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  Just then Gabe came running over, red-faced. “I’m so sorry, Zoey,” he said. “I checked the pictures to make sure, but I didn’t notice the scarf. . . .”

  “What do you mean?” Zoey asked. Confused, she flipped to the photo series page and saw the picture of her and Sean waving good-bye as they were about to leave for Tokyo. They were leaning against a sedan, and in the reflection of the car’s window, you could plainly see the torso of a woman wearing a distinctive print scarf. The scarf Ms. Austen had been wearing nearly every day since Zoey had brought it back for her from Paris.

  “Oh noooo,” Zoey began. “Has anyone, uh, figured it out yet?”

  Priti snorted. “You think anyone is going to figure out,” she said, and then lowered her voice, “that your dad and Ms. Austen are together because of this picture? It would take Sherlock Holmes!”

  Gabe shook his head regretfully. “Nope, just Emily. She noticed it and told me it was ‘awfully weird’ Ms. Austen was at your house as you were leaving. And then I think I might have turned red. . . . I’m so, so sorry, Zoey! She’s going to tell the whole school in, like, five minutes.”

  Zoey let the news sink in. Would it be worse than having everyone see her being judged harshly on Fashion Showdown Junior? Worse than being teased by Emily? Suddenly, it didn’t seem that bad. Ms. Austen was a popular principal and a nice person. She loved their school. And she seemed to love Zoey’s dad, too.

  “Well, so what?” Zoey announced, picking up her sandwich. “My dad can date anyone he wants. I’m just glad he has good taste.”

  Kate, Libby, and Priti cheered.

  “Yes!” Priti shouted. “I wanted to tell you that to begin with! I didn’t want you to think I was telling you how to feel.”

  “I love Ms. Austen,” said Libby. “And look how great she was talking your dad into letting you go travel the world.”

  Gabe looked at Zoey hopefully, as if waiting to be officially forgiven.

  “The photo series looks great, Gabe,” Zoey said. “Thanks for doing it. My dad will love it. I love it.”

  Gabe smiled with relief. “Thanks, Zoey. You’re really . . . amazing.”

  At this, Zoey blushed and quickly bent her head to study the paper, hoping no one would notice her flaming cheeks.

  When Zoey was home, she told her dad about the news, so he could warn Ms. Austen, but they weren’t too concerned about the big secret coming out.

  The students at Mapleton Prep, on the other hand, were more excited about Ms. Austen and Mr. Webber’s dating life than they were about Zoey and Sean going to New York for the runway finale. Kids started saying Zoey was the principal’s pet, but to Zoey’s surprise, she didn’t care. She knew enough about middle school at this point to know that some juicy new gossip would come along soon enough, and things would settle down. In the meantime she sewed her heart out, determined to show up to the finale with her absolute best work.

  Soon, early on a Saturday morning, Zoey, Marcus, Mr. Webber—and Ms. Austen—left for New York. To her surprise, Zoey didn’t really mind having Ms. Austen along. It was sort of nice to have another girl in the car, and it turned out that she and Ms. Austen had similar taste in music.

  But first thing was first. Zoey had been waiting for this particular car ride ever since she returned from Shanghai. A few weeks ago she had received a package from Daphne Shaw, her fashion fairy godmother, with strict instructions to not open it until she was on the way to the runway show. It was one of the things that had kept her motivated over the last few days.

  As soon as they were on the road, Zoey opened the card.

  Dear Zoey,

  Congratulations on making it to the finale! We are so proud of you, and we will be throwing a little party in your honor at the office after the show! Your father has all the details . . . so see you soon, and “break a leg” on the runway!

  Daphne

  Zoey looked at her dad. “You knew about this?”

  “It’s been in the works from day one,” her dad said. “Isn’t she sweet?”

  Zoey was touched. Knowing that Daphne Shaw was supportive of her, win or lose, was just what she needed to calm her jitters.

  When they arrived in the city, Zoey had to take her garments straight to the workroom so she could meet Anne-Thérèse and her other models to do any alterations. The runway show would be that evening, so there was very little time. Her family would do some sightseeing and then meet her at the taping.

  Zoey was happy to find Sean already in the workroom, tailoring his two new outfits. Both were women’s outfits, with a sportswear feel, and Zoey could see he was starting to discover his strengths as a designer.

  “Those look great, Sean!” she said as she hung up her two outfits. One was a wrap dress lined with a print so that when the model walked, the flap in the front would reveal the print on the inside. The other was a sleek, one-shouldered jumpsuit in a shiny eggplant-colored fabric, with printed trim on the pant cuffs and pockets. She’d labored over every seam on both outfits, so they were perfect.

  “So beautiful!” Anne-Thérèse gasped when she saw the garments. They shared a warm hug.

  Zoey said hello to the other contestants and models, chatting briefly with Cat and Leanne, but other than that, worked straight through the day, making sure all her outfits fit the models perfectly. She ignored the cameras as best she could.

  When it was almost time to head out to the runway, Zoey went into the bathroom. She smoothed out her hair, retouched her lucky lip gloss, and took a deep breath.

  This was it. She was sending out work she was proud of, competing against other top young designers, and she was ready.

  Zoey found Sean on the way to the runway, and they clasped hands. “Good luck,” he said.

  “You too. I’m so glad we did this together!”

  “Maybe we could open our own store someday,” Sean said. “We could call it ZoSean or SeanZo.”

  “Deal,” Zoey said. “But let’s work on that name first, okay?”

  When it was finally time for the runway show, Zoey was surprised to see a huge audience, but with all the lights, it was too bright to find her dad, Marcus, and Ms. Austen.

  The runway show flew by. It was like Zoey blinked and it was over. Zoey could tell by the judges’ faces how pleased they were with the quality of everyone’s work. With only six contestants left, there didn’t seem to be any one who stuck out as a clear winner or loser. They were simply all good.

  While the judges decided the winner, an assistant ran to fetch Zoey’s family so they could join her in the green room. To Zoey’s surprise, he returned with not only her dad, brother, and Ms. Austen, but with Priti, Libby, Kate, Kate’s mother, and Gabe!

  “Oh my gosh!” Zoey cried. “What are you all doing here?”

  Her friends surrounded her in a group hug, though Gabe held back, looking shy.

  “Your collection was amazing, Zoey!” Priti squealed.

  “Sew amazing,” Libby added.

  Kate tried to explain. “The producers invited friends and family to surprise you guys. My mom offered to bring us, and I invited Gabe, so he could take more pictures for his photo series.”

  Gabe blushed fiercely and then squared his shoulders. “That’s not why—I mean—I wanted to cheer you on, Zoey. As your, um, friend. I hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s definitely okay,” Zoey said. She had a feeling she knew what Gabe was trying to say. He was there because he really liked her. And the best part was, she really liked him too. She motioned at him to step aside. “Are you going to the party at Daphne Shaw’s office later too?” she asked.

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Gabe told her. Then, to her surprise, he leaned in and gave her a quick, sweet kiss on the cheek. “Good luck, Zoey.”

  Now it was Zoey’s turn to blush. Gabe was the nicest guy she knew, and one of the most talented, and she realized she had really liked him for a really long time. And then she started smiling and couldn’t stop.

  Her thoughts
were interrupted by an “ahem” from her dad and then an “ouch” when Ms. Austen nudged him.

  “Shh, Jack, give them some space,” Ms. Austen told Zoey’s dad.

  “Sorry, kids. My turn to congratulate her,” said Mr. Webber as Gabe looked a bit sheepish. Then Mr. Webber put his arms around Zoey and squeezed. “I couldn’t be more proud of you, Zoey.”

  Zoey squeezed him back. She was proud of her work too, whether or not it won. Ms. Austen, who’d also been hanging back slightly, came forward.

  “Zoey,” she said, pulling her to one side and speaking softly. “I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry if I came on a little too strong before. I was trying to be your friend, and maybe you’re not ready to see me like that. It’s just that I’m crazy about your father, and, well, I’m crazy about you, too. I’ve always wanted a daughter, and if I could pick any daughter in the world, it would be you!”

  Zoey felt a flood of emotion. Ms. Austen loved her. And as much as Zoey had struggled with the idea of her father dating anyone seriously, especially the school principal, she had to face the reality that it looked like Ms. Austen might become a permanent part of their lives sometime soon. And her dad couldn’t have chosen anyone better. She and Ms. Austen truly were cut from the same cloth.

  Zoey reached out and took Ms. Austen’s hand. “Thanks . . . Essie,” she said, using her principal’s first name for the very first time. “I’m glad you came this weekend. And I’m glad you’re dating my dad.”

  Ms. Austen’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded, unable to speak. Zoey felt like she’d somehow just given her father permission to marry Ms. Austen, if that was what they wanted. She glanced over at Marcus, and he smiled at her, approving. Things in the Webber house were likely going to change soon. And Zoey was surprised to realize that she was actually excited at the possibility.

  Zoey rejoined her friends and introduced them to Anne-Thérèse, whose parents had flown in for the finale. She could see Sean across the room with his parents, who were anxiously looking at the green light over the door, waiting for it to blink and signal that it was time for the results. Considering Sean’s parents had had such a hard time letting him do the show, they looked awfully proud now. His father had his arm across Sean’s shoulders, and his mother was beaming. Sean looked back at Zoey and grinned.

  After what felt like an eternity, the green light began blinking. Zoey’s family and friends took turns hugging her and wishing her luck. Marcus was the last to leave, and before he did, he said, “You’re incredibly talented, Zoey. Mom would have been so proud of you. Good luck.”

  “Thanks, Marcus,” Zoey replied, willing herself not to cry since she was heading straight to the contestants’ seats. She took several big breaths and then followed the others out. As she sat down, she scanned the audience and found her family and friends waving at her. She smiled back and felt a sudden rush of calm. No matter what happened, she had all of them to go home with. She had a party at Daphne Shaw’s office. She had more ideas, more projects, and more opportunities in her future. This was just one runway show in what would hopefully be a long career.

  Oscar began to announce the judges’ decisions. Leanne was dismissed, as was Maude and then Pia. Zoey held her breath, and next to her, she could hear Sean gasp a little. After a minute, to Zoey’s disbelief, she and Sean and Cat were invited onstage to discuss their outfits with the judges. All three of them received praise and compliments for their ingenuity, and Zoey didn’t know what to think. Did she dare to hope she might win?

  Then Oscar announced a surprise: In addition to winning a year’s supply of fabric and notions from a top fabric store and front-row tickets to the upcoming Fashion Week in New York, the winner’s designs would be on the cover of and featured in an article in Très Chic.

  Zoey’s jaw dropped. It was more than she could have dreamed, and she suddenly wanted to win more than anything.

  Zoey glanced out at her family again, and she saw her father giving her a thumbs-up. Priti, Kate, Libby, and Gabe were all holding hands.

  “Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for. All of you have done spectacular work throughout this challenge,” said Oscar. “But there can only be one winning designer. One winner, who has shown a clear vision that is particularly unique and fresh. The winner of Fashion Showdown Junior is . . . Zoey Webber! Congratulations!”

  A massive cloud of confetti came down, and through the haze of cheering and clapping, Zoey could hear one particular voice, her principal’s, shouting over the din. “That’s our girl!” Ms. Austen said. “That’s our Zoey!”

  Then Sean, who was still standing on stage, gave Zoey a big hug.

  “Zoey, you did it!” Sean said with a huge grin. Then he whispered, “Go on, Zo. Oscar’s waiting for you!” and gave her a nudge.

  Zoey forced her legs to walk over to Oscar, who handed her a beautiful gold cup. “This is the first of many accolades,” he said, “for the wonderful, talented, Zoey Webber.”

  CHLOE TAYLOR learned to sew when she was a little girl. She loved watching her grandmother Louise turn a scrap of blue fabric into a simple-but-fabulous dress, nightgown, or even a bathing suit in an instant. It was magical! Now that she’s grown up, she still loves fashion: it’s like art that you can wear. This is her first middle grade series. She lives, writes, and window-shops in New York City.

  NANCY ZHANG is an illustrator and an art and fashion lover with a passion for all beautiful things. She has published her work in the art books L’Oiseau Rouge and Street Impressions and in various fashion magazines and on websites. Visit her at her blog: www.nancy-zhang.com. She currently lives in Berlin, Germany.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  SIMON SPOTLIGHT

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  First Simon Spotlight hardcover edition March 2016

  Copyright © 2016 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  SIMON SPOTLIGHT and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].

  Text by Caroline Hickey

  Designed by Laura Roode

  ISBN 978-1-4814-5297-7 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-5295-3 (pbk)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-5298-4 (eBook)

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2016930257

 

 

 
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