Bead-Dazzled by Olivia Bennett Read Free Book Online Page B

European runways.
    Emma savored the pictures of her long, pleated gowns. The heavy gold beading along the neckline and around the narrow waist contrasted with the lightness of the ivory linen. She admired the thick straps and the draping over one shoulder. Her eyes danced as she took in the delicate, strappy leather sandals and the chunky serpentine cuff that wound its way up her slender wrist.

    “We could base the project on Egyptian fashion,” Emma ventured. “Cleopatra was known for her royal fashion. What people wore back then had a lot to do with their social and economic rank.”
    “The workers wore simple tunics or loincloths,” Chloe added. “We could even talk about burial clothes. Did you know when they opened the tombs, they found fancy robes dyed in vivid colors and the colors were still bright thousands of years later?”
    “What’s with you and burial tombs?” Lexie asked. “Morbid much?”
    Chloe’s face reddened.
    “A project on fashion is silly, don’t you think?” Kayla asked Lexie.
    “Agreed.” Lexie opened her notebook. “Too simplistic.”
    “It’s not simplistic,” Emma countered. “Look at this book. Fashion was important to the Egyptians. I could do detailed drawings of different outfits and then we could do a PowerPoint showing how fashion revealed everything about their religion and their culture. We could even bring in kohl, the black eyeliner Cleopatra used, and recreate the beaded headdresses the wealthy Egyptians wore. ”
    “Emma, you’re obviously confused.” Lexie refused to touch the book. “We’re not trying for a Girl Scout badge. We can’t hand in your cute art project.” Lexie spoke as if Emma were five. “We need something more complicated. More intellectual.” Lexie gazed around the table. “Agreed?”
    Marco chewed his pencil. Kayla and Clayton agreed.
    Lexie eyed Chloe, projecting a stare sizzling enough to wilt a cactus. Chloe slowly nodded.
    And that was that.
    Welcome to the Lexie show, Emma thought. Everyone’s too scared to go against her.
    Emma was done trying to please her. She turned back to the book. The later pages showed the actress Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in the 1963 movie. The beautiful starlet was exquisite in a floor-length golden gown with a plunging neckline. A feather cloak circled her shoulders like the wings of a mythical bird and atop her head sat a magnificent headdress with the image of a cobra. Emma nudged open her sketchbook and began to draw a shorter, more modern version of the dress.
    “There’s nothing more intellectual than the Sphinx,” Clayton interjected. “This dude had a lion’s body, a bird’s wings, and a human head. He tricked people by telling wicked riddles. If someone couldn’t answer the riddle, he was killed. We could write up all our research as riddles. Really trick Ms. Ling.”
    “But if we confuse the teacher—” Marco started.
    “That’s interesting.” Lexie turned toward Clayton. Clayton was in the group of boys that hung with Lexie and Ivana. That social fact alone allowed Lexie to consider his ideas. “Oh, my God! Total genius idea by me! We could craft a giant Great Sphinx out of papier mache and rig it up to a voice recorder and make it talk.”
    Now who’s doing art projects? Emma thought.
    She shaded a short, feathered cape, as Lexie, Clayton, and Kayla talked about painting the Sphinx so it looked like stone. Chloe offered ideas on the construction, but Lexie talked over her. The Sphinx was her vision, she reminded them. She assigned each of them research and announced that she would handle the creation of the talking riddle machine.

    So much for the whole group project concept, Emma thought.
    Emma didn’t exactly hate the Sphinx idea, but it was hard to get excited about something she had no part in. Maybe it’s better, she reasoned. I have a lot to do with the Goin’ Green benefit. Who cares if Lexie does the whole project?
    The end-of-school bell rang, sending everyone