by Hope McLean
Oh wow, Lili thought. They even have a designer vintage section. She smacked her palm to her forehead. Focus! You’re not here to shop.
There were a couple of other people shopping in this section. Both were women, and Ryan was nowhere in sight. Openings on the left and right of the room led to other spaces in the shop.
Lili smiled at the saleswoman as she turned to leave. “I’m just going to get my friends,” she explained. “I’ll be back.”
Lili rushed outside and explained the layout of the store. “So, it looks like there are at least three different sections,” she said. “Maybe more. I didn’t see Ryan, but he must be in there somewhere.”
Willow nodded. “Okay,” she said. “We should split up.”
Jasmine frowned. “I think we should stick together.”
Erin shot Lili a look that clearly said “here we go again” before jumping in.
“How about you and Willow stick together in the main room,” Erin suggested, “and I’ll take the room on the left, and Lili can take the room on the right?”
Willow and Jasmine both nodded. “But we’ve got to be as low-key as possible,” Willow said. “We shouldn’t draw any attention to ourselves. Keep your cell phones handy. If anyone spots either Ryan or Derrica, text the others.”
The girls agreed to the plan and headed into the store. The same saleswoman greeted them. Erin headed to the room on the left, Lili took off toward the right, and Willow and Jasmine browsed in the center room.
Lili’s eyes grew wide as she entered the section that housed the couture, one-of-a-kind gowns. This room was done in deep gold tones, with glittery accents. Mannequins that looked like marble statues dotted the room, each one wearing a dress more fabulous than the last.
She reached a hand up to gently touch the flowing teal strapless gown on the mannequin closest to her. It was gorgeous!
“Elan! I love it!” a loud voice interrupted her. She ducked behind the mannequin and peeked around. It was Derrica! She was coming out of a dressing room, wearing a strapless cream-colored gown with a silver beading swirl detail. It’s stunning, Lili thought in awe. Lili checked to see if she was wearing the emerald, but Derrica wasn’t. A slim man with dark hair and skin, wearing a vibrant plaid suit with cowboy boots, fussed over her.
“You are my muse! I think of you and the heavens open and deposit the most beautiful ideas right here.” He tapped the temple of his head with a finger. He had a slight accent, but Lili couldn’t place it.
“You’re too sweet. I’ll take it!” Derrica said. “It will be perfect for that movie premiere I’m going to next month.”
“I’ll have to make a few adjustments to get it just right,” Elan said. “While you are here, we can do a final fitting on the red gown, yes? I want it to fit you like a glove for the ball.”
“Oh, darling, I wish I could but I’ve got to run.” Derrica sighed. “I’m filming this afternoon. Supposedly Rhianna wants to apologize over lunch,” she sniffed. “As if.”
Derrica ducked back into the dressing room while Elan hovered outside. “I’ll be in touch. We’ll do it early next week,” she called to him through the door.
Lili grabbed her phone to start texting the others about Derrica being in the store.
* * *
Willow read the text. “Lili says she’ll be leaving soon. Now’s our chance to try and warn her.”
Derrica breezed so quickly out of the couture room that Lili didn’t get a chance to talk to her. But when she walked into the main room, Jasmine and Willow were waiting.
“Excuse me,” Jasmine started to say, but Willow stepped in front of her. “Ms. Girard, could I talk to you?” Willow asked.
Derrica stopped and smiled at her. “Hi!” she said. “Hey, I recognize you. You’re the girls who asked for my autograph at Emile’s Bistro. Right before Rhianna dumped a glass of water on me.” She rolled her eyes, then laughed. “She’ll do anything for camera time! Are you shopping here, too? Don’t you just love it?”
Jasmine nodded. “It’s a great store, but we wanted to talk to you about something —”
Just then, Derrica’s cell phone began to ring. “Sorry,” she said. “I’ve got to take this.”
“Hi,” she said. “Yes, I’m on my way. How could I be late? She said lunch was at two. Well, it’s not my fault if she changed it at the last minute without telling me.” She saw the girls waiting. “Hold on a sec,” she said into the phone. “So, you wanted to tell me something?”
Willow nodded. “Yes, it’s about your emerald necklace —”
“Oh, yes, it’s my favorite!” Derrica said. “And I know exactly what you’re going to say.”
Willow and Jasmine exchanged worried glances. How could Derrica know the Rivals were trying to steal her necklace?
“You want me to start my own jewelry line and make copies of it to sell!” Derrica said triumphantly. “It’s the number-one request my fans have. And I’ll let you in on a secret.” She lowered her voice. “I’m in talks with several home-shopping networks about selling my new jewelry line. You know what, you girls are so cute, write down your addresses for me and I’ll have my assistant send you each a necklace as soon as they roll off the production line.” Derrica beamed at them.
“That’s so nice,” Jasmine gushed. “But we’re worried someone is trying to steal your necklace. The real one. Now.”
Derrica laughed. “Aren’t you adorable? Don’t worry your pretty heads about that. My necklace is totally fine. In fact, it’s locked up in my hotel room safe as we speak. No one can get it!”
“But, Derrica —” Willow pleaded.
“Sorry, girls, but I’ve got to run!” she said as she sailed out the door. “I’m late!”
Jasmine whirled angrily toward Willow. “Why did you step in front of me when I was trying to talk to Derrica?”
“It was really important. I thought I should handle it,” Willow said.
“Why? Because no one else but you can do things right?” Jasmine fumed. “Well, guess what? You failed. Derrica didn’t believe us.”
“Maybe if you had let me do all the talking, I could have convinced her,” Willow said, annoyed. “But you had to butt in.”
Jasmine’s eyes flashed furiously. “Butt in? Excuse me. Nobody can get in the way of Queen Willow, right?”
“Not if you’re going to mess things up!” Willow shot back.
That was the last straw for Jasmine. She shook her head, her curls whipping around her face.
“You think you can do everything yourself? Fine!” she said angrily. “I quit!”
“What do you mean, you quit?” Willow asked in disbelief.
“Everything,” Jasmine said firmly. “Jewels. Saving the emerald. Being your friend. I’m done!”
Willow watched, stunned, as Jasmine took her phone out of her pocket and pressed a button. “Mom? Can you pick me up? I want to come home now.”
Jasmine walked out of the store to wait for her mother. Willow started to go after her, but her phone beeped. It was Erin, letting her know that Ryan was indeed in the store!
* * *
Erin had entered the room that held shoes, jewelry, and some more dresses. As soon as she walked in, she spotted Ryan standing by a long glass display case at the end of the room. Luckily his back was to her. She ducked behind a rack full of dresses to spy on him.
“How can I help you today, Ryan?” a saleswoman asked him.
“My mother’s birthday is coming up,” Ryan said smoothly. “I know this is her favorite store and I was hoping you might have some suggestions about what she would like.”
“Of course,” the saleswoman answered. “She’s lucky to have such a kind and thoughtful son.”
Erin repressed a snort. Yeah, right, he’s a regular saint, she thought.
The woman began removing some jewelry from the display case. “I know she was admiring these the last time she was in,” she said to Ryan as she held up a pair of earrings.
“I reme
mber her talking about a bracelet,” Ryan said. “Something with her birthstone?”
“Oh, yes.” The woman nodded. “The diamond bracelet. It’s set in white gold.” She removed it from the case and handed it to Ryan for his inspection.
“It’s perfect,” he said. “I’ll take it.”
The saleswoman rang up the bracelet and named a price that made Erin’s jaw drop. Ryan simply handed over a credit card.
“Would you like the bracelet gift-wrapped?” the woman asked.
As Erin intently eavesdropped, she didn’t notice the saleswoman who walked up behind her.
“Ahem!” the woman cleared her throat. Erin jumped.
“Can I help you with something?” she said curtly, taking in Erin’s jeans, untied sneakers, and hoodie. Erin instantly panicked.
“Yes! I want to try this on!” She grabbed the nearest dress.
The saleswoman looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “You want to try on a wedding dress?”
Erin took a closer look at the rack of dresses she had been hiding behind. They were all in different shades of white — and they were all wedding dresses! She tried to think fast.
“I’m playing the Snow Queen in our school play,” Erin said, saying the first thing that came into her mind.
“Our wedding dresses start at fifteen thousand dollars,” the woman said haughtily.
“You should see our plays.” Erin kept her excuse going, even though it was totally lame. She didn’t know what else to do! “They are off the charts. The costumes are amazing. We even do a red carpet before the show.”
“Mmmm-hmmmm,” the saleswoman said while twisting her mouth into a scowl. She wasn’t buying it.
Erin craned her neck around the woman to see Ryan turning to leave. She ducked farther back behind the rack of dresses and pointed at one.
“How about this one?” she whispered loudly. “How much does this cost?”
The saleswoman sighed. “That one is twenty-five thousand dollars. Times certainly have changed. When I was in school plays, my mother made my costume.”
“My mom making the costume! Gee, why didn’t I think of that?” Erin asked. “Great idea! Thanks.” She grabbed the woman’s hand and shook it as she watched Ryan leave the room. He hadn’t spotted her.
The saleswoman was looking at Erin like she had two heads. She withdrew her hand from Erin’s disdainfully.
“I guess I’ll be going now. Yep, got to get started on that angel costume, I mean Snow Queen costume,” Erin said as she backed out of the door. The saleswoman crossed her arms and watched her leave.
Erin raced out into the main room. Willow had just watched Ryan leave the store. He hadn’t spotted her, either.
“Let’s get out of here!” Erin hissed. The saleswoman followed Erin out, watching her with a frown.
Lili came out of the couture gown room with a dreamy look in her eyes.
“Wow, those dresses are amazing,” she told her friends. “Hey, where’s Jasmine?”
Willow sighed. “I’ve got something to tell you.”
“Fine,” Erin said. “But it’s time to leave. Tell us outside. I’ve shopped until she,” Erin nodded at the saleswoman, “wants to drop me!”
“It’s so weird studying for quiz bowl without Jasmine,” Lili said sadly.
“Yeah, it makes it hard to concentrate,” Erin echoed Lili’s thought. “It’s not the same.”
“Jasmine is the one who decided to quit,” Willow said defensively. “I didn’t tell her to do that. She just went crazy! You know her. She’s such a drama queen.”
“We’ve all been under a lot of stress,” Lili said soothingly. “Between school, quiz bowl, and knowing that this might be our last chance to stop the Rivals — it’s enough to make anyone lose it.”
Erin sighed as she flopped on Willow’s bed. “It still stinks! We don’t have an alternate for our team. If Jasmine doesn’t compete with us, it’s the end of the Jewels.”
“She’ll be back,” Willow said confidently. “Once she cools down.”
It was the next day and Erin and Lili were at Willow’s house, trying to get in some quiz bowl study time.
“Ahem!” Willow said loudly. “Sneakers!”
“What?” Erin looked puzzled. Then she glanced at her feet on Willow’s bed. “Oh, right, sorry,” she said, and removed them.
“Your room sure is clean.” Lili looked around admiringly. Willow’s bed was perfectly made, her desk and nightstand uncluttered. Nothing was out of place or lying on the floor. “My mother would love it if I kept my room like this. I can’t even shut my closet doors because of all the stuff I have crammed inside.”
“It’s hard for me to concentrate when things are messy,” Willow admitted.
Erin laughed. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen the floor of my room, I’ve forgotten what color the carpet is! But seriously, Willow, have you tried to talk to Jasmine?”
Willow shook her head. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t think I did anything wrong.
“You really believe it was okay to cut Jasmine off in order to talk to Derrica?” Lili asked gently. “If Jasmine had done that to you, how would you feel?”
Willow sighed. “You’re right. I think Jasmine is super-smart. I always have. I can’t explain it. I just get this feeling sometimes that I need to do things myself or else they won’t get done right.”
“Typical type-A personality.” Erin nodded knowingly. “My sister Mary Ellen is exactly like that, too.”
“Gee, thanks, I know how much you love Mary Ellen,” Willow said sarcastically.
Erin laughed. “She’s okay. She has her good points, too — and so do you and Jasmine. We need to be a team again.”
Willow nodded. “You’re right. I’ll call her after we’re done here.”
They returned to studying, taking turns asking questions from the quiz bowl study cards Ms. Keatley had given them, but the conversation drifted back to yesterday’s events.
“Do you think it was only a coincidence that Ryan and Derrica were at Elan’s Couture at the same time?” Willow wondered.
“There are no coincidences where the Rivals are concerned,” Erin said with conviction. “Trust me on that. Too bad for Ryan that Derrica wasn’t wearing the emerald.”
“Too bad for us that Derrica wouldn’t take us seriously,” Willow said.
Erin sighed. “I guess there are disadvantages to being ‘cute’ sixth graders, after all,” she said, quoting Derrica’s own words.
“It makes me more certain than ever that the Rivals are going to try and steal the emerald the night of the charity ball,” Willow said decisively. “They’ve already proven once that they know how to crack a safe. But how can we be there to stop them?”
They were all silent as they thought about it.
“Teleportation?” Erin joked, but no one laughed.
“How did Ryan know Derrica was going to be at the boutique?” Willow wondered. “Derrica didn’t mention it on Chatter until after she had left.”
“Derrica shops there a lot,” Lili reminded her. “It’s her favorite store. It probably was just a lucky guess.”
“He seemed to know the salespeople there,” Erin replied. “At least one of them knew him by name. He probably buys all his mom’s gifts there. Maybe he asked one of them to call him if Derrica came.”
Willow nodded. “Stores like that will do anything to make their customers happy. Especially if they spend a lot of money.”
Erin snorted. “No problem there. He’s got an unlimited expense account thanks to his family’s credit card. It must be nice to come from a rich family like that.”
Lili sighed. “How are we ever supposed to beat the Rivals? They’ve got help and money that we don’t.”
Willow got a determined look in her eyes. “We beat them before and we can do it again!”
“All this studying has made me hungry,” Erin said. “What do you say, time for a snack break, Willow?”
They t
rooped down to Willow’s kitchen, a cozy, country-style room with wooden floors, ceiling beams, and white cabinets. It had sliding glass doors that overlooked the backyard. Outside they could see Willow’s father tossing a football with her brothers Michael and Alex. Mrs. Albern sat at the kitchen table, feeding two-year-old Jason lunch in his high chair.
“Awwwww,” Lili cooed. She went over to the high chair and leaned over Jason to say hi.
“Watch out!” Mrs. Albern tried to warn her, but it was too late. Jason flicked his little toddler spoon at Lili, spraying her with pasta.
“Jason!” Mrs. Albern scolded. Jason looked at Lili with a grin that could melt anyone’s heart. “I sowwy,” he said with a cute lisp.
Willow ruffled his hair as Mrs. Albern explained. “He’s going through a phase right now of flinging his food at everyone. That’s why I’m feeding him while his brothers are outside. And that’s also why he’s not allowed to have red sauce with his pasta.”
Jason smiled up at his big sister. “He gets away with everything,” Willow said as she smiled back at him. “He’s just too cute.”
“I cute!” Jason said as he continued to eat.
They all laughed as Willow took some apples out of the refrigerator and Lili cleaned herself off with some paper towels. Willow started to slice the fruit. “Are apples and peanut butter okay?”
“Yum! Sounds good to me,” Erin said.
The girls took seats at the kitchen table as Willow got their snack ready.
“Have you ever been to Elan’s Couture, Mrs. Albern?” Lili asked. “We were there yesterday, and the dresses are so gorgeous!”
Mrs. Albern smiled. “Believe it or not, Elan and I go way back,” she said. “Our mothers were friends when we were growing up. I knew him before he had his fake European accent! He’s a good guy. He just puts on a show for his customers.”
Lili grew excited. “Maybe you could introduce me to him. I’d love to learn his fashion secrets.”
“The next time his mom stops by the community center, I’ll mention it to her,” Mrs. Albern said. As manager of the Hallytown Community Center, she seemed to know everybody in town. Suddenly, Mrs. Albern frowned. “All this talk of couture reminds me — I need to figure out what I’m wearing for the charity ball! I have a few dresses in mind, but I’m not sure. And time is running out.”