Clothes Make the Crush
"I think that's a great idea, Quinn." I granted. "Having the football players model the latest in mesh practice jerseys at the next pep fest will only increase our popularity over the cheerleaders. Make it so."
Before Quinn had a chance to react I turned to Stacy. "And Stacy, those love-in-Tokyo hair beads are a definite trend-setter must-have. I would love to have a pair in blue and white to try tomorrow."
Now Quinn and Stacy were looking at me in confusion. Even Tiffany's face was slowly adopting a befuddled look. I had only her left to add to their bewilderment.
"Tiffany, those low-heels are so slenderizing. That was such a good choice."
Tiffany smiled slowly and nodded, happy that someone had confirmed her waspy figure.
"Thaaannks, Sandi."
"I'll get a few samples from Cashman's sporting boutique to the football team." Quinn smiled. She was probably secretly plotting my overthrow as Fashion Club president but I could afford to give her this small sop.
"Thanks, Sandi. I'll run to the store right after school to pick you up a pair." Stacy said with her usual timid squeak. She was probably waiting for me to bring her down a peg or two but that could wait for tomorrow or the day after.
"Let's all have veggies sticks with creamy low-fat dressing at my place tonight, girls." I offered.
They all accepted gladly. The unwitting trio moved off, smiling sincerely and a bit uneasily, at least I was happy to think I had achieved my desired effect.
My reading about Oriental potentates and despots was apparently paying off. Compliment your minions one day and invite them to lavish parties then threaten and berate them the next. Repeat as needed at random intervals.
Still the experiment was in its early stage. I would read and study more, using my knowledge to keep my place on top of Lawndale's heap.
"Good training for college and the real world, Mother".
I walked to the last class of the day and the only one I did not have with any other member of the Fashion Club. The feeling under my skirt made me walk taller and with greater purpose and I was happy to note that my stride seemed to be especially cowing to the unpopular people who were slowly scrambling to get out of my way.
Who would have thought that a simple pair of underwear would have such an effect on a girl's mood? These panties felt so good to walk or sit in, not in a sexual way although I had to admit there was an undertone of that, but sensuous and well, happy.
"For fifteen dollars a pair they should be as advertised: The best panties in the world."
Expensive, yes, but I was certainly worth it. And I delighted in having a bit of secret apparel which I did not have to share with anyone. One pair for each day of the week and supposedly following a scientific color code. Each was labeled in Italian on the inside; il lunedi I wore today for Monday and the color chosen was a bright orange. Meant to inspire confidence as if I needed that. Still every little bit certainly helps.
I deemed the color coding and the Italian a bit of ''gilding the lily''-one of the few worthwhile things I had learned from that feeb O'Neill. My mouth tightened as I thought of how Father would have phrased it: "polishing the turd" in the crude way he had started speaking in recently. "Toughen up the boys. Get 'em used to the real world." was his excuse although I thought he only wanted to make Mother angry.
I rounded the final corner to my class and came upon Quinn's sister, yes, sister. I squelched the slight feeling of embarrassment as I recalled that I had seemed to be the last person in the school to know that Daria was not her cousin. Who cared about such trivialities anyway? Daria and her art friend Jane gave me a bored glance as they closed their lockers.
The floors had been filthy since Ms. Li started cheaply paying ninth graders to clean instead of a full complement of trained janitors. That must have been why Daria took a long stride forward then slipped, ass over teakettle as Father would undoubtedly have put it, and did a commendable shoulder roll before ending up sprawled on the floor.
And I ended up with a long look up her ugly black pleated skirt to a bright orange pair of underwear at the top of her trim legs. I stopped cold in my tracks and goggled at her.
"Can't a girl practice for her Hollywood stunt-girl auditions without everyone looking?" Daria said or something equally stupid. After checking that she was all right Jane laughed and said something else equally inane as she helped Daria up and brushed her off. They loafed away.
I had a retort but bit it off as I glanced around. Luckily no one else was in the halls to see her fall or me gawk at her.
"It can't be. She can't have my underwear, my brand, it's mine. That exclusive catalogue assured me it was exclusively sent to me and only me."
I replayed the scene in my mind. No, it had to be true. There was no mistaking that bright orange, obviously high-quality fabric spread across that little rear.
"Get a grip, Griffin. It's not like either of us will go around sharing what we wear down there. And gym's over for the year, thank you God. Well, who knows what she shows or does with Jane but that one's not going to tell anyone either."
SG SG SG SG SG
"Thank you, Stacy. I can tell these are the finest quality of hair beads." Stacy beamed as I magnanimously accepted her offering of a pair of love-in-Tokyo beads which looked to be made of a good quality jade; I would perform a more in-depth assessment when everyone had left. "Perhaps later you can help me select the best dresses to wear with these?"
Quinn and even Tiffany were staring at me as I gave Stacy one or two additional trifles of praise. Then the tray of low-sodium, low-fat crackers which I set down in the center of the table distracted them even as it showed my generosity.
"Stacy, could you tell us what the first order of business is for this meeting?" I asked.
Buoyed by my unaccustomed compliments, Stacy spoke in a brighter than usual voice.
"Thanks, Sandi. We tabled review of the main features of Waif's latest issue from last meeting."
"With the end of school nearing," I started. "I thought the most important issue in Waif concerned tips on exhibiting our legs in the best manner possible in summer shorts and dresses."
The three parroted their agreement as I opened my copy on the table and turned to the article. Turned to the article and stopped dumbfounded starting at the first illustration.
The magazine showed a pair of girls standing side by side in front of some sort of height scale, I think it was supposed to be like a police lineup but the girls were smiling at each other. One girl was my height, exactly five-foot-seven. The other.
"She's Daria's height." I realized I had unconsciously been gauging Quinn's sister's height ever since they came to Lawndale High. "Five-foot-two. And Daria's much more beautiful."
"Sandi? Sandi? Are you okay?"
I realized Quinn and Stacy were talking to me. Tiffany had found something shiny to check her reflection but came around to gawking at me too. I closed my mouth.
"Gee, Stacy, Kah-winn. Can't a person collect her thoughts before she makes an important pronouncement? Perhaps one of you would like to review articles and make notes next time?"
I had not planned to start on the powerful, critical despot mode just yet but the illustration had distracted me to my default. I let Quinn and Stacy comment further on the article while I replayed Daria's slip and fall in my mind's eye. The shorter girl was wearing short shorts as recommended to show off her trim, proportionate legs.
"And Daria's legs are more proportionate and trimmer and sleeker and…and I want to see all of them. I wish she would take off those high boots and even just wear some flats in that ugly, teasing, ugly black skirt of hers." I shook my head, drawing glances of confusion from all three. Somehow I made it through the rest of the meeting and bid farewell to the Fashion Club.
I have always prided myself on my ability to face reality however odd or surprising it might be. I went to my room and securely locked the door. I stood in front of my mirror, looked myself in the eye and announced quietly.
"Alexandra Tamara Griffin, you are a lesbian." Now the disturbing pronouncement. "And you have a crush on Quinn's sister."
"Crush? No, you are smitten. As smitten as you wish every boy—no every girl—were of you."
"Sandi." Mother knocked on my door. "Sam and Chris are playing soccer with a package which came for you. You should know to look for deliveries and take care of your things."
It was with almost blessedly distracting umbrage that I stormed downstairs to find my brat brothers kicking a soft-sided package around in the hall. Fortunately the container was a tough plastic which the finer mail-order shops used to send their goods.
"Stop it, you little twerps. Give me that."
"Sure, Sandi. Think fast!" Chris lined up his kick and booted it to me. He and Sam looked disappointed when I caught it without flinching, turned on my heels and went back to my room.
Safely behind my locked door I inspected the package. It was from the color-coded, Italian-phrased, day-of-the-week underwear line. But I had not ordered anything more from them. Curious, I opened it carefully and found another plastic wrap with a week's worth of panties. And a packing slip addressed to Daria Morgendorffer.
"Exclusive for me only? The company shall hear from me. But…I need to get these to her. I know how good they feel and then there's the whole smitten with her involvement."
I could not let Daria or any Morgendorffer have any idea these had come to me. But I wanted to let her know someone cared enough about her to pass them on. I bit my lip in thought. My eyes fell on the newspaper.
A quarter-hour's work with scissors and glue and careful choice of fonts and point sizes and I had a serviceably anonymous note: "Dear Daria Morgendorffer, These came to my house by accident. You have good taste; this is exquisite fabric. Enjoy. Your Secret Admirer."
I sealed the unlabeled inside pack in a large bubble-wrap envelope and put it, the packing slip and my note into a non-descript gift bag and headed out the door. I barely listened to Mother's inquiry about my destination and her instructions to buy low-fat yogurt.
My heart beating quickly, I parked the car two blocks from Quinn's house, concealed myself with a scarf and walked rapidly to their front door. It was dark and no one was about. I left the package on their front step and ran after ringing the doorbell.
"I must admit this is exciting." I thought as I drove home to tell Fluffy my new secrets.
The next day I was on pins and needles as I walked to school. Then disappointed as I found out that it was senior skip day-another event no one felt the need to tell me-Daria and the rest of the seniors did not show up, not that Daria and Jane needed an extra reason to skip school.
"Is she trying to do that whole anti-fashion as fashion thing? That's so hard to pull off. But still that skirt is timeless in a weird way."
"I wonder if she has more than one pair of those boots."
"I must go through my lip gloss and find the right shade for her. Then to Cashman's to buy several fresh tubes."
I amused myself with these and other pleasant thoughts until near end of school.
"Those panties come only in a week's worth at a time. Why does she need more than one set? Did she buy a gift for...Jane?"
My heart froze.
That night Fluffy once again heard my secrets, consoling me as only a cat can.
The next day I managed to avoid Daria until the last period when I had to walk by her locker to my class. Daria stood in my way.
"Er, hum, hrm, uhm."
"More eloquent words were never spoken in Lawndale High. You. Me. In the girls' can now." She commanded and led the way not looking to see if I were following. Jane gave one of those tiny lop-sided smiles that they must practice on each other and slipped away.
The restroom was deserted fortunately although I don't think Daria would have cared. She turned and stood between me and the door. She rubbed the back of her head.
"Thanks for returning my unmentionables to me. Sorry for the trouble."
"Unmentionables? She's so cute."
"Er, how did you know?"
"When I didn't get the package on time I called the company to track it, of course. Some inexperienced or bored phone slave told me they were sent to you."
"So why do you need two week's worth?"
"Eek, I just let on that I knew she had another set. Did she catch it?"
Of course, she caught everything.
"How do you know I have another set?"
"I SAW LONDON, I SAW FRANCE, I SAW DARIA'S UNDERPANTS. And I have the same set!"
"EEEAP." We both shrieked. I cursed Quinn for that noise I'd picked up from her and Father for that crude ditty he taught Sam and Chris.
"Ah, yes, my fall." She blushed redder than Friday's pair. "I got a second week's worth as a gift for Quinn. After all, as you apparently know, they feel so good."
Then needing to explain or excuse herself. "Quinn and I are frei...frein...friends. Sort of."
Daria looked at me cannily.
She said, "il mercoledi."
"Green." I unhesitatingly responded.
Then she stepped closer, very close to me.
THE END
