Mallory and Mary Ann Take New York (9 page)

We cross our fingers on both of our hands.

Right when we do, the alarm goes off in our room. Mom yawns. “Rise and shine,” she says. “We need to get to the studio early.”

Colleen looks at the clock. “This is so exciting! Mallory, in a few hours you will be on national television.”

“Right,” I say to Colleen. Then I wink the tiniest wink at Mary Ann.

Hopefully, in a few hours, Mary Ann and I will both be on national television.

“Let's get a move on!” says Holiday when we arrive at the studio.

She takes my arm. “You're coming backstage with me.” She motions to Mary Ann and our moms. “Ernesto will show the three of you to your seats in the audience.” She hands Mom the backstage passes for the three of them after the show.

Holiday starts to lead me backstage, but I stop. It's time to put my plan into action.

I cross my toes. “Um, Holiday, I'm a little nervous,” I say. I try to look nervous, which isn't too hard because I actually
am
nervous.

Holiday rolls her eyes. “We're on a schedule.” She tries again to get me to walk with her, but I don't budge.

I put my hand on my stomach and bend over a little. I make a face like I'm really, really nervous and my nerves might make me sick. “I'd feel a whole lot better if my best friend could stay backstage with me.”

Mary Ann rubs my arm and then looks at Holiday. “Trust me, you don't want to see what happens when she gets nervous.”

Mary Ann gives a little demonstration of what might happen.

Our moms look like they are about to say something like, “
Girls, you need to do what Holiday says
.”

But before they can say anything, Holiday grabs Mary Ann's arm too. “C'mon, we don't have time for this.” She leads us both backstage.

Mary Ann and I silently high-five each other. So far, so good.

As we walk, Holiday looks at Mary Ann and me. “You two look like twins.”

We give each other a teensy, tiny
what-we're-doing-seems-to-be-working
wink. Part of our plan was to look the same. Even our moms said this morning that it was hard to tell us apart.

We both have on jeans and black, long-sleeved T-shirts. We both have our hair tucked into baseball caps. We're both wearing dark sunglasses.

We silently high-five each other again. Our plan is going as planned.

When we get backstage, Holiday leads us to the wardrobe room. She motions for Mary Ann to sit in a chair. She puts me in front of a bunch of mirrors. “It's time to get you dressed for the show,” she says.

Seamstresses swarm around me like bees. They dress me in the dream outfit that I designed.

Holiday tells me to stand still while they make adjustments. She says not to move while they put on my wig, hat, and sunglasses.

When they're done, I look in the mirror. I can't believe how good my dream outfit looks. I also can't believe what a good idea it was to add the wig, hat, and sunglasses.

I look over my shoulder at Mary Ann. She gives me a thumbs-up.

Holiday grabs my arm. “Let's go,” she says. “You're on in ten, and Fran wants to meet you.”

I gulp. I can't wait to meet Fran, but it's going to have to wait a few minutes. The next step of my plan is very important. If it doesn't happen, nothing will work the way it is supposed to.

I take a deep breath, and then I raise my hand. “May I use the bathroom?” I ask Holiday.

Mary Ann raises her hand too. “May I use it too?”

Holiday shakes her head like she's had just about all she can take.

She points to a door. “It's over there. But make it quick.”

Mary Ann and I walk toward the bathroom. As I do, I make a mental map of the area backstage. I whisper to Mary Ann for her to do the same thing. It's important that we know where we're going.

Once we get inside the bathroom, I quickly go over things with Mary Ann. We don't have much time. She nods her head as I talk. “Got it,” she says each time I pause.

“Got it.”

“Got it.”

“Got it.”

Holiday knocks on the door. “The show starts in five. Fran is waiting.”

Mary Ann squeezes my hand. “You're going to meet Fran!”

“So are you!” I link my arm through hers, and we walk out of the bathroom.

Holiday takes a deep breath and shakes her head. She leads us both back to the dressing room.

When we get there, someone is waiting for us, and that someone is Fran. I suck in my breath. She's even more fashionable in person than she is on TV.

“Hello, girls!” Fran smiles at us. She has the whitest teeth I've ever seen.

Neither Mary Ann nor I can speak. I can't even believe we are standing in the same room with Fashion Fran. I'm sure Mary Ann can't believe it either.

Fran laughs. “There's no place for shyness in show biz,” she says.

Holiday must have told Fran why Mary Ann is backstage, but Fran doesn't seem to mind. Fran winks at me. “Your outfit is dreamy,” she says with a big smile.

Before I even have a chance to say “
thank you
,” Holiday checks her watch. “Two minutes and counting,” she says.

Fran nods at me. “See you onstage.”

The next thing I know, Holiday is going over the directions she gave me the other day in her office. It was hard to listen then, but now I am paying attention to every word she says. And so is Mary Ann.

“It's simple. Fran is going to introduce you. You walk out, smile, cross the stage, turn, pause, wave, and walk back. Then, we cut to a commercial. You will model your outfit one more time after the commercial. Got it?” Holiday asks.

I nod. I got it. I look at Mary Ann. She heard what Holiday said and nods at me like she got it too.

A red light starts blinking backstage.

“Showtime!” says Holiday.

What happens next is a blur.

Lights twinkle onstage. The familiar music that plays at the beginning of each episode of
Fashion Fran
begins. The announcer who does the countdown starts to count.

The next thing I know, Fran is onstage.

She is talking.

She is laughing.

She is modeling an outfit.

Then I hear her telling the audience about the contest. I hear my name.

“GO!” Holiday mouths to me.

I can't tell if I'm excited or nervous or a mix of both.

I walk up the stairs onto the stage. When I do, I hear lots of clapping. I look out into the audience, but the lights are so bright, it is hard to see.

I do exactly what Holiday told me to do.

I walk across the stage and model the dream outfit I designed.

When I get to the far end, I turn and pause. I put my one hand on my hip and wave to the audience with my other hand.

There's lots of clapping.

I smile at the cameras and wave again. I might have been scared when I first walked onstage, but right now, I feel like modeling on my favorite TV show is the most exciting thing I've ever done. My tunic top, skinny jeans, jewelry, boots, glasses, hat, and wig feel very fashionable.

I keep smiling as I walk back across the stage.

When I get back to where I started, I walk down the steps. I hear Fran say we are cutting to a commercial break.