Free Bead-Dazzled by Olivia Bennett Page B

stealing the photo of some woman we don’t know.”
    Emma stared at the fantasy woman with the piercing eyes and scornful brows on the screen. “There has to be a better way.”
    “Em, I can do this on the computer,” Charlie began. “Just let me—”
    “No photo. At least not now.” Emma sighed, exasperated.
    “When?” Francesca asked.
    “I don’t know when.” Couldn’t they understand that every mark of her pencil and every stitch of thread were tied to her?
    “E-mail the guy back,” Charlie instructed Francesca. “Say Ms. Biscotti is in someplace like Milan, so she’s not available for lunch. Apologize and all that. About the photo, well, push him off. Say you’re searching out a photo for him to use.” His pale eyes brightened. “We could pretend Allegra has a fear of being photographed.”
    “That’s a whole lot of pretending,” Emma replied. All of a sudden, the enormity of this fashion show and bringing Allegra out in front of so many influential people hit her. She felt like a little girl playing dress up in her mother’s heels. “How long can I really get away with being a secret, undercover fashion designer?”
    “If you play it right, a long time,” Charlie said confidently.
    Emma hoped she was playing it right. The rules to this game were getting a lot more complicated than she could’ve ever imagined.

 
CHAPTER 6
    IN LIVING COLOR
    “S top, Emma!” her mom cried on Saturday morning, pointing to the face of the Chinese diplomat.
    Emma had already slashed small triangles from his cheek with her scissors.
    “It’s old,” Emma explained, holding up the magazine. “From the recycling bin.”
    “Yeah okay, I read that one.” Joan Rose nodded at the magazine’s cover. She had a thing about reading her newspapers and magazine from cover to cover before Emma destroyed them. “That poor man was tortured for being a spy. Though it looks as if you’ve done a job of his face, too.”
    “This strip here”—Emma pointed to a triangle missing from his eyebrow down to his neck—“it has his dark pupil, his tan skin, and the burgundy of his tie. It’s going to make an awesome bead. Very Burberry-like.”
    Dotting the tip of the paper triangle with glue, Emma expertly wrapped it around a toothpick. She sealed the end then slid the colorful paper bead off the stick and onto the top of the pile growing beside her orange juice glass.
    “Whatcha making now?” Will slumped on the chair next to her. His mouth bulged with toast that he’d smeared with raspberry jelly.
    “Swallow much?” Emma rolled her eyes. Her little brother could be so gross.
    Will stuck out his tongue, giving her a clear view of his partially-chewed breakfast. Then he let the jelly dribble from the corner of his mouth. “I’m like a vampire,” he announced.
    “Gross! Mom!” Emma cried.
    “William, manners!” Her mom squinted through rectangular-frames of her glasses. They both knew that squint. That squint meant she was annoyed. That squint meant don’t push it.
    Her mom turned back to the batter she was stirring in a red ceramic bowl. She added cinnamon, took a taste then added more. Mom was on a muffin kick. Last week was blueberry-peach. Today’s had something to do with bananas.
    Will flicked one of her paper beads with his fingers, sending it sailing. It bounced off the refrigerator. “Goal!” he crowed. Grinning mischievously, he reached for another bead.
    “Stop it, brat!” Emma swatted his pudgy fingers. “I need that for my necklace.” Emma wore one stand of colorful paper beads around her neck. From a distance, their jewel tones made them look like expensive enamel cloisonné beads. She planned on making three more strands. Each strand would be slightly longer than the other. The four strands of colorful paper beads cascading down the front of a simple black sweater would look amazing.

    Will backed away from the bead pile. Instead, he spooned more jelly into his mouth then tried to squeeze it