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Chapter 27
Chapter 27 Audrey
I leaned back in my chair and let out a long, satisfied sigh as I clicked 'submit' on my cheerleading uniform design. The cursor spun in a little circle as the file uploaded to the portal, and I watched it go through with a sense of pride welling up inside me.
"Finished," I announced softly, turning to give Tina, Gavin, and Avis a smile. They had been working diligently at the table across from me, books and papers strewn about the table's surface between us. Tina set her pencil down and grinned back at me. "Well? Let's see it."
Smirking with pride, I angled my laptop so they could both get a good look at the design. Avis peered at it intently, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. Gavin's eyes widened slightly, and Tina's mouth fell open.
Just a few days ago, the school had made an announcement: the cheerleading team was looking for new uniforms. And this year, students of Grayspring Academy were invited to submit their designs; the reward was a larger studio space for the first place winner, something that I knew would help us in preparation for the fashion show.
"Wow, Audrey, this is really good." Avis was the first to speak after a moment. She brushed a lock of hair out of her face as she leaned in further to keep studying the image. "I love the asymmetrical cut on the bodice, and the color scheme is so energetic but still classy, you know?"
"Mhm. And the sweater is a nice touch," Gavin added.
"Thanks. I wanted to give it a really modern edge while still keeping that vintage cheerleader charm," I whispered, gesturing to the little cream-and- burgundy cardigan and matching hair bow that would accompany the uniform. "I hope it shows."
"Yeah, I think this definitely has a chance at winning," Tina agreed with an enthusiastic nod. She elbowed Avis and Gavin playfully. "Just think-if Audrey nails this, we'll finally get that bigger studio we've been wanting."
Avis let out a breathy sigh. "That would be nice. With Gavin in the group now, our studio is starting to feel a little cramped. No offense, Gavin."
Gavin chuckled good-naturedly. "None taken. I know I take up more space than I should," he said, stretching out his long legs beneath the table.
A wistful smile spread across my face as I imagined the new studio space that we would get if we won: tall loft ceilings, huge windows to let in plenty of natural light, a spacious workroom, state-of-the-art equipment... A girl could dream. But I quickly shook myself out of my reverie, not wanting to dream too much in case it didn't come to fruition.
"Alright, enough gushing over my design," I said, giving all three of them a pointed look. "We should probably hit the books again before the library closes."
With matching groans of dismay, Tina, Gavin, and Avis reluctantly turned back to their textbooks and notes. I did the same, poring over the pages of my sketchbook-but my eyes kept drifting away from my notes, my mind wandering rtlessly. I found myself lost in the atmosphere of the dimly lit library, soothed by the scent of old paper and leather.
The tall bookshelves surrounding us seemed to stretch up toward the vaulted ceiling, their shelves packed tightly with old books. The reading lamps on our thick wooden table cast a warm, amber glow over everything. Occasionally, the only sound was the gentle rustling of turning pages or the distant murmur of voices from other study groups tucked away amongst the stacks.
It was peaceful. For now, at least.
"Hey," Tina whispered after a little while, breaking the silence at our table. She glanced around furtively before leaning in closer. "You don't think Linda will try to submit something for this contest, do you?"
I felt my stomach twist into an anxious knot at the mention of her name. Linda had been pretty much radio silent since she had destroyed our studio. The academy had been shockingly peaceful since then, but supposedly she should have returned from her suspension by
now.
"I'm not sure if she's allowed to submit anything," Avis murmured, then glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening before she leaned in closer. "Maybe part of her academic suspension was also disqualifying her from stuff like this."
"Yeah, right," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "The suspension was nothing more than a slap on the wrist. That's all she'll get."
"They should have expelled that little monster," Tina agreed, her lip curling with distaste. "But I guess when your daddy has as much money as hers does, you get special treatment."
We all fell silent, accepting the bitter truth of her words. Linda's parents were extremely wealthy; and although they had taken away her credit card, it was incredibly unlikely that they would ever let their little girl get expelled.NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.
"Whatever," I said at last, shaking my head. "If she knows what's good for her, she'll stay far away from us. I'm sure even she realizes her dad can only pull so many strings before-"
Suddenly, the ping of a new email notification cut me off mid-sentence. Frowning, I opened my laptop again to check who it was from. My
172
7:39 PM
stomach plummeted when I read the subject line.
"Oh, no..."
"What is it?" Tina and Avis asked in unison, both of them eyeing me cautiously.
Wordlessly, I turned the laptop around so they could read the email:
"Dear Miss Thatcher, we regret to inform you that your submission for the new cheerleading uniform design has been denied..."
"No way!" Avis gasped, causing a few nearby students to shush us and throw us dirty looks. Leaning in, she hissed, "You sent it, like, ten minutes ago!"
I held up a hand to stop her from ranting further. "It's okay. We'll just have to take this as an opportunity to prove ourselves, right?" Forcing a reassuring smile, I closed my laptop again. "There's no point getting bent out of shape over it. We've still got the big competition coming up, and that's what really matters."
"You're being way too calm about this," Tina grumbled, her eyes narrowed. "You don't have another trick up your sleeve, do you?"
"No," I laughed as I shoved my laptop into my bag. "I don't. Let's just move on, alright?"
Tina and Avis exchanged wary looks, their lips parted and ready to retort while Gavin looked on in shock. But before anyone could speak, the library's loudspeaker crackled to life.
"Attention, students and faculty. The library will be closing in fifteen minutes. Please begin gathering your bgings and make your way to the exits. Thank you, and have a good evening."
The announcement pulled us out of our thoughts, and I forced myself to take a calming breath. Getting all riled up over losing one measly contest wasn't going to help anything.
"C'mon, let's just pack up and head out," I said, already starting to stuff my sketchbook and other supplies back into my bag. "I'm dying for a beer down at the pub..."
A week later, the day of the big game arrived-the game in which the new cheerleading uniformns would be revealed. I strolled into the gymnasium, Tina and Avis chattering excitedly at my sides and Gavin trailing behind, and did a double take when my gaze landed on the cheerleading squad.
My jaw fell open, my stomach plummeting straight through the floor.
The cheerleaders... They were wearing my design.