Royal Icing by Sheryl Berk Page A

ACADEMY
CHAPTER 1
    The trip over the Brooklyn Bridge to the Fashion Academy of Brooklyn—aka FAB—had taken longer than she expected, but Mickey Williams didn’t mind the bumper-to-bumper traffic or the honking horns. She was taking it all in: the sights and sounds that were New York City, fashion capital of the world! As the kids filed off the school bus, she was able to get a better look at what they were all wearing. She saw several Abercrombie hoodies, a few Brandy Melville graphic tees, and countless pairs of Superga sneakers in boring tennis white.
    What happened to pushing the envelope? she wondered. Where was the creativity? The originality? They all looked like carbon copies of each other. FAB was supposed to be cutting edge; a place where the fashion designers of the future went to school! She had convinced her mom there was nowhere else in the world she wanted to go, even if it meant leaving her home in Philadelphia and living with her Aunt Olive in a cramped Upper West Side apartment.
    Mickey walked up the steps to the school’s huge gray concrete and glass doors. Even the building looked boring.
    A voice behind her read her mind. “You were expecting something a bit more artsy, right?”
    She turned to see a short boy carrying a tote bag that was almost as big as he was.
    â€œI guess,” Mickey replied. “I’m not sure what I was expecting.”
    â€œYou’re new,” he said, climbing the steps. “Sixth-grader?”
    Mickey nodded. “You?”
    â€œSeventh. I’m Javen Cumberbatch.” He dug in the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a business card. Mickey read it: “JC Canine Couture.”
    â€œYou design for dogs?” she gasped.
    The boy raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t be so judgy, Miss ‘I colored my hair with chalk to look like a salad.’”
    â€œIt’s green, okay? I like green.”
    He chuckled. “Apparently. I can tell from the splatter paint on your shirt and pants. But your bag rocks. Really.” Mickey had stitched together two flannel dust bags used to protect designer purses—one that read PRADA, the other Louis Vuitton—and attached two belts for handles. Total cost from her thrift store scavenger hunt: $4.
    Mickey smiled and noticed that JC’s bag was moving. “Is there something in there?” she whispered.
    He unzipped the top of his tote and a tiny wet nose poked out. “Madonna the Chihuahua, meet…what’s your name again?”
    â€œMickey. Mickey Williams.”
    â€œDon’t tell anyone, okay?” he said, zipping Madonna back into her home. “No dogs on FAB property. Mr. Kaye would have a fit. But she’s kind of my mascot. She goes where I go.”
    â€œI promise. Your secret is safe with me,” Mickey replied. “But who’s Mr. Kaye?”
    â€œOnly the toughest Apparel Arts teacher in the entire school.”
    â€œOh,” Mickey gulped.
    â€œYou definitely want to watch out for him…and those two.” He motioned to the curb where a large black stretch limo was pulling up. A girl and a boy stepped out, waving to the crowd of students as if they were royalty.
    Mickey wrinkled her nose. “Who are they?”
    â€œThe Lee Twins. They’re in my grade. Their mom is Bridget Lee, wedding designer to the stars.”
    Mickey whistled through her teeth. “Whoa! She’s super-famous.”
    â€œExacterooni,” JC replied. “So steer clear of Blake and Jake. Or as I prefer to call them, Tweedle Mean and Meaner.”
    Mickey stared at the pair. They looked fairly normal, if not a bit fancy for the first day of school. Blake was wearing white lace shorts and a white chiffon halter top. Her long black hair was pulled back in a rhinestone headband that looked like a tiara. Jake was dressed in a white linen suit with a baby blue polo shirt underneath.
    When Blake was done air-kissing all her friends on