by Hope McLean
Willow looked at her mother in surprise as she placed the plate of apple slices and a bowl of peanut butter on the table. “You’re going to the charity ball? How come you didn’t tell me?”
Mrs. Albern smiled. “It slipped my mind. I’ve been so busy with work and the boys, I really haven’t had time to think about it.”
“Did you know that real-life celebrities like Derrica Girard will be there?” Lili asked. “It’s going to be a huge event.”
“Yeah, how did you get invited?” Erin asked. Everyone stopped munching and looked at her. “Uh, I didn’t mean you’re not important enough, Mrs. Albern. You know I think you’re the greatest!”
Mrs. Albern laughed. “That’s okay, Erin. No offense taken. I was invited because of the work I do at the community center, mostly for the volunteer programs I help organize. To tell you the truth, I’m not super-excited about going. It’s a lot of work to get all dressed up. It’s easy for your dad. He just has to rent a tux.”
“You are so lucky!” Lili said. “If I could, I would go in your place.”
“Me, too!” Erin nodded.
Mrs. Albern’s face brightened. “I have an idea. The community center was asked to provide volunteers for the coat check at the event. I know it’s not the same as being a guest, but you’ll get to see everyone who comes in and check out what they’re wearing. Even the celebrities like me.” She chuckled.
Willow exchanged glances with Lili and Erin. They couldn’t believe how lucky they were!
“Wow! Really?” Lili asked. “That would be awesome.”
“Count me in!” Erin said.
Willow agreed, “And me!”
“Then it’s settled,” Mrs. Albern said. “I’ll talk to your parents about it, girls. Do you think Jasmine would be interested in going, too? I know she couldn’t make practice today, but I could ask her mother.”
“I’ll ask her and let you know,” Willow said quickly. She hadn’t told her mother about the fight with Jasmine.
Mrs. Albern nodded. “Let me know. Mr. Albern and I can take you with us. Although I wish it was settled about what I’m going to wear.”
Lili stood up and gave Mrs. Albern a big hug. “Thanks so much! And don’t worry about what you’re going to wear. I’ll totally help you. It’s, like, my favorite thing to do.”
Mrs. Albern returned Lili’s hug. “Thanks! Why not? Just don’t dress me like a teenybopper, okay?”
“Of course not!” Lili said. “I’m thinking dramatic elegance.”
Mrs. Albern laughed. “Elegance is okay, but I’m not sure about the dramatic part.”
“Can I look through your closet?” Lili asked eagerly.
“When I put Jason down for his nap, we can look together.” Mrs. Albern sounded amused.
The girls finished their snack and raced up the stairs. They couldn’t wait to talk in private about their lucky break. They rushed into Willow’s room and she shut the door behind them.
“At least we’ll be on the scene,” Willow said with a smile on her face. “If the Rivals try to steal the emerald from Derrica’s hotel room during the charity ball, we’ll be nearby.” But her smile slowly turned to a frown. “I wish Jasmine was here for this news. She’d be so excited.”
“Call her already!” Erin yelled.
Willow picked up her phone and hit the button for Jasmine’s number, but she didn’t pick up. Willow left a message instead. “Hi, Jasmine. I’m really sorry about what happened yesterday. We need to talk. And I’ve got some exciting news. We’ll be working the coat check for the charity ball. I hope you’ll join us. We don’t feel like a team without you. Call me back, okay? Bye.”
“Awwwww,” Lili said.
“I hope she comes back,” Erin said. “This could be our last chance to stop the Rivals. They think they are so smart, but they are no match for us. No match for ALL of us, that is. We need to be a complete team again to win.”
The girls exchanged nervous glances. Would they be able to defeat the Rivals without Jasmine?
The school week leading up to the ball was a busy time, filled with tests and quiz bowl practices. But Jasmine didn’t return Willow’s phone calls or texts, and she spoke only briefly with Erin and Lili during lunch. It was clear she was still hurting.
Even Ms. Keatley tried talking with her.
“It seems Jasmine is still very upset,” she reported to Erin, Lili, and Willow afterward. “I’m afraid we’ll have to find a new Jewels member, or we’re going to have to forfeit our next match.”
“No!” Willow said quickly. “We’ll convince her to come back, Ms. Keatley. We promise.”
Erin looked skeptical. “And if we can’t, we’ll forfeit. It’s just not the Jewels without Jasmine.”
While they waited for Jasmine to change her mind, the Jewels had no choice but to carry on their plans without her. They kept tabs on Derrica as best as they could and Eli texted during the week to let them know Ryan’s movements, which were pretty boring and normal. It made the girls believe more than ever they were right about the Rivals planning to steal the emerald the night of the charity ball. But would they be able to put a stop to whatever the Rivals had planned?
“We’ll just have to be ready for anything,” Willow said to Erin as they sat in Willow’s living room the night of the ball, waiting. They wore white button-down shirts and black pants for their coat-check uniforms. Lili was upstairs, helping Mrs. Albern get ready.
Willow looked uncharacteristically stressed. Erin decided to make a joke to break the tension. She leapt to her feet and pretended to interview herself, holding up a hand to her mouth like it was a microphone.
“I’m here with Erin Fischer, live from the red carpet. Tell me, Erin, who are you wearing tonight? You look fabulous,” she said in a fake newscaster voice.
She stepped to the side and beamed like a movie star. “Why, thank you. This shirt is an exclusive, one-of-a-kind hand-me-down from Mary Ellen Fischer. You can hardly see the mustard stain on the sleeve.” She held up her sleeve with a flourish. “And the pants are from my marching band uniform. Note the stylish, shiny, light black stripes down the side.” She pointed to the side of her leg.
It worked. Willow cracked up, holding on to her sides while she rolled around on the couch with laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Mrs. Albern asked as she walked into the room, Lili at her side.
Willow sat up straight. “Wow, Mom, you look gorgeous!”
Mrs. Albern was wearing a black, sleeveless, knee-length lace dress with a V-neck. Her hair was styled into soft, cascading curls around her face.
Lili glowed. “Don’t you love this dress? It looks just like a Dolce and Gabbana frock from their spring collection. I almost fainted when I saw this in her closet!”
Mrs. Albern laughed. “Trust me, it’s not an actual designer dress, but I do like it, especially with Lili’s styling.”
She wore peep-toe high heels with bow accents and held a black beaded clutch. Around her wrist dangled a sapphire and rhinestone bracelet, which matched the earrings and necklace she wore, giving a pop of color to the outfit.
“Don’t forget your wrap!” Lili said, handing over the evening scarf she was holding. It was sapphire blue with sequins scattered across it. Mrs. Albern put it over her shoulders and the look was complete.
“Lili, you should do this for a living!” Erin exclaimed.
Lili blushed. “Thanks. It’s just fun for me,” she said modestly. She, too, wore a white button-down shirt and black pants, although Lili added a splash of color with some funky pink and teal extensions woven into her black hair.
They piled into Mr. Albern’s SUV while Willow’s brothers waved from the front door with their aunt Denise, who was babysitting them for the night. Mr. Albern looked stylish in his black tuxedo. “We are one snazzy couple,” he said to his wife as he held open the car door for her.
The Hotel River Park was located a block up from Tinker Street, also in the historic part of town. The
entire street was lit with white lights in the trees, making it look very picturesque. Mr. Albern pulled ahead of the news vans that were parked in front of the hotel to the valets waiting there to park cars for guests. The girls spilled out of the SUV, their eyes taking in everything. The hotel, about six stories tall, had impressive floor-to-ceiling windows on the first floor. They sparkled and glittered from all the lights inside, illuminating the red carpet leading into the hotel. They were the first to arrive, so the girls would be early for their coat-check duties. Photographers were gathered around the red carpet, waiting. Lili imagined what it would look like when the guests began to arrive, walking down the carpet as the photographers’ flashes went off. They were really a part of this magical night!
“Okay, girls,” Mrs. Albern said. “The coat check is in the lobby — all the guests will pass in front of it to get to the ballroom.” She had gone over their duties with them earlier in the day.
The Jewels hurried inside and set up in the coat-check stand. The wide, double doors had a cutout from which the girls could talk to guests and take their coats. The large closet was filled with bars holding empty hangers. There was room for hundreds of coats. Once inside, Willow took out the box of numbered tags.
“Remember,” she told the other girls. “There are two of each number. The guest gets one number to keep, and the other will get hung on the hanger with the coat.”
Erin stood by the door, gazing out into the hotel lobby. “We’ve got a perfect view from here,” she said. “We can see the front door, the elevators, the red carpet leading to the ballroom, and the door leading to the hotel’s stairs. If the Rivals show up tonight, we’ll spot them!”
A steady stream of guests began to arrive a few minutes later, and the girls became busy taking coats. Each gown was more opulent than the last, as all the socialites in town had been invited. The next stop after the coat check was the step and repeat — a place where all the guests were photographed before heading into the ballroom. The girls watched the guests pose amid the flash of camera bulbs.
“Wow! I feel like I’m at the Academy Awards,” Lili said dreamily as she watched.
Willow was checking in a coat when she spotted Derrica coming out of the elevator and heading toward the side door. She nudged Lili and pointed at her. “Where’s she going?” she asked.
Lili smiled. “She’s staying in the hotel, right? I bet she’s going to make her grand entrance on the red carpet. She wouldn’t miss that!”
Lili was right. After a few moments they heard the reporters calling her name. “Derrica, this way! Derrica, who are you wearing tonight?”
The doorman held open the door and in walked Derrica, radiant in a red, floor-length tiered gown. She wore a ruby and diamond necklace with a diamond ribbon pin fastened at her waist. Since she didn’t have a coat, she walked right past the coat check to the step and repeat. A cameraman dressed in a tux filmed her. As she posed, everyone stopped and stared. When she was finished, two women walked over to her. Derrica greeted them both with big air kisses. “Darlings!” she cried. “It’s been forever.” Then she disappeared with them into the ballroom.
“Derrica really knows how to make an entrance, doesn’t she?” Erin remarked. “But what about the Rivals? There’s still no sign of them.”
Lili held up her phone. “That’s going to change. Eli just texted me. Ryan is approaching the hotel!”
The girls all stiffened. Willow’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll be ready.”
They stayed on alert as they continued to check in coats, keeping their eyes glued on the lobby the entire time, wondering how Ryan would try to sneak in.
But Ryan didn’t sneak in. Instead, he came strolling in the front door like he owned the hotel, wearing a tux. He was accompanied by a large group of people. The girls recognized his uncle, Arthur Atkinson. The others looked like they must be his parents and other family members. Everyone was dressed up and all the women were dripping with jewels.
“Drat!” Erin fumed. “We should have figured that he would have scored an invite.”
Ryan sauntered up to the girls, his black wool coat over his arm. He gave Willow that infuriating, smug smile of his as he gave her his coat. If he was surprised to see them there, he didn’t let on.
“Here you go,” he said as he handed her a five-dollar bill. Willow felt her blood boil. She handed the money back to him.
“We’re volunteering, but thank you anyway,” she said stiffly.
He shrugged as he pocketed the money before walking off.
“Ugh!” Erin groaned. “He is king of the creeps!”
Willow nodded. She took a deep breath to calm down. “Yes, but he’s probably trying to get under our skin to distract us. Don’t let it work.”
Erin frowned. “The Rivals always work together. If Ryan is here, I’m sure the others can’t be too far away.”
“Um, guys?” Lili interrupted. “They’re not.” She pointed to the door leading to the stairs.
Two figures, dressed all in black, stood in front of the door to the hotel’s staircase. They wore black sunglasses and black berets pulled low over their foreheads, clearly as a disguise. The getups may have made them hard to recognize in footage from a security camera, but the Jewels would have recognized them anywhere — it was Aaron and Isabel! Aaron pulled open the door, and they both disappeared into the staircase.
“They are headed upstairs. That’s where Derrica’s room is! They must be going to steal the emerald,” Lili cried. “We’ve got to stop them!”
While Willow, Erin, and Lili had been getting ready for the ball, Jasmine had been sitting at home, lost in thought.
“Are you sure you’re not going to help out at the charity ball tonight?” Jasmine’s mother asked her. Mrs. Albern had called her to let her know the plans.
Jasmine sighed. “I don’t think so, Mom,” she said.
Mrs. Johnson gave her a hug. “Friends fight sometimes, sweetie. It will be okay, you’ll see.”
Her mom stood up. “See if you can get around to folding your laundry today, Jasmine, okay?”
“Sure, Mom,” Jasmine said gloomily.
It had been a terrible week for Jasmine. She was so angry she didn’t want to talk to Willow, even after Willow had apologized to her. But as the days dragged on, she missed her friends. She missed studying for quiz bowl. She missed being in on the plans to stop the Rivals. She missed everything!
With a sigh, she started to fold the pile of clothes on her bed. The first thing she picked up was a red T-shirt. Jasmine turned it inside out and read the words “Jewels Rule!”
Jasmine felt tears start to form. She wanted to wear that shirt again. To be a part of the Jewels. To be with her friends. Right now, they were probably at the hotel, guarding Derrica’s room….
Derrica’s room. There were a lot of rooms in that hotel, Jasmine knew. Which one was Derrica’s? Had the Jewels thought to find out? And how would you learn something like that, anyway?
That settled it. She had to help them — or the Rivals would surely get the emerald.
She took a deep breath and walked to her bedroom door.
“Mom, I changed my mind!” she called down.
* * *
Back at the hotel, the rest of the Jewels were ready to go after Isabel and Aaron. “We have to beat them to Derrica’s room!” Willow said. She slipped out of the coat closet. “Who’s coming with me?”
“I’ll go,” Erin volunteered. “But Lili should stay here. We can’t all leave the coat check.”
They quickly agreed to the plan and Lili held up her phone. “I’ll keep my phone handy. Text me if you need backup.”
“Okay, and if you spot Aaron and Isabel before we get back, text us and let us know,” Willow said.
Willow and Erin took off running through the lobby when Willow stopped suddenly.
“Wait a second,” she said. “We don’t know which room is Derrica’s!”
Erin groaned as she slapped her hand to her fore
head. “We were so worried about everything else that we forgot the most important detail.”
“Okay, let’s not panic.” Willow tried to stay calm. “We made a mistake, but now we’ve got to figure out which room Derrica is staying in as quickly as possible.”
As Willow and Erin were trying to decide what to do next, Lili waited nervously at the coat check. Lili’s eyes grew wide as she watched Rhianna of East Coast Class walk through the door. A cameraman was following her, too, filming her every move.
As if there wasn’t enough drama, here comes more, Lili thought.
Rhianna sashayed over to the coat check and removed her full-length coat. Lili gasped when she saw what Rhianna was wearing — the same strapless, cream-colored gown that Derrica had bought from Elan last week! There’s going to be trouble, Lili thought.
“Here you go, darling,” Rhianna said as she handed her coat to Lili.
“I love your dress,” Lili told her. “It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Rhianna said with a smile. “I had it made especially for me.”
Lili handed her the coat-check ticket and watched Rhianna head to the step and repeat. She posed like a pro, laughing and joking with the photographers.
At that exact moment, Derrica emerged from the ballroom. A shocked look spread across her face as she noticed Rhianna wearing her supposedly one-of-a-kind dress.
“You!” Derrica gasped as she rushed over to Rhianna. “Where did you get that dress?”
“Oh, this?” Rhianna asked innocently. “It was made for me by a dear friend, Elan. Perhaps you know him?”
Derrica stomped her foot. “Of course I know him. Don’t play dumb with me, Rhianna. You know Elan designs all of my gowns. And he designed the one you’re wearing for ME!”
Rhianna smiled. “You must be mistaken, my dear.”