“Yeah?”
“Thanks. This will really help me out.”
I run on stage between scenes, my phone still in my hand.
“We have a plan!” I say, breathless. “Ms. Chloe, who runs the local DIY club, and one of my friends are gonna help out. The costumes may not be as fancy as Ms. Mahoney’s, but I think we can do something for all of them so we don’t have to wear hand-me-downs!”
“Oh, Ms. Chloe! I know her—she’s wonderful,” says Miss Tabitha, smiling. “All right, if Ms. Chloe thinks you can do it, then I think this is the best option we’ve got. But you’ll send me an update each day? Let me know if it’s too much?”
I nod.
“Okay. Then, yes, we have a plan,” she says, then yells out to the crowd. “Ana, Samira? Let’s get all the animals on stage now. I want to run through this scene once before we let Jasmine go.”
Ava shoots me a thumbs-up as I join the Kapoor sisters in the center of the stage. She mouths “good luck” a few minutes later as I bolt for the door.
And then after calling Mom for a ride and filling her trunk with the entire contents of Miss Tabitha’s theater closet, I head to Ms. Chloe’s. Kiara arrives ten minutes later, two salted caramel steamers in hand. A silent peace offering. I grab one and smile.
“Oh girls, how I’ve missed you,” Ms. Chloe says once we’re all together. “Now, let’s get to work!”
We spend an hour sorting fabrics into piles and divvying up costumes. There seems to be enough leftover fabric to make everything we need—a relief, since it will save us money and time, both of which are in short supply. Ms. Chloe starts right away on Cinderella’s maid outfit and agrees to make the stepsister costume as well.
“I’ll take the animals,” I say. The original costumes were just simple pullovers made of felt. Re-creating them seems easy.
“Oh, from what you described, those seem pretty simple,” says Ms. Chloe. “Why don’t I take those as well, and you focus instead on Cinderella’s gown?”
Shoot. My stomach jumps as I think of all my failed pattern attempts. Of all the dresses I’ve made way too small with sloppy seams and uneven sleeves. And I know that this is too much. How can I make not just a dress, but the dress? The one Ava will wear during the climax of the show?
I shake my head as Ms. Chloe shoots me a smile.
“The gown? I don’t think I can do it,” I say.
“What are you talking about?” says Ms. Chloe. “You are an expert sewer. Of course you can do this!”
“Well . . . do you, uh, have a pattern I can use?”
“Check the back. I should have some basic dress patterns there. But don’t let those hem you in. I’ve seen your sketchbook, and I think we’d all love to see a Jasmine original.”
“But . . . I . . .”
Ms. Chloe walks over and places her hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Jasmine, I know you can do this. With your skills, there is no one better suited for the job.”
I swallow. “Okay,” I say.
“Okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Great!”
“So isn’t that everything? What am I gonna make?” Kiara asks.
“I was thinking you could help with the ensemble,” I say. “There are fifteen girls who need costumes for the ball, and we have no time to make them gowns. So I thought, what if we raided the costume closet and used old dresses from different shows? I know they’re all different styles and everything, but I thought maybe if you made special headpieces to go with them, we could pull it all together.”
Kiara’s eyes brighten. “Sure, that’s a great idea. Maybe I can even use feathers and flowers so they look more old-fashioned.”
“Perfect!” I say. “I think I have some silk flowers and rhinestones here too, from Miss Tabitha. I saw a bag of them around here somewhere . . .”
“Right here!” says Ms. Chloe, throwing it toward Kiara. “And I think that’s a fabulous idea. Now let’s get working. We’ve got exactly two weeks to pull this off, and today is almost over.”
“We can do it,” I say, thinking of all the kids depending on us. “I know we can!”
Then Miss Tabitha grabs a roll of tulle and flicks on the music. As we start working, my mind drifts. What if we can’t pull this off? What if I end up disappointing everyone? Will I ever spend time with Joseph again? Or will my chance be over, before I’ve even figured out what to say?
Mind swirling, I follow Ms. Chloe’s lead and reach for the tulle. And then I let myself get lost in the moment, my hands moving in time with the music.
Chapter Fifteen
FIRST BLUSH
As I begin sketching concepts for Cinderella’s dress, Kiara plops down in the chair next to me, a pile of wire and feathers in her hands.
“So you’re gonna try another pattern?” she says, eyeing my paper.
I nod. “I’m going to give it one try. But if it doesn’t work, I’ll just grab one of Ms. Chloe’s patterns on Monday.”
“Good plan,” she says, turning to her wire. “Now tell me more about this drama club thing. I still can’t believe you’re in the school play!”
“I know, it’s pretty unbelievable, huh? But after all that happened, I just needed a break from fashion. And the first day, I met Ava and then she introduced me to her friends Courtney and Joseph and Henry and we all started hanging out. It’s crazy—they’re all in our grade, but besides Courtney I’d never seen any of them before.”
“I don’t know Ava or Courtney, but wait. Did you say Joseph?”
“Yeah.”
“Joseph Cruz?”
I shrug, realizing I still don’t know his last name. “I’m not sure,” I say, “but I know he lives north of town.”
“Yeah, that’s him,” says Kiara. “I know him from social studies. He’s super cute. Wait, you were standing next to him at the concert last night, weren’t you?”
I nod.
She frowns. “Gosh, I’ve been such an idiot.”
“Yup.”
“So then you and Joseph. What’s the deal?”
I look away from Kiara. “Nothing. We’re just fri-ends.”
“Oh my gosh,” says Kiara, eyeing me.
“What?” I say.
“You’re blushing!”
“Huh? No way,” I say, still staring at my paper.
“No, you totally are. Look! Your cheeks are red.”
I frown. “Must be the heat. Ms. Chloe always keeps this place like a sauna.”
“Right. And it has nothing to do with you having a crush on Joseph.”
“What? No! Who told you that?”
Kiara laughs, poking me in the side. “No one, silly. Well, you did, with all that blushing!”
“Cut it out!” I say, poking her back. “Joseph’s a friend, nothing more.”
“Well, that’s great,” she says. “That’s the best way to start. Just keep talking to him, and before you know it, he’ll be holding your hand.”
“Hah. Right,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Hey, I’m serious!” Kiara says. “You’re smart and funny and pretty and you know I’ve always been envious of your long, wavy hair . . .” Kiara runs her fingers through my curls, pulling them out when they get stuck in the ends. “Why wouldn’t he like you?”
I shrug, still afraid to look in Kiara’s direction. It feels weird to be here, back at Ms. Chloe’s, talking with Kiara. Even weirder to be talking to her about Joseph. And to hear her call me pretty? Well, that’s the strangest of all. Besides Mom, no one’s ever called me that before. And it’s not something I’ve really wasted time thinking about either. I’ve always felt smart—my report card is good evidence of that. And funny seems to run in the family.
But pretty?
I glance over at the mirror hanging in the corner and look. Same long, wavy hair, same big brown eyes greet me. My flat nose balancing out the full pink lips beneath it. My teeth are almost straight and besides a splattering of tiny pimples on my forehead, my skin is
clear. So all right. I’m having a good skin day. And my hair does look shiny. But could I really be pretty in the way that a boy would notice? The compliment feels like a pair of baggy jeans I still need to grow into.
“Well—I mean—thanks,” I say, cheeks even redder. “He does seem to like talking to me when we’re together, but uh, I don’t know. I just always get so nervous around him!”
“That’s your problem,” says Kiara. “You just need to relax. Talk to him like you would a best friend. And tease him a little. Then laugh about it. I’m telling you, guys love that stuff.”
“But how?”
“Oh I don’t know, I used to make fun of Carter’s hat. It was so dirty and he like never washed it, so for like a month every time I saw him I’d grab it off his head and ask him when he planned on washing it . . .”
“No, not the teasing. I mean, uh, I can see how that worked for you and Carter, but I don’t know if teasing is really my thing. But the talking. Like he’s a best friend. How do you do that? Every time he’s around, I freeze up!”
Kiara smiles. “It’s not easy, right? Makes you feel kinda sick. But you gotta just do it, same way you just got up in front of those judges and auditioned for the play. And that took real guts, by the way. I could never do something like that.”
“Sure you could,” I say. “Look how easily you talked to Carter and made friends with everyone on that basketball team? I mean, you had them all wearing your headbands like you were BFFs in like two seconds.”
Kiara frowns. “Maybe, but I didn’t go about that in the right way, did I?”
“Maybe not. But what about Carter?”
“Yeah. We had fun hanging out, though I think that’s over. We never really hit it off. Like, once we got talking, it turned out we like very different things. Besides, there’s this eighth grader on the boy’s team, Fernando, and geez, Jasmine, I swear. He is beautiful. And hilarious. Ever since I caught a glimpse of him, Carter just can’t compare.” Kiara erupts into a fit of giggles.
“Hah. I’ll have to look for him in the halls. But back to Joseph. I still don’t have a clue of what to say!”
“All right, all right,” she says, wiping the smile off her face. “Let’s get back to business. You got an extra sheet of paper?”
I pull one out from under my sketch.
“Why don’t we write down some conversation starters? You know, different topics. That way next time you’re hanging and Joseph’s there, you won’t have to waste time thinking of what to say. You’ll already be prepared.”
“All right, makes sense. But I still don’t know what to say.”
“How about we start with his family? Does he have any brothers or sisters? How old are they? Do they get along? And then, oh what about drama? How long has he been acting? Has he ever had such a big part before?”
I shrug as Kiara keeps firing questions. “I know he has two sisters. No clue about the rest.”
Kiara grins. “Get writing,” she says.
For the next hour, Kiara shapes wire, I sketch dresses, and every few minutes we add another conversation topic to the list. It reminds me of how we were before basketball, only somehow it feels different. It’s the way Kiara talks, no longer all giggly but more sure. And then there’s the way we’re talking to each other. How I’m not as scared to chime in and say what I want to say. Somehow it’s is easier, now that I have new friends. Not that it isn’t nice to be talking again. Still conflicted, I chew on this as I sketch, thinking of how much meeting Ava and her friends has changed me. By the time I stop to take a breath, it’s already seven o’clock.
“So what do you think? Should we start again in the morning?” asks Ms. Chloe.
Kiara and I both nod.
“Great, I’ll drive you home,” Ms. Chloe says.
And as our buckles click in her tiny SUV, all I can think about is how good it feels to be back at DIY club. And how I really hope I can come through with the costumes.
Chapter Sixteen
A HAPPY SURPRISE
“How’s it going?” Kiara asks, holding up another headpiece. It’s her fourth in three hours, and this one looks even better than the last. It’s a big barrette, covered in tiny blue and white flowers, each with a rhinestone in the center. On each side are scrolls of metal, intertwined to look like vines.
When I see it, I gasp, then place it next to the last she finished—a headband covered in metal stars and feathers.
“They’re amazing,” I say.
“You started the pattern for the gown?” she asks.
I nod. “Cutting the fabric for it now.”
“I’m happy to help if you need it.”
“Thanks, but I probably just need to try it on Ava. Though, actually, you’re about the same size as her . . .” I grab my tape measure and wrap it around her waist. “Since she’s not here . . .”
“You want me to fill in?”
I nod. “Now stand still. I have some pinning to do.”
Grabbing the fabric I’ve already cut, I bypass my empty dress form and start pinning the pieces right onto Kiara’s body.
She giggles as the fabric brushes her cheeks. “Hey, that tickles!” she says.
“Shhh, I need to think,” I say.
She rolls her eyes but cooperates, standing for almost an hour as I cut, pin, glance at my sketch, then adjust again. My final design for the dress is an off-the-shoulder ball gown, with little beaded sleeves that graze the elbows. The dress is fitted to the waist before flaring out in an airy skirt. It’s beyond ambitious given my limited skills, time, and fabric, but on paper it looks so pretty. And I know if I can get it right, it’ll look amazing on Ava.
“So, are you done? Can I look?” asks Kiara as I back away from the fabric.
I nod, then walk her over to the mirror hanging on the wall.
“What do you think?”
She laughs, glancing over the yellow fabric and pins. “I think I need to see the final product.”
“Fair enough,” I say, then grab her shoulders, moving a row of pins by half an inch. “There. Now I’m gonna just sketch out some lines and then you can take it off.”
The sketching takes the rest of the morning, which Kiara—and my stomach—reminds me of once she’s finally freed.
“We need to get some lunch,” she says. “I’m starving.”
“Me too. Uh, Ms. Chloe?” I ask, yelling out to the sewing machines in the back. “Should we break for lunch?”
Before she can answer, the door buzzes.
“One second,” Ms. Chloe says. She flicks off her sewing machine and runs to the front. I turn back toward my pattern just as she opens the door.
“Surprise!” say Ava and Joseph, pizza boxes piled high.
“We’ve brought you sustenance,” Joseph says, sliding them onto the table next to me.
I shake my head in disbelief. “Seriously. This is awesome.”
“And this isn’t even all of it,” says Ava. “Court and Henry should be up in a minute. We sent them to Dolce for drinks.”
“Courtney and Henry, huh?” I say, raising my brow.
Ava winks.
I smile, wondering if Ava set up this alone-time herself, or if maybe now they’re officially a thing. Before I can ask, they’re back, carrying two trays of salted caramel steamers.
“I figured these were safe,” says Courtney. “I remember everyone saying they liked them.”
“Definitely,” I say, grabbing one. “But how did you find us? I can’t believe you’re here!”
Ava drapes her arm around my back. “Just looked it up on Google. What’d you think we were gonna do? Leave you to save the play on your own?”
I laugh. “No. Well, yeah, actually. I did.”
“We’re here, and we want to help,” says Joseph. “So put us to work.”
“All right. I think I can arrange that,” I say, turning to Kiara.
But she’s no longer by my side. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her back by the sewing machines
.
“Hey, Kiara, get over here,” I say.
She frowns, then shuffles over.
“Guys, this is Kiara,” I say.
“Hi guys,” she says, looking down. “You, uh, might remember me from the other night at the concert. I’m, um, sorry I made kind of a scene.”
For a minute, everyone is silent.
And then Joseph smiles. “Hey, no worries. You’re helping us now. And we need all the help we can get. Pizza?” He points to the box.
“Uh, yeah. Sure,” she says, grabbing a slice.
And then, awkward introductions over, we hum along to the radio as Ms. Chloe and I assign tasks to our new workers. We show them how to glue feathers and sequins to the old dresses we’re using in the ensemble, and how to hang and steam the finished products. Once they have it down, I resume work on the dress pattern, first trying it on Ava, then pinning my pieces of yellow fabric to the fancy blue fabric. It’s time to cut, the step that has me the most nervous.
Before I can start, Joseph walks over and grabs the chair next to me.
“Anything else I can help with?” he asks.
I pause for a moment to think.
“Well, I’m going to have to start sewing this soon,” I say, pointing to the dress. “But after that I’m going to need to add sequins and beads. You think you can sort these into piles by size?” I ask, pointing to a jar on my right.
“Yeah sure,” he says.
I smile, then start to cut, remembering Abuela’s words about making things bigger, not smaller. I grab my ruler and make my final cut lines two inches bigger than the pattern. This one has to fit, I think, as I start cutting.
I work in silence, trying to focus on following my guidelines, on cutting straight, on making each piece a little larger than I’ve drawn. Yet every few minutes my eyes drift up to Joseph’s. After a half hour, I realize his are doing the same. Gosh, Jasmine, you need to say something, I tell myself, but even after all of Kiara’s help, nothing comes to mind.
That’s when I feel a familiar tap on my shoulder.
“Hey guys, how’s it going? Decided I needed a break,” says Kiara, stretching her fingers.
“It’s going well,” I say. “Hoping to get the bodice sewn today while Ava’s here. If that fits, the skirt should be easier,” I say, grateful that a flowy skirt isn’t as hard to fit. “Then I can focus on the skirt and finish work this week. Joseph’s getting the beads ready for me now.”
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