Fashion Academy (8 page)

Mickey wanted her collection to be a huge surprise—she didn't even tell JC who would be modeling her designs and handled all the fittings herself.

“You know I'm great at keeping secrets,” he protested. “Can't you give me a little hint?”

But Mickey stood her ground. “You've been a great friend and a great help, JC,” she said. “I want this to be a surprise for you too. Besides, I need you cheering for me in the front row.”

“Fine,” JC agreed. “I can do that.”

The night before the big Runway Showdown, Mickey couldn't sleep a wink. She was too busy going over every detail of the collection in her head, from the accessories, hair, and makeup, to the music that would be playing in the background. Had she made the right choices? Was her work perfect enough? She felt like this was all a dream. Hadn't it been just a few short years ago she was designing clothes for her dolls? Now she was a
real
designer, proving to her peers and her teachers that she had what it took. It might have been a small step in her fashion career—she hoped there'd be many more runway shows to come—but it felt enormous.

Sporting new pink highlights in her hair, Mickey arrived at FAB, Mr. Kaye was waiting backstage in the auditorium. The runway was draped in a red carpet, and there were lights and speakers hung all over the room. The seats were already filling up as the crowd poured in.

“I am proud of each of you,” Mr. Kaye said. “No matter what happens today, no matter who wins, you're all winners in my eyes because you accepted the challenge and you saw it through.”

“But there can only be one
true
winner, right?” Jade asked. “I mean, the other two are losers.”

Mr. Kaye cleared his throat. “Technically, there is a first, second, and third place that will be decided by myself and the other judges.”

He looked over at Mickey, who was nervously checking her watch.

“There's only thirty minutes till the show,” he said. “Shouldn't your models be lining up backstage?”

“Or getting their hair and makeup done.” Jade pointed to Tinsley, who was frantically trying to style Mars's hair into an updo as she squirmed in her seat.

“Don't worry. I've got it covered.” Mickey smiled.

“Are you ready, Charlie?” Mr. Kaye asked, noticing him texting on his phone. “You're up first.”

“No sweat,” Charlie replied. “Like Kenzie said, I've got it covered.”

“Well then, I suppose I should go out there and introduce our panel of esteemed judges.” He peeked through the curtains. “It's a full house—standing room only.”

Mickey looked and saw JC seated right up front alongside the runway.

“Best of luck,” Mr. Kaye said, waving to them as he stepped onstage and left them to their last-minute details.

“Did he say full house?” Charlie asked, suddenly nervous. “That auditorium holds four hundred people!”

“Settle down, settle down, everyone,” he instructed, and a hush fell over the crowd. “Welcome to the midterm Runway Showdown featuring FAB's best and brightest design students. I'm sure you're all breathless with anticipation to see what they've come up with. I know our judges are.” He motioned to three individuals seated on stools at the end of the runway, facing the stage.

“No way!” Jade said, shoving Mickey and Charlie aside to get a better view of the judging panel. “Do you know who that is?” She pointed to a tall, blond woman dressed in a slinky, black dress and dark sunglasses. “That's Misty Binkley, the supermodel! My mom designed all of her wedding gowns!”

“
All
of
her wedding gowns?” Charlie asked. “How many times has she been married?”

“A couple,” Jade replied. “I lost count. But she's a fashion icon—and even more important, she loves my mom!”

Mickey rolled her eyes. The show hadn't even started, and Jade already had an advantage.

“Who's the guy with the curly hair and bow tie?” Charlie asked.

Mickey squinted. “Oh, my gosh! That's Mack Rosen!” she said. “He dresses anyone who's anyone in Hollywood. And he's a FAB alum.”

“A supermodel and a design legend? Is it getting really stuffy back here or is it me?” Charlie asked, wiping sweat off his brow.

After the crowd was done applauding Misty and Mack, Mr. Kaye held up his hands. “As we all know, the Web has become one of the best ways to chronicle the ever-changing face of fashion. This young lady is one of my favorite fashion bloggers. Please welcome Miss Brittney Zirota!”

Jade squealed. “OMG! I love her! She's the coolest!”

“They're judging us?” Charlie exclaimed. “I'm doomed. I might as well hang up my designs right now and spare myself the embarrassment!”

“I'm sure you did a great job,” Mickey tried to reassure him.

“I think there's a closet over there.” Jade chuckled. “With lots of hangers.”

But it was too late. Mr. Kaye was already announcing his collection.

“First up, please welcome eighth-grader Charlie Hirsch!”

Charlie looked pale. “I think I'm gonna be sick,” he whispered to Mickey.

“You can do it,” Mickey said, giving him a tiny push out the curtains.

Charlie shook as Mr. Kaye handed him the microphone. “Tell us about your collection, Charlie,” he said.

Charlie just stared at all the faces staring back at him. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

“What inspired you?” Mr. Kaye pressed him.

“B-b-b-basketball,” Charlie stammered, shielding his eyes from the spotlight.

Mr. Kaye waited patiently for him to elaborate. “Anything more you'd like to share with us?”

“B-b-b-basketball,” Charlie repeated.

“This is b-b-b-boring,” Jade said, yawning. “Can we get this over with so I can show my collection?”

Charlie suddenly took a whistle out of his pocket and blew it. A trio of basketball players bounded out from backstage and began to dribble balls down the runway. Each was dressed in a bold, sporty look—bright-red shorts and a matching striped athletic tank; a royal-blue tee with neon-yellow sweatpants, a purple tracksuit with the number one emblazoned in silver on the back. For the finale, the captain of FAB's basketball team ran down the runway spinning a basketball on both pointer fingers. The balls were painted gold to match his outfit: gold-striped running shorts and a sleeveless black hoodie with gold zipper pockets. Mack Rosen leaped to his feet and gave the collection a standing ovation as Charlie took a bow and raced backstage panting.

“I thought I was gonna faint right there on the runway,” he said, collapsing in a heap on the floor. “That was terrifying!”

“And pretty amazing,” Mickey said. “Do you hear those cheers? That's for you, Charlie.”

Charlie sat up and listened. “Really? They liked it?”

“They loved it,” Mr. Kaye said, finding him backstage. “What a brilliant concept: couture meets the basketball court. Mack Rosen is raving!”

Jade sniffed. “Well, he hasn't seen my collection yet.” She snapped her fingers, and Tinsley appeared at her side. “Are the models ready?” she asked.

Tinsley nodded. “Check!”

Before Mr. Kaye could even go back out to introduce her, Jade grabbed the microphone and strutted down the runway.

“Hello, everyone! I'm Jade Lee, and my collection is all about style in sync! I would also like to point out that although I love haute couture, I understand the needs of tweens to look fashionable on a budget. So no outfit in my collection would retail for more than twenty-five dollars.”

Mickey frowned. “What does she know about shopping on a budget?” she said, bristling. “She has her own gold card!”

“It's a smart strategy.” Charlie sighed. “Mr. Kaye will love it and so will the audience.” The crowd was already oohing and aahing in anticipation.

Jade was eating it up. “Without further ado, I give you #twinning by Jade Lee House of Style!”

“She has a house of style?” Charlie asked. “Since when?”

The lights dimmed, and the music began to pulse. First out on the runway were South and Jake in coordinating red outfits. South's had a red chiffon high-low skirt and a fitted white tank topped with a crochet lace vest. Jake wore a red satin blazer over a white tee and jeans.

Next on the runway were Mars and Gabriel in matching black pleather moto jackets. Hers was paired with a red satin romper, while his was worn over a black tee and black jeans with red satin cuffs.

For the finale, Jade appeared onstage pushing a full-length mirror on wheels beside her.

“Oh no,” Mickey said. “One Jade was bad enough. Now there's two of her!”

“She did another look? Five?” Charlie gasped. “I could barely finish my four!”

Jade twirled around in a red satin trench coat. She blew kisses to her image in the mirror, then opened the coat to reveal a black satin minidress covered in red sequin hearts and “XOs.” The crowd went wild.

“What do you call that look? I love me? I really, really love me?” Charlie said, groaning.

“Stunning!” Misty cheered. “I must have that dress!”

Mickey felt a tap on her shoulder backstage. It was Bogart, and he had her secret weapon unloaded from the trunk of the limo with him.

“You ready?” he asked her. “Everything's all set up.”

Mickey took a deep breath. “Ready as I'll ever be.”

Mr. Kaye glanced back to make sure she was ready. When Mickey nodded, he announced into the microphone, “Ladies and gentleman, I would like to present our sixth-grade finalist Miss Kenzie Wills!”

JC whistled through his teeth. “Go, Mickey!” he shouted as she stepped onto the runway to introduce her capsule collection.

“When I think about fashion, I think about something that makes a statement,” Mickey explained, stepping up to the microphone. “Something that tells people who you are, where you come from, and where you're going. The inspiration for my collection is ‘Out of the Box' because that's how I design. I don't think you should ever let anything or anyone hold you back. In fact, I've decided to call my fashion label ‘ME by Kenzie Wills,' not just because those are the initials of my name, Mackenzie Elizabeth, but because it represents who I really am. Hope you like it!”

The lights dimmed, and Bogart rolled a large, white, wooden box on the stage. Mickey stepped forward and opened the door of the box, just as the music began booming over the speakers. Out stepped her mom wearing a kimono-style dress made of the scribble print fabric Mickey had created. As she reached the end of the runway, a blue spotlight hit the fabric, and the print glowed in the dark.

“Whoa!” JC exclaimed. “Didn't see that coming!”

The next time Mickey opened the door to the box, it was Annabelle's turn to strut out onstage. She was wearing a dance costume Mickey had designed for her: a one-shouldered crop top and bootie shorts with long floor-length fringe attached at the waist. Annabelle pirouetted around the stage, and the fringe danced around her.

Next up out of the box was Aunt Olive! Her look was a stylish suit jacket with pointy padded shoulders and a nipped-in waist over a short pencil skirt. Both were made from the scribble print, and to go with it, Mickey had designed her a bright-yellow feather fascinator hat. She had never seen her aunt smile so much. At the end of the runway, she even struck a pose and winked at the judges!

All of a sudden, the music stopped abruptly and the auditorium went dark.

Mr. Kaye tried to calm the audience. “Everyone please stay in your seats. There must be a power surge.”

But it was all part of Mickey's plan. In a few minutes—just long enough for her to get changed and duck inside the white box—Bogart flipped the lights and music back on. She kicked the door of the box open and twirled out on the stage in a pale-blue strapless ball gown and Dr. Martens. Her hair was streaked with rainbow-colored chalk highlights, and when she spun around, a cloud of rainbow tulle peeked out from under her skirt. Beside her, prancing on a Swarovski-crystal-studded leash, was Madonna the Chihuahua, dressed in a tiara and one of JC's canine couture designs. JC was so surprised he almost fell off his seat. Everyone in the auditorium applauded wildly.

“Brava! Brava!” Mr. Kaye congratulated Mickey as she took her bows. “I knew you could do it. Where did you get the idea for this avant-garde ball gown?”

“Well, I always did love giving princess dolls a makeover,” she admitted. “This was my spin on Cinderella.”

She noticed that Brittney Zirota was frantically taking notes and snapping pics on her phone. She hoped that was a good thing!

When she got backstage, Jade was standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

“That was
interesting
,” Jade told her. “Certainly not my taste. But interesting.”

“It was awesome!” Charlie said, hugging Mickey. “Especially the blackout fake-out part!”

Mickey smiled. She'd done her very best, and now all that was left to do was wait for the judges to deliberate.

• • •

When Mr. Kaye returned to the stage fifteen minutes later, he had an envelope in his hand. “May I have all three of our finalists onstage,” he asked. “I have the judges' decision.”

Mickey, Jade, and Charlie all took their places beside their teacher. Mickey held her breath as he opened the envelope and pulled out the results.

“In third place, Charlie Hirsch!” he read, patting Charlie on the back. “I do believe Mack Rosen wants to discuss you interning with him over the holiday break,” he whispered in his ear. “Good job!”

Mickey's heart was pounding. That meant either she or Jade was the winner.

“In second place—” Mr. Kaye read—“congratulations, Kenzie Wills!”

Mickey's heart sank, and her teacher saw the disappointment in her eyes. “There's always next time,” he whispered in her ear.

“And I am proud to present the winner of the FAB fall semester Runway Showdown, Jade Lee!” Jade practically grabbed the gold trophy out of his hands.

“I did it! I won!” she yelled to the crowd. “Yay, me!”

Mr. Kaye found Mickey backstage where her friends and family were consoling her. “I couldn't be prouder of you,” he said.

“We're so proud of you too,” her mom added. Annabelle and Olive nodded in agreement. “Everything you designed was beautiful.”

“Thanks.” Mickey tried her best to be a good sport, but it hurt to see Jade onstage waving the cup over her head and blowing kisses to the judges. It didn't seem fair, not when she had poured her heart and soul into her collection!

“Don't worry, Mickey,” Annabelle said. “Those judges have no taste in fashion!”

“I'm wearing my suit to work on Monday.” Olive tried to cheer her up. “Even the hat! I'm a changed woman.”

“Thanks,” Mickey said. “I know you can't win 'em all, but it would have been nice….”

“Well, maybe this will cheer you up,” said a voice behind her. It was Brittany Sirota, and she had made her way backstage to congratulate the finalists.

“I loved your collection, and I want to feature it and you on my fashion blog,” she said. “Would that be cool with you?”

Mickey's eyes lit up. “Cool? It would be the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me!”

“I think you're a fashion force to be reckoned with, Kenzie Wills,” Brittany added.

“That's my brand name,” she corrected her. “Maybe you could just call me Mickey?”

Brittany smiled. “Sure. If you call me Clementine. I was named after my great-granny. Brittany's really my middle name.”

Mickey giggled. “Okay, Clementine, it's a deal!”