by Chloe Taylor
When Ellie had the final measurement, Zoey thanked her and whispered “good luck” before Sydney led her back to the studio.
This time Zoey had no trouble staying focused, because she knew the sooner they finished taping, the better the chance she had of making it to the dance on time. They finished the judging re-creation in one take.
The final five contestants, and the models wearing their designs, walked out onto the runway. Ellie’s face was pale, even under the makeup and the spotlights. Oscar Bradesco liked to draw the suspense out for as long as possible. Zoey and Lulu sometimes sat on the sofa at home, screaming, “C’mon! Just tell us who won!” at the TV. Zoey wanted him to make it snappy, and not just to put Ellie out of her misery. Zoey had a dance to get to!
“And the runner-up is . . . Tony LeSoto, with the stunning blue silk,” Oscar announced.
Tony LeSoto and his model embraced, and then he came and shook hands and thanked all the judges. Meanwhile, the other four contestants waited in painful suspense to learn if they were the winner of the challenge or . . . the ones who almost won.
“And now the winner of our Fashion Showdown Prom Dress Challenge . . . But before I announce the winner . . .”
Zoey could almost hear the contestants’ inner groans of frustration.
“There’s something special about tonight’s winning dress. It’s going to be worn by our guest judge, Zoey Webber, to her seventh-grade dance this evening! And our cameras will be there with her. The winner of tonight’s Fashion Showdown Prom Dress Challenge is”—Oscar paused for dramatic effect—“Ellie Joseph!”
Finally!
Zoey let out the breath she’d been holding and beamed. Ellie was ecstatic, jumping up and down, hugging her model and then leaping gracefully off the stage to thank the judges. She shook hands with Aubrey and Christophe, but when she got to Zoey, she embraced her.
“I’m so psyched you’re going to be wearing my dress to your dance!” she said.
“Me too!” Zoey exclaimed. “I love it!”
“I need to start working on altering that dress if you’re going to get to the dance on time!” Ellie said.
“Now, that’s a professional,” Aubrey said, nodding approvingly as she watched Ellie depart for the workroom. “She just won the biggest competition of her career, but instead of going out and drinking bubbly, she’s finishing the job.”
As soon as the director yelled “Cut!” and declared it a wrap, the entire staff of Fashion Showdown went into action to help Zoey get to the dance. Rashida’s assistant brought Zoey five pairs of shoes in her size to try on, each pair more amazing than the next. Lulu nixed the ones with very high heels—Zoey couldn’t walk in them anyway, so she didn’t mind. They settled on a pair of medium black silk heels with silver soles. Serena, the wardrobe consultant, brought a selection of evening bags and wraps and helped Zoey choose a silver-and-black diamanté clutch and a velvet wrap.
“You are going to look like a million dollars, and that Larry isn’t going to know what hit him,” she said.
“Lorenzo,” Zoey corrected her.
“Whatever his name is,” Serena said. “The kid who was dumb enough to ask the girl who gives you a hard time instead of you. And when his eyes pop out of his head like a cartoon character because you look so amazing, I’ll be cheering because it’ll make up for when Tiffany Taft overheard me talking about the dress I was planning to buy for the senior prom and she went and bought the last one in our size.”
It seemed like everyone she met had an Ivy in their lives at one time or another, Zoey thought.
Christophe and Aubrey went to a store near the studio to find the perfect necklace to accentuate the dress. They came back a with a bold glittering drop necklace that was exactly the kind of thing that Zoey would have picked herself.
Finally, Sydney came and told Zoey to come to the workroom for the fitting. Zoey went into the dressing room and tried on the dress. It fit perfectly! It made her feel like she’d stepped out of the pages of Très Chic.
“Is everything okay?” Ellie asked. “Does it need adjustments?”
Zoey opened the dressing room door and walked out, head held high.
Everyone in the workroom stopped what they were doing and started clapping. Lulu started crying.
“Zoey . . . Look at you. So beautiful . . .”
Ellie’s eyes were glistening too. “I can’t think of anyone who could do my dress more justice.” She hugged Zoey. “Promise me you’ll have an amazing time tonight!”
“Thanks,” Zoey said. “I will!”
When Lulu and Zoey had thanked everyone at Fashion Showdown for the incredible experience and for making going to the dance possible, Sydney and one of the other assistants took them downstairs with their bags to where the limo was waiting.
“Look at the size of it!” Zoey exclaimed. “It’s huge!”
“They weren’t joking when they said ‘stretch limo,’ ” Lulu remarked. “It practically stretches the entire city block!”
The driver got out to open the door for them, and Zoey was thrilled to see it was Winston.
“I couldn’t pass up the chance to take Miss Zoey to her dance,” he said, winking at Lulu. “You look very lovely tonight, Miss Zoey. And now, your chariot awaits.”
Cara and Brandon were already seated inside the limo, which was equipped with a TV, a fridge, disco lights, and a killer sound system.
“Wow!” Cara exclaimed when Zoey climbed in.
“This mean girl Ivy isn’t going to know what hit her,” Brandon said. “Whatever his name is, he doesn’t have a chance, honey.”
Cara nodded. “Just relax and enjoy the ride, sweetie. Your Fashion Showdown heroes are here to make everything right.”
Zoey wasn’t sure if they could make everything right. But she was on her way to the dance, in an amazing dress, to hang out with her best friends after spending an incredible day taping Fashion Showdown. Maybe that would be enough.
- - - - Chapter 10 - - - -
Fashion Showdown Heroes . . . To the Rescue!
I feel like Cinderella going to the ball—except that instead of a fairy godmother I have a team of Fashion Showdown heroes making my dreams come true. And instead of a carriage, I’m in a stretch limo with disco lights, a TV, and Wi-Fi, which is how I can post this while we’re on the highway—Cinderella couldn’t do that in her pumpkin coach. The Fashion Showdown people were so totally awesome to make this happen for me—I’d totally given up on going to the dance, and now I’m not only going, but I’m wearing the most gorgeous dress, shoes, and shawl! I can’t tell you much about the dress because . . . Well, you’ll find out when you watch the show. But I can tell you about the accessories—like my shoes, which have silver soles that make me feel like I twinkle when I walk. And my necklace was a special gift from Aubrey Miller and Christophe Pierre.
Brandon came in the limo with us to do my hair. We decided to put it half up and half down, and then GUESS WHAT?! He pulled out a tiara from his bag of tricks that perfectly matched the necklace Aubrey and Christophe bought. Because they read my blog, they knew about the tiaras I had made for my friends, and they kept that in mind when they looked for the necklace. See what I mean about a team?
Cara’s here too, to do my makeup. She is going to make it a bit more dramatic, because it’s evening, but I’m going to wear Fashionsista’s lucky lip gloss. Hopefully, it will bring me even more luck!
We’re stopping at a rest stop, so, got to go!
Even the best-laid plans can hit horrendous traffic. Soon, Zoey’s mood went from excited to anxious. Fortunately, the traffic eased up once they were past some roadwork, and they ended up making good time. They reached the outskirts of town half an hour before the dance. Zoey texted her friends, who were all gathered at Kate’s house getting ready so Mrs. Mackey could drive them to the dance.
Have big surprise. I can come to dance!!! Meet me outside in 5 minutes, Zoey texted.
Priti texted back: OMG what?!
>
To which Zoey wrote: If I tell you what, it won’t be a surprise!
Her friends were waiting outside on the doorstep with the entire Mackey family when the limo pulled up. Zoey could look out, and she could see they were all wearing the dresses and tiaras she’d made for them, and they looked amazing. But with the limo’s tinted windows, they couldn’t tell it was Zoey inside until Winston came around and opened the door.
Zoey thought they could probably hear the excited screams back in New York City.
“Oh. My. Gosh!” Priti shouted. “Your dress! It’s soooooooo cool!”
“And a limo! I can’t believe it!” Libby exclaimed.
“Wait—we get to go in the limo?” Kate asked.
“Yes!” Zoey said. “Of course!”
“The lights flash in different colors!” Priti cried.
The girls piled into the limo, and the Mackeys waved them off.
“This is going to be . . . The. Most. Amazing. Thing. EVER,” Priti said. “I can’t wait to see the look on Ivy’s face!”
“I like this girl already,” Brandon said. “Come over here and let me touch up your lovely locks.”
On the way to the dance, Brandon and Cara put professional touches on Libby’s, Priti’s, and Kate’s hair and makeup.
“I don’t just feel like a million bucks. I feel like a zillion bucks,” Priti said, looking at herself in Cara’s lit-up makeup mirror.
“You all look like a zillion bucks,” Lulu said, taking a picture.
Winston parked the limo right in front of the school, and the van with the camera crew pulled up twenty feet behind them. Winston lowered the glass partition between the front seat and the back seat.
“You girls wait in here until the camera crew gets set up so they can film your grand entrance.”
“Well, that’s our cue to exit stage left,” Cara said.
“Our little chickadees look gorgeous,” Brandon gushed. “Our work here is done. We’ll be in the van with the camera crew if you need a touch-up. Farewell, princesses!”
The girls blew him and Cara good-bye kisses as they exited the limo.
“This is beyond amazing,” Libby said, playing with the disco lights. “I could really get used to this.”
Lulu laughed. “I wouldn’t get too used to it. Your stretch limo turns back into a minivan at midnight.”
“I know.” Kate sighed. “But this is just . . . look! There are Shannon and Bree! They’re trying to figure out who’s in the limo!”
A small crowd of students had started to gather by the front entrance of Mapleton Prep, watching the film crew set up their gear and speculating as to who was in the limo.
Winston opened his door, stepped out, and poked his head in. “Okay, ladies, crew is set up. I’m going around to open the door for you. Everybody ready?”
“We’re so ready,” Priti said, her voice filled with excitement.
“Have fun, girls,” Lulu said. “See you later!”
But Zoey was nervous suddenly—even more nervous than she’d felt that morning before going on camera on the set of Fashion Showdown. Sure, she was wearing Ellie’s incredible dress, and her hair and makeup were done to perfection. But this was Mapleton Prep, the place where she felt like a misfit.
Winston opened the door, and Zoey was first to emerge from the limo. She heard murmurs of “Who is that?” from the students crowded outside the school. As Priti got out of the limo, followed by Kate and Libby, someone said, “Wait, is that Zoey Webber?” and “Is she some kind of TV star or something?”
The girls walked into the building together and headed to the gym, followed by the camera crew, who were trailed by a crowd of curious students.
The dancing had already started. Zoey scanned the room, hoping for a glimpse of Lorenzo. He was on the dance floor, looking amazing in a dark suit with a red tie, but he was dancing with Ivy, who was wearing a dress that was remarkably similar to the snakeskin dress on Fashion Showdown, the one Zoey said was her least favorite.
The camera lights went out.
“Zoey,” Tom said from behind the camera. “You look like you’re having a miserable time. It’s not going to make great viewing.”
Priti followed Zoey’s gaze. “Oh! I see the problem,” she whispered to Kate and Libby. “We have to figure out a way to distract Ivy so Zoey can talk to Lorenzo and he can see how amazing she is and fall in love with her.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Kate whispered back. “But how?”
“I don’t know,” Priti replied. “I haven’t gotten that far yet.”
“How about we talk to you ladies about these dresses?” Tom suggested, turning on the camera. “I understand Zoey designed and made them for you?”
“Yes!” Libby said. “We’re each wearing original designs from Sew Zoey.”
“She made us the tiaras, too,” Kate said.
“I’ve got it!” Priti exclaimed. “Cut! Cut!”
Tom turned off the camera. “I’m the one who is supposed to say ‘Cut,’ ” he said.
“I know, I know. But it’s an emergency. I need you to help Zoey have a good time,” Priti said.
She explained about Lorenzo and Ivy and asked the camera crew to interview Bree, Shannon, and Ivy about their dresses to distract them.
“If it’ll bring a smile to Zoey’s face, I’m game,” Tom said. “I can’t go back with all this footage of her looking miserable. Rashida will have my head.”
The camera crew went off to distract Ivy and her friends. Priti tagged along with them.
Zoey was wondering why she’d rushed all the way back from New York for the dance, just to watch Ivy with Lorenzo and be miserable.
“Hey, how’s your head?” someone behind her said.
She turned around to see it was . . . Lorenzo! He looked even more adorable up close than he did from a distance—especially since he wasn’t dancing with Ivy. Then it suddenly occurred to Zoey that he was asking about her head, which meant he must have seen her nose-plant into the freezer door the night she saw him in the supermarket. Awkward.
“Um . . . fine. Ice cream cures pretty much everything.”
Lorenzo laughed. He had the cutest smile.
“So what’s with the camera crew following you around? Are you on some kind of reality show?”
“I was invited to be a guest judge on Fashion Showdown. I just got back from taping in New York. They wanted some footage of the dance for the grand finale or something.”
“Wow. That’s pretty cool,” Lorenzo said. “You . . . uh . . . look really pretty.”
Lorenzo thought she looked pretty! Zoey issued a silent thank-you to Brandon, Cara, Ellie, and everyone at Fashion Showdown. Then she realized she was probably supposed to say something back.
“Um . . . you look pretty too. Wait! I mean—”
“Don’t worry.” Lorenzo grinned. “I know what you mean. Bet it’s been a long day, being on TV and all.”
“Yeah, kind of,” Zoey admitted. But her day wouldn’t be complete unless she danced with Lorenzo. It was a girl-ask-boy dance, wasn’t it? Summoning all her courage, she asked, “Do you want to dance?”
“Sure,” he said.
They walked to the dance floor just as the DJ switched to a slow song. Zoey was about to ask Lorenzo if he wanted to wait this one out, but he put his arms around her. She put her arms around him tentatively, not really sure where to put her hands. Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw Libby and Kate waving and giving her the thumbs-up.
This was the moment she’d been dreaming about. The moment she’d been waiting for. The moment that was supposed to be the romantic highlight of her evening. She was Cinderella, finally dancing with Prince Charming. Except . . .
“Ouch!” Zoey exclaimed.
Lorenzo had stepped on her right foot.
“Sorry,” Lorenzo mumbled.
“It’s okay,” Zoey said, except her toes really hurt. Meanwhile, she was trying to think of something else to talk about. It felt awkward
to just stand there and not say anything.
“So . . . do you like to dance?” she asked him.
Lorenzo shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess.”
“Ouch!”
This time he’d stepped on her left foot. At this rate, Zoey figured she was going to have to crawl off the dance floor.
“Oops. Sorry.”
Zoey didn’t think her toes could take another accidental stomp. Dancing with Lorenzo wasn’t as wonderful and romantic as she’d imagined it would be. She wished he would say something instead of standing there—and stepping on her toes.
She was relieved when the song ended.
“Well, see you later,” Lorenzo said.
“Yeah, okay. See you,” Zoey said.
She hobbled back to where Libby and Kate were standing.
“So?!” Libby asked. “How was it?”
“Okay, I guess.” Zoey sighed.
Libby and Kate exchanged glances.
“Um . . . you don’t sound nearly as excited as I thought you’d be,” Kate said.
“I don’t know. He didn’t talk. It wasn’t . . . how I thought it would be.”
“Well, my favorite song is playing, so you and Kate should come dance with me,” Libby said, grabbing Zoey’s and Kate’s hands and dragging them toward the dance floor. “I promise to keep well away from your toes.”
Being on the dance floor with her friends was much more fun than dancing with Lorenzo. For the first time since she’d arrived at school, Zoey relaxed and really began to enjoy herself. She loved the way Ellie’s dress swished around her legs when Libby grabbed her hands and twirled her.
As the song was ending, Priti made her way through the crowd, followed by the film crew.
“You won’t believe this!” Priti said. “Lorenzo didn’t ask Ivy to the dance—she asked him!”
“You’re kidding!” Kate said.
“I kid you not. It’s all on tape,” Priti said, nodding to the cameraman. “The crew asked Ivy the story of how Lorenzo asked her to the dance, and she started blushing and stuttering and finally admitted she was the one who asked him.”
“But why would she lie?” Zoey wondered aloud. “After all, it’s a girl-ask-boy dance.”