Totlandia - Book 1 / The Onesies

Chapter 10

Monday, 8 October

"Ladies! Ladies! Gather 'round, please." Bettina's lilting declaration was more of a command than a pleasantry.

The mothers from the various groups within the club quit chattering and did as they were told.

"As we all know, Halloween is just around the corner, which means the PHM&T's annual Halloween party is as well."

The squeals and claps were to be expected, despite the fact that the members had been prepping for the event for weeks.

Unlike the probationary Onesies, who, until now, hadn't realized how big a deal it was.

"The rules are strict." The emphasis on that last word came with a laser-like gaze at the newbie Onesies, so they could gauge the importance the event would have on their survival in the club. "First, all costumes are handmade, by each child's mother. Be original, people! The mundane is abhorred, whereas the eclectic is celebrated! Second, all children must participate in the parade in order to be eligible for our wonderful prizes, which were chosen by one of our probationary Onesies, Jade Pierce..." Bettina's hand swept out toward Jade in a gesture of gracious inclusion, "...along with moi. So, yes, you will love them."

Again, not a mere statement, but a command.

The applause that accompanied her departure proved this.

Jillian slumped down on the bench. Between single parenting and almost two weeks of waiting tables, she was downright exhausted. Now she had to make the girls' costumes by hand, too? What she knew about sewing wasn't much more than how to thread a needle to sew on a button. Maybe she could put the girls in large white paper bags lined with a row of black buttons down the center, and they could come as snowmen.

Noting the look on her face, Ally gave her a gentle hug. "Oh, come on, it won't be that difficult to whip something up."

"Speak for yourself," Lorna murmured. Her face mirrored Jillian's worry. In anticipation of the event, she'd already spent a fortune on a miniature Sherlock Holmes outfit she'd found in a costume catalog. Knowing Bettina the way she did, she presumed the word "eclectic" meant the costumes had to be something no one else would have thought of—in other words, no ghosts, witches, Hulks or Iron Man costumes.

"I've got an idea." Ally turned to face them all. "Why not work on them together? There's no rule that says we can't. In fact, we can do it at my house. I'm into crafts, so if you have an idea of what you'd like to make, let me know. I'll see what kind of cloth and felt and feathers and buttons I've got in my stash. Everyone can come by after the meet-up next Monday."

"I'm in!" Lorna and Jillian said at the same time, then laughed together.

"Me, too," Jade said. For once, she felt close to the others—and not just because Brady would be pleased with her.

"I'll pass," Chakra declared with a sniff. "I'm sure whatever you've been holding in your basement is synthetic, not to mention covered in mold spores."

Ally shook her head to keep from lashing out. Her fabric stash came from the pristine design studio at Foot Fetish, not that the other women needed to know that.

"I've already ordered some bolts of organic cotton from India," Chakra said. "And I'll be making my own glue. That way it's non-toxic. And edible, in fact."

"Ah! So that explains it..." Ally muttered under her breath.

The others turned away to keep from laughing out loud. Thank goodness the slight went right over Chakra's head.

Or maybe not.

"Gotta run!" Chakra growled. "Sally and I are diagramming the children's harvest of the PHM&T's communal garden. She can't do anything without me."

"We've noticed," Kelly said in mock innocence.

"Well, missy, there is something else that's been noticed—by the applications committee: your late attendance to meet-ups."

Seeing, Chakra's smirk, Kelly turned white.

As Chakra sauntered over to Sally's bench, Kelly muttered, "Well, she's certainly making herself indispensible to the committee. I guess that's one way to play the game."

The same thought had crossed everyone's mind at that exact moment: How far do I have to go to win a slot?

Kelly leaned over to Lorna and whispered, "What will you make for Dante's costume?"

Lorna shook her head. "To tell you the truth, I've got no idea."

"Me neither! But I've got one great idea, why don't we dress the boys alike? It would be so cute!"

Lorna didn't know how to tell Kelly that this was the last thing she'd want to do, but then she thought better of it. Other than gushing over Jade, Bettina hadn't been playing favorites.

Still, there was a reason Kelly was sitting there on the bench with the rest of them, so there must be a good reason why Bettina saw it fitting to have her old high school BFF around, despite her chronic tardiness.

Okay sure, why not dress the boys alike? Lorna wondered. It'll be a good bonding experience for both Dante and for me. Besides, it's like they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I'm guessing Kelly is the former with Bettina as opposed to the latter. One thing is for sure: if it turns out I'm wrong, she can't make Bettina hate me more than she already does.

(c) 2013 Josie Brown. Publish by Signal Press. All Rights Reserved.

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