(Jenny's POV)
I really should be careful with what I wish for. After spending three weeks busting every bad guy and criminal's butt, I had to wish for a break. I immediately regretted that wish when Zeke calls me to tell me (in a hoarse voice) that he has gone down with a cold from working too much (and too hard) and he has to stay in bed for the next two weeks. And with Zeke off, I've got no missions.
So here I am. Doodling on a piece of paper on a Wednesday morning, bored as hell. In my boredom, I draw and ultra-hip cool-cat version of myself. I make myself an attractive, anthropomorphic black cat with a peek-a-boo hairstyle (like Jessica Rabbit's) that's smooth and glossy and gorgeous, and I give myself cat features such as a tail, nose, ears and sharp whiskers. Then I draw Stark as a little fat mouse who's frightened of me, all twitchy nose and scrabbly paws. I chuckle at the finished picture.
It's the best thing I've ever done.
Suddenly, there's a loud sigh making me look up in surprise. It's Avril – looking stress while sucking on the end of her pen.
"What's wrong, Avril?"
"Oh, it's one of the charities I volunteer for," she says. "They've written to ask me for some fundraising ideas, but I just can't seem to get inspired."
"What charity is it?" Oscar asks.
"Orphans in Need – it raises money for orphans in poor countries," Avril explains. "It buys them food, medicine, clothes… but they haven't had any donations in the last six months and they're worried that they won't have enough for all the children they take care of."
"Did you say clothes?" Davina asks, with interest. "Avril, I think I might be getting one of those things that people get when they've thought of something really good."
"An idea?" says Rose.
"Yeah, that's it!"
"Always so modest," I murmur to myself. Then I say out loud, "What's your idea, Davina?"
"How about we put on a fashion show?" Davina says simply.
I raise my eyebrows in amazement. "That's, er… that's not a bad idea."
"Yeah." Davina nods. "We could raise loads of money for charity and have fun at the same time. Whaddya say?"
"I'm in!" says Carrie.
"Me too!" the rest of the class agree.
As the class start to get excited and have similar conversations, I shrug my shoulders in agreement. Yeah, why not? At least I won't be bored and I'll have something that'll keep me busy.
I hold up a hand for silence. "All right, all right!" The room quietens down. "I think we all agree that this is a good idea, but I'll have to run this with Mr. Flatley and Aunt 'Mione. If they say yes, we'll meet in the English room at lunchtime for planning and preparation. Agreed?"
"Agreed!" the class chorus.
The class go back to their fever of excitement while I draw up a list of what is needed for the fashion show.
xxoOoxx
"…and with this fashion show, all the proceeds will go to the Orphans in Need charity," I finish telling Mr. Flatley at break-time. "So whaddya think?"
"Well, I think it's a marvellous idea!" says Mr. Flatley. "It'll be a chance for St Hope's to give back to the community."
"Thanks, Mr. F."
Behind me I hear the door open. I turn to see Aunt Hermione coming in.
"Good morning," she says. "What are you two talking about?"
"Well, Mrs King, Miss Brownstone has come up with a wonderful idea," says Mr. Flatley.
"Actually – and surprisingly – it was Davina who came up with this," I say. "We were hoping we could do a charity fashion show. And the money we raise will go towards Orphans in Need."
"Absolutely not," says Aunt Hermione, without thinking about it.
"But Aunt Hermione –"
"Out of the question. The pupils should be revising for their mock exams, not prancing up and down the catwalk like some prize pony."
"But it's for charity! Look, you've always said that St Hope's needed some publicity – and this is it. It's like what Mr. F told me just before you came in, this is a chance for St Hope's to give back to the community. Come on, Aunt H. The class is depending on me for you to say yes. Pleeease say yes. Please. Pretty please."
I appeal to Aunt Hermione with my eyes open wide. After what seems like the most intense staring contest ever, she sighs in defeat.
"OK, fine," says Aunt Hermione. "You can do your charity show."
I give her a hug. "You're amazing!" I say. "Thank you!"
"Yes, Mrs King, thank you." Mr. Flatley is about to give Aunt Hermione a hug, but she stops him by stretching her arm out.
The bell rings.
"Well, I gotta go," I say, pulling away from Aunt Hermione. "I'm gonna text everyone the good news. Thanks again, Aunt Hermione."
I exit the office as I walk down the corridor to the English room, I whip out my phone and I start to text.
Aunt H said yes! It's all systems go. We'll meet in the English room at lunchtime.
I CC the text to everyone. But as I press send, I walk full force into something in the corridor, but a pair of arms goes around me to keep me from falling.
"Hey," a voice laughs, "where's the fire?"
I stare up into the soft sky blue eyes and dark hair… and a teasing smile only inches away from my mouth.
"Oh… h-hi, Frank," I say, my cheeks going hot.
"Hey." He lets go of my shoulders. "So what's all this? What's with the text and walk?"
"Yeah, sorry about that. I was texting everyone about the fashion show we're planning."
"A fashion show? What's it in aid of?"
"It's for the Orphans in Need charity. The money we raise will go towards them."
"Hey, that's a great idea."
"Tell that to Davina. She was the one who amazingly thought of this."
"Well, I'll let you be on your way. If you need an extra pair of hands, you know where I am."
I respond with a smile, and I step past him, continue my way to the English room.
xxoOoxx
"People! Welcome to the first meeting of the Orphans in Need Charity Fashion Show," I announce to everyone at lunchtime. "I'd like to thank you all for being here today. You'll be giving your time and effort towards this great cause."
I pause while everyone cheers and claps. When the noise dies down, I continue.
"Our first order of business is the planning of the event. I've compiled a list of what is needed," I say, picking up a black marker. I write the list that I wrote during PSHE this morning onto the whiteboard: advertising and tickets, clothes, makeup and hair, photography, music, decorations and models. "Right, first off, who would like to do advertising and tickets? Advertising meaning the designing of posters and flyers."
Scoop's friend, Homie, slowly puts his hand up.
"Homie?" I nod at him.
"I've… I've got an older brother who's a graphic designer. I could ask him to design the posters, flyers and tickets," he says.
"Excellent! And once he's finished, you and your friends could put up flyers and hand out flyers."
Avril puts her hand up.
"Yes, Avril?" I say.
"Oscar and I can help sell tickets," she says, turning to Oscar, who looks extremely surprised.
"Great. Next, we've got clothes…"
Davina's hand immediately shoots up.
"Donovan and I have got clothes and fashion under control," she says. "Also, my cousin's a makeup artist and her friend's a hairdresser, so I can ask them if they can offer their services."
"Thank you, Davina," I say. "Right, photographers. Who knows someone who's a professional, part-time or amateur photographer?"
Carrie has her hand up.
"My mum takes pictures of me with my medals and trophies or me doing gymnastic poses for my blog," she says. "She encourages me to keep a blog so that when I am famous, my fans can keep track of me. I'll ask her if she can help out."
"Awesome. Now, I think with music, we've got someone who's got that covered." I turn to Scoop. "Isn't that right?"
"Don't you worry, Miss B," he says. "The Scoopmeister will put together some well-bangin' tunes for this show!"
"I knew I could count on you, Scoop. Now, decorations. I'm gonna need some volunteers to decorate the assembly hall and set up the catwalk and for models, I'm gonna need some volunteers to model the clothes. So, if you want to decorate the hall, stay with me. And to anyone who wants to model, could you go to the back of the classroom so Davina and Donovan can take your measurements."
The class separate themselves into two groups. Most of the girls in the class and three boys go to the back of the classroom, while the rest stay at the front with me. I pull out a tape measure that I found in Aunt Hermione's drawer from my pocket and I hand it over to Davina, who joins Donovan and the models at the back of the classroom.
"Right, gang," I begin. "Aunt Hermione has given us next Friday to do the fashion show, which means that we have very little time. But anything is possible if we all pull together and nothing can hold us back." I hold out my hand, palm down. "Who's with me?"
"Yeah! Woo!" the class whoop as they pile their hands on top of mine.
"Goooo team!" we cheer.
We spend the next week planning the show. It's the most talked about event in school. The pupils have been doing their bit for Avril's charity. They've been doing sponsored walks, bake sales and collecting donations. But I've got to admit, this week has been totally manic. I had to plan everything. From designing the backdrop for the catwalk to organising the decorations for the hall, the refreshments, the seating… everything! I've never been so rushed off my feet. I've never planned anything like this before. But by Thursday after school, it seems as though everything is going to be fine.
The volunteers and I meet in the assembly hall for a final run through. I run my eye down the list.
"Advertising and tickets?"
"JJ and I have stuck posters up all around the school and handed out flyers," says Homie.
"And Oscar and I have sold over one hundred tickets – and there are loads more left over," says Avril.
I make a big black tick on my list. "Davina, what about the clothes?"
"I've called every fashion boutique I could think of," Davina replies. "Some of them wouldn't help – But I got two to say they would send us some of their most 'out there' samples – the models can be a sort of fashion test for them!"
"Awesome!" I exclaim. "If anyone knows how to use ahead-of-the-game fashions, it's you, Davina."
"They're sending all the clothes first thing tomorrow," she adds. "Donovan will be at school early to meet the lorry."
"Eh?!" Donovan exclaims.
"Also, my cousin and her friend have agreed to help out," says Davina.
"I is got some well wicked tunes for the show – I can set the system up today," says Scoop.
"My mum has agreed to take some shots of us," says Carrie.
"And the hall can be decorated today," I conclude. "So we have nothing to worry about. See how easy things can be when you're organised? Now let's get to work!"
While we start work on the décor, Scoop sets up the music system and puts his records in the right order. We all work hard, decorating the hall, setting up the catwalk and rigging up a curtain for the models to prepare behind. There's a little room at the back of the stage, which we've set up as a dressing room for Davina, and we prepare a space for all the fast clothing changes that are going to happen.
When we leave school, it's really late, but it feels great to know we have transformed the hall into a cool fashion show venue.
Nothing can go wrong…
(Frank's POV)
It's 10:00 am. Usually I would be at St Hope's at 7:30 am, but I was called to an early morning meeting by the Head of MI9 to discuss SKUL's latest escapade – smuggling valuable antiquities from Asia to sell in London. A mole inside SKUL has told us that the valuables are stored in a warehouse in Peckham – sixty of the Grandmaster's henchmen were arrested and the valuables are to be returned back to their countries.
Anyway, I can't wait for the charity fashion show. Jenny and the Year Tens have been getting everything together for the past week – an event that raises money for Avril's charity, Orphans in Need. At last the big day is here.
I head for the assembly as I'm needed to set up the chairs for the show. I step inside and see what Jenny and the Year Tens had done the night before – it looks great! Then I look at the Year Tens… who look completely dejected.
"Er… shouldn't we be setting up chairs for this afternoon?"
"There's been a disaster!" Davina squeals at top volume.
"What's wrong?"
"The lorry carrying the clothes had an accident on the way here," says Donovan. "The driver's OK but the clothes are ruined."
"What?!" I exclaim. "You're kidding."
"We wish we were!" Davina wails. "The boutiques don't have any more samples to spare! And on top of that, my cousin and her friend can't come because they've got food poisoning!"
"And that's not all," says Carrie, who has just walked up beside me. "My mum's ill – she can't make it."
"This is a nightmare!" Avril groans. "What else can go wrong?"
Scoop walks over to the decks and switches it on. Suddenly, there's a loud crackle and a bright flash. The amplifier makes a strange whining sound and goes dead. A little spiral of smoke curls out of the top of it.
Scoop stares at the amplifier and we stare at Scoop.
"Well done, Scoop," Avril says sarcastically. "Now we don't have any music."
"Well, you're the one who had to say what else can go wrong," he retorts. "So it's your fault."
"All right, everyone – calm down," I say, trying to keep the peace. "Look, how about we call Jenny. She should know what is happening."
"I've tried to call her – eight times!" says Avril. "And I have no idea where she is because she's not in the English room."
"Right." I think to where Jenny might be. She'll have to be in a place where no-one has looked. Then it hits me! "OK, you guys stay here… and try not to kill each other. I think I know where Jen is."
I walk out the assembly hall and make my way to the library.
(Jenny's POV)
"There must be something you have your shop we can use for the fashion show," I say to the boutique manager.
"I'm sorry. I've already told Davina and now I'm gonna tell you: we have no other samples," she says.
"Oh, OK." I sigh miserably after I hang up. I can't believe this is happening! The problems started before I even left the house. First, Donovan calls me to say that clothes that the lorry was carrying are ruined because of a road accident. Next, I get a text from Davina saying that her cousin and her friend can't make it because they've got food poisoning. Now, I've got a text from Carrie saying that her mum is ill, so she can't make it. Could this morning be any more disastrous?
BEEP!
I look down at my phone.
A text from Scoop.
Da sound system iz busted. Soz.
I feel my temper flaring up. "Ah, for fuck's sake!" I yell, stamping my feet hard on the ground at the word sake.
"Shh, you're in a library." A voice behind me startles me. I whirl around to see Frank coming in the library. "So, this is where you've been hiding."
"Oh, Frank, this is a disaster!" I say, coming close to tears. "Everything is falling apart. We have no clothes, no makeup artist, no hair stylist, no photographer and now, no music! I've made some calls, but no-one can do it because it's so short notice. Now everything is just one big mess! Oh, God, this is the worst day ev–"
I feel a pair of arms go around me as Frank pulls me into a hug, resting his chin on top of my head. His touch feels warm and secure.
"Hey, shh. Shh, it's OK. Just take it easy and breathe," he soothes, pulling me closer. I can feel his heart beating against my chest. "You're OK. I've got you."
"Oh, Frank –" I close my eyes to hold back the tears. "I didn't want to say this but… I'm gonna have to cancel."
"Cancel?" Frank draws back, disappointed. "Jen, you can't cancel. You and the Year Tens worked too hard for this."
"Er, hello? In case you have noticed, Frank, we have no equipment for this event." I sigh. "And to think that organising a fashion show was a doddle. Please! I can't organise for toffee."
"Now stop that! Listen to yourself, this isn't you. The Jenny Brownstone I know is the one who can think of a solution to any problem. Not moan and give up. Jen, do you know why the pupils look up to you?"
I give a little shrug.
"They look up to you because you're the only teacher in this school who gives a damn about them. Most of the teachers – hell, all of the teachers – have given up on them. But not you. You give them hope. You inspire them. You're the reason they come to school," says Frank. "If you tell them that the show is cancelled, not only will you be letting those kids down, you'll be letting yourself down." He takes hold of my hands and stares deep into my eyes. "Jen, I know you'll find a solution to this. I have faith in you. I… I believe in you."
I look up to Frank, his eyes gleaming and I smile, feeling a bit better.
"Well, I better get back to the hall to make sure those kids haven't killed each other." Frank lets go of my hands and heads for the door. He turns to me before going out of the door. "Don't give up, Jen. I know you've got something up your sleeve."
And with that, Frank exits the library. I stay where I am. A little idea starts to form in my mind. A smile creeps over my face as I start to dial a number on my phone. After a few rings, the person answers.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Kenzie, it's Jenny," I say.
"Oh, hi, Jen," he says. "What can I do for you?"
"Kenzie, I need a favour."
(Frank's POV)
I hope I've done enough. I'd hate to think what will happen if the show is cancelled. The whole school is looking forward to it.
I enter the hall where the kids are sitting around, looking bored and miserable. Avril sees me and rushes over to me.
"Did you find Jenny?" she asks.
"Yeah," I reply. "And I've had a talk with her."
"And?" the other kids come over to me and Avril.
"I'm afraid all we can do is wait," I say.
The kids gaze at each other with concern and go back to where they were sitting and I join them as we wait with bated breath.
xxoOoxx
Ten minutes later, Jenny walks in.
"People! I've got an announcement to make!" she declares.
The kids and I go over to Jenny and surround ourselves around her to hear what she has to say. Please let it be good news…
"Guys, I have some news about the fashion show," says Jenny. "The show…" We draw in a little gasp of breath. There's a long pause. "…will go on!"
The sounds of 'yes!' and sighs of relief fill the room.
"I made a few phone calls explaining the situation and there are some who are willing to help." Jenny turns to Scoop. "Scoop, I've got a friend who's got a friend who DJ's at the local nightclub – he's gonna lend us his DJing equipment."
"Ah, wicked, Miss B!" Scoop grins.
Jenny turns to Davina and Donovan. "Guys, I've got a friend from uni who's doing an internship at an independent fashion house. I've asked her to ask her boss if they can lend us some of their most fashion-forward collections – and she said yes!"
Davina squeals in delight and wraps her arms around Donovan.
"Also," Jenny continues, "my sister's lectures are cancelled for the day, so she and some of her friends can come over and do hair and makeup. Now, for the best bit – the photographer. I've hired two photographers. One is a friend from uni called JB, who's cousin has his own photography business is gonna take pictures of the show and do a photo shoot of the models. The other… works for the Fulham Chronicle who also wants to do an interview!"
The hall erupts with cheers and whoops. There's a sudden shriek – a scream – an entire operatic chorus.
"Awesome!"
"No way!"
"O – M – G!"
As the kids chatter with bright excitement in their eyes, I look over to Jenny who has a smile of triumphant glee over her face. I knew she would pull through.
"All right, guys!" Jenny claps to quieten down the room. "Now that the crisis is over, let's put on a show that everyone will remember!"
There's an even louder cheer than before, and we start setting up the seating arrangements for this afternoon.
(Jenny's POV)
I peek behind a curtain of the catwalk. The hall is packed and buzzing with students, teachers and the OIN (Orphans in Need) workers eager to see the fashion show. All the tickets have sold out! I can see Scoop on the side of the stage with Kenzie's friend, Parker, setting up the music system.
"Jenny, there you are!" I turn to see Livi standing behind me. "Come on; let me do your hair and makeup."
Backstage, the atmosphere is electric and buzzing, with Oscar, Avril and Homie are painting some last-minute backdrop scenes. Davina and Donovan are dashing around picking the best items from the fashion house's collections and working out a fashion scheme. Livi's friends are rushed off their feet doing all the models hair and makeup. And Carrie and Rose take charge of organising the models and putting out all the outfits on racks for the quick changes. Everyone looks happy enough.
I sit down in front of a long mirror, and Livi gets to work on my hair, giving me a style that looks super individual but fitted together perfectly too.
When Livi finishes, she stands back to look at her work. I stare at my reflection. It looks fantastic. It's straightened and then turned under at the ends for a style that looks sleek and chic.
Next, it's time for my makeup. Livi starts with a honey foundation shade that makes my skin look flawless. My eyes are outlined with black liquid eyeliner, than my eyelashes are curled and brushed with black mascara, making my eyes look bigger. Next she chooses candy floss pink gloss for my lips and matches it with a manicure and pedicure. This is what I love about Livi – she works so fast it's amazing. I look stunning and natural.
After Livi finishes glamourizing me, I rush over to the dressing room to change.
Minutes later, I come out of the dressing room looking sassy with attitude wearing an oversize camel coloured off-shoulder sweater, dark denim skinny jeans and gold peep toe T-bar platform shoes, accessorized with a gold cuff bracelet.
"All right, people," I say. "Let's rock and roll!"
Oscar hands me a microphone and I make my way to the stage. The second I walk on stage, the spotlight is on me and there's applause.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the St Hope's Charity Fashion Show!" I call. There's a loud cheer. "The money we've raised for this show is for the Orphans in Need charity and I would like to thank you all for your donations. Now without further ado, let's start the show!"
I walk off the stage and the show begins. The hall scream and cheer with excitement as the show begins with a burst of gold confetti and the models step out onto the catwalk. (I rented a confetti cannon for the show but didn't tell anyone because I didn't want to spoil the surprise!) Scoop and Parker did a great job setting up the sound system, mixing together some awesome tunes that are blasting from the speakers.
The crowd love the décor and the music, and Davina and Donovan's fashion line look amazing. JB's cousin and the FC (Fulham Chronicle) photographer are taking some incredibly fantastic shots of the models in their fabulous outfits.
As the show went on, I can see that everyone is mesmerized by this. This fashion show is by far the biggest, best and most glamorous event anyone in St Hope's will remember, and I know it'll be talked about for years to come.
At the end, after a glittering finale, where gold and silver stars rain down on the audience, the show comes to an end and there's a storm of applause. The crowd are on their feet, stamping and shouting. I join the models on the stage and thank everybody once again. As I turn to leave the stage, I catch sight of Frank who is standing, cheering with the rest of them. He gives me a thumbs-up and I grin back at him, and I leave the stage.
xxoOoxx
I wander on the stage an hour after our spectacular fashion show. Everyone has gone home, but the students who volunteered are still here. The students who modelled are having their pictures taken by JB's cousin and the others are being interviewed by the FC photographer/journalist in Aunt Hermione's office. I'm supposed to be with them but I just needed to see the catwalk once again and drink it all in.
As I walk down the catwalk, the door to the hall opens and Frank walks in.
"Hey," he says. "Thought you'd be here."
"Hey, Frank," I say, reaching the end of the catwalk. I sit on the edge of the catwalk with my legs dangling off of the side and Frank joins me.
"That was an amazing fashion show you and the Year Tens put on."
"Thanks. I thought you and the audience would never stop clapping. But it was the most mind-blowing event ever put together – and in a week as well. The highlight of this whole thing was the amount we raised for Avril's charity – it's sensational. The workers of Orphans in Need are over the moon. Yep" – I stretch my arms above my head – "It's been quite a week."
"Well, the highlight for me was you saving the day at the last minute with your quick-thinking." His hand reaches out and hesitantly strokes my cheek. "I knew you'd pull through."
I look away, flustered.
The silence is long before I speak.
"I never really got to thank you," I say. "You know. For this morning."
"You don't have to thank me." Frank looks down at his fingers clasped tightly in his lap.
"Yes, I do. If it wasn't for you, none of this would've happened. If anything… it was you who saved the day." I move closer to Frank. "I'm not the only one who's an inspiration to those kids." I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. "See you later."
I slide off the catwalk and head for the door. Before my hand reaches for the handle, Frank calls me.
"Jenny, wait!"
I turn to see Frank walking towards me. When he stops in front of me, I notice that he's not wearing his glasses. His eyes are beautiful… and full of lust.
His arms circle my waist, pulling me towards him. "Jenny…" Is all he can say before he leans his head down and presses his warm lips against mine.
My first kiss. Little firecrackers are exploding inside me. Nice. Very nice.
The kiss lasts for a long time.
When the kiss finished, I open my eyes and Frank looks down at me, smiling.
"Wow," I whisper and pull him back for another kiss.
Frank draws back slightly, drawing his tongue along my bottom lip. He tugs it with his teeth and sticks his tongue so far down my throat I thought I might choke. It's weird yet arousing.
I feel him pushing me against the wall. Hands lift me, and I wrap my arms and legs around him.
"You are so sexy…" Frank kisses and licks my neck. "I thought so the first time I saw you walk." He sets his teeth against my skin and bites.
"Oh, Frank…" I sigh, my legs tighten around him.
I don't want this to end…
BEEP!
Oh, damn! I speak too soon. My right arm leaves Frank's neck and I dip my hand in my back pocket to retrieve my phone. I slide it open and I read the text from Livi.
Jen, where r u? Da journalist iz waiting!
"Damn you…" I mutter under my breath. I close my phone and use it to tap Frank on the shoulder. "Frank? Frank, I have to go - uhn!" I flinch when he nibbles my earlobe.
"You're not going anywhere." His voice in my ear is sensuous, seductive. His lips travel to the curve of my neck where he takes turns kissing, sucking and licking it.
"B-but Frank…" I moan. "They're… they're waiting for me…"
"Well, I've been waiting for this for six months."
"I'm sure you can wait another three days."
"But Jen –"
"Frank, please!"
"OK, OK."
Frank pulls away from my neck and I unwrap my legs from his waist, but we still have our arms around each other, and we touch – not lips, but foreheads.
"I'm sorry I had to cut it short. But I promise you… Monday morning… after my PE lesson… you and me… will carry on our make out session… in the stationery cupboard," I say seductively. "How does that sound, Mr London?"
Frank responds by kissing me tenderly on the lips. "Does that answer your question, Miss Brownstone?" He chuckles as I swatted him playfully.
I look into Frank's gorgeous eyes and I give him a soft peck on the lips.
"See you on Monday," I say, slipping from his arms.
"Ditto," says Frank.
I stroll out of the hall and hold my breath till I'm down the corridor, and then I lean my back against the wall and sigh dreamily. After six months of talks, exchanged glances and playful flirting, I finally get my fairytale kiss with Frank.
I sigh once more and I head for Aunt Hermione's office for my interview.
Life is good.