New York Debut (12 page)

DJ glanced over to Kriti, who was quietly sitting on what used to be her bed. Eliza had asked all the Carter House girls to participate in this evening’s makeover project. Although DJ wasn’t too sure it was a good idea. She wasn’t too sure that Daisy would appreciate being observed by them.

Eliza’s plan was to introduce Daisy to Mrs. Carter and to beg for Daisy to be included in the model training. This might be tricky since there were only two sessions left before Fashion Week.

“We’ll just have to convince your grandmother that it’s an act of mercy,” Eliza quietly told them while Daisy was using the bathroom. “We’ll tell her that Daisy is our good friend, and she really needs someone like Mrs. Carter to take her under her wing. Okay?”

They all agreed, but DJ still wasn’t so sure that Grandmother would buy this. Grandmother didn’t like it when someone else attempted to usurp her power and control. But maybe Eliza knew how to pull it off with her sugary sweet charm. Besides, this was Eliza’s plan, not DJ’s. And if the plan blew up in Eliza’s face, why should DJ care? Except that she did. Plus she felt like an accomplice now. Why couldn’t life just be simple?

Eliza sighed. “Well, I certainly have my work cut out for me.”

Casey laughed. “It might take a miracle.”

“Or magic,” said Eliza.

Casey had been hovering by the door and was suddenly reaching for the doorknob. “I’d stick around to see the fun and games, but I have homework tonight. Besides, it seems a little crowded in here.”

“Maybe I’ll go too,” said DJ.

“Not so fast, DJ,” commanded Eliza. “I might need you.”

Eliza pointed to Casey now. “Send Rhiannon in. She promised to help me.”

“Yes, your highness,” teased Casey as she closed the door behind her.

“This is going to be a major challenge.” Eliza was studying herself in the mirror now, smiling smugly as if perfectly pleased with her reflection. And why wouldn’t she be? Except that beauty was only skin deep.

“Just be nice to Daisy, okay?” DJ frowned. “Don’t hurt her feelings.”

“Well, I don’t know how I could be any nicer.” Eliza spun around. “A free makeover, fashion advice, and the chance to model in New York. How much nicer can a person get?”

“I mean, be nice as in not tearing her down,” DJ lowered her voice as she heard the toilet flush and the sink faucet running. “She already has low self-esteem. I don’t want to see her beat up.” DJ glanced over to where Kriti was quietly watching them with a fashion magazine open in her lap.

“Don’t worry about Miss Daisy. She’s in good hands now.” Eliza winked as Daisy emerged from the bathroom.

“So . . .” said Eliza as Daisy cautiously entered the room. “Let’s see, where to begin here.”

Daisy looked very uneasy now — kind of like a deer in the headlights. DJ just hoped she didn’t make a run for it.

“Well, you
are
tall,” said Eliza as she had Daisy turn around for her. “And you’re thin too.”

“So I’ve heard.” Just then Daisy tripped over the area rug by the bed. DJ caught her by the hand and helped her regain her balance.

“But you might need walking lessons,” said Eliza a bit snidely.

“I promised Daisy that you’d be
helpful
, Eliza.”

“Of course, I’ll be helpful.” Eliza smirked at DJ. “But I’ll also be honest.” Eliza was standing in front of Daisy now. Because Daisy was about three inches taller than Eliza, she had to tilt her head up to peer closely at Daisy’s face. “Can you handle honesty?”

“If it’s meant to be constructive.” Daisy frowned. “But if you’re just ripping on me, I’ll probably say adios, amiga.”

“I
want
to help you.” Eliza gave her a catty smile.

Just then someone knocked on the door. DJ opened it to let Rhiannon in. “Casey said you needed me.”

“Yes,” said Eliza. “It’s time for Project Daisy.”

“Project?” Daisy looked even more concerned now.

“Sorry,” said DJ quickly. “Eliza didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes . . . yes . . .” Eliza nodded to Rhiannon now. “Grab that pad and pencil over there, okay? You can take notes for me.”

Rhiannon got the items, then sat down on the window seat and waited. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Okay . . .” Eliza pressed her lips together and slowly walked around Daisy, looking up and down as if taking a full inventory. “Obviously, the hair is all wrong. And it’s so damaged that I think all we can do is cut it.” She turned to Kriti. “Is that the January
Vogue
? Look for the Ralph Lauren ad. You know, the girl in the peacoat standing on a dock?”

Kriti flipped through the magazine until she finally located it. “This one?”

“Yeah. See her hair?”

“Cute,” said Daisy.

Eliza ripped out the ad and shoved it at Rhiannon. “We’ll send this with her to the salon. Same cut. Same highlights. It’ll be perfect.” Next, Eliza took Daisy to the bathroom where she and Rhiannon gave her a quick facial. They brought her back into the bedroom to begin applying makeup. DJ had discovered an unsolved Sudoku puzzle in the back of a magazine and was attempting to work it, casually listening as the girls experimented with the makeup on Daisy. She really wanted to sneak out, but suspected that Eliza would get mad since this was supposed to be a “group project.”

“How’s that?” Eliza pushed Daisy in front of DJ, waiting as if for approval.

DJ blinked in surprise. “Wow, she looks really good, Eliza.

Nice job.” Okay, it wasn’t easy to admit that maybe Eliza really did know what she was doing.

“Thank you.” Eliza nodded in satisfaction.

Now Daisy peered at herself in the closet door mirror and smiled. “Hey, I do look better. Cool.”

“This is just the beginning,” said Eliza. “We’ll try to get you in for a cut tomorrow after school. Then we’ll do some quick clothes shopping — just one outfit for now. We’ll figure out the rest later. Is that okay, Daisy?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“We’ll start the complete makeover on Friday night and finish it on Saturday morning. DJ will present you to her grandmother at breakfast.”

“Me?” DJ wasn’t too sure about this.

“Yes, you. She’s your grandmother, DJ.”

“But you’re the best sweet-talker,” pointed out DJ.

“You do the introduction, and I’ll jump in and back you up,” promised Eliza. Then she turned back to Daisy. “Plan on spending the night here on Friday. Okay?”

“You’re willing to give up your Friday night for me?”

“It’s an investment in our future,” said Eliza in a business tone. “We want Fashion Week to be a success.”

“And fun,” added Kriti.

“But if Madison and Tina go, that will not be the case,” said DJ.

“So, are you in?” Eliza asked Daisy.

“I guess so.”

“It won’t be easy,” warned Eliza. “You have to be willing to work hard.”

Daisy nodded slowly. “I’m willing.”

“Meet me after school tomorrow,” commanded Eliza.

“But I have basketball practice.”

“Make an excuse,” said Eliza.

“Friday is a short practice anyway,” DJ reminded her. “You probably won’t be missed.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’ll make an excuse for you,” DJ assured her.

“Good,” said Eliza. “Now meet me by the east exit,” she told Daisy. “Do not be late. Do you understand?”

Daisy saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”

Eliza barely laughed. “You may think I’m kidding, but you have just enlisted in Eliza’s boot camp. Don’t expect this to be a walk in the park.”

As DJ drove Daisy home, she was about to apologize for Eliza when Daisy spoke up. “This is going to be so awesome, DJ.”

“Really? You’re up for it?”

“I can’t wait.”

“Wow . . . cool.”

Daisy sighed happily. “This is like a dream come true for me.”

“Seriously?” Now DJ couldn’t even wrap her head around this. Eliza’s makeover madness sounded like pure torture to her. And she should know since she’d been through pretty much the same thing herself. In fact, thanks to her grandmother, DJ felt like she was stuck in permanent makeover mode, like it would never end. But Daisy seemed to be welcoming it.

“Yes. I can’t wait to see how it turns out, DJ. I mean, I know that I’m plain and homely and gawky and — ”

“You’re not — ”

“Don’t try to be nice, DJ. I know what I look like. I have mirrors in my house. I’ve heard other girls making fun of me enough times.”

“Girls can be so brutal. And some of them put way too much importance on superficial things like appearances. Trust me, Daisy, I know. But, really, it’s what’s inside that counts, right?”

“Maybe . . . but I’ve always had this dream . . . you know, this great hope that someday . . . somehow I’d grow up to be a beautiful swan — remember that story ‘The Ugly Duckling’?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I always related to that ugly duckling. Big and clumsy, never fitting in. I’ve dreamed of waking up someday and finding I was pretty. I’ve wished and even prayed for it. But it just never seemed like anything other than a fantasy, you know?”

“Until now . . .” Of course, even as DJ said this, she wasn’t so sure that Daisy’s dream was going to come true. For all DJ knew, it could turn into a nightmare. Oh, sure, Eliza claimed to know all there was to know about fashion and beauty, but what if Daisy proved to be too much of a challenge for her? What if Eliza’s makeover didn’t work? What if Grandmother rejected Daisy? Or, even worse, what if Grandmother said something mean to her?

“Oh, man . . . if I could look even one-fourth as beautiful as Eliza . . . or you, DJ, I’d be deliriously happy.”

“I’m
not
beautiful.”

“You are too!”

“Well, you know what they say . . . beauty’s in the eye of the beholder.”

“Take it from me, you’re beautiful. All you Carter House girls are beautiful. Everyone says so. Oh, they might be jealous of you guys, but I’ve heard them talking. They know you’re all beautiful.”

“Thanks.” DJ cleared her throat. “And I’m sure you will be too . . . when Eliza’s done with you. But don’t forget, she’s only working on the surface. Like I said, you’re beautiful on the inside, Daisy, and that’s what really matters.”

“That’s easy for you to say. But I’d like to be pretty on the outside too.”

“Don’t worry.” But even as she said this, she had her doubts. More than that, DJ wondered if she was compromising her own values by participating in Eliza’s beautification project.

Since when had she cared about things like this? If she could do as she liked, she would simply go her way and let Grandmother and girls like Eliza go theirs. As it was, it seemed that not only did their paths continuously cross, they became so entangled that sometimes it was hard to tell them apart.

Daisy let out another happy sigh as DJ pulled into her driveway. “It’s just too good to be true,” she said dreamily. She opened the car door, then turned back to DJ. “I can’t believe you picked me for this, DJ. You’re such a good friend! See ya tomorrow.”

“See ya,” DJ called back. But as she drove away, she replayed Daisy’s words . . .
too good to be true
. Daisy was probably right. It
was
too good to be true. Oh, what if they were simply setting poor Daisy up to fall on her face? What if she was in for a huge disappointment? That would be too cruel. Why had DJ allowed herself to be pulled in?

As DJ drove home, she prayed for Daisy. Not that she would miraculously wake up and be beautiful by Saturday. But that she wouldn’t get hurt in the process. If worse came to worst, that DJ would be prepared to pick up the pieces. Chances are there would be pieces.

10

BY FRIDAY NIGHT, IT SEEMED
that Project Daisy, as Eliza insisted upon calling it, had become top secret. Not only that, but Eliza had taken complete control. While somewhat relieved that she wasn’t expected to help, DJ wasn’t sure if this was such a good thing. But since she didn’t hear any screaming coming from Eliza’s room — and she knew that Daisy could probably take Eliza — she wasn’t terribly worried. She
was
curious, and she was concerned that Daisy might be overly influenced by Eliza — or deeply hurt.

Kriti told DJ that Eliza had taken Daisy to her hair salon, as planned, and then sneaked her up to her room without anyone besides Kriti seeing her.

“I couldn’t even see her hair since she had a hat on.”

“But did Daisy seem okay?” asked DJ.

“I guess. Or else she was in complete shock.” Kriti put her hand over her mouth and giggled. “As you know, Eliza is a force to be reckoned with.”

“I know.” DJ frowned. “That’s what worries me.”

“But I think Daisy is all right,” Kriti reassured her.

But Eliza and Daisy didn’t come down for dinner that evening. According to Clara, they were eating their dinner in Eliza’s room. Not that it would’ve mattered if they’d joined them since Grandmother had gone out.

“Eliza is really taking this thing seriously,” said Casey as she poured dressing onto her salad. “I asked for a sneak peek, and Eliza said to forget it.”