Glitches (Book 1)

Chapter 15: Claire

The guy on this chapter is Vince.

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Okay, Claire, today's the big day!" I heard Tracy's cheery voice outside my room. Sliding my legs over the side of the bed and looking around, I panicked for a second. Last night, Justin had been asleep in a tangle of sheets on the floor. Where was he? I brushed the thought off, it wasn't unlike him to go off exploring without bothering to tell me. 

"Surprise!" I glanced up to see my door open and a happy Cookie girl standing in the doorway with a gorgeous purple dress on a velvety hanger. 

"Megan wore it for her Membership Day, so we figured it would be cool if you did too," Tracy explained. "Go ahead and put it on, we'll see how you look," she hung the dress on my door handle and stepped outside.

Stepping into the bathroom, I slipped off my loose pajamas, gently took the dress off its hanger, and put it on. It looked extremely tight, but it slid onto my body with ease. It fit like a charm. I felt like a princess as I hopped in front of the mirror and twirled around, the soft silk brushing lightly against my legs. Carefully, I traced my finger down the line of glittering gems that started on the dress's single strap and continued across the neckline and down my side all the way to my hip. It looked amazing already, and I hadn't even done my hair or makeup yet!

"Amanda was right, it's perfect on you!" Tracy walked into my room when she heard my footsteps coming out of the bathroom. "Just a few inches too long, here, I'll get it hemmed," she made a tiny mark with chalk where the dress touched the floor. 

"It's fine, it's just for a day," I shrugged, not wanting to cause them too much trouble. 

"Claire," Tracy grabbed my arm and gave me a serious look. Something dark and mean seemed to peek out from behind her cheery exterior, something that gave me the chills. I looked down, and when I turned my head her way again, it was gone.

I must've imagined it.

"Amanda insists that you look exactly like Megan did on her day seven years ago," the normally kind and accommodating Tracy said icily. 

"Sure, if that's what works best for you," I shrugged, a bit creeped out. 

"You'll find a nice surprise from the Sloppies in your bathroom," she gestured to the small door in the corner. "Leave the dress on your bed when you go in there!" She skipped out the door, back to her normal, joyous self. 

I opened the door that led into the bathroom and was instantly greeted by a sweet aroma. Bubble bath. Excitedly pulling the dress off and tossing it onto the bed, I leaped into the warm pink suds and let the water wash over me. Light pink bubbles rose out of the tub and I tried to pop them like a little kid.

Finally, reluctantly, I climbed out and toweled off to find the counter stocked with various exotic lotions. I ended up with a different cream on each arm and leg because I simply couldn't choose between them. This is heaven, I thought as I pulled on the luxurious bathrobe that hung in my closet and plopped down in an armchair with satisfaction. Just when I noticed that the dress was no longer on my bed, I heard Tracy knock on the door.

"Are you done?" 

"Yeah." 

She opened the door and stepped in, the hemmed dress in her arms. 

"Go in there and put this on," Tracy handed me the dress and sat down on my bed. I went into the bathroom to change, and came out to find the Cookie smiling with approval. 

"Perfect. Now it won't drag on the floor." When I was finished admiring the dress's now perfect size, I heard an unfamiliar voice outside my door.

"May I come in?" 

"Just a sec, Vince," Tracy called back through the door. "That's Vince out there," she whispered to me. "He's one of the less annoying Codies."

"You can come in now!" The door swung open to reveal a boy who looked about Justin's age with dark hair and a muscular build.

"Prepare to be amazed, I am about to Code your look!" Vince said with an exaggerated flourish. "Actually, it's not that amazing. Eva's much better than I am, she created the invisibility shield." 

"Eva?" I gave Tracy a questioning look. 

"Oh," she said, making sure Vince was out of earshot. "Eva Song's the Codie leader. She's, like, a Disney villain in real life as well as Amanda's number one lackey. You'll be meeting her today, don't look forward to it." I nodded, there were more creepy people here than I had thought.

"Wait," I turned to Vince. "Code my look? How exactly does that work?" "Well, as a Glitch, you have no Code, but the Code of the air around you can be manipulated by an experienced Codie in seconds to create the best possible look for you. Eva invented it so Glitch girls don't have to waste time doing their hair and makeup the normal way. Now close your eyes," Vince ordered. I did, and I immediately began to hear the buzzing and whirring of Code. I also felt pleasant tickles on my face and head, which felt kind of like tiny breezes brushing past me. 

"Now open your eyes," Vince said. I was instantly stunned. My hair was up in an elaborate, braided bun that normally would've taken almost an hour to do, and my entire face looked like the work of a professional. 

"How did you do that?" 

"Oh, I didn't do it, the Code did," Vince laughed. "The Code can do amazing things for you if just know how to make it." 

"Cool!" I exclaimed as I stood up to inspect his work. I looked like a different person! Just when I was about to step out the door, I heard Tracy's voice beckoning me to come back.

"Cinderella doesn't leave for the ball without her glass slippers!" She smiled as she held up the fanciest footwear I had ever seen. The high heels were a light lilac to match the dress, and were studded with pretty little sequins. I lifted up the hem of my dress and slid my feet into them. They were awesome!

"Just take the elevator down to the first floor and there'll be people to take care of you there. Good luck!" Tracy smiled. "Hope you don't become a Codie jerk," she added when Vince was out of the room. 

"Me too."