Tang Ri Shan
Are You Game?
Chapter 12
"It's-It's beautiful!" Judy gasped as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. The sky-blue empire-style dress she was wearing seemed to gleam under the lights of the shop.
"Yes" The shopkeeper agreed as he straightened the hem slightly as Judy twisted and turned in the mirror, trying to see how well it looked in the back. "I think this is the perfect color for you." Judy nodded, she was so in awe she could barely speak.
I can't wait for my friends to see me like this! Judy thought to herself, almost giddy with happiness as she slipped behind a curtain to change back into regular clothes. She changed slowly, being extra careful when handling the dress. She didn't want to rip it, though she was sure the shopkeeper would easily be able to fix it if she did. She just didn't want to take that chance.
When she stepped out from behind the curtain, the shopkeeper was busy fitting a stunning white gown onto Cecelia Rivers. Noticing Judy, he motioned towards a couch, instructing her to wait a few minutes. As Judy sat down, she noticed the girl studying her in the mirror, a frown on her face, and she automatically sat up straighter.
"Have we met before?" The girl finally spoke. "You look familiar"
"Cecelia, I'm Judy Shepard. We go to the same school. We're in two of the same classes" Judy reminded her, feeling somewhat annoyed. Maybe it was the sneer on Cecelia's face, but she felt a flush of anger begin to creep under her skin and had to fight the urge to growl like a tiger.
"Oh yes, Now I remember you" Cecelia said suddenly. "You're Peter's sister, aren't you?"
'Peter's sister?' Judy felt a frown cross her face at Cecelia's tone, especially the last two words, but chose to ignore the jab and nodded. "Yep That's me"
Just then, one of the shopkeeper's assistants came forward with Judy's dress on a hanger, wrapped in a clear garment bag. Judy's frown faded in a smile as she eyed the dress and Cecelia, who had glanced away, looked up, and her eyes visibly widened in surprise.
The shopkeeper, noticing the movement, followed her eyes and smiled. "Like I said miss, that is the perfect color for you" He stated, nodding at Judy in the mirror.
"Wait, that dress is for you?" Cecelia stammered, clearly surprised.
"Yeah" Judy raised an eyebrow, surprised by the abrupt tone of Cecelia's statement.
Cecelia twisted her head around for a better look. She seemed to scan the dress and her jaw dropped. "No way" She muttered aloud before glancing down at the shopkeeper. "Is that an original design from Suzy Bleu?" She demanded.
The shopkeeper's grin widened. "Indeed. You have a good eye, miss. In fact, I believe that dress was hand-crafted by Miss Bleu herself". He addressed Cecelia, who looked stunned.
Judy gasped and stared down at the garment in her hand. She didn't know much about fashion, but even she knew Suzy Bleu, the famous fashion designer. Her hand started to tremble as she gazed at the dress. Now that she knew who had made it, that a woman who was known all over the world had taken time out to make this dress herself, it suddenly looked ten times more beautiful.
"Huh" Cecelia recovered quickly. "Well, I hope you have a few millions in your wallet, Judy Shepard, because those dresses cost a mint!" She smiled at those last words as if this was all some lie or illusion that would shatter when faced with simple truth.
The shopkeeper must have seen the panic in Judy's face, because he chuckled. "You don't need to worry miss, it's paid for. Your aunt stopped by earlier for her own fitting and took care of everything." He winked at Judy in the mirror. "Miss Bleu outdid herself with the dresses for the two of you, in my opinion. Well, that should do it, Miss Cecelia." He turned back to Cecelia, who was standing stock still on the stool, looking like she had just been hit in the face. Judy couldn't blame her, she felt stunned herself. Who are these people? She wondered, resolving to ask Aunt Nora more when she got home.
"Miss?" The shopkeeper reached up and gently tapped Cecelia on the shoulder. The girl started and blinked rapidly, as if waking up from a trance. "You'e finished, Miss Cecelia" He said, and Cecelia stepped off the stool, looking enviously at the dress in Judy's hand.
"You know, your dress looks amazing as well" Judy said, trying to change the subject. She wasn't wrong, Cecelia's dress looked stunning with its Ivory-white lace and cream accents, it looked like it had been spun from beams of white light.
Cecelia glanced down at her dress, then sighed, sounding disappointed. "I guess" She finally said, shrugging her shoulders. "But..." She gazed at Judy's dress again, a longing look in her eyes. "It's not a Suzy Bleu design." She sighed dramatically.
Judy was feeling rather uncomfortable and decided to end things now. "Well, it was great talking to you, but I've really got to go"
"Oh, okay. Will I see you at the Parrish Place tonight?" Cecelia asked.
"Oh yeah, I'll definitely be there" Judy replied as one of the shopkeeper's assistants placed the dress in a box and handed it to her. Just then, Peter walked out from another area of the store, a boy under one arm and a smile on his face. A smile he quickly wiped off when he saw Judy and Cecelia standing there.
"Well, how'd yours turn out?" Judy asked, smiling herself.
"Not too bad, actually" Peter admitted. "I like it"
Judy's eyes widened. "Really? That's a first!" She snorted, causing Peter to frown.
"I'm glad you are both satisfied. Like I told you, Miss Bleu worked hard on your outfits" The shopkeeper spoke up. Cecelia's jaw dropped again and Judy eyes darted to the box in Peter's hands. His too? She thought, her mind whirring. This is getting crazy!
"Well, I wish there was a way we could thank Miss Bleu for all she's done" Judy said aloud. Cecelia snorted and rolled her eyes.
"You can thank her yourself. I believe she's planning to attend the ball tonight" The shopkeeper's response made Judy and Cecelia gasp simultaneously and Judy almost lost her hold on the box.
"Jude? Are you okay?" Peter asked while the shopkeeper laughed aloud. Judy didn't say anything, she just stood there, mutely. "Whoops! I think her brain short circuited. We'd better get her home" With that, Peter steered Judy towards the door.
"Have a pleasant evening!" The shopkeeper called, and waved as they exited. Peter waved back and Judy snapped out of her daze long enough to smile and nod her thanks.
"Okay, what's wrong with you?" Peter asked as they walked down the street.
"Peter. You know how much I love Suzy Bleu's designs!" Judy snapped, suddenly feeling irritable about how calm her brother seemed. Judy felt like hundreds of spiders were crawling up her arms and legs. "And now, to actually wear a dress that she herself worked on..." Her voice broke off and she glanced down again at the box in her hands.
Peter raised an eyebrow. "But I hardly ever see you in dresses." he argued. "I thought you preferred jeans and overalls."
"Just because I'm a tomboy doesn't mean I don't like dressy clothes!" Judy snapped, then realized what she had said and blushed. "You know what I mean!" She stammered, seeing a cheeky grin appear on Peter's face.
"Oh yeah, of course" Peter droned in a mocking tone, accelerating his walking pace before Judy could come up with a comeback.
"A Suzy Bleu design? Really?" Judy demanded, placing the dress box on the kitchen counter before turning to face Aunt Nora, who glanced up from her papers. An embarrassed smile appeared on her face.
"You should have seen Jude at the shop when she found out! I swear she was gonna totally lose it!" Peter laughed from the window, then dodged when Judy threw a candy bar at his head.
"I know you you feel Judy, I was surprised too." Nora confessed. "But the people who are throwing this party insisted. They're sparing no expense."
Judy shifted uncomfortably, and Aunt Nora noticed. "Are you okay?"
"I'm-I'm just not used to such treatment." Judy admitted.
Nora sighed and shook her head. "I understand Judy. But I doubt it will last long. After the party tonight, I suspect things will go back to normal." They both winced as a loud whine from a drill emanated from outside.
"Look at 'em, scurrying around out there. They remind me of bees, or ants." Peter commented from the window. Judy glanced outside to see a group of workers rigging a makeshift dance floor in the bay yard, which had been cleared of weeds. A dark-skinned man was planting hundreds of flowers everywhere. Several men were setting up a metal frame to hold lights. Stewards, some already wearing crisp white jackets, were rushing around carrying trays, some with food, some with cutlery. In the center of the makeshift floor, Alan was in an animated discussion with a tall silver-haired man with a thin face and a short white beard. A large German Shepard lay at the other man's feet, gazing up almost lazily at the two men. From what Judy could see, Alan and the man both seemed happy to see each other, a fact emphasized when Alan and the man suddenly hugged each other.
"Aunt Nora, who is that out there with Alan?" Nora put down her papers and joined Judy and Peter at the window.
A confused frown appeared on her face. "His name's Sam. He arrived this morning after you and Peter had left for school. I've seen him around town a couple times." Her frown deepened. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear he and Alan were lifelong friends." She murmured aloud.
Judy opened her mouth to answer when suddenly the tattoo on her arm flushed with heat. Judy slapped her hand over it, a reflex. Nora glanced up at the sound, her gaze found Judy, and rested on her hand. She cocked an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"
"Uh, nothing" Judy replied, looking away towards the door as the sound of drums reached her ears.
"Come!" A voice hissed in her mind and she felt Peter stiffen beside her. Just then, Alan appeared in the kitchen doorway. His gaze flickered over the kids, and rested on Judy's tattoo and his eyes seemed to flash angrily.
"Nora, the conductor for the nine piece band just arrived and he was wondering where they should set up." He announced, still glancing at Judy's arm.
"Already?" Nora glanced at her watch. "The ball doesn't start for three hours." She headed towards the door, paused, then turned back towards the kids. "Why don't you two go play in your rooms for a little while? We probably shouldn't get in the way of the people working. Alan and I will come get you when we need you downstairs to help greet guests."
"Sure!" Peter and Judy nodded, grabbing their boxes and heading for the door. As they passed Alan, he smiled at them, but Judy suddenly felt a wave of coldness as she glanced up at him. Curious, she paused just outside the door.
"Okay Alan, I saw that look, what's going on?" Nora demanded, her tone hardening.
Alan sighed. "I'm sorry, It's just, I swear I keep seeing some kind of mark on Judy's arm, but she claims she can't see anything"
"You mean those tiger stripes?" Nora's question made Judy gasp aloud.
"Wait, you saw those?" Alan exclaimed. "But earlier you said..."
"Yes." Nora interrupted him. "I saw the marks, but I'm sure its nothing to worry about. She'll have gloves on during the event, so no one else is likely to notice them."
"Yeah, but its where they came from that I want to know" Alan argued.
"Shhh" Nora soothed. "I'm sure they're nothing to worry about. She would have told us if they were a problem. Besides..." Nora paused, than giggled. "There are worse things that she could get, like a big pimple in the center of her forehead. I had that happen right before a big formal event once. Ugghhh! How embarrassing!"
"Okay, you got a point there!" Alan laughed. Judy, having heard enough, turned and quietly made her way up the main staircase.
She can see the marks too? Judy thought to herself, than froze on the stairway. Of course! She's been to Jumanji before! Memories of Nora fighting the Jamazon queen flashed through her mind and she smiled as the thought. But...why would she say otherwise? She wondered.
"Jude!" Judy glanced up to see Peter staring down at her from the landing above. "Hurry up!" As soon as Peter spoke, Judy's ears were assaulted with a fresh wave of drumming that was almost deafening. Growling in annoyance, Judy raced up the steps to her room, placed the box on her bed, then followed Peter to the attic, her mind still reeling over what she had just overheard.
FYI, Suzy Bleu is a nod to Stacy Blu, one of the creators of the Jumanji Animated Series Show.
So Nora CAN see the kids marks? This may complicate things!
Let me know what you think!