The It Girl (18 page)

Burt attempted to examine my head as I shook with laughter and then put a hand in the air to demand quiet. “To the sink!”

My hair has never experienced so many products as Burt scrubbed and rinsed, before blasting the hair dryer at me. Then there was more combing, some hair spray, a rather uncomfortable moment when I couldn't see anything as he pushed my hair down over my face to create bangs, and suddenly everyone was quiet.

“Well, Anna?” Burt took a step back and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “What do you think?”

For a moment I couldn't say anything because there was a girl looking back at me in the mirror that I didn't even recognize. My auburn hair was glossy,
really
glossy, like Marianne's. And it actually had volume, framing my face rather than hanging limply around it. My eyes peeked out from under the bangs and somehow they looked bigger and brighter. I looked . . .
nice
.

“It's amazing the difference a simple haircut can make.” Marianne smiled gently at me.

“Simple?” Burt huffed. “Great artists
make
it look easy.”

“Darling, you look just stunning!” Mom said, choking back tears. “So grown-up!”

“Burt, you really are a genius,” Helena gushed. “You look beautiful, Anna.”

“Well”—Burt smiled kindly at me in the mirror—“it helps when your model has the raw material.”

“Now,” Helena said, clapping her hands excitedly, “shopping time!”

“Excellent idea, Helena.” Mom jumped up. “Lead the way!”

As the two of them started mapping out the shops we needed to visit and how many days they would need to get around them all, Marianne looked very amused.

“Looks like we're in for an interesting week.”

I stared back at my reflection and nodded. “Yeah. Looks like it.”

•  •  •

By the end of break I had been to so many stores, and been primped and preened by so many people, that I wondered how anyone managed to look this prepared all the time. Celebrities must feel constantly exhausted by everything that goes on to make them look naturally good. Friday was the biggest day
of all, because Marianne had invited me to a premiere.

She even let me come to her house first to have my makeup done, and her stylist was going to help me pick out a dress from her collection. Dad was so ecstatic that Marianne and I were going to be getting ready together that he stopped whining about how I was changing too much and growing up too fast. Instead he kept going on about how nice it was that we were “bonding” and played Billy Joel at full volume as he drove me over to their house, singing along and bopping his shoulders. When “Uptown Girl” came on I thought he was going to explode with joy. I had to tell him to calm down as I didn't want him to have an aneurysm or anything.

Even Mom in the front seat was slightly disconcerted by his behavior. “Honestly, Nicholas, I haven't see you this smug since you interviewed Paul McCartney.”

He wasn't the only one. Helena had organized snacks that would have fed a small nation, and their entire living room had been transformed into our dressing room. I looked through the clothes racks that were dotted around the room in awe. “We have some ideas for you, so you can pick the one you like the most,” Cat, Marianne's smiley stylist with pink dip-dyed hair, informed me as she started pulling dresses out of the mass.
“But I think Marianne has one that she thinks you'll particularly like.”

“Yeah I do.” Marianne came traipsing down the stairs and into the room, her hair in curlers, wearing a white bathrobe that had a gold embroidered “M” on it. On her feet were really big . . .
Winnie the Pooh slippers
?

Wait a moment.

“Marianne!” I blurted out before I could think. “What are those?” I pointed at her footwear.

“What? They're slippers.” She shrugged and stuck out a foot. “What's wrong with them?”

“They're big Winnie the Pooh faces. On your feet.”

“What's your point here?”

Oh ho ho. How the tables had turned.

“Marianne.” I smirked. “You are a secret nerd.”

“What?” She glanced in a panic at Cat. “No I'm not.”

“Yeah you are!” I beamed. “You are a nerd! You have Winnie the Pooh slippers!”

“I'm not a nerd!”

“I have to say, you had me fooled. I thought that we were not of the same ilk, but . . .” I reached into the tote bag I had brought with me and dramatically whipped out a pair of Eeyore slippers. “I was wrong.”

“Oh my goodness!” Helena cried from the doorway. “You are matching!”

Marianne looked from me to her mother and back at me again. Before she burst into laughter. “What can I say?” She grinned, reaching for a clothes bag hanging on one of the racks. “Geek chic?”

Helena scuttled off excitedly to get my parents and inform them of the slipper revelation while Marianne held up a navy blue long silk dress. “This will suit you—try it on.”

I'd never seen anything so beautiful and was happy just to stare at the dress on the hanger, but Marianne was being all bossy and made Cat get me into it before I even got to inspect it properly.

“Go on, go on,” Marianne said, herding me toward the full-length mirror when Cat had finished fussing and making her last adjustments.

I held up the dress around my ankles so I didn't trip and shuffled over to the mirror, making a mental note to practice walking like a normal person before we left. I felt like a five-year-old who had raided her mother's wardrobe—until I looked up into the mirror.

I was so surprised that I did a little gasp that made Cat and Marianne exchange a smug glance. The silky dress fell
down from the tiny jeweled spaghetti straps like a waterfall, just skimming the floor. And its deep navy hue was the color of midnight. I couldn't stop looking at it.

“Well? What do you think?” Marianne asked.

“I feel like a movie star,” I breathed, twirling around and watching the dress catch the light from all different angles.

“We haven't finished with you yet,” Marianne stated as Cat came over to help me reluctantly step out of the dress so that a nice makeup artist named Taylor, who had been in the kitchen chatting with Dad about great places to go fishing, could sort out my face and hair.

When both our makeup and hair were done, Marianne ordered everyone out of the room.

“No need to be quite so controlling, darling. You really are becoming more and more like me every day,” Helena grumbled as she was sent to the kitchen, having been admiring the whole process with my mother from the sofa.

“So they can see the full effect as we emerge,” Marianne explained once they had all filed out. “I'll help you into your dress.”

She zipped me up and then let me put on my shoes and jewelry before she took a step back, and with her hands on her hips, said, “All right then. Show me your pose.”

“My what?”

“Your pose.”

“I have a pose?”

“You have to have a pose. For all the photographers. That's why we're going.”

“We're going for the film,” I said pointedly.

“No one goes for the film apart from nerds. Oh yeah, for a second I forgot who I was talking to. Okay, I guess you're going for the film.” She raised her eyebrows. “Go on then.”

“Go on what?!”

“Your POSE. Pretend I'm a photographer . . . and go.”

I took a moment to think about it.

“Come on!”

“All
RIGHT
. Keep your slippers on.”

I struck a pose. Marianne paused.

“I'm sorry, did I ask you to do an impression of a goose?”

“I was doing an impression of a goose?”

“It's the first animal that came to my head when I saw you. Definite resemblance.” Marianne nodded gravely.

“I didn't know I could do a goose.”

“Focus, Anna. Shoulders back, head up, one arm on your hip, the other by your side, one leg slightly in front of the other one, elongated, head slightly tilted,” Marianne reeled
off as I desperately tried to keep up with her instructions.

She paused to look at me. “You look ridiculous.” She sighed and came over to rearrange limbs, poking me all over the place and moving my head around.

She pushed my shoulders back, kicked my ankle so that I moved my leg forward, and then she took a step back to admire her handiwork. “Something is missing.”

“My ankle bone?” I scowled.

“Ah!” She winked at me. “Remember to smile.”

I grimaced, my ankle still smarting.

“What is that?! You're flirting with the camera, not taking it on in a fight.”

I laughed.

“Perfect! Anna Huntley, you look like an It Girl.”

I beamed.

“Are you ready?” she asked, leading me past our cooing parents and to the front door, where a limousine was waiting.

I nodded. Time to change.

ANNA PAINTS THE TOWN RED!

By Nancy Rose—
The Daily Post

Red is the color of the season according to new girl about town, Anna Huntley. This weekend the twelve-year-old was out in London attending the movie premiere of
You and I
and took the opportunity to show off her brand-new look. Sporting glossy red locks, Anna arrived with Marianne Montaine wearing a figure-hugging Alexander McQueen dress, accessorized with Tiffany's bangles and a statement Topshop necklace. She may be a lot younger than her soon-to-be stepsister, but she showed that she can make waves just as big. We love Anna's new look! Do you? Rate it out of five below.

WHAT AN(NA) IT GIRL!

By Hannah Lightly—
Entertainment Daily

Spotted: the Montaines showing the newest addition to their family how it's done! Actress Helena Montaine and her daughter Marianne have been out and about this week with Anna Huntley, the daughter of Helena's journalist fiancé, Nicholas. It looks like Anna has been picking up style tips from those in the know, as we caught them enjoying a lovely day on London's Bond Street laden down with shopping bags. Despite shying away from attention in recent weeks, it looks like Anna is beginning to embrace the It Girl lifestyle . . . and with a family like the Montaines guiding her, who can blame her? Enjoy some of Marianne's and Anna's looks this week in our photo montage on the next page.

SISTER SISTER!

By Tammy May—
Stylish Online

We were thrilled this week to see Marianne Montaine and the usually camera-shy Anna Huntley, the daughter of Helena Montaine's fiancé, bonding over some extreme shopping, but things got even more adorable when a few days later Anna accompanied her future stepsister to the premere of a new film. We caught up with Ms. Huntley as she entered the theater and asked if she was excited
about the evening. She replied that she was “simply honored to be here with Marianne.” Everyone together now, aww . . .

“Wow. You look amazing, Anna. I didn't know you were doing this!” Jess ran up to me at my locker and gave me a big hug. We hadn't seen each other over break, as Marianne had organized a whirlwind of social engagements for us to get the new me out there for everyone to see. It had been exhausting and I had missed Jess and Danny, but I knew it would be easier for them when the new shiny me turned up at school and not the old Anna who had led them from one embarrassment to another.

I put my hand up to my hair self-consciously. “Do you like it, really?”

“Really. But then I also liked the old you too. But seriously, you look great.”

I grinned, happy at Jess's approval. “I missed you over break.”

“Geek.” She blushed. “But I missed you too, Ms. Social Butterfly. Luckily I was fairly busy too—I went to this amazing magazine photography exhibition. It made me feel quite excited. I think you were right, Anna; I really like the idea of it.”

“That's great, Jess,” I enthused. “I really hope you get that internship in the raffle.”

“Well, the chances are slim, and that's all down to luck.” She shrugged. “But Mom said she might get me a real professional camera if I do win it. And I was thinking, even if I don't, maybe I could write a letter to Brendan's mom asking for experience next summer. Or maybe your dad knows someone?” She looked sheepish. “Or Marianne might have a photographer friend?”

“Of course, that's a great idea. I can ask them.”

“Would you, Anna? That would be so great!” Jess seemed so happy, and I felt a big rush of relief. I had been nervous about going back to school and seeing Jess. She'd been really kind on e-mail about the rappelling disaster, but I knew it must have been embarrassing for her. It felt like the new me was starting to pay off already.

“Wow.”

We both turned to see Brendan standing there.

It was the exact reaction I had been hoping for. I looked at Jess and grinned.

“You look great, Anna.” He smiled. “Big change.”

“Sure is,” Jess said, watching him carefully.

“I saw you in the papers,” he said. “Must be pretty cool to go to stuff like that. Was the movie good?”

I nodded, my mouth feeling very dry. Luckily Jess doesn't completely lose her head when a boy talks to her. “She said it was really funny,” Jess prompted me.

“It was very funny,” I repeated.

“Nice,” Brendan replied. We stood there for a little longer, me trying to think of something good to say and failing, Jess watching me with interest. “Well,” he said eventually, “better go to class.”

“See you.” Jess shook her head as he strolled off. “Well, you handled that well.”

“Was it really awkward? Was I embarrassing? Why will no one tell me what to say to boys?!”

“Relax, Anna.” She laughed. “Just be yourself. You talk to Danny fine.”