by Sheryl Berk
“Who does she think she is?” Harleigh asked. “They haven’t crowned a queen yet.”
Lexi didn’t even have to look to know who was trailing behind the woman in red. “She’s kind of the queen bee at my school,” she explained. “Her name is Meredith Mitchell.”
“You know her?” Harleigh asked. “Are you friends?”
“Oh no!” Lexi laughed. “She hates my guts.”
Meredith was also wearing a pair of large sunglasses, but that didn’t stop Lexi from sensing her cold stare. “She was mean to me, and I kinda said I was going to beat her today,” Lexi added. “Stupid, huh?”
“Nuh-uh!” Harleigh insisted. “I’m rooting for you. Besides, good always conquers evil.”
Lexi grinned. “Funny, that’s what my friend Kylie always says. But she’s usually talking about monster movies.”
“Well, she’s right,” Harleigh said. Her very blond mom was waving at her from across the floor. “I gotta go. But I’ll catch up with you later. K?”
“K,” Lexi answered. It was probably a good idea to find out where Delaney had wandered off to. Lexi found her friend chatting up the pageant host, a jovial man in a tuxedo named Mr. Jim.
“So, here’s the scoop,” Delaney whispered to Lexi when they were out of the host’s earshot. “You need to win as many of the categories as possible if you want to qualify for one of the supreme titles.”
“Meaning?” Lexi asked.
“Meaning you have to place top in interview, talent, and fitness,” Delaney explained.
“I might as well go home now,” Lexi fretted. There was no way she was going to win all of those categories—much less even one of them!
“You can do it. I believe in you,” Delaney said.
“We do too!” Kylie suddenly appeared behind her. The other girls had dropped off the cupcakes in the ballroom and were waiting for Sadie’s dad to assemble the display he’d built.
“We brought a whole cheering section, chica,” Jenna said. She pointed to Kylie’s mom, Jenna’s mom, and Herbie, who were all purchasing wristbands to attend the pageant.
“Save me a seat,” Delaney reminded them. “We’ve gotta go get ready for gowns.” She pulled poor Lexi along with her. “Remember everything I told you: shoulders back, head up, walk slowly…”
It was so much to think about! Lexi’s head was spinning as Delaney led her to the dressing room and helped her into her long gown. There was lots of noise, along with endless racks of clothes, and dozens of girls were getting primped and prepped for the pageant.
“What if I forget which way to go?” Lexi asked her friend. “What if I suddenly go left when I’m supposed to go right?”
Delaney zipped up the back of Lexi’s dress. “You’ll be fine. Smile and sparkle.”
A voice suddenly boomed over the loudspeaker. “Ladies, this is Fitzy. Please line up backstage according to your contestant number. Ten minutes till pageant time!”
Lexi felt her heart leap out of her chest. “Oh my gosh! Ten minutes!”
Harleigh found her and gave her hand a squeeze. “You look beautiful,” she said. “Purple is definitely your color.” Lexi saw that Harleigh was wearing a white gown with a sweetheart neckline and intricate rhinestone beading on the bodice.
“You look beautiful too,” Lexi said.
“And look, I’m number sixteen and you’re number fifteen. So we get to stand next to each other!”
Having Harleigh at her side made Lexi feel a tiny bit better, but then she spied Meredith making her way down the hall in a billowing, red-sequin ball gown.
“She looks like that evil queen from Alice in Wonderland,” Delaney whispered. “You know—the one who shouts, ‘Off with her head!’”
Lexi reached for her neck. “Not helping, Laney,” she said, secretly wishing there was a rabbit hole she could duck down.
“You’ll be fine,” Harleigh assured her. “If you need help, I’ll be right there beside you.”
Then Lexi saw something that made her stomach do a sickening flip-flop. Meredith was wearing a ribbon that read “14,” which meant Lexi would be standing right next to her as well!
“Go, go!” Delaney said, smoothing Lexi’s skirt and pushing her toward the ballroom. “Five minutes.”
When they got backstage, Lexi tried not to bump into Meredith. She hoped she wouldn’t notice that they were standing next to each other, but no such luck. Miss Jen pushed Meredith into the line. Meredith’s face fell.
“You!” she screamed. “Why are you next to me?”
Lexi shrugged. “Lucky, I guess.”
“Don’t talk to her,” Miss Jen instructed Meredith. “Focus! Be fierce. When you get up there on the runway, look the judges dead in the eye and own this pageant.”
Thankfully, Meredith turned her back on Lexi so she could get “in the zone,” as her coach called it. Lexi breathed a sigh of relief. A cold shoulder she could handle; it was better than a fistfight.
Hershey was racing around backstage, checking names and numbers on a clipboard, and making sure everyone was in place and ready to go. She stopped to straighten Lexi’s ribbon.
“Good luck!” she said, smiling.
Lexi took several deep breaths, trying to calm the feeling of terror rising in her chest. What was she thinking? How could she possibly enter a pageant, much less beat Meredith Mitchell?
But it was too late to run—Laura and Fitzy were onstage welcoming the audience, and Mr. Jim was already announcing the contestants. As each girl walked out, she took the microphone and introduced herself. Each had a catchy two-minute speech outlining who they were, where they were from, what they loved to do, and what they wanted to be. There were lots of future doctors, fashion designers, Broadway stars, Presidents of the United States—even a pig farmer. But Meredith’s intro was definitely the most memorable!
“Meredith Mitchell, that’s my name!” she rapped, right there in her long gown.
“I don’t want money; I don’t want fame!”
“She doesn’t?” Kylie asked. She was seated in the audience with the rest of the PLC entourage. “Are we talking about the same Meredith Mitchell?”
“Gonna make the world better—one step at a time
And tell you ’bout myself in rhythm and rhyme.
Be kind to people, generous and true.
A message of compassion from me to you!”
The judges beamed and the audience applauded wildly.
“How am I supposed to follow that?” Lexi asked Harleigh.
“Just speak from the heart,” she replied. “Anyone can see that girl is as phony as a three-dollar bill!”
Lexi took a deep breath, touched the lucky horseshoe pendant around her neck, and stepped out onto the stage. Here goes nothing!
Mr. Jim handed her the mic.
“Hello,” she said softly into it.
“Speak up!” Mr. Jim reminded her.
“Hello!” she tried again. “My name is Lexi Poole, and I’m twelve years old and a proud member of Peace, Love, and Cupcakes, the best cupcake-baking business in Connecticut.”
“Hey! I’ve had those cupcakes and they’re awesome!” shouted a boy’s voice from the back of the audience.
Lexi blushed. “I used to be really shy, and I’ve learned that everyone needs to find her voice. Everyone has something to say and deserves to be heard. So that’s why I’m here today. To prove that no one can hold you down if you speak up for yourself.” She glanced at Meredith in the wings before adding “thank you” and strutting down the runway confidently. She tried to remember everything Delaney had told her—especially the part about looking the judges in the eye and “sparkling.” When she reached the far right corner of the stage, Mr. Jim nodded at her and she stepped off.
“Thank you, Lexi,” he said. The judges applauded and jotted down notes.
“You did it, girl!” Harleigh cheered as Lexi made her way backstage again.
“Your turn,” Lexi said, hugging her. “Go get ’em!”
“Hi, y’all,” Harleigh said brightly. “I am the gymnastics queen! With my flips and twists, I love to soar. My dream is to win a gold medal at the Olympics and make my parents and my country proud. I have faith that I can change the world, and I will do my best to help those in need. My guilty pleasure is making homemade pumpkin pie with my granny—it’s the best! From Atlanta, Georgia, I am Harleigh Park.”
“That was so good!” Lexi congratulated her after her runway walk. “You’re so relaxed and real. I wish I could be more like you.”
“You were perfect,” Harleigh told her.
“Perfectly awful,” said an icy voice behind them.
Lexi steeled her nerves and ignored Meredith’s snarky comment.
“That’s right,” Harleigh whispered. “Don’t you listen to anything she says. You’re way better than her.”
“Oh, we’ll see who’s better,” Meredith smirked. “My talent routine is up next.”
“Now that’s a costume,” Ava remarked as Meredith stepped onstage. She was dressed in a black-velvet catsuit covered in gold stars. The lights dimmed, and the stars lit up and flashed to the beat of the music.
“You must be my lucky star!” Meredith sang the Madonna hit as she tap-danced across the stage while simultaneously twirling a pair of batons in the air.
“A totally electrified costume,” Herbie marveled. Jenna shot him a nasty look.
“I’m not saying she should win or anything—just that from a technological standpoint, it’s nifty,” he added.
“Her singing and dancing isn’t nifty,” Delaney groaned, holding her ears. “It’s awful. Lexi is way better than her.”
But the judges didn’t seem to mind. They were mesmerized by Meredith’s impressive backdrop—a black sky that flashed the words “STAR” in neon lights. In the center of the stage was a giant silver crescent moon.
“What do you suppose that thing does?” Sadie asked. It was a split second before she had the answer. The moon suddenly floated up in the air as Meredith performed below it.
“Amazing,” Herbie gushed. “Hydraulics as well.”
“It’s all flash and no substance,” Kylie insisted. “Typical Meredith.” But she watched the judges’ faces and saw how easily impressed they were. As much as she hated to admit it, Meredith was stiff competition.
At the end of the song, Meredith bowed and tossed her baton high in the air. It flew up, up, up, right over the moon, but as it came down, it just missed her grasp. The audience watched in horror as it landed with a thud right on one of the judge’s heads.
“Oh! My head! My head!” the judge cried.
“Do we have a doctor in the house?” Mr. Jim announced in a panic over the microphone. “Our judge, Kat Grabel, needs a doctor!”
Lexi’s mom raced from her seat. “I’m a doctor,” she said, examining the judge, a former Miss Georgia. There was a huge goose egg on her forehead.
“How many fingers am I holding up?” Dr. Poole asked her.
Kat squinted. “Two? Maybe four? I don’t know, y’all!”
“Let’s get some ice on that bump,” Dr. Poole said. “I think you’ll be okay.”
Kat looked at Meredith’s backdrop. “But I’m seeing stars!” she moaned.
“That’s the set—not your eyes,” Dr. Poole assured her.
Meredith looked terrified—not that she had hurt Kat, but that she’d hurt her chances of winning the pageant. “It just slipped out of my hand,” she pleaded. “It’s not my fault.”
Kat glared at her. “And it’s not my fault if I deduct ten points from your score for assaulting a judge!”
Meredith tried to sweet-talk her. “Miss Grabel, I am your biggest fan. I watched your winning aria as Miss Georgia on YouTube a gazillion times.”
That seemed to calm the furious judge down. “You don’t say?”
“I would never purposely hit you on the head with a baton,” Meredith continued, crossing her fingers over her still-glowing costume. “Cross my heart.”
When she returned backstage, Miss Jen quickly pulled her to a side. “Nice save,” she said. “You played that judge like a violin.”
“Of course I did,” Meredith said. “There’s no way she’s going to deduct any points. In fact, I bet she gives me a perfect score for that perfect suck-up speech I just made.”
Harleigh’s silks routine was next, and it was flawless. She whirled and twirled in the air to the song “Amazing Grace,” wrapping the silks delicately around her arms and legs.
“You did great!” Lexi applauded her.
“It was okay, not my best.” Harleigh shrugged. “I kinda slipped up at the end.”
“I didn’t notice,” Lexi assured her. “And at least you didn’t give any of the judges a concussion like some people.” She knew Meredith was standing right there and heard her.
“Up next,” Mr. Jim called, “please welcome to the stage contestant number fifteen, Lexi.”
“Oh my gosh! That’s me!” Lexi panicked.
“Deep breaths!” Harleigh tried to calm her. “And here’s a little trick: Don’t look at the entire audience. Just find one face and focus on it—one of the judges is a good idea. That’s what I do.”
Lexi crept out onstage and cleared her throat.
“She looks terrified,” Delaney whispered to Kylie. “Shake it off, Lex! Shake it off!”
“I hope she doesn’t faint…again,” Jenna said, crossing her fingers. “We don’t need a repeat of Romeo and Juliet on local Connecticut TV.”
Lexi felt queasy. There were so many people, and they were all staring at her! She tried to focus on Kat Grabel’s spiky platinum-blond hair, but the room started to spin. She couldn’t catch her breath or steady herself. Just then, she saw a hand shoot up from the back row. “Lexi! Over here!” shouted a voice. The person stood up on his seat and waved.
Lexi’s eyes met his—it was Jeremy! He had come to cheer her on. He was there for her, not for Meredith. He was still her boyfriend and he cared! She focused on his face as the music began to play.
“You make me happy when skies are gray,” Lexi sang sweetly, right to Jeremy. Everything else blurred away. All she could see was him. “You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you…”
When she was done, she looked at the judges. Kat Grabel was sobbing, and she was pretty sure it was not because her head hurt. In fact, a lot of people in the audience were teary—especially Lexi’s mom, who had taught her that song so many years ago.
“Oh, Lexi,” Harleigh said, hugging her as she came off stage. “That was absolutely beautiful.”
Lexi shrugged. “You think so? I kind of zoned out and did what you said. I just focused on Jeremy. Do you think the judges liked it?”
“You sang from your heart,” Harleigh replied. “How could they not?”
Lexi barely had a chance to catch her breath. There were still two more categories left to complete: fitness and interview. She ducked back into the dressing room and came out wearing a Blakely Bears basketball uniform that Sadie had lent her. Meredith spotted her and started laughing.
“Are you kidding me? You call that a fitness outfit?” She was dressed in a flashy Zumba costume.
“Come on, Lexi,” Harleigh said, stepping between them. She was wearing a royal-blue ice-skating costume with a pair of white figure skates tossed over her shoulder.
“Thanks for rescuing me,” Lexi whispered as they made their way backstage.
“What are friends for?” Harleigh smiled. “That Meredith certainly has a bee in her bonnet.”
Lexi watched as Meredith exploded onto the stage chanting, “Shake it! Shake it!”
In the audience, Jenna winced
. “She looks like she’s got hormigas en sus pantalones—ants in her pants!”
Kat Grabel looked confused as Meredith spun wildly across the stage.
“I think the judges agree with you,” Delaney told Jenna.
“Kat’s probably scared she’s gonna get conked on the noggin again,” Lexi’s dad piped up. “That girl is a health hazard.”
Meredith ended her routine without incident—and blew kisses to the crowd.
“Top that!” she dared Lexi as she pushed past her. “I know you won’t, Lexi the Loser.”
Lexi gulped, then heard Mr. Jim announce her number. She walked out onstage, basketball in hand, and stood there, frozen.
“Dribble it! Dribble it!” Sadie willed her telepathically from the audience.
Lexi’s music, Pharrell’s “Happy,” was playing, but she didn’t seem to hear it, nor did she look too happy. Finally, as she reached the end of the runway, she bounced the ball once.
“She forgot everything I taught her!” Sadie groaned.
“It’s that evil Meredith,” Delaney said. “She must have said something to freak her out.”
“Pass it here!” Sadie suddenly shouted. She stood up on her seat and held her hands up for Lexi to throw her the ball.
Lexi looked like she was in a trance.
“Come on, Lex,” Sadie yelled. “Shoot the ball! You can do it!”
Lexi took a deep breath and tossed the ball high in the air, aiming for Sadie’s voice. Sadie reached up and caught it effortlessly.
“Now that’s what I call a slam dunk,” Kat Grabel whispered to her fellow judges, who seemed equally impressed.
Lexi scrambled off the stage just as Harleigh was walking out into her routine. She pretended to whirl around the stage in her jazz shoes, shifting the skates from shoulder to shoulder and posing.
“I think we should go check on her before interviews,” Delaney suggested. “She could probably use a little PLC pep talk.”