Girlfriend for Hire

Chapter Six: Stitches

Belle

The studio was a whirlwind of color and creativity. The walls were adorned with sketches of upcoming designs, some already pinned on mannequins. Fabrics in every shade imaginable cascaded from shelves. It was like stepping into a sartorial dream, or, in my case, a sartorial nightmare. As much as I hated to admit it, Raven’s mom had a pretty impressive setup here.

Raven breezed in with her usual flair, a human hurricane with impeccable style. I trailed behind, feeling like the plain, sensible friend in every rom-com ever. I was in my usual jeans and a hoodie, nothing that screamed “fashion icon.” The irony wasn’t lost on me that I was here to play dress-up with Raven’s mother’s designer.

“Hey, Alessandro,” Raven called out. He turned, flashing a smile that could light up a room.

“Raven! Darling, what brings you here today?” he asked, his voice lilting with a distinct charm.

“I need a favor. This is Belle, my friend from school,” Raven said, waving a hand in my direction. “And my experiment for the day.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Experiment?”

“Yes, experiment. As in, a fashion makeover. It’ll be fun! Plus, I think you’d look amazing with a new look,” Raven said, beaming.

Alessandro looked me over, then shook his head disapprovingly. “Plaid? Really? We can do so much better.”

I crossed my arms, feeling a twinge of defensiveness. “I don’t know. This feels a little too much like My Fair Lady.”

Raven groaned. “Come on, Belle! It’s just for fun. Think of it as an adventure. Besides, who doesn’t want to feel like a movie star for a day?”

I rolled my eyes. “Sure, because I’ve always dreamed of being a guinea pig.”

Raven’s smile faltered, and I saw a flicker of hurt in her eyes. “It’s just a trial, Belle. If you don’t like it, we stop.”

The word “guinea pig” stung more than I cared to admit. Memories of Jake’s comments on my clothes and my clubmates’ remarks about my weight flashed through my mind. I looked away, swallowing hard. “Fine, but I’m not promising anything.”

Alessandro clapped his hands together. “Wonderful! Let’s get started.”

The next hour was a blur of fabric, laughter, and Raven’s running commentary. The first outfit was a neon disaster that even Nicki Minaj would reject. “Nope, too much like a highlighter exploded,” Raven critiqued.

Outfit two was a gothic number. “Wednesday Addams called. She wants her dress back,” Raven said, shaking her head.

By the third outfit, I was starting to regret agreeing to this. “I look like a rainbow and a leprechaun had a lovechild,” I muttered, catching Raven’s smirk.

“Okay, fair enough. That one’s on me,” Raven admitted. “But trust me, we’ll find something perfect.”

Finally, we found an outfit that didn’t make me look like a fashion disaster. It was a sleek, black and burgundy jumpsuit that felt like a second skin. I was almost ready to step out when I heard Raven’s phone buzz.

“Ugh, what now?” she muttered. Her eyes widened as she looked at the screen. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“What’s up?” I asked, still in the changing room.

“It’s that new girl, Mia, and Xavier. They’re all over social media,” she said, her voice trembling.

I peeked through the curtain and saw her scrolling furiously. “Let it go, Raven. He’s not worth it.”

Raven didn’t hear me. She was already dialing his number. “Xavier, what the hell is going on?” she demanded.

I listened quietly, my heart sinking as I heard his cold response. “Raven, stop calling me. This is exactly why I left. You’re too clingy. It’s over. And throw that bracelet away, it was a mistake.”

I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of anger on her behalf. Why was I defending her? She had ditched me for the popular crowd, and now she was facing the consequences. Still, it didn’t make hearing her get torn down any easier.

The line went dead, and the silence that followed was deafening. Then, I heard Raven start to cry. I stepped out, conflicted, but unable to stay hidden. I walked over to her and sat down on the chaise lounge chair, wrapping my arms around her as she sobbed into the very expensive outfit I would probably have to pay for.

“Why, Belle? What did I do wrong?” she choked out between sobs.

I stayed silent, holding her tightly. I wanted to tell her that Xavier was an idiot, that she didn’t need him to validate her. But the words felt hollow. Instead, I just let her cry, feeling the fabric of my new outfit dampen with her tears.

After a while, Raven pulled back, wiping her eyes. “You look beautiful. I don’t want to ruin your outfit.”

I smiled softly. “Thanks. And you know, you’re beautiful too. You don’t need him to say that for you to believe it.”

For a moment, we sat there in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging between us. Raven looked at me, her eyes red but determined. “I’ll be okay. Thanks, Belle.”

I nodded, feeling a strange sense of camaraderie. Maybe we weren’t so different after all.

Alessandro walked over, clapping his hands gently. “Well, this has been an eventful makeover. Shall we get back to it?”

I glanced at Raven, who nodded. “Yeah, let’s finish this.”

We spent the next hour finalizing my new look. Alessandro worked his magic, and by the end, I barely recognized myself. The sleek black and burgundy outfit gave me a sophisticated, authorial vibe. It was a far cry from my usual plaid, but I had to admit, it felt good.

As we left the studio, Raven seemed lighter, more at ease. Maybe this was the start of something new. Or maybe the sequins had gittwn to my head.