Catching Up! (Emma and Bebe)

[Bebe Tenko]

Bebe's guts suddenly churned violently. The look of elation soon vanished as a body-freezing fear stole her insides away. Bebe suddenly added everything up. The Albuquerque Fashion Merchandising Institute, the interview, the connections... Bebe had to be more than good to have this work out for her. She had to be...

"I'm going to have to knock them on their ass if I want to ace the interview, Miss Emma!" Bebe gaped, putting her hands to her mouth. "Oh my GOD, Miss Emma, I... this is one of the scariest things I've ever been subjected to!" Bebe didn't want to sound ungrateful, so she continued: "It's an amazing opportunity, but what if I blow it?! I've blown so much before, who's to say that my personality will mess it all up?"

Bebe quickly threw open her notepad and began to scribble down a design. "I have to make something good - and I have to start NOW... Miss Emma." Bebe turned to her, sitting down and looking at her. "What kind of prom dress do you want?"

[Emma the Loyal Sharpette]

Emma tried to contain her smile as Bebe freaked out. She knew that Bebe had the perfect personality to be in the fashion industry. She was peppy, perky, yet still able to be calm and relaxed. She had a very good charm about herself that Emma knew would take her places. Emma placed her hands gently on Bebe's shoulders. "Bebe, calm down. Take a deep breath. Everything will be fine! We have plenty of time to prepare you for this. My mom can totally help if you want. She's delt with these people so many times. She knows exactly what to say and do. Don't worry, we'll take good care of you." Emma smiled at her dear friend. It was so like Bebe to stress and worry. Emma knew she would have to be the level headed friend for right now.

Emma was suddenly taken back as Bebe asked her what kind of prom dress she wanted. Honestly, Emma hadn't thought too much about prom...yet. School started not too long ago, and she still had almost a year to decide on a dress, but she figured she should help Bebe out. Emma paused, and thought for a second. "Well, I absolutely love off the shoulder dresses. They are so classy, and just look good on anyone." Emma paused again, thinking more. "I love tight bodices, with the bottom of the dress poofing out, but not too much. I mean, it's good to have that princess dress look, but it can definitely be over-kill sometimes." Emma said, flipping her hand. "I like simplicity. I think less is more. Sometimes a perfect dress is just a simple, elegant straight cut dress. It shows off the true beauty of the girl, instead of hiding it behind a large dress with too much fabric and mesh." Emma nodded, trying to get her point across. "Is this even helping at all?" Emma laughed slightly, wondering if her tangent was bothering Bebe as she tried to work.

[Bebe Tenko]

Bebe nodded frantically, ripping her sketchbook open to a free page. Emma was doing exactly what she wanted her to do... she shoved a hand down her bra, extracted a drawing marker, and began to sketch according to what Emma was telling her.

"Off the shoulder," Bebe echoed, drawing Emma's lean neckline and making a few absentminded lines. A one-strapped dress would look amazing on Emma, with her firm chest, Bebe reasoned. Maybe a blue dress? Bebe would decide the colors later, she decided.

"Then... a tight bodice and a somewhat puffy skirt. Hmm. That's unusual..." Bebe thought of Cinderella's dress - maybe something like that? Bebe tried a more modern version of that, with an accordion stomach that gently eased into a somewhat puffed-out skirt - not as drastic as a princess', but harkening back to that kind of outfit.

Bebe laughed at Emma's comments. "No, that tangent really helps, actually. Sometimes I get compelled to stick a bunch of random fabrics on things... But no worries on a straight cut. There's NO WAY a side slit would look good with the kind of dress you want."

She stepped back and looked at the sketch. It was messy, indeed. Bebe rolled her eyes. "Ugh, one-shoulder doesn't look too good... But thanks for helping." Bebe shrugged. "I mean, I'm making my prom dress. If you want me to make yours I will."

[Emma the Loyal Sharpette]

Emma smiled as she saw Bebe rush off to work on trying to draw her dress. Bebe was so suited to do this as a career. She waited until her friend was done, and then looked at the drawing. It was simply stunning! Emma blinked and then grabbed the drawing very gently. She held it up to her eyes, and just stared at the simple drawing. Emma turned her attention back to Bebe, and gave her the drawing back.

"Bebe, this dress is beautiful. It's exactly what I want for prom. Will you make it for me?" Emma smiled happily. "I would be more than happy to pay you and pay for all your supplies you would need. I think you need a first paying job to get you started in the fashion industry." Emma nodded. She knew that if Bebe just got into the groove of making clothes like this, she would be amazing in fashion. "So what do you say? Will you make me a prom dress by the original designer Bebe Tenko?"

[Bebe Tenko]

Bebe pretended to think about the proposal before laughing lightly at her own pretensions. She'd never had so much fun in her life! This was exactly what she wanted to do with her life, she knew it! What delusion had overtaken her, saying that she needed to be an engineer? Oh well, it was still a well-paying, great back-up career. Emma was really quite amazing... finally getting her to open up to not only the world, but herself as well. She wasn't the slave of the Tenko family, and she wasn't Jacob's pet, either. She loved Chad, she loved fashion, and she loved Emma. Platonically, that is.

"It really depends," Bebe joked. "Would you be willing to just accept the dress for free? Because, far as I know, Bebe Tenko doesn't charge her best friend!" Bebe hugged Emma, grinning. "Yes, of course I'll make it for you! I'll need to get some new thread, but no worries... I was thinking about making myself my prom dress, too. I just don't know what I want it to be. I'm kind of on a 'A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me' kick, and I really love the dresses some of the spellbound girls are wearing in that video... but then there's this other dress I liked, in Dreamgirls..." Bebe giggled and suddenly stopped.

"Miss Emma..." Bebe said, staring at the dress before her. "I think this dress... how about pastel green? It'll bring out the color in your eyes... Oh my GOD you have no idea how excited I am!" Bebe hugged Emma again, hopping a bit.

[Emma the Loyal Sharpette]

Emma laughed loudly when Bebe offered to make the dress for free! She hugged Bebe back, still smiling and laughing. Emma's mind slowed for a second. Bebe called her her best friend? Emma's mind flashed to Sharpay. Sharpay had always been Emma's best friend, even when they got older and grew apart. Emma always knew Sharpay was her best friend. She shook her head slightly, knowing that it was still true....to an extent. Sharpay would always be her best friend, but Bebe had come to be closer to her than Sharpay. Sharpay was always off running around and doing something she was keeping from Emma. Emma could tell. Bebe was always open and honest, and ever since the summer, Bebe had always been there for her. Emma smiled at the girl in front of her, and agreed. Best friends. That's what they were.

"Bebe, even though you are my best friend..." Emma smiled. "I couldn't possibly let you make me a dress for free. At least let me take you out to dinner or something. I would feel awful if I knew you weren't being paid in someway for the dress." Emma offered. She really did want to pay Bebe in some form.

"Bebe, I think you would look fantastic in really anything you design. Your flair is so different and unique, and with your body type, you would look fantastic in something you created. You bring classic and funky together. It's a hard thing to do, and you do it well. So no matter what dress you design for yourself, you will look stunning in it!" Emma smiled, taking one of Bebe's hands in her's and squeezing it slightly, trying to give her friend reassurance.

Emma's face lit up at the idea of pastel green. Emma loved green, and definitely would love a pastel green prom dress! "Oh Bebe! Yes! I would adore a pastel green dress!" Emma laughed loudly, hugging Bebe back and hopping with her dear best friend. "This is going to be amazing! I'm going to be wearing a Bebe Tenko original! How exciting!"

[Bebe Tenko]

((Per accordance with the plot, I'm going to try and wrap up things in all of Bebe's threads so I don't become a schizoid.))

"Dinner it is then," Bebe grinned. She loved the restaurants in Albuquerque... especially her favorite out-of-the-way Mexican place... "Have you ever been to the Taco Hole? It sounds so weird, I know, but it has the BEST Nacho Burritos. We should go there... and it's not very expensive!"

Bebe grinned as Emma told her that anything she designed would look good on her. She flushed, unsure of how to respond. "There's actually this one dress I've had in mind... kind of gothic-ish, but in blue... I saw it in a music video, but my mind warped it into some sort of Mrs. Lovett confection." Bebe shrugged. "Whatever. I'll think of something."

And, just as Emma hugged Bebe, and Bebe hugged her back, feeling glad as she ever had, the bell rang. Bebe swore slightly, looking into her backpack. She hadn't eaten any of her lunch. Oh well, she'd eat during Home Ec. The teacher didn't care.

"I'd scream some more with you," Bebe laughed, "but my next class is on the other side of campus, Miss Emma!"

Bebe skipped away, grabbing her backpack. Suddenly she paused and turned, running and hugging Emma. "Miss Emma, I'll see you tomorrow!"

And off Bebe went.

[Emma the Loyal Sharpette]

Emma felt a relief go through her body, once Bebe allowed her to take her to dinner. "No, I've never been there, but it sounds amazing! I can't wait to try it." Emma smiled, suddenly feeling slightly hungry. Her lunch never really held her over. Emma just loved food and could always eat.

"Oh wow, that sounds really cool!" Emma said to Bebe, reguarding her dress design. "I'm sure that whatever you come up with will be a hit. Especially if it represents something somewhat Sweeney Todd-ish. I love that musical!" Emma smiled, feeling proud that she knew what Bebe was referring to. She wasn't always all knowing of musicals, but once Sharpay really got into them, there wasn't anything Emma didn't know about any musical to date.

Emma cursed the loud bell as it rang, and broke the moment these two friends were sharing. She grabbed her purse, and the rest of her non-eaten lunch, and threw it away. She waved at Bebe, as she ran off, but was surprised when Bebe turned and ran back towards her. Emma felt Bebe give her one last hug, and then depart. Emma smiled at her best friend running, and knew that she had better hurry to her next class as well. She let her mind wander to prom and the beautiful dress design that Bebe had made. Emma smiled, knowing she was going to feel like a princess in that dress. Thoughts of prom danced in Emma's mind, as her feet started taking her to her next class.

((Okay! We're done here! I'm going to lock it. )