I couldn't believe it. I, Brain Ralph Johnson, was skipping school. My mother would have a fit. I don't mean a little fit like she had when I had detention but my mother would have the mother of all fits. She would make the eruption of Mount Saint Helen look like a bubble in a pot of boiling water. I feel sick. Claire on the other hand looks like she is having the time of her life dragging me into stores like Ralph Lauren, and Brooks Brothers, places I have only heard of and never imagined going into until I was like forty.

"Okay okay, now what look are we going for? Preppy is good," she said talking more to herself than to me as she dragged me into another store which I don't even remember the name of. She handed me a several pairs of chinos and an armful of those shirts with the little alligator on the breast in assorted colors. Pushing me into the dressing room she told me, "Try on the pink one first."

"Pink?" Oh my god. I would be so beat up wearing pink. Didn't she realize what a two hundred pound football player could do to a guy wearing pink? "Okay Bri," I said to myself, "calm down. You just have to try it on not buy it." Then I looked at the price tag. Now I am really sick. "I can even afford to try it on." Opening the dressing room door I peeked out, "Claire?" I didn't see her. "Shit." All I could do was try them on and hope she didn't think this was a joke and abandon me. I pulled the pink Izod shirt over my head and pulled up a pair of chinos over my briefs. Just in time too. As I zipped up there was a knock at the door.

"Are you done in there? Wait ! Don't come out yet." And over the top of the door came a pair of brown deck shoes. "Put those on too. I guessed at your size I hope they fit." Nervously I emerged from the dressing room. "Let's see." She said spinning me around. "Look in the mirror what do you think?"

"It's pink."

"Pink for men is in." Then she came up behind me and flipped my collar upward. Spinning me back facing her she unbuttoned the shirt and turned me back around. "Hmmm..:" She was thinking. This couldn't be good. "Try the ochre pants with the baby blue shirt. I'm not sure pink is your color."

"Ochre?" I knew I could figure out baby blue but ochre. To me all the pants were beige or maybe light brown; tan possibly. Slipping past me she dug through the pile of pants and handed me a pair.

"Ochre. Men!"

That didn't turn out quite like what she had in mind either. "I don't know Bri." She said shaking her head after the oatmeal, khaki, and clay colored pants paired with golden rod, purple, and maroon. "I like the preppy look but I'm starting to think it's too…too...too well just reinforcing the brainy look. It doesn't look bad but I think we need to try something else."

Ducking back inside, I put on my regular clothes. When I came back out Claire was handing the piles back to a sales associate and saying, "No, I don't think this is really what we are looking for. Thanks bunches." Then she grabbed my hand and lead me back out into the mall.

"So what now?"

"Okay preppy isn't you well it is its too you and we want something different. I know!" She said and started walking past stores. We came to a Lord and Taylor. "Men's is on two." We got on the escalator and started up.

"So what do you have in mind?"

"Something a bit more exciting."

"But I'm not exciting."

"You might not be but the new Brian maybe he is," she said stepping off and heading to the men's section. We came to a rack of pants in red and black. After searching the rack she found a pair in each color and handed them to me and then went in search for the matching jackets. Once she found them she pushed me in to the next dressing room. Inside it was the first time I actually saw what she had picked out. Zippers jingled and flashed in the harsh overhead lighting. While it's nothing I would have picked out for school I figured why not give it a go.

"Some really cool Nikes would look good with that. If it works we can stop by the shoe department."

As I stepped out she gasped. "Uh I don't know about this." I told her in all honesty. It was more like going to a costume party.

"Put the jacket on." She was bouncing up and down with enthusiasm. Shrugging I slipped it on. Once again she stood behind me flipping the collar upward. "Okay that is cool. Sun glasses are a must."

"For better hallway vision," I mumbled as she adjusted everything.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"It's a start. Try on the red:"

"Don't you mean maroon?"

"Actually its more of a scarlet," she said jokingly. "Go ahead. Try it on." I did and she liked it better than the black. "Michael Jackson, watch out," she laughed.

"Uh Claire, I'm sure you shop like this all the time but Im used to hitting the local K-Mart or Sears. I don't know how I am going to afford this."

"You don't have to." She dipped into her purse and whipped out a dark green credit card. "I've had my own Lord and Taylor account since I was ten. Don't worry about it." She looked at the pants and jacket. "Okay shoes and some other things too. This is good for one day but if you want to have a new image you have to keep it up." She stopped and thought for a moment. "I know! This way." I followed as she led the way to the back of the men's department. As we passed the register she placed our purchases on the counter and told the lady. "Could you hold this for us? We will be right back." Without even waiting for an answer she continued to wherever her goal was. "You know this is a lot of fun. I really should do this with Allison too."

Somehow I doubted Allison would be as patient as I was. She handed me a pair of white pants and a jacket. "Try this." She came back with a black silk shirt and a hot pink tie and passed them to me over the door.

"I don't know about this, Claire."

"I do so trust me."

When I came out she let out a whistle. "Wow. I thought this would be good but…Wow!"

I looked in the mirror and had to admit while I'm not Don Johnson I did look pretty good. "Now I just need a Stingray and I'm set," I laughed. "I didn't think white was appropriate until after Memorial Day."

"Rules were made to be broken and that looks good. We're going with this." She picked out a couple more jackets, t-shirt in bright colors, button up shirts, and ties.

"Are you sure Claire?"

"Positive."

After trying everything on I was beat. "How are we going to get all of this home?"

"Train." She said simply. "Once we get on it won't be a problem. Its only two pm. By the time we get to Shermer school will be out. We will go to my place and work on your fashion plan for the rest of the week."

"Fashion plan?"

"Yeah its how we 'princesses' know what to where so we don't have the same shirt on. Yeah it sounds superficial and it is but it works. Once we are at my place we can go out to the pool house and Ill fix your hair."

"My hair?"

"Yeah a little mousse and you will be set:"

"Not cutting it right?"

"Well maybe a little bit."

"We cant touch my hair." She gave me a puzzled look. "My mom cuts my hair. If my hair is changed…." I left the end of that statement open because I couldn't come up with anything that would compare to how angry my mom would be.

"Bri you are how old? Sixteen? It's time to decide how you want to dress and look."

Then I thought of something else. "You said school would be out by the time we get back?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to be late for ballet."

"Can't you miss it?"

She was right. I was sixteen and it was time that I started to think for myself. "Yeah," I agreed with hesitation and then I wondered why I was hesitating. My mom wouldn't know if I missed today. I would just tell her that afterward I went to a friend's house. "Yeah, I'll miss it."


By the time we got to Claire's it was going on three-thirty and we were starving. She had her family's maid make us a couple sandwiches and we headed out to the pool house. "Are you sure about this Claire?"

"For the last time yes, I am sure about this. You can pull this off. All you need is a little confidence in yourself. Now one more time; walk towards me and try not to lose the book."

"I feel like a jerk."

"Well if you want to fit in with them what better way than feeling like one." She told me as I sauntered over. "Now go back and this time when you come towards me stop and start talking to me as though we are at school. But pretend you are Bill."

I did as I was told. "Hey Claire," I said leaning against the wall with one hand. "How was your weekend?"

"Hey that isn't too bad. I think you are getting it. Okay try on the white suit again. I think that will be perfect for tomorrow." I ducked into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later in the suit. "Now add the Wayfarers and…" I did. "Ta-da! Bri, that is perfect. Hold on one second." She knelt down in front of me and fumbled with my hem. There was a crash in the bushes outside.

"Did you hear that?"

"Probably just Misty."

"Misty?"

"My cat. My dad doesn't like her in the house. Just another thing my parents fight about; cat in or cat out. Don't worry about it. Now," she said standing. "That is just right."

A/N Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. There are too many of you to name but as always I appreciate hearing from you. This chapter was fun but watch out for the next one. It will be from Benders POV again.