Chapter 73
Claire always joked that she was going to be a designer one day, so she’d better start by learning to draw. Sophia just shrugged, secretly wishing she had a dream like that too.
“Draw a couple of cute dresses. One black, one white. Black and white swans… or maybe.” Claire trailed off, the idea of the real and fake heiress flickering in her eyes. The inspiration, honestly, had come from watching Cindy.
The white dress was soft and delicate, like a fragile flower, but there was a clever little twist to it that made it quietly alluring. The black dress was sharp and cool, but there was something wild about it, something that wrapped around you and wouldn’t let go.
Molly and Cindy, sitting just ahead, were totally eavesdropping. Molly made her usual annoyed sound, rolling her eyes. Cindy, on the other hand, got lost in her own thoughts. She’d never learned how to draw, or more accurately, she’d tried as a kid and had zero talent for it. Her mom always said she should master at least one art. So her mom picked piano, insisting that girls who played looked just like little princesses. Cindy remembered Claire at the debutante ball, playing piano so beautifully. If Claire could do it, maybe she could too.
Now, Cindy was wondering if she should sign up for a drawing class herself. She had no idea Claire’s casual creativity would have this kind of effect on her.
Over the next few classes, Cindy was so busy trying to keep up that she didn’t have time to start any drama with Claire. Claire welcomed the break. For once, everything felt peaceful.
When the bell rang for lunch, Sophia turned to Claire with a grin. “About your birthday… ugh, let’s not talk about it. Let me buy you lunch, okay p>
Claire knew Sophia was steering clear of the whole debutante mess, not wanting to upset her. “If you’re treating, I’m definitely not saying no,” Claire said, flashing her a smile.
“But first, you have to come with me to see the homeroom teacher p>
“Deal,” Sophia agreed right away.
Molly, meanwhile, was inviting Cindy to eat with her, pretending it was all about welcoming a new friend. But
when she overheard Sophia and Claire she shot Sophia a glare
“She’s not the James family heiress anymore. Sophia, do you really need to keep sucking up to her p>
Sophia’s eyes narrowed, her temper flaring. “Sucking up? Claire and I have always been friends. Unlike some people, I don’t drop someone just because they’re not the heiress anymore p>
“If you want to talk about suck-ups, there’s a real one barking in front of me right now,” she added, looking straight at Molly.
Molly, sitting right in front of Sophia, immediately bristled. “Who are you calling a dog p>
“Whoever answers,” Sophia shot back, quick as ever. She never let Molly walk all over her.
It was clear neither girl was backing down. Just as things were about to get out of hand, Claire grabbed Sophia’s arm. “Come on, didn’t you promise to go with me to find our teacher? If we don’t hurry, she’ll probably leave for lunch p>
“Fine,” Sophia said, giving Molly one last glare before walking away. She even threw in a little warning. “You’d better watch your mouth, Molly, or don’t blame me if my fists forget who you are p>
Sophia might have been tiny, but she’d learned Muay Thai from her uncle for years and she could really fight. She was all heart too. To her, Claire was her friend, no matter what anyone else thought about her status. It was the fake friends, the ones who were all smiles one
minute and gone the next, that
Sophia couldn’t stand.
Molly craned her neck and shouted, “You think I’m scared of you? You’re nothing but a brute who loves to
fight!” Cindy had to hold her backet
even though it was obvious Molly was a little scared Still, after being called a suck-up, she couldn’t back down. Admitting it would be like saying she really was Cindy’s lapdog.