I almost burst into song. Almost.
Before I know what’s happening, Charles has picked out a makeup case similar to the travel kit, except much smaller. This one’s empty, and he has the fairy godmother fill it up with everything I used, plus a few extras, all of which he charges on his card.
The fairy godmother slips everything into a crisp and prettily decorated paper bag with pink handles, which JJ offers to carry for me.
I’m still in a bit of a trance as we walk out of the store. The whole time we walk around the mall, I keep peeking at myself in display windows and mirrors, trying to figure out if the princess staring back is really me.
Charles drops off his watch, and we order fries. I eat them one at a time, careful not to ruin my lipstick and gloss, and Charles grabs a salad. We talk about music and LUV Academy and our dreams for the future. Well, the guys do, while I pretend to be undecided.
The skylight overhead reveals that the sun is setting by the time we pick up Charles’s watch and decide to head back. As we approach the exit closest to where Charles parked, I slow my pace. Because right there, in the display windows, is the dress of my dreams.
It screams Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and the little mermaid. Four of my favorite princesses all mixed into one single, gorgeous dress.
Yellow and blue silk weave together in beautiful layers that narrow at the hips and then puff out again like a tail. The fabric glitters and glows in the display window, like it’s truly magical, and the pale blue gossamer lace trailing diagonally calls to me.
“Do you like it?” Charles asks.
“It’s perfect,” I whisper before I can think better of it.
Charles nods. “Then it’s yours.”
Chapter 15
The next morning, I put on some of my new plum lip gloss and grab Mom’s necklace for good luck. The broken, fractured pieces are an artifact of my old life, but as much as I want to forget the nightmare I lived through, I can’t let them go. They’re like my life: a gift from my mother, destroyed by my father, and the only thing I managed to escape with. And I can’t imagine doing what I’m about to do without it.
I grab the stack of resumes JJ helped me print last night and slip out of the apartment. Not because I might wake the guys—they left for class before I was even up—but because I’m on the lookout for Marcus the RA. Luckily, he’s nowhere to be found. Probably because he’s in class, like everyone else.
I get out of the building without a hitch and head across campus. Charles did a bunch of interview practice with me last night. He also made it clear I didn’t need a job, but when I explained that this was what I wanted—that I needed to stand on my own two feet and have something to do while the guys are in class—he was still willing to help me get one.
I should be nervous, but with the guys’ support I feel confident. Excited. Ready!
The campus looks more beautiful than ever in the morning light. The sun-dappled pavement seems to shimmer as the canopy of leaves above cast their shifting shadows. I feel like I am walking on air as I make my way to the cafeteria.
Humming a song about getting a job—a song I can’t possibly use for the competition, but one that still makes me happy—I scan the restaurant signs. I feel so full of potential that I might as well have cartoon birds helping me along.
I start at the burger joint, since that seems like the easiest job to get.
“Hi, what can I get you?” the woman behind the counter asks.
“Hello. Can I please speak to the manager?” I repeat the words Charles helped me rehearse.
The woman glances down at the stack of papers in my hand. “Applying for a job?”
I nod.
She holds out a hand, and I hand her a copy of my resume.
“I’ll make sure Larry gets this,” she says.
I wait.
“I don’t think we’re hiring right now,” she adds when I make no move to leave.
“Right.” My heart sinks. I know what that means. I’ve heard it often enough before.
Forcing my smile back on my face, I shake her hand and tell her I hope to hear from them soon. It’s exactly how I practiced with Charles, even though there is absolutely no point.
As I make my way to the next counter, I remind myself that there’s a whole campus of businesses. I still have a lot more second chances.
Magical princess, you’ll find your way
Just keep hoping until it’s your day...
The next place I apply at is the Purple Noodle, a fast food joint where—to my great relief—none of the noodles are actually purple. There are neon red chicken balls and normal-looking greasy fried noodles sitting under a heat lamp. A short, skinny girl is unpacking takeout boxes against the back wall, and I decide that if I were her, I’d rename the place Fairy Noodles.
I hand her my resume and make my way around the rest of the cafeteria. I stop by a sandwich shop and the pizza place JJ picked out when we came here for lunch. Then I skip along to the plaza of shops at the edge of the campus.
I pass by Chez Caviar. No way am I applying there!
I do try to apply to the music store, but I’m told I’m not qualified and they’re not hiring. I hum softly about a desolate princess as I exit the shop and head next door to the one selling LUV Academy hoodies.
The place makes me think of Tate, and as I drop off my resume, my mind is hundreds of miles away. With Prince Charming, who never came back last night—and his sister, who might be in actual trouble.
I send Tate a quick text to ask how he’s doing and my phone pings instantly with two words: in class.
He must have gotten back after I fell asleep and left before I was even awake.
He sends me another message, asking how my day is, and I lie and tell him it’s great. It’s not really a lie, since things are bound to turn around once I find a job.
I step back outside and head to the next shop: a vintage jewelry store. I’m about to go in when a display in the window catches my eye. It’s an elegant black wire frame that holds a series of necklaces: gemstones that sit suspended like stars in the sky.
Although... the angular gemstone pieces look almost broken, just like the pieces of my fractured heart.
A cheery bell rings overhead as I slip into the store. I am met with cool air, the smell of a freshly vacuumed carpet, and the gleam of immaculately clean display cases.
“Hello?” I call out as I scan the empty store. No answer.
Silently, I walk around the display cases and shelves, taking everything in. The store is like a museum. Row after row of treasures meet my eye. Diamonds—real-looking ones, not obviously glass or plastic—bud out of every piece like berries on a bush in July. Gold and silver loops and chains, intricate swirls and bold statement pieces. Jewelry boxes sit on a shelf against the wall, and another shelf of music boxes calls to me.
I resist the temptation and keep walking, examining the beautiful pieces on sale here. For a moment, I wonder how any college student could possibly afford this stuff, and then I remember. This is LUV Academy.
A shuffling sound emanates from the back room, and an older man steps out. He’s dressed all in black, with a sharp blazer and silk tie that I’m sure Charles would approve of.
The jeweler greets me with a friendly smile, his teeth so white, they’re practically glowing. The same is the case for his long white hair. Must be the lighting.