Jon burst through the front doors of Lake Point High School with a confidence that Jonathan Malachi Gibson had never displayed before. But then again, he wasn't exactly Jonathan Malachi Gibson anymore. That name didn't even make sense to the new and improved Jon who was greeting the morning with the ferocity of a puma. He was Jonathan Malachi McMillan, and with his blazing bright eyes, his blazing red nail polish, his stunning brown leather vest that went over a mystifying black blouse, tucked into a commanding crimson tartan skirt that sat high on his waist, all over a pair of chestnut-colored suede Ugg boots that had been giving him little pointers all morning, there was nothing that could stop him.
He immediately spotted a group of cheerleaders, and made his way over. Jon wasn't a cheerleader, but somehow he still felt dominion over them. They weren't just his friends, they were his helpers.
"Hey Jon!" Melissa called as he came closer, "I love that look, red is definitely your color."
"I know," Jon mimed a small curtsey, a move that his shoes had suggested to him. "And you all look great this morning, too."
"Well, most of us," Amber gave a slightly pained motion towards one girl in particular.
"Hey!" Karyn took a step back, "what are you saying?"
Jon took in Karyn's outfit. It was a big, wool cardigan. Dark tan, down to her knees, covering so much Jon couldn't tell what top she was wearing, but it was over a pair of black leggings and white sneakers. It was the sneakers that didn't work. The rest of the outfit was okay.
"We're just trying to help you out," Amber reassured Karyn. "You're a cheerleader. We just want to make sure you look like it."
"Trade shoes with her," a comforting voice echoed in Jon's head.
Jon knew better by now than to argue with his shoes when there were other people around, but he still hesitated while the cheerleaders discussed what to do about Karyn.
"I know you're worried, but it will be okay. You know what you're doing! You're confident, you're in control, you're Jon McMillan!"
A renewed sense of energy flowed through Jon, and he wasn't sure whether it was just the pep talk or if his shoes had changed something, but he was going to ride it.
"Give me to Karyn. Just for the day. Get me back after classes."
"Hey, Karyn?" Jon finally spoke. All eyes suddenly turned to him. The shoes were right, he was in control: clearly, he was in charge here. "The outfit isn't too bad, but those sneakers just don't work. Ugg boot on leggings, though, is classic." Jon motioned to his own feet for a moment. "Why don't we trade shoes?"
Karyn seemed apprehensive, but the rest of the girls immediately loved the idea, and goaded her into it. They found a bench in a back hallway, and made the swap. Everyone agreed that Jon's outfit suffered a little, but it still had a coherent look, and everyone agreed that the new boots Karyn wore just pulled her outfit together. It was a success.
Sarah Gibson had gotten to school early that morning, slipped in unnoticed and remained that way so that she could people-watch. She saw Amber Levine arrive and make her way to the hallway corner that used to be Sarah's own morning meet-up spot. She saw Tiffany Sanders join her just a few minutes later. Then Karyn Black, a new addition to this group due to Sarah's machinations. Then Melissa Smith. But they felt disorganized this morning, somehow. Leaderless. Like they had congregated out of instinct, but didn't quite know why.
Then he saw Jon burst through the front doors of Lake Point High School. Blazing Jon with his blazing eyes and blazing red nail polish. And it was like getting a long piece in Tetris just as you had finished clearing a space for it on the side of the board. Everything fit. Jon was the leader. Jon gave them purpose.
Sarah crossed her arms over her loose pink sweater. He was wearing the shoes. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But only a few minutes later, the group turned down a hallway, an Jon and Karyn swapped shoes. Sarah couldn't figure out why. To her, to Sarah Gibson, neither outfit looked any better or worse with the new footwear.
But maybe the shoes had some kind of plan. Maybe Sarah would have to follow Karyn around today. From a distance. Just far enough to make sure that she avoided a repeat of yesterday afternoon. But just in case, Sarah double-checked her backpack to make sure she still had the sock puppet she had enchanted, the one that she had linked to Karyn.
