Silverside Academy

Thread & Needle on Main

Though Janet was able to put up a great wall of confidence, beside her, Eilidh grew smaller.

She hated the way the clothes here looked. It wasn’t the materials or the colors or anything like that. It was the deep, flashy bustlines.

Her cheeks burned as she thought of all the times she’d been told she had a nice body. All by way older guys who had no idea how young she was. And while many women might’ve considered big breasts and wide hips a blessing, plenty of girls were quick to tease her about it.

As she eyed another dress with a plunging neckline, she thought at least none of them have to see this in the mirror. Or have to try to dress it.

Cute clothes for girls her age didn’t fit, and the stuff they made for women who could share clothes with her made her feel trashy.

Her worries were cut short when a woman with a forced grin and cruel eyes approached them. “Hello and welcome. Are you vendors?”

Eilidh’s eyebrows furrowed. Vendors? She wondered if the woman was crazy. Does it look like we came in with boxes?

Janet, however, crossed her arms. Not in a defensive way, but the authoritative way Eilidh had seen her do whenever she was in trouble.

“No.” Her voice was silky smooth despite the woman’s rude assumptions. “We’re here to look around.”

Not willing to give up those assumptions so easily, the woman turned just enough to show the store behind her. “Were you looking for Thread and Needle on Main?” The way she emphasized the words with painstaking clarity drove her point home. She didn’t think they belonged here.

Eilidh stiffened. Not because the woman was wrong, but because she agreed with her.

I don’t belong here. Then, that other voice, quiet but firm, You belong wherever you see fit to. Show your spine.

“I’m aware of the store,” Janet continued in that same buttery tone. “We’re here to buy uniforms for Silverside Academy.” She echoed the woman’s tone, placing importance on words that really didn’t matter to her at all.

The associate’s face immediately went pale. Her eyes darted to a woman who could only be the manager. Already, that woman was on her way over.

She wore a shark’s grin and her sharp, appraising eyes held no warmth. She held out her hand to Janet in a polite, soft handshake.

“Hi there! My name is Alexia. I’m the assistant manager here. Sorry about the misunderstanding.” She turned her hard gaze to the girl who had greeted them and said, “Sorry about Chandra, she’s new. And she has inventory to do.”

The younger woman barely disguised a gulp before she practically darted to the back.

“Did you say ‘Silverside Academy’? We have a lot of girls come here for their uniforms. Boys, too!” She added quickly, as if they gave a single flip. “But mostly girls. We understand how important style and comfort are for young ladies.”

Though this woman was much nicer to their faces, neither Eilidh nor Janet were fooled by her. Eilidh had seen the way her eyes had raked them from head to toe as she approached. Not to mention the fact that she hadn’t bothered to step in when her employee was being rude.

Not until she had reason to believe they could throw money down.

Alexia led them through outfits meant for classy dates and sexy nights in, sharp business suits and luxury swimwear.

With each step, Eilidh felt more and more out of place.

She was no stranger to dresses, or the desire to look nice. But these things? These prices? It was like being in a different world.

“If you’re new to the area, I’d be more than happy to help you shop. We’ve had several young ladies come through already. I know what’s popular this season.” Alexia turned and gave a playful wink. One that didn’t quite match the shrewd look in her eyes.

“No, thank you.” Janet managed a smile. “I think we’ll have more fun shopping for ourselves.” Besides, she thought. The last thing Eilidh will want right now is to fit in with a bunch of snobby girls.

She stole a glance at the girl she’d raised as her own for so long. I just hope you find a way to be happy again.

Her moment of musing was brought to a rather abrupt halt when Alexia waved towards the back corner of the boutique. “Here we are.” She flashed a big, salesy smile at them again. “Are you sure I can’t help you with anything?” Her eyes raked over them again, lingering on the purse hanging from Janet’s arm. “I can get a fitting room started?”

Try as she might to keep her tone neutral, even Eilidh, who didn’t have a ton of experience with such waspish behavior, got the gist of the woman’s words.

She thinks we’re going to steal.

Though she wished she was simply being paranoid, she noticed Alexia watching them as they perused the uniforms. Thankfully, Eilidh found herself distracted from the assistant manager pretty quickly.

Organic linen? Egyptian Cotton? What is poplin? Or twill?

Eilidh read over the shirt tags with a sense of trepidation. The fabrics she recognized sounded more like sheets than shirts, and the others… She shook her head.

Still, there was no denying how wonderfully smooth and cool the materials felt under her fingers. The soft hiss of the firmer shirts, the airy whisper of the others.

It’s almost worth the money. She told herself, even though she hadn’t seen a single price tag on them.

With her mother’s help, she chose a few short sleeve linen and cotton shirts. To round out the selection, they got a couple of poplin and twill shirts, as well. They were slightly different in terms of weight, and feel.

Then they moved on to the skirts. They were made of many of the same fabrics, though she noticed some were labelled, ‘fine Japanese gabardine’ and ‘sateen’. They felt amazing, though, and again, she thought they must be worth whatever they cost.

She complied as Janet held shirt-and-skirt combos up to her in front of one of the pristine mirrors that dappled the shop. Admittedly, they looked nice.

The real test will be trying them on. Eilidh refused to let her hopes get too high before then.

When her and her mother’s arms were laden with clothes, Alexia appeared from behind a nearby rack. “Wonderful selections! Are you ready for a dressing room?” Her cheery tone seemed more insistent now.

Janet stepped between the assistant manager and her daughter. “Almost. We wanted to look at some accessories, first.”

This time, Alexia was barely able to contain her sneer. Her veneer slipped just a little as she said, “Yes, ma’am.” Her tone was cool and clipped.

Eilidh couldn’t understand why the woman was so hot-and-cold. She must be as hungry for the sale as she is worried about the theft. She watched the woman slink back to the corner of an adjoining section and pretend to sort the dresses there.

If this is what the outfitter for the school is like, I’d hate to see the students.

The thought churned her stomach unpleasantly. She regretted having so much ice cream.

As if sensing her discomfort, Janet put a hand on Eilidh’s back and ushered her towards the wall of accessories.

There were silk bows and ribbons for hair, as well as thicker ones labelled ‘lavalliers’.

Eilidh’s auburn eyebrows knitted together.

“What’s a lavallier?” She voiced her thoughts.

Her mother ran a finger down one of the many perfectly tied bows. This particular one was exactly the same shade as one of the skirts.

“It’s a bow to wear around your collar. It’s a bit of an older style, but it seems to be in fashion again.”

She plucked a few down, one for each of the skirts, plus a couple of other solid colors. “Here,” she handed them to Eilidh, then grabbed some cotton tights and silk stockings. “I think this should be good, right?”

Then, catching sight of another display of accessories, she added, “Oh, look!”

Though her voice was practically joyful, Eilidh knew something was off. She studied her mother’s face.

Janet’s usually bright eyes were heavy, and her skin was a little waxier than usual - even under her makeup.

She’d seen that look on her mother’s face before. Usually when they were behind on bills.

Even as she thought it, Janet pulled down a handful of luxurious hair accessories, including a few ‘hair charms’ that looked like they cost more than a day’s wage.

The weight of the last 24 hours crashed down on her.

I was so mean to her. Tears threatened to well in her eyes. And she took me out for ice cream and is spending all this money just so I’ll fit in.

She couldn’t take it.

“This is too much,” she began, guilt wracking her body. In a rushed whisper, she added, “We can just go to MalMart.”

A pained, furious look flashed across her mother’s face.

Janet held up her hand, silencing her daughter.