Cut from the Same Cloth Read online

  Oscar stepped forward to wrap up the show. When the cameras stopped rolling, the other contestants came back out, and everyone hurried to congratulate Zoey. Sean was beaming with pride, as if her win had made him almost as happy as if he’d won himself.

  Then Rashida stepped forward and hushed everyone. “Great first show, team! I’m so impressed with the work you all did. We’re sending this footage straight to editing, and it will run this week in the States. Now, we have tomorrow off, and then we travel to Milan the following morning. That means the rest of today and tomorrow is for sightseeing and fun! I’ve arranged a bunch of tours for you guys to sign up for, and remember, you must be with a chaperone at all times, unless you choose to stay in your suites. Understood?”

  The group nodded obediently and then began talking, trying to decide what to do with their time off.

  Sean turned to Zoey and gave her a huge hug. “You did it, Zoey! You won! It’s so amazing. Let’s celebrate. We’ll go to the Louvre right now, and then the Musée d’Orsay and the Eiffel Tower tomorrow. We’re in Paris, baby!”

  Zoey’s head spun. She wanted to call her dad immediately and tell him she’d won, but she wasn’t allowed to tell anyone the news. She also wanted to collapse on the couch in her room for a while. But Sean was right. They were in Paris! And only for one and a half more days.

  “Okay,” she agreed. “Let’s do it. But first, let’s stop at one of those charming sidewalk cafés. I need a real meal, and I’m going to eat everything—maybe even the snails!”

  Sean waggled his eyebrows. “Awesome! I’ve always wanted to try them.”

  “Oh?” Zoey said faintly. “Really? I was just kidding.”

  “Me too,” he said, laughing. “I may be in Paris, but I’m not eating snails. Maybe I’m missing out, but I don’t think I mind!”

  CHAPTER 8

  J’adore Paris!

  People aren’t kidding when they say Paris is the most beautiful city in the world! Fashion Showdown Junior has been so awesome arranging tours for us, and S and I spent the last day and a half on buses and walking tours, zipping all around the city. We saw Montmartre, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and walked along the Seine (the river that cuts through Paris). The art and the buildings and even the people are all gorgeous. I think my favorite thing that I saw was a Degas sculpture at the Musée d’Orsay called Petite danseuse de 14 ans, or Small Dancer Aged 14. I stared at it for ages. I wish we could stay in Paris longer, but we’re actually packing right now to head to Milan! Luckily, it’s a really short flight, and then—you guessed it—as soon as we arrive, we get to work on our next challenge!

  I’m sure you’re all dying to know what happened at the very first judging, but I am sworn to secrecy in my contract. I’m not even supposed to tell my family, although I can reveal that I was not eliminated, otherwise, I wouldn’t be heading to Milan right now. I can’t even post sketches of what I’m making for the challenges. It’s all top secret. Small price to pay, right?

  This has truly been a magical trip so far, and my dad will not be happy to read this (sorry, Dad), but I haven’t found a single second to do any of my schoolwork! Ack! I guess I’ll save it all for the plane ride home from Italy, which someone told me is, like, nine hours. Maybe I can catch up then. However, I have learned a lot of new French words, though, Dad, and that must count for something! N’est-ce pas?

  Zoey didn’t know quite what to expect in Italy, but it turned out to be very different from Paris. After a quick flight, the contestants were driven to their hotel to drop off their luggage. They were placed in a suite similar to the one in Paris, where everyone had their own room that connected to a common area. They were given a half hour or so to freshen up, and then they walked as a group to their new workroom.

  Even during their short walk, Zoey was able to pick up the most common words, like “ciao,” “grazie,” and “prego.” She thought Milan seemed louder than Paris, with a different energy. People on scooters whizzed by them, going much faster on the cobblestone roads than Zoey thought possible, and the sidewalks were so narrow that they had to walk single file.

  Zoey was in front, so she was the first to smell what turned out to be freshly baked semolina bread. As a treat, she bought them each a cornetto, a pastry similar to a croissant. It was a pretty great start to the day!

  The new workroom was much like their previous one, which Zoey found comforting. She was also better rested than she’d been when she’d started the first project, which helped keep her nerves in check.

  Once the cameras were rolling, Oscar began outlining the second challenge. “Contestants, welcome to Milan,” he said, “one of the world’s most fashionable cities. Italy is famous for its food, and especially for its pasta. Today, each of you will create a garment inspired by a shape of pasta.”

  The group murmured with surprise. Zoey grinned over at Sean, delighted to be doing something with an element of fun. An outfit based on a pasta shape was clearly an invitation to use her imagination and not focus quite as much on making a perfect garment, although she would definitely want to improve her finishing work this time!

  “Just like last time, you’ll have eight hours today to work and then a bit more time tomorrow morning to finish and make alterations. You will be using the same models, so measure accordingly. Good luck, or as they say in Italy, ‘Buona fortuna!’ ”

  Each contestant was randomly assigned a pasta shape, and Zoey was given spaghetti. She had once made a spaghetti-themed dress for Kate, and she liked the idea of doing a new twist on the design. She quickly sketched a dress made with tubes of fabric in a variety of patterns looped around the model, like spaghetti swirled on a fork.

  With only nine contestants remaining, everyone put their heads down and got to work. The day went by in a flash, as it had the first time, and while Zoey managed to get everything cut out and pinned, it wasn’t all sewn together. She wondered if maybe her idea was too complicated, and she knew she would have to work very quickly the next morning to get the dress finished.

  Zoey walked with Sean as the group headed back to their hotel. The streets were alive with people outside at tables on sidewalks, and others walking to and fro, chatting and laughing. Milan felt happy and busy. Zoey couldn’t wait to get out and explore in another day or so.

  “How’s your project going?” Sean asked. He was making a dress inspired by bow-tie pasta, or farfalle, that cinched in the middle and flared out at the sides, just like a bow tie or a butterfly. He’d shown Zoey his sketch, and she thought it was a great idea.

  “Ugh, mine’s not so great at the moment,” Zoey admitted. “I think I bit off more than I can chew. Get it?”

  Sean laughed. “Ha! Well, at least you can make a joke. You know you’ll pull it off in the end. . . . You always do!”

  “How far along are you?” Zoey asked. “I love your design.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting warmed up now, and maybe have some idea what I’m doing. Before I came, I thought I had no chance of competing with all these people. But your advice, and seeing everyone else’s runway outfits the other day, really inspired me.”

  Zoey smiled. She couldn’t help noticing how much fun Sean seemed to be having on the trip. He was much more social than she was with the other contestants too—hanging out with them in the common room at night and sitting with them at lunch. He seemed to feel at home with everybody. Zoey liked everyone too, particularly Cat and Leanne, but she felt like having Sean along was all she really needed for support. She didn’t feel as motivated to make friends, probably because there was so much to do for each challenge, and she had Kate, Libby, and Priti e-mailing her day and night to check in.

  “You’re so talented, Sean,” she told him. “I think you have a real shot at winning with your bow-tie dress.”

  Sean frowned. “Maybe. We’ll see. I’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. I think tonight I’ll go straight to bed instead of hanging out.”

  “Me too,” said Zoey.
“What’s Italian for ‘good night’ again? Oh yeah—buona notte.”

  “Buona notte,” Sean replied with a grin.

  The next morning was a frantic blur. Glad to have her model’s measurements already, Zoey sewed furiously, trying to make her dress look as finished as possible. She didn’t even have time to check out anyone else’s designs. She was actually looking forward to watching the shows when they aired, so she could see everyone else working and how they went about it. There was never time in the workroom for her to notice anything! She occasionally helped Sean, and he occasionally helped her, but that was it.

  After Anne-Thérèse came in for her fitting, Zoey was relieved to see the garment’s length was fine, and the dress just needed a few seams taken in. She got to work, smoothing and tweaking different parts of the dress, trying to make the fit as perfect as possible. She liked her spaghetti concept, and how she’d represented it with the mix of different fabrics, but she wasn’t sure the cut of the dress was her best. With only about ten or eleven hours total to create an outfit from scratch, and a lot of pressure, she thought maybe it just wasn’t possible to make something perfect.

  After the models were dressed, Zoey and the rest of the group headed to their new makeshift runway and judging area. It was as cold as the workroom in Paris had been. Luckily, Zoey had done some shopping in Paris. In addition to buying gifts for her family and friends, she’d bought herself a lovely pashmina, which she tied artfully around herself, knotting it by her hip.

  One by one, the models came down the runway. Sean’s bow-tie dress looked great, and he’d used a beautiful fuchsia fabric that really stood out. Maude had made a campanelle-inspired dress. Zoey had never seen campanelle before, but it was kind of like a trumpet shape with a ruffled edge. It was a beautiful shape, and Maude had designed a gown with layers of chiffon that formed the fluted skirt. Then it was time for Cat’s penne dress, a futuristic-looking tube with the hem and neckline cut at an angle. It was one of Zoey’s favorites. In fact, Zoey liked most of the designs better than her own, and she started to doubt herself.

  When the runway show had finished, the group was dismissed to the green room to wait while the judges talked over everything.

  “I like your spaghetti dress,” Cat said to Zoey as they stood at the refreshments table, with Cat picking at a muffin and Zoey making tea. “You have a great eye for mixing prints.”

  “Thanks,” Zoey said gratefully. “But I don’t like mine half as much as your penne dress. It’s gorgeous and so sleek!”

  The group chatted and snacked and took turns anxiously checking the light on the wall, which would glow green when it was time for them to go back out to the judging area. The wait seemed to be much longer than it had been the first time, and Zoey started to feel like she was the one going home. She didn’t know why, but she had a very bad feeling.

  At last, they were called back. The judges thanked them for their hard work and then announced several names that were safe. They didn’t call Sean or Zoey. That meant they were either in the top or bottom. The five who hadn’t been named as safe were asked to come stand on stage, beside their models. Zoey felt like she wobbled a bit as she walked up the steps.

  When she took her place alongside Anne-Thérèse, the model quickly grabbed Zoey’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “This dress is beautiful!”

  The judges began assessing each individual outfit. Zoey hoped she wouldn’t faint.

  “Miss Webber?” Aubrey said. “Tell us about your dress.”

  Zoey cleared her throat, hoping her voice wouldn’t come out as a squeak. “Well, I’ve always loved spaghetti, and, um, angel hair and linguine.” Zoey paused, realizing what she was saying had nothing to do with her design. “So, um, anyway, I like how spaghetti swirls around a fork and used that as the basis for this dress, but with contrasting prints to give the noodle shapes some impact.”

  Zoey coughed, praying she wasn’t coming across as terrified and incoherent on camera as she felt in real life.

  Solo said, “Well, Zoey, I like that you used different fabrics; it tells me a lot about your point of view. And I love the fabrics you chose. They show that you have a wonderful sense of color. However, the cut of the dress . . . it just isn’t very flattering.”

  Zoey held her breath and set her mouth in a hard line, trying to appear calm and attentive.

  Then it was Christophe’s turn. “I agree—not a flattering cut at all, even on a model! I wonder if maybe using the fabrics vertically would have been better?” He looked at his co-judges, and they nodded in agreement.

  “Yes, yes, I think that’s right,” Aubrey said. “They would have stayed flatter and looked more intentional instead of like a bit of a mess.”

  Zoey felt her heart sink. A mess? This could be it. Her final moment on Fashion Showdown Junior. Based on these comments, she was clearly one of the bottom two or three, and not one of the potential winners.

  Thankfully, the judges moved on then, to Maude and then Sean, whose outfits they loved.

  Zoey bit her lip and clenched and unclenched her hands, trying to tell herself no matter what happened, she’d smile and thank the judges and walk off with her head held high. Her family and friends would still be proud of her. She’d gotten to travel to France and Italy, and that was pretty amazing.

  As the judges got ready to make their announcement, Zoey breathed in and out several times. It would be over in a minute.

  “And the person who will be leaving us today is . . . Todd.”

  Zoey felt so lightheaded with relief at not being cut from the show, she worried she’d float right up to the ceiling. At the same time, she felt bad for Todd. He seemed really nice and had been friendly with Sean. But she was glad to be able to go to the next challenge and the next country! Not to mention, she’d be able to show her face at school next week, knowing she hadn’t been voted off yet.

  Zoey looked at Sean. She could see he was tense as well, though from the comments he’d gotten, she felt sure he was in contention for winning.

  “And the winner of this challenge is . . . ,” said Solo, “Maude, with the beautiful campanelle ball gown. Congratulations, Maude.”

  As Oscar and the judges took some final shots, Zoey and Sean and the rest of the contestants started to collect their belongings to head back to the hotel.

  Sean walked over to Zoey and said, “Ready for some sightseeing? Milan is waiting for us!”

  Zoey couldn’t believe how buoyant Sean looked. But then again, he’d almost won and she’d almost been sent home. Zoey groaned, feeling thoroughly wrung out. “I need a hot shower first. That was terrifying!”

  Sean nodded. “Totally. I had no idea how stressful the judging would be. It looks bad on TV, but it’s way worse in real life. Are we sure we know what we’re doing?”

  Zoey snorted. “You almost won, Sean! You definitely know what you’re doing.”

  “And you already won one,” he reminded her. “You just need to be less ambitious next time and remember your time limit.”

  “Maybe,” she agreed. Sean was right. She had won one challenge. Maybe that helped save her today. “Spaghetti might make me feel better.”

  “Make mine bow-tie pasta,” he said. “And then let’s go see the Duomo di Milano and that convent where Da Vinci’s The Last Supper is. After all, it is our last supper in Italy!”

  “Ha-ha,” Zoey said. “Very funny.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Arrivederci, Milan!

  You guys, Italy is amazing. I wish we had time to visit a few other cities, because I can’t get enough of everything Italian! I’ve seen so many beautiful churches, museums, sculptures, paintings, gardens, and bowls of spaghetti carbonara. (My new favorite food—it has egg in it, so it’s kind of like breakfast on top of pasta!) Although the best thing I’ve eaten by far is gelato, which is Italian ice cream, only it’s so much better than regular ice cream!

  We’re heading to the airport soon to
fly home, and I am SO EXCITED to see my family and friends! I missed them every minute. I have gifts for everyone, but of course I didn’t leave myself enough room in my suitcase, so I had to cram it all in and then ask two other contestants to come in and sit on my suitcase so I could zip it. I still can’t tell you anything about the results of the second show, which is so, so hard. It airs next week, I think, and I’ll be able to watch it in my own living room. I’m curious to see how frantic and nutty I look on camera. I’ve never sewed so hard and fast in my life! Please, when you watch the show, remind yourself how little time we had to make these creations and that every one of these awesome designers worked their bottoms off to get their garment made in time!

  And to my besties whom I have missed so much . . . I’m coming home, girls! Order a pizza and make room on the couch!

  Walking down the hallway at school on Monday was surreal. Zoey felt like she’d been gone for so long, and at the same time, it was like she’d never left! But one thing had changed for sure. Up and down the hallway, kids were waving to her or yelling things like, “Way to go, Zoey!” Some of them were wearing layered outfits similar to what Zoey had worn in the cold workroom in Paris. She didn’t know what to make of all the attention, and simply waved back at kids who spoke to her and continued moving swiftly toward her locker.

  She hadn’t had a chance to see her friends over the weekend, since she’d arrived back so late on Saturday, and her dad had insisted she spend Sunday catching up on sleep and homework. Ms. Austen had come over for dinner that night, and Zoey had given her the scarf she’d bought her in Paris. But she had gifts for her friends as well, and she couldn’t wait to hand them out.

  As Zoey approached her locker, she saw Priti, Libby, and Kate—as well as a large sign that read FASHION SHOWDOWN JUNIOR STAR! They cheered, and Priti launched herself toward Zoey, arms outstretched. The four of them ended up in a group hug.