6. Shop me my style

"Good morning, everyone," I said into my phone camera and posed for a picture. "Day one of twin sis makeover (TSM)" I wrote above the photo I just made and posted it in social media.

I had my "Stained" T-shirt on, dressed like myself with my hair down and only mascara on. I wondered how will I look at the end of the day when Tina forces her fashion ideas on me.

I went to the kitchen and grabbed a banana for the road. It's my favorite breakfast. Sweet, easy to eat when you are not in the mood and healthy. I like to get one "to go" and eat it in my car while driving to school. That was what I did today too, the only difference was that I spotted Tina in the yard when she was going to her car, and she actually said "hi" to me with a very big not fake smile. That was a first!

"I will see you near the lockers at 14:30h, okay?" she asked and I nodded.

At the parking lot at school, I was making a list of things that I can use for the project that can excuse my absence and will make my painting pop up. Linda came with her short clothes and her strange walking like she is jumping from joy or something.

"Hi, Al." She greeted and I responded with "Hi, Lin."

It was nice to see her after last night, but I knew I should hide a giant secret from her. Not that it's my secret, but I felt the need to tell her all that is going on in my life. She was my person. The one I tell everything to and who gets me. I must force myself to hide Tina's secret, it's the right thing to do.

"What are you doing?" She questioned and her black eyes picked at my phone, where I was making my list of supplies.

"I am going to buy some stuff at the end of school hours, but first I need to talk to the dean to let me go." I gave her a sad look. "Would you like to help me convince him?"

"You are skipping class? Count me in then and I will help you." She grinned devilishly.

Dean Webster had a soft spot for begging students and Linda was amazing at it. Give her a chance to show her big black puppy eyes and that is all it takes. She once graveled to the dean to let us make our history lesson into a themed one hour party, like an educational ball with masks. Lessons must be sometimes cool, right? You should have seen Mr. Rogers, wondering how to actually have fun, no matter that it was his subject.

We still had fifteen minutes until our first class, so we went first to arrange our stuff with Mr. Webster. The corridor was absolutely empty this early at the day. Our steps were echoing, and we felt the need to whisper for no reason. There were students in the hall on the other side of the wall, but here was quiet.

Reaching the dean's door, I knocked and waited for the woman to invite us like she did the other day. When it didn't happen, Linda and I shared a puzzled look, and this time she knocked. I lifted my shoulders and turned to leave when the door opened wide and cheerful Mr. Webster made a sign with his hand, inviting us inside.

"Good morning, girls. My secretary is not here yet. Sit down, tell me how can I help you." He said with his tiny voice, unlike any man.

We placed our butts on the bench and I explained that I need to go and get some stuff for the project, but my free time is with the project itself. He was listening to me with narrowed eyebrows, probably wondering if I am laying to him.

"You see, Alice is going crazy with her amazing ideas. There are so many ways to improve their work. What we can buy will inspire others too. We are not going there only for Alice, all students in the project can use the materials as they see fit." Linda said in one breath with a nerd expression.

"Of course, it's not only for me. That is why I will ask you to dismiss Linda... and Tina too." I said and the "head of the girl next to me snapped in surprise.

"Tina?" Mr. Webster asked.

"Yeah, my... sister Tina Stevens," I said, hoping that I sound convincing.

"She will take part in this?" The dean questioned, leaning a bit over the small glass table in front of us.

I nodded and the silence filled the room until the door opened and the woman from the other day came inside with two coffees in her hands and flushed cheeks.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Webster. I had car trouble but managed to get the coffee anyway and on my way here... Oh, sorry. Good"morning, girls." She rambled in a hurry while leaving her stuff on her desk.

"Good morning." Linda and I answered together.

The dean only gave a smile to her and turned to us. "Outstanding! You can go on and tell Tina that I will let you three...  free for the last two classes..., but-"

Linda cut him off raising from her place "Thank you, thank you, dean Webster. You will not feel sorry after you see what they will create"

"But?" I invited him to continue, standing up with a smile.

"But I want to see what you really bought and I want the receipt so the school can cover what you bought for the walls." He demanded.

"You will! Thank you so much!" I grinned at him, and we went outside, locking the horrible smell of coffee in the room behind us.

"So what's with this Tina thing? I thought you hate each other?" Linda asked me what I knew was coming.

"We don't hate each other. We just are not close, or like each other." I shrugged.

"But why her? I can't imagine it... Did you invite her? It's so unlike you."

"The truth is that she will be helping me." I leaned to her to whisper.

"What? Why would she and for what?"

"We are not going to get only painting supplies. We are going shopping, and she will pick what I will wear for tonight." I confessed and her jaw dropped on the floor.

"Are you mental? Why? What good can come from this and how-the-hell-did-you convince her to do that?" She made a pause on the words to made them stand out.

"I... I thought I need a change... and dad wants us to act more like a family, so this is me trying" I half lied.

She looked like her eyes are going to pop out from what I was telling her. That's how well she knows me. With half the information - I would question my motives too.

______________________________________

I was leaning at the wall on the locker's hall with my backpack on my shoulder and was talking with Linda about her blog. Soon Tina's heels announced every step she was taking towards us, and we both turned around to the sound, waiting for the Barbie to appear behind the corner.

"Oh My God! I can't believe she is coming with us... like we are friends," Linda exclaimed with her mouth open when my step-sister's blond hair came to sight.

"Yeah, but don't think that we are among the popular kids now. Okay?" I warned her with a smile. "Let's go, guys," I added, not waiting for Tina to come all the way to us.

Twenty minutes later we were at the mall. We took my car and drove in silence. Actually the first words that my half-sister said since school were "Let's go upstairs to my favorite place." and we just followed.

She entered a shop that I would never go on my own and started putting clothes into her shopping basket. I just gave a worried look to Linda and went after Tina. Ten minutes later, I was in the changing room with a pile of clothes.

"You can't be serious! This is too flashy!" I complained to the girls, outside the curtains. "And I can't even... What is that?" I groaned.

"Will you just put it on and trust me. I am known for my way of clothing. Stop whining like a spoiled kid. Act more mature," Tina's voice said and I sighed. I can't expect her to change because we had a moment.

"Yeah, known for putting yourself in people's eyes by wearing glittering or revealing clothes." I murmured.

"I don't know what are you saying, but I don't care. No complaining." She said in a confident voice.

"Ugh, fine!" I gave up and dressed in a brown lace top, revealing my simple black sports bra.

Under it, she gave me a tight leather black skirt and leather boots above my knees. This is crazy! I removed the curtain to show my ridiculous look.

"Wow! That's... actually amazing!" Linda yelled, getting up from a bench a few feet away from me. "I think it's perfect!"

"I know my stuff!" Tina said, crossing proudly her arms on her chest.

I turned around to see if we are watching the same thing and groaned. "No way! I am not showing myself to any public place looking like that!" I yelled and fast went to remove those things off me.

"She will come around. She just needs to get used to it." I heard my best friend say, while I was changing in the next crazy top. It was not revealing, but it had no sleeves and too many small gems on it in all the colors of the rainbow. I so love black and white! I said to myself. Anyway, I put it on, and then a white skirt way above my knees with a giant dark brown belt. There was another set of boots that I have to admit that I liked, and they were going perfectly with the belt color.

I went outside to show this outfit and this time no one said a thing. Both were just looking at me in... awe?

"What? You don't like it this time?" I lifted my shoulders.

"Oh, the opposite! You are going like that, you hear me?" Linda ordered with her eyes wide open. "If you try to protest, you will have to deal with me!"

"She is hot, isn't she? Almost like she is not Alice!" My step-sister asked with a surprised grin and my best friend fast nodded.

"You are supposed to be my person!" I complained to Linda in defeat and closed the damn curtain.