In the office light, something caught my eye.
Sasha’s trophy.
“I can’t believe I’m going to school with Sasha Silver,” I said. “I want to meet her the second I get on campus. But I’m also . . . kind of scared to meet her.”
Kim shook her head. “Don’t be scared. Sasha will be excited to have a Briar Creek girl at Canterwood.”
“I hope so,” I said, glancing at the photo of the pretty girl on her chestnut horse. “I don’t want her to think I’m replacing her as Union’s transfer.”
“There’s plenty of room for two Briar Creek riders,” Kim said. “You’ll see.”
I looked away from Sasha’s photo with a grateful smile at Kim. No matter what she said, I couldn’t have done it without her. And I had to make sure once I was at Canterwood that I made Kim and Briar Creek proud.
SOME PEOPLE WILL BEG FOR FASHION TIPS
FRIDAY WAS INSANE.
Huge trash cans were everywhere. Lockers were open and students tossed papers, pens, pretty much anything they didn’t want to take home. I sidestepped an eighth grade boy who was tossing gray (I swear they were once white) gym socks into the trash can.
Très disgusting!
We didn’t need anything for homeroom today, so I walked straight to class. I could hear the roar of summer vacay mania inside before I even opened the glass door.
Inside, everyone was talking about what they were doing over summer break. I walked by a girl who usually sat next to me in math class.
“Hi, Elizabeth,” I said. “A little chaotic, no?”
“It’s like Animal Planet,” she grumbled.
“Got any plans for break?” I asked.
“Yeah.” She shrugged, leaning back in her seat. “But why do you care?”
“What?” I said, caught off guard. “All I did was ask what you were doing this summer—what’s wrong?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter if I tell you I’m going to Cape Cod or the moon. You’re going to Canterwood. It’s not like you’re going to ask if my summer was good or not this fall. Why bother?”
I hated this! Everyone was being totally ridiculous. I couldn’t believe they were shutting me out just for changing schools. That had never happened to me anywhere else before. Whenever I’d left, the teachers always threw a little good-bye party and everyone had promised to stay in touch.
But that never happened, I thought.
“Whatever. I’m not sorry that I’m transferring—even if it is to the ‘enemy’ school. I thought we were friends. Forgive me if I thought you were better than this. Enjoy your life, Elizabeth!”
Before she could say another word, I walked to my desk.
We’d all been told to come to homeroom first, and then we’d be allowed, a few at a time, to go clean out our lockers and return our books to our teachers. No one spoke to me while I waited for Brielle and Ana. Everyone was talking to someone else about summer plans, except for me. I guessed I should have realized that, at a school as competitive as Yates, students just didn’t come and go. School pride definitely ran deep.
“Hi, everyone,” Ms. Merner said.
She was one of my favorite teachers, and she was the only one who didn’t care if we got to class two minutes late. Probably why Brielle and Ana, who slid in behind her, loved the class so much.
“Well all, your sixth-grade year is officially over,” she continued. “You’ve all done exceptionally well and you should be proud of yourselves for everything you’ve accomplished this year.” Ms. Merner smiled. “I enjoyed having each of you in my class. I hope you have a wonderful summer break—you’ve earned it. I’ll see you, refreshed and ready to learn, in the fall.”
The class laughed and groaned at the same time.
She laughed, too, and put a thick stack of stapled papers on the table in the front of the room.
“Speaking of refreshed,” Ms. Merner said with a smile. “Each of you needs to take a packet. It contains the summer homework assignments from all of your teachers.”
This time, the class only groaned.
Ms. Merner laughed harder this time, holding up her hands defensively. “Sorry, sorry! Just think of it as a way to keep your minds sharp.”
More groaning.
“The first three rows can come up now, take a packet, and then go clean out your lockers,” Ms. Merner said. “Whenever someone comes back, I’ll send another student out.”
Brielle, Ana, and I got up from our spots in the third row, our backpacks over our shoulders. I followed them up to the table, reaching for the papers, but pulled my hand away when I realized I didn’t need one. I’d be doing Canterwood homework this summer.
Ana saw my mistake and turned to me, frowning. “Boo,” she said. “Brielle and I won’t be able to call you for answers this summer.”
I smiled. “Aww, I guess you’ll have to do your own work this year. Or maybe Brielle will get the answers from Will.” I said his name in a teasing, singsong way.
Brielle whipped around, her hair getting stuck to her gloss. “Did you say ‘Will’? What about him?”
Ana and I laughed as we left the classroom.
“You have quite the Will-dar,” I giggled. “I just said that you’d have to get homework answers from Will this summer.”
Brielle nodded. “Duh. I pick smart-slash-hot guys for a reason.”
“You know, things got so crazy this week, I don’t even have a dress for the dance tonight,” I said. “Where did you get yours, Bri? And what’s it look like? You haven’t said a word about it.”
“Shop without you? Not a chance,” Brielle said. “Like I’d pick out a dress without my fashion fairy godmother. Ana and I didn’t want to bug you about a dance after how awful we were to you.” She bowed her head, looking guilty. “But if you’re dress-less too, want to hit the mall after school? My mom can take us.”
“I am definitely sans dress,” I said slowly, unsure of whether I felt like we were cool enough to shop together quite yet. “But . . .”
“I know we were harsh before,” Ana cut in. “But Bri might never get over it if we miss our last chance to go school dress shopping with our most fashionable bestie.”
I looked in her eyes. There was no hint of fakeness in them.
“Please, please, please,” Brielle said.
“What about Hannah?” I asked pointedly, raising my eyebrows.
Brielle and Ana both paled.
“Lauren, we were such jerks,” Brielle said.
“Totally idiots,” Ana confirmed.
“Let us prove it to you,” Bri said. “I’m actually begging you here.”
I looked at her. Bri did not do faux-begging. She meant it.
I pulled out my phone and covertly typed a quick message.
Hey Dad—I forgot 2 get a dress 4 2nite. Can I go 2 the mall w B and A after school?
Before we’d even reached our lockers, he’d written me back.
Sure, sweetie. Use the emergency credit card and call if you’re going to be late.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go. But only because I’m afraid of what you’d show up wearing without my advice.” I smiled, making sure she knew I was kidding.
“Really?!” Bri yelped.
I nodded.
“This is going to be epic!” Ana said.
Ana and Bri texted their parents to ask their permission. Within ten minutes, we had a ride to and from the mall, and permission from all of our parents to go.
“You guys are sooo getting me Pinkberry, though, because I know we’re going to be at the mall until it closes,” I said.
“Deal,” Brielle and Ana said at the same time.
We giggled and opened our lockers. I put my bag down, deciding to take my locker decorations down first. Carefully, I peeled off the small, heart-shaped mirrors from Pottery Barn Teen. They fit into the zipper pocket of my big backpack.
Next, I took down the photos I’d taped up of Brielle, Ana, and me. Each one made me smile. The
re was one of all three of us on horseback, grinning at Kim, who’d snapped the photo.
Another was of Ana at her surprise twelfth birthday party. I’d taken it when Ana had walked through her front door and we, along with a few of our other friends, jumped up from behind her living room furniture, yelling SURPRISE! Ana had been so shocked, she’d almost fallen backward through the doorway.
The last photo was one Ana had taken of Brielle and me with our arms around each other’s shoulders. We had sunglasses on and were posing for the camera with our lips pursed—like we were posing for Us Weekly instead of Ana.
With a twinge of sadness and nostalgia, I put the photos in an empty folder so they wouldn’t get bent. This was already harder than I’d expected. I’d tried, earlier, to pretend that I wasn’t leaving Yates forever so I could get through the day without feeling any sadness. But with each moment that passed, it became more and more real that I wasn’t coming back.
Ever.
“Hey,” Brielle said softly. She peered around my locker door, watching me. “We’re going to make sure those are framed for your dorm room at Canterwood. You know, so you can remember how gorgeous your friends at Yates are.”
I blinked, determined not to break my no-crying-in-public rule. I managed to blink the tears away, but my smile was still shaky.
“We’re going to clean out our lockers, return the books that made our backs hurt all year long, and then it’s class party time,” Ana said, lightening the mood. “And then, best of all?”
“Dress shopping!” I said. “Talk about last minute.” Brielle snorted from her locker. “Puh-lease. We’d look awesome in anything. With you and all your fashion knowledge, I don’t have any doubts we’ll find something perfect.”
“Is Will excited?” I asked, taking off my book covers.
“He’s trying to act like a guy—not too excited, but happy to go with me.” Brielle said. “But I can tell he’s as excited as I am.”
“I’m sure he is,” I said. “If only guys would just be, you know, honest about how they’re feeling about stuff.”
“No kidding,” Brielle said.
“That’s why I’m glad I’m not going with anyone,” Ana said. “I get to skip trying on a bazillion dresses, I don’t have to worry about my date’s feelings, and, most important, I don’t have to dance unless I want to.”
Brielle walked around us to carry an armful of paperwork to the trash. “Let’s see if you still feel that way next year.”
Ana glared playfully at her.
I pulled off all of my stretchy reusable book covers and put them in my bag. I stacked my books into a neat pile on the floor, took off my locker lock, and dropped it into my bag. A few stray pens and highlighters that had been lost all year rolled around in the bottom of my locker. I tossed them—they’d all dried up from not being used.
My locker was empty.
I stared at the blue metal, took a quiet breath, and closed the door.
The last day went by quickly. After my entire class had finished cleaning their lockers, we watched a newly released comedy in homeroom and ate Domino’s pizza with soda. I’d only seen Taylor briefly today—he’d been on the way to the gym with guys from his swim team. He’d said hi and I could tell he’d wanted to talk more, but it wasn’t the time. We’d talk tonight at the dance.
When the movie credits rolled, I got up with the rest of the class.
“I hope you all had fun on your last day,” Ms. Merner said. “Once you gather all of your belongings, you may leave. Have a fantastic summer, everyone! See you all next year.”
I realized I wasn’t part of that “all.” Not anymore.
I’d never seen the class move so quickly. The exit was a flurry of activity as everyone grabbed their bags and bolted out the door.
I waved to Ms. Merner as I passed her desk.
“Lauren,” she said. “You’ve been a wonderful student to have in class. I know you’ll excel at Canterwood. Good luck, and feel free to come by and visit whenever you have time off.”
“Thank you,” I said, beaming.
I hoped she was right about excelling at Canterwood. And the idea that I could come back to Yates and visit somehow made me feel infinitely better all of a sudden.
It made walking out of Yates—my school—for the last time easier. The day had been bittersweet, but there was one thing that made me feel absolutely elated. . . .
I was officially a Canterwood student now.
THE DRESS
“HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THIS WILL TAKE?” Ana asked that question every single time we stepped inside the mall.
“Focus on Pinkberry at the end of the tunnel,” Brielle said. “Besides, it can’t take too long—we have to save enough time to go home, get ready, and make our fabulous, fashionably late appearance at the dance.”
“At least we didn’t have a full day of school,” I said. “Or we’d really have to rush.”
“We’d be going in dresses from last season,” Brielle said, making a face like she’d just had a gross bite of sashimi.
Ana and Brielle motioned for me to lead the way. I went straight for our favorite dress shop. Bella’s Boutique was a local boutique-type store. It wasn’t huge, so it didn’t have a ton of options, but what they did have was unique. Not many girls in our class shopped there. They flocked to the usual chain stores and bought dresses with expensive chi-chi labels that at least three girls in various grades showed up in. Brielle and I’d always had good luck with dresses whenever we’d shopped at Bella’s Boutique.
A salesclerk welcomed us.
As we walked in, I realized I hadn’t been here in a while. I’d missed shopping here. I loved everything about the place. It smelled like the caramel and vanilla candles that dotted several shelves throughout the store. There were always fresh, seasonal flowers on the counter (white tulips today), and none of the store’s employees followed younger shoppers around as if we were likely to steal something. The boutique also had a fun assortment of locally made jewelry that sparkled in the track lighting. It was so easy to accessorize and buy your dress—plus, maybe buy some irresistible-smelling lotions to make a girl feel even more gorgeous.
“Omigod,” Brielle breathed.
I looked away from the jewelry and laughed. Brielle already had three dresses over her arm. Ana, smiling, reached out and took them from Brielle.
“Go ahead,” Ana said. “Load me up.”
Grinning, Brielle tugged on Ana’s arm. “Well, if you’re offering . . .”
“Before I leave you to find my own dress, B, I want to assess your dress sitch.” I looked her over carefully. “So far this school year, you’ve worn a yellow dress and a black dress—both great for your coloring. With your dark hair and fair complexion, I vote you look for either light purple or silver, preferably form fitting, and . . .” I walked a circle around her. “Simple. I love strapless, spaghetti strap, or halter on you. Kitten heels for sure.”
Brielle sighed. “What will I do when you’re gone?” she asked.
“Ever hear of online shopping and a little thing called e-mail?” I laughed, leaving a very relieved-looking Brielle to browse so I could do the same.
I walked over to a rack of dresses and looked through them. I already knew I didn’t want anything in a print. Nothing pink or purple. I’d worn both colors to other dances earlier this year. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a swatch of ice-blue material. I walked over and lifted it off the rack.
“No way,” I whispered.
The first dress I’d picked up was it. I knew I didn’t have to look at any other dresses. This one was the one. It was a slim-fitting, sleeveless dress with a sweetheart neckline. I held it up, and it skimmed a few inches above my knees. Parfait! With my silver ballet flats, it would be lovely. The size was exactly right for me.
I inspected the pale blue material. It was raw silk and, in the right light, had a silvery sheen that shone brilliant, like the shadow of a full, blue moon.
“G
uys.” I walked over to Brielle and Ana. “Look!” I held the dress up over my body and they both smiled.
“Wow. Laur, that’s going to look amazing on you,” Brielle said. “You found that so fast!” She turned to Ana. “She’s got paranormal abilities when it comes to fashion, I’m telling you.”
Ana shifted Brielle’s half a dozen dresses in her arms. “Love it. Go try it on!”
“Okay! Be right back.” After promising Bri I’d help her when I was out, I headed for the dressing room. Locking the door behind me, I put my backpack down and slipped out of my summery gray skirt and pocketed baby-chick-yellow tissue tee and into the dress. It zipped up the side easily. I turned to look in the full-length mirror.
The dress hugged my body in the right places and, at the same time, wasn’t too revealing. The color made my fair skin look like it was carved from ivory rather than the cadaver pallor I sometimes had with the wrong shade of blue. My dark hair was stark against the silver blue of the dress. Even in its current disheveled state, it looked glamorous and shiny, and it even brought out the pale, pale blue of my eyes. I looked in the mirror even closer. My eyes matched my dress exactly. I only hoped Bri and Ana felt the same as I did about the dress.
Okay, here went nothing.
I stepped out of the dressing room where Ana and Brielle were waiting.
“Buy it!” Brielle shouted, seeming unable to control herself.
Ana nodded furiously. “Don’t even try on another dress. It’s perfect!” She’d never just say that to speed up our shopping—I knew she meant it. Aside from the fact that Ana didn’t care much for dresses, and she obviously cared for this one, she also tended not to say anything unless she felt she had something valuable to contribute.
I didn’t need any more convincing—this was the dress.
“Thanks, guys! I love it. I’m thinking a new pair of crystal drop earrings and a simple silver necklace from home—oh! The blue topaz pendant my mother bought me when I started at Yates.”
Brielle was already nodding her head in agreement. “Tay is going to pass out when he sees you.”
We all giggled until a salesclerk with pretty blond highlights and a stunning sapphire sundress came up to me. “Excuse me for interrupting, miss,” she said finally.
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