if trying to determine whose side she was on.
“Whatever. I like clothes, and I love reading your blog. Can you help me to find my own style, but not so much that Ivy will reject me? I mean, I don’t want to totally stand out, the way you do.”
“Okaaay . . . ,” Zoey said, not sure if Shannon meant that last part as a compliment or . . . not.
“Ever since we stopped wearing uniforms, I’ve just been wearing whatever Ivy tells me to. Now that I want to be a little different, I have no idea what to buy,” Shannon said, holding up a T-shirt that read LIKE A BOSS. “What do you think?”
Zoey shook her head. “You can do better.”
“I bought the shoes. Here,” Shannon said, showing Zoey a picture of them on her cell phone. “If you help me find a few cute cheap things to make up the rest of the outfit, I can keep Ivy happy but still be myself, too.”
“Let’s see what we can find, then,” Zoey said. “Ooh! What about these?”
She showed Shannon a pair of pink leopard-print jeans.
“Those are adorable!” Shannon exclaimed. “Let me go try them on!”
Zoey made her wait till they’d picked out a few more items, but in the end the leopard-print jeans were still the winner.
“They match my shoes perfectly,” Shannon said.
“And they make a statement,” Zoey said.
“But without standing out too much, right?” Shannon asked.
“No, not too much,” Zoey assured her. “Leopard print is in.”
“What should I wear with them?”
“You probably have a basic tee at home, right? That would go without competing with the pattern on the pants,” Zoey suggested.
“I guess,” Shannon said. “Can you maybe come over to help me pick out something?”
While they’d been hanging out, Zoey had caught glimpses of the old Shannon, the one who had had sleepovers with her in elementary school and played with Draper when he was a puppy, who hadn’t cared what Bree and Ivy thought. It made her realize how much she missed that Shannon.
“Okay,” she said.
Her dad had been right. It was worth giving Shannon another chance.
“Zoey . . . I’ve got another favor to ask,” Shannon said after she’d paid for the jeans.
“What’s that?”
“Do you mind keeping the fact that you helped me with my back-to-school outfit a secret?” Shannon asked. “It’s just that . . . if Ivy finds out you chose these pants, she’ll probably pick on you even more, out of spite.”
Wow. Maybe my BFFs were right after all.
It hurt Zoey’s feelings that Shannon wanted her to be a secret stylist instead of being open about it. Was she really trying to protect her from Ivy, or was Shannon ashamed of hanging out with her? But on the other hand, Shannon did seem genuinely appreciative of her help, and they’d had a good time together. Was it worth the trade-off?
“Okay,” she agreed reluctantly. But as she went to meet Marcus for her ride home from the mall, she wondered if she’d made the right decision.
Sewing always helped Zoey feel better, so she went straight up to her worktable to put the finishing touches on her back-to-school outfit. The wide-legged jumper looked so great on Sophia Loren, and Zoey loved the way the excess material almost made it look like she was wearing a skirt. It was really different from anything she’d ever made or worn before. But different was good. After winning Best Dressed in the yearbook last year, she was feeling more confident about herself and wanted to start off this year with a memorable outfit.
When she finished the final stitches, Zoey decided to try it on and model it for Dad and Marcus. She admired herself in the mirror and then went downstairs, loving the swishy feel of the wide-legged pants as she walked.
“Ta-da! What do you think of my back-to-school outfit?” she asked, striking a pose in the kitchen, where Dad and Marcus were preparing dinner. Aunt Lulu and her boyfriend, John, were coming over.
Her dramatic entrance was met by dead silence, except for the announcer on the radio giving the results of the previous night’s sports contests. And then Dad turned off the radio, and it was totally quiet. None of the usual exclamations of “It’s great, Zoey!” that she’d grown to expect.
“Honey . . . if you love it, I love it,” Dad said.
“Honestly, Zoey, I just think this one is . . . off the mark,” Marcus jumped in.
“Off the mark how?” Zoey asked. “It’s different, I know, but I think it’s in a good way.”
She saw her father exchange glances with her brother.
“Zo, I’ll always support you being different, you know that,” Dad said.
“True. But I don’t want you to look ridiculous,” Marcus added.
“You think it’s ridiculous?!” Zoey wailed.
“It’s just a little over the top, Zoey,” continued Marcus. “I don’t want you to go from Best Dressed to Best Mess.”
“You know I think you’ve got a great talent, and I usually love all your ideas . . . ,” Dad said.
“You hate it too?” Zoey said. She wasn’t used to her dad not liking her designs. He was usually so supportive.
“ ‘Hate’ is a strong word,” Dad said. “I’m just wondering if your brother is right. But what do I know?”
Zoey stood facing her critics with her hands on her hips, her chin held high.
“Well, I’m going to wait till Aunt Lulu comes and get her opinion,” she said.
“Good idea,” Dad said. “I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a fashion fossil.”
“We’ll see,” Zoey said with a sniff.
When Zoey answered the door to let in Aunt Lulu and John, her aunt’s dog, Buttons, scampered in and greeted Zoey enthusiastically.
Zoey picked up Buttons and cuddled her, carrying her into the kitchen.
“See, Dad, Buttons likes my outfit!”
“What’s this? Is there an outfit controversy?” Aunt Lulu asked.
Zoey put down Buttons so she could twirl for her aunt and John, giving them a full view of her swishy pant legs.
“I made this outfit for the first day of school, and Dad and Marcus think it’s over the top and ridiculous,” Zoey said. “But they aren’t fashionistas like you and me. What do you think?”
Aunt Lulu and John studied the outfit.
“Well, I think it’s cool,” John said. “I can picture a sixties style icon, like Twiggy or Edie Sedgewick, wearing it.”
Zoey was just beginning to get to know John, but her opinion of him immediately went up 200 percent.
“You totally got it!” she exclaimed. “It was inspired by a sixties movie I watched.”
John smiled, and Zoey liked the way his smile twinkled in his eyes, too.
Aunt Lulu, however, was frowning.
“I don’t know, Zo. I’m not sure if I love it or I hate it,” she said. “I mean, I love the idea. I’m just not sure if I like it in reality. It feels a little too sophisticated for someone your age.”
Zoey got a sinking feeling in her stomach by Aunt Lulu’s words. She could discount her father’s opinion, and even
Marcus’s, because neither of them were really experts in fashion, but Aunt Lulu was another story—she knew her stuff. She was an interior designer with a great sense of style.
“I think it’ll be better when you’re taller and have broader shoulders to balance out the wide legs,” Aunt Lulu continued. “But the color and fabric is beautiful on you!”
“I guess I’ll have to think about it some more,” Zoey said. “I’ll go change before dinner.”
She went back up to her room to change into her shorts and T-shirt, but before she did, she took another look at herself in the full-length mirror. She liked the way she looked in the outfit.
Zoey figured she’d go with her gut. She thought it was cool and different in an everything-old-is-new-again kind of way, and besides, it made her feel good to wear it. That was what a good outfit should do, right?
She decided to call Kate to vent about her frustrations. But Kate had problems of her own.
“I’m so bored,” she complained. “Resting my arm is no fun at all.”
Kate was superathletic and was always going from one practice to another, but she’d strained her elbow recently, and the doctor had told her to rest her arm in a sling, so it could heal properly.
“I bet,” Zoey said. “I’d go crazy if I couldn’t use my arm. I wouldn’t be able to sew anything!”
“Do you want to hang out tomorrow?” Kate asked.
Zoey was torn. She wanted to hang out with Kate, but she’d already promised Shannon that she’d go over to her house to help her with the rest of her outfit.
“I . . . can’t. I’ve got plans with Shannon.”
“Shannon Chang? Really?”
“Um . . . yeah.”
“Oh . . . ,” Kate said. “How about if I come too? It’s the last day of vacation, and if I have to spend it sitting around the house again, I’m going to tear out my hair!”
Zoey hesitated. It was true Kate and Shannon had kind of been friends in elementary school, but it wasn’t really because they had anything it common. It was more because they were both friends with Zoey. Shannon was Zoey’s girly friend—they’d do each other’s hair and play with dolls, which didn’t interest sports-obsessed Kate at all.
Zoey didn’t want to upset Kate, but she couldn’t explain to her that she wouldn’t be interested in what they were doing, because she couldn’t explain why she was going over to Shannon’s. Shannon had made her promise to keep it a secret, and she didn’t want to break her promise and risk losing the headway she’d made rebuilding their friendship.
“It would . . . just be awkward,” she said. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Okay,” Kate said.
Zoey felt bad when she hung up. She could tell Kate was upset. How could she be a good friend to everyone without making anyone upset?
CHAPTER 3
Old Is New Again
I love buying—and making—new clothes, but isn’t it great when you slip on a really old denim jacket that’s been washed a lot of times, so it’s soft and already broken in? Marcus was going to get rid of this jacket, because it’s too small for him now, but I salvaged it and gave it a new life by adding sequins and embroidering peace signs and flowers. I love putting it on because it’s new to me, but it feels as comfortable as getting together with an old friend. You know, even when you haven’t hung out in a long time, but then you do and you have fun, and you wonder why you ever stopped? It’s fun to make old clothes new again. Do you think it’s possible to do it with friendships, too?
Walking into the Changs’ house was just like putting on Marcus’s old worn-in denim jacket, Zoey thought. Even though she hadn’t been there in ages, she felt totally comfortable, and it was nice to get to see Shannon’s family again. Shannon’s parents told her how much they missed seeing her.
Daisy, Shannon’s seven year-old sister, danced around the kitchen, singing “Zoey’s here! Zoey’s here!”
Zoey smiled, happy to see Daisy. “You’ve grown so much!”
But Shannon told Daisy to leave Zoey alone and to stop being so annoying. Brandon, Shannon’s nine year-old brother, asked if Zoey wanted to play Mario Kart with him.
Before Zoey could answer, Shannon said, “She can’t. We’re going upstairs.”
“Can I come?” Daisy asked.
“Not now, Daisy,” Shannon said. “Zoey and I have stuff to do.”
Zoey mouthed Sorry to the crestfallen Daisy as she followed Shannon out of the kitchen and up to her bedroom.
Despite her limited budget, Shannon had a lot of choices in her closet and drawers. Zoey picked out some options, and Shannon tried them on with the pink leopard-print pants and her designer shoes to see which looked best. When she finally decided, they both sat cross-legged on Shannon’s bed.
“So what are you wearing on the first day?” Shannon asked. “Have you decided yet?
“It’s a surprise,” Zoey said. “I think I know, but I haven’t one hundred percent decided.”
“Is it a Sew Zoey creation?” Shannon asked.
Zoey nodded.
“Oh, show me, please!” Shannon begged. “Can’t I at least see a sketch?”
Zoey wondered if showing Shannon was a good idea. But she’d been having such a good time with her that she relented.
“Okay,” Zoey said, digging into her bag for her sketchbook. She flipped to the page with the wide-legged jumper outfit.
“That’s amazing!” Shannon exclaimed. “You’re so creative!”
“You really think so?” Zoey asked. “You’re not just saying that?”
“No, I’m not just saying it. I really do think it’s awesome. I wish I could design and make my own clothes like you do,” Shannon said.
“Thanks,” Zoey said, smiling. It meant a lot to Zoey that her old friend liked the outfit and thought what she did was cool. And it made her even more determined to wear her creation to school the next day.
When she got home from Shannon’s, Allie, Marcus’s girlfriend, was over.
“Allie, you have to convince Zoey not to wear the crazy outfit she designed to school tomorrow,” Marcus said.
“Marcus!” Zoey exclaimed. “It’s none of your business what I wear!”
“It’s because I care, Zo,” Marcus said. “I’m doing this because I love you.”
“I’m not sure I want to get in the middle of this,” Allie said. “But if you want a second opinion, I’ll take a look.”
“It wouldn’t be a second opinion,” grumbled Zoey. “It’ll be, like, a seventh or eighth opinion.”
“Well, okay, if you want another opinion,” Allie said. “Just offering . . .”
Allie did have really good fashion sense. Maybe it was worth getting her opinion, just in case.
“I’ll go put it on,” Zoey said, heading upstairs to her room to get changed into her outfit.
She walked back downstairs, feeling confident that Allie was going to love it the same way Shannon did. But the expression on Allie’s face told her she didn’t.
“I hate to say it, Zoey, but I think Marcus is right about this one,” Allie said. “It’s too . . . costume-y. I just think it’s a little much for the first day of school. Maybe you could alter it—slim down the legs, so they aren’t quite as wide?”
“I don’t have time to do alterations that big,” Zoey said.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to even if she did have time.
“Well, if I were you, I’d find another outfit to wear,” Allie suggested. “You’ve designed and made so many cute things this summer. I just don’t think you need to be quite so . . . extreme on the first day.”
“Thanks, anyway, for the advice,” Zoey said, even though she didn’t like what Allie had suggested at all.
As she walked back up to her room, Zoey debated what to do. Allie wasn’t her. She was the one and only Zoey Webber, and she’d gotten used to being someone who stood out and took risks with her style. She wanted to wear what she wanted to wear, and didn’t she win Best Dressed l
ast year after doing just that? She was done getting everyone else’s opinions. She was going to wear her outfit, and that was that!
Kate and Zoey sat on the bus together as always, and Zoey was relieved that her friend didn’t seem to be upset about not having gotten together the day before. Kate was wearing one of the cute sling covers Zoey had made for her.
“I can’t believe how glad I am that school’s starting,” Kate said. “Without being able to do sports, it seems like every day is a week long.”
“You’re usually so busy with practices, we hardly see you,” Zoey said.
“I know. I mean, I’m excited to be able to spend more time with you guys, but I miss going to practice.” Kate sighed. “I like the routine, and I always feel better afterward, even if I didn’t want to go.”
“Hopefully, the doctor will let you go back soon,” Zoey said.
She’d hate to not be able to sketch or sew for a whole month. No wonder Kate was feeling so antsy.
When they got to school, Ms. Austen, the principal, was waiting out front to greet all the students, as was her custom.
“Look at Ms. Austen’s new haircut! It’s so cute!” Kate exclaimed.
“It makes her look younger, don’t you think?” Zoey said.
Kate agreed.
“Welcome back!” Ms. Austen said, greeting the two girls. She looked Zoey’s outfit up and down. “Interesting design, Zoey.”
Zoey got the impression that Ms. Austen was in the Dad and Marcus camp when it came to her back-to-school outfit. But before she could worry too much about it, Ms. Austen said, “Girls, I’d like you to meet our new student, Josephine. She’s from Paris, and she will be living with her aunt and uncle in the United States for a while to help her learn English. Josie, meet Kate and Zoey.”
“I’m very ’appy to meet you,” Josie said with a strong French accent.
Zoey liked her right away. She had a friendly smile . . . and a really cool alphabet-print scarf looped around her neck.
