| Episode: | Season 1, Episode 1 – Chaos! At The Gala |
| Location: | Shoppe Teagan |
| Written By: | Paige Cohen Freya Clarke Katelynn Bancroft Charlotte Preston |
| Date: | 08/14/2026 |
| Word Count: | 1,224 |
Paige sat in the overstuffed leather chair staring off into space as she listened to her best friends chattering in the corner of Shoppe Teagan. On either side of her head, she toyed with her hair twisting it as she waited somewhat patiently, or at least as patiently as any twelve-year-old could possibly muster.
“Something wrong?” Katelynn Bancroft had finally asked when she noticed that Paige had been quiet for several minutes. They were waiting for the finishing touches to the dresses that had been dropped off days earlier for the Gala.
Paige shook her head, “Nah,” She answered with a slight grin on her face.
“Probably just boredom,” Charlotte Preston suggested as she laid partially over the armrest of the chair and swung her arm back and forth. “We’ve been sitting here for quite a while.” The twelve-year-old sighed. She could hear her mother chattering to someone over in the corner.
“Could go get something to snack on?” Kate suggested.
Charlotte looked at the two of them, “I’d have to ask my Mom first,” She sighed. “I don’t know if she’d want us wandering away while she’s stuck here waiting.”
“Right,” Kate said and laid back in the chair. She stared up at the white washed ceiling inside the store. “Since when did shopping get so boring?” She groaned.
“We’re not shopping,” Paige replied. “That’s the problem.” She didn’t know what else to say about it. At least last night when the three of them had spent the night with Charlotte they had plenty to do, but now… She didn’t know what to say or think about now.
Freya could hear the three preteens talking over in the corner of the store while they were all waiting for the dresses to come out. She wandered over toward them and placed her hands on her hips, “Sorry it’s taking so long.” She told them. Freya tilted her head to the side, “You could go upstairs and wander around?”
Kate hopped up, “That’s better than staring at nothing down here,” She said and grabbed her friends by the hands and pulled them up to their feet. “C’mon.” She told them.
Paige grunted as she was pulled to her feet, “All right, all right…” She said rather sarcastically. This wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind for something they could do. But, it probably got them out of Charlotte’s mother’s hair for a little while.
Charlotte didn’t argue with her Mom and as she was grabbed by Katelynn she got to her feet. Charlotte then followed the other two up the steps toward the top half of the clothing shop. She’d never been up there before, “Why do I get the feeling that the gala is going to be more boring being there than not?”
Paige shrugged, “It’s not all bad,” She said as they climbed the wooden and metallic staircase up to the upper portion. “There’s a lot of food, and there’s dancing.” She added, “The experience is a bit different than on the tele-net though.”
Kate hadn’t been to one either and so she simply shrugged her shoulders. Once they’d reached the very top she looked down from the railing in order to see if things looked any different inside the store. “Different how?”
Freya watched the three girls as they made their way up to the top of the store and sighed as she dropped her shoulders a little bit. She wandered over toward the counter and looked at the owner for a moment, “How much longer?”
“Not much longer,” The woman said politely.
Paige had been trying to think of the way to best describe the experience, but found that she couldn’t quite get there. “Well, it’s kinda like all the festivals and parades happening at the same time I guess.” She said with a shrug. The twelve-year-old wasn’t sure if that was an accurate description or not.
Kate didn’t look toward Paige, “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” She said sarcastically and looked at the two girls for a moment. “Are you excited or nervous Charlie?” She asked Charlotte before taking a few steps forward.
“Maybe both?” Charlotte questioned as she carefully watched Kate getting closer to her. There was nothing that interested her upstairs in the store. But, in reality there had been nothing downstairs all that interesting either. Waiting for clothing to be ready was definitely by far the worst experience in her preteen life right in that moment.
Charlotte had watched the tele-net broadcast with her father many times, and she’d been excited about this. However, there was a part of her that regretted abandoning her father for the real thing. Charlotte didn’t say anything to her mother about it, and she certainly wasn’t about to tell her friends about that either.
Paige tilted her head, she’d been a little nervous last time when she went, but she was only eight years old. It was also because her father couldn’t find anyone to watch her and so she ended up going instead of staying home. “There’s festival games in the upper levels for us to do there if the other stuff gets boring.”
“Really?” Kate asked.
Paige nodded, “They don’t really film up there because it’s mostly kids that hang out there. It’s kinda the best place to go in order to avoid the camera seeing you.” She shrugged, “If you’re actively trying to hide away from it that is.” Paige added.
“Huh,” Charlotte said with a slight hint of curiosity in her voice. But, she didn’t know if she really wanted to hide away from her father being able to see her. The cameras caught most of everything that happened. But, Charlotte didn’t know there were blind spots either, so perhaps they didn’t get to see every detail?
“Is that why you really weren’t on the tele-net much when we were little?” Kate asked Paige.
Paige nodded, “Yep,” She said. “I tried to stay as far away from them as I possibly could.” She said, “The media people that is.”
Freya finally came up the stairs carrying three dresses. “The purple one is Paige’s,” She said and handed it to the girl. “The red one is for Charlotte,” She added as she handed the crimson red one. “And, Kate picked the yellow one.” She handed that one next.
“Are you three ready to get your hair done?” Freya asked them.
Paige didn’t answer as she looked at the strapless dress that had been handed to her. It was long, and somewhat flowing. And, it was a lot better than the last time she went to this thing too, “Yes.” She answered once she was done looking at it.
“Me too!” Kate added as she shouldered the dress that was covered in clear plastic to keep it from getting dirty.
“Good,” Freya said with a smile and a clap of her hands. “After the hair appointment we’ll go get changed. By then it’ll be almost time to get to the gala carpet event.”
“Carpet event?” Kate asked.
Freya nodded, “Yep.” She answered, “Don’t worry you don’t have to say anything if the media types try asking you questions. They typically leave the younger attendees alone anyway.” Freya reassured the three girls. Then she led them out of the store and on to the next place.