The beauty contest
We start a new day during the middle of recess with the Ashley's in their clubhouse. "Like, these are the entry forms for the official kiddie cosmetics little Miss blush beauty contest." Ashley A announced as she passed the forms out to the other Ashley's.
"Pageants, nature's way of pointing out perfection." Ashley Q said as she lay on the sofa.
"I'm totally sure an Ashley will take the crown again this year. So fill out your entry forms in pink ink, please, and dazzle them."
"Like, totally special delivery." Spinelli's voice rang out, interrupting the Ashley's gushing about the beauty contest, as a big pile of mud was thrown into the clubhouse from the opening in the roof splashing about when it hit the ground making the Ashley's scream as the mud went over them all.
"My pores! My pores!" Ashley Q screamed.
"Ew..impurities." Said Ashley B.
"Got them." Spinelli laughed before walking away.
"Uh, that Spinelli just miffs."
"I wish there was some way we could get her back." Said Ashley Q.
"Yeah, we like, totally need revenge." Ashley A stood up and started pacing. "Think Ashley's, think. Oh, I have an idea, what if we entered that obnoxious tomboy in the beauty contest?"
"But, like, wouldn't that be super predictable? She'd expect that." Asked Ashley B.
"True, but how else are we gonna get revenge on her?"
"Maybe one of her friends would be a better fit?"
"But which one?"
"Maybe that Gretchen!" Suggested Ashley T.
"No, she's smart, she'll find a way out of it."
"I know the perfect person, Dede. Spinelli and Dede don't hide the fact that they see each other as sisters." Said Ashley Q.
"Oh, not only will it enrage that Spinelli but, like, it'll also be an opportunity for Dede to finally embrace her girly side as she's shown she has a good fashion sense, with a mum like Crystal King, it's bound to be, and when she does it'll drive a wedge between the two as everyone knows Spinelli wouldn't be caught dead hanging out with a girly girl and Dede will start hanging out with us were she belongs."
"Scandalous!" The four Ashley's say before laughing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day we see all the kids sitting in Miss Grotke's history class. "In 1932, Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic becoming an outspoken model of rugged feminism of-" Miss Grotke' lecturer was cut short by the door opening and a random guy in a suit came barging in with a camera flashing behind him.
"Hi, I'm Guy McMahon with kiddie cosmetics, sponsor of the little miss blush beauty pageant." Guy said as he walked to stand in front of Miss Grotke.
"Hello, uh, Guy. Can I help you?"
"I'm here to shine a big spotlight on those lucky girls selected to compete in this years pageant."
"Good, all the better to aim at." Spinelli whispered over to Dede who was sitting next to her as Dede just giggled at her friend's antics.
"The finalists are, drum roll please." Guy's assistant pressed the play button on a small CD player she was carrying, making music start to play. "Ashley Armbruster."
"Who, me? Quel surprise." Ashley A faked being surprised.
"Ashley Quinlan."
"I only just got over the excitement of last year's contest." Ashley Q said.
"Ashley Tomassian, Ashley Boulet and finally Dede King."
"SAY WHAT?!?!" Both Dede and Spinelli shouted as other kids laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You didn't enter any beauty contest, you said you told your mum that you didn't want to partake, didn't you?" Paloma asked Dede as they were sitting on the merry-go-round.
"Right. I never entered and my mum wouldn't enter me when I said I wasn't interested." Replied Dede. "She may want me to become more girly but she'd never force me to do something I don't want to do."
"Then who did this to you? That's what I want to know. Who did it?" Spinelli said as she paced back and forth in front of her friends.
"Well whoever did it dotted their "I"'s with hearts." Gretchen said as she was looking at the application form. "And I know only four girls who do that."
"The Ashley's." Spinelli growled as she stopped pacing. "Time to start throwing something other than dirt bombs. How dare they do this, targeting Dee just to get back at me."
"There's gotta be a way out of this, my mum's one of the judges, she'll think I lied to her if I enter." Dede said, putting her head in her hands.
"Wait a sec, you two, think about it. Why beat them up when you can just beat them." Vince stood up and looked at the two most affected members of the group.
"What are you talking about?" Spinelli asked as Dede looked up at Vince.
"Come on, it's the ultimate way to get back at the Ashley's. Be a contestant and win."
"Yeah, I see what you're going for." TJ agreed with Vince.
"I can't, if I enter this beauty pageant my mum will want me to enter others and I'll have to disappoint her again." Dede said.
"But Dede, a pageant could be fun." Mikey tried to change her mind. "We'll transform you, you'll emerge from the chrysalis a beautiful butterfly."
"You're on mighty thin ice Mikey." Spinelli said, already thinking that Dede was beautiful and not needing to be in a contest to prove it.
"Actually he's got a point." Replied Gretchen as she turned to face Dede. "I've always thought that you had excellent bone structure."
"Really? No I couldn't." Dede said.
"It would be pretty great to see the look on the Ashley's faces when Dede beats them." Said Spinelli thinking about it more.
"Hold on guys. It's all fine and dandy imagining this, but again I've already told my mum that I didn't want to enter pageants, she'll be so disappointed when I show up and see that I lied to her. I don't want that, she doesn't ask much of me just that I'm honest with her."
"Then tell her the truth, say some kids at school entered you for fun and now you want to beat them. You're on my team now Dede so you're going to win this thing, I'm gonna apply the same rigorous standards to you that I apply to myself." Vince replies to Dedes worries as he paces back and forth in front of her. "Try not to hate me."
At the end of the day, Dede walked into her home, not looking forward to the talk she was about to have with her mum. When she entered the living room she saw her mum sitting on the couch, sipping tea, while she worked on her laptop with Lapis sitting next to her. "Umm...mum, can I speak to you?" Dede asked nervously, standing in the doorway.
"Of course, jewel." Crystal said putting her laptop on the coffee table before giving Dede her full attention. "What'd you wanna talk about?"
"Well.. you know this beauty contest that's coming up." Dede started as she sat next to her mum.
"Yes."
"Well... some kids thought It'd be funny to enter me into the contest and my friends all said it'd be a good idea for me to participate just to beat them." Dede said in one breath looking down. "I know I said I didn't want to enter and me now entering just to beat some kids instead of 'cause you asked me to isn't what you wanted, but I hope you don't think I lied to you about not wanting to take part." Dede looked up when she heard Crystal laughing.
"Oh my sweet jewel, I already knew you were a contestant and I gathered you didn't enter yourself. I know you'd never enter as beauty pageants aren't your thing, I only offer for you to take part so you can try something new." Crystal finished laughing and pulled Dede into a hug. "I know you'd never lie to me but just so you know, just because you're my daughter, doesn't mean I can favour you. You're gonna have to win fair and square." Crystal winked at Dede before the two shared a laugh.
The next day at the start of recess the eight friends were all gathered at the back of the playground, hidden by some bushes and trees. All but Dede were wearing blue shirts that had 'team Dede' written on them.
"OK, Dede. I was up all night watching videotapes of the last seven Little Miss Blush pageants, and I've prepared a Program For Victory." Vince said as he held up a notebook he had used to write everything he needed to know down in. "Our first lesson, the walk. Now watch closely, Spinelli. I'm only gonna do this once." Vince started to walk in his high heels, putting a lot of emphasis into his steps. "Step, step, sashay. Step, step, sashay. OK, rookie, you try it."
Dede stood there, looking down at the heels she was wearing, suddenly very thankful that her galactic uniform also had heels otherwise she thought she'd break her neck. "Okay, here goes nothing. Step, step, sashay. Step, step, sashay."
"Looking good Dede." Paloma said as they all watched Dede copy what Vince had done.
"I feel ridiculous." Dede sighs as she stops walking.
"But you look great. This isn't gonna take as long as I thought." Replies Vince. "Lesson two, the talent segment."
"Talent? But I don't have any talent."
"You can draw." Said Mikey.
"And cook." Said Spinelli.
"I doubt I can spend time drawing or cooking in the middle of a beauty pageant." Dede said as she looks at her two friends with a deadpan expression.
"Wait. I've got it." Gretchen said before she started going through her bag. "I completed an extra credit assignment just last night." She pulled out a stick and a plate. "It's perfect. Her talent could be plate spinning, a variety act classic."
"Oh, come on. I can't do that."
"Sure, you can. These plates were hand-thrown by me and fired in the Grundler kiln. They're perfectly balanced. They can't fall. Here."
Gretchen handed Dede the stick with the plate on it and Dede started to slowly walk around. "Hey, I'm doing it! I'm doing it!"
"Alright." Vince cheered, already picturing victory.
The group were now by the swings with Dede being the only one sitting. "Lesson three, hair. It should be soft, full-bodied, and frame the face for a complimentary look." Vince said reading from his book.
"In other words, lose the hat Dede." TJ said, taking Dedes hat off and letting her hair fall down to its full waist length. As Gus came up behind Dede, he put some green stuff onto her head and rubbed it into her hair so it was all covered.
"Why am I doing this again?" Dede asked, already having enough of what was happening.
"Lesson four, the question-and-answer segment." Vince said when Gus finished. "The winners have always mentioned five things, world peace, happiness, hair, unity, and teaching others to read."
"OK, got it."
"Good. Now, contestant Dede, what are your favourite things in life?"
"World peace, happiness, hair, unity and teaching others to read." Dede repeated almost robotically.
"Alright!" The other seven cheers.
"I feel like a robot." Dede sighs to herself as she looks down, not wanting to ruin her friend's good mood.
They didn't continue the lessons until the next day. The boys were waiting outside the girls bathroom with Vince pacing back and forth. "I hope that dress is OK."
"Well, it was pretty dark in the garage last night when I was sewing it, but I did my best." Gus said pacing with vince.
"Look, we should just be happy your Dad let us use his old parachutes." Said TJ.
Inside the girls bathroom Spinelli, Paloma and Gretchen were all leaning up against the wall and sink waiting for Dede to come out of one of the stalls to show them the dress Gus had sown.
"Come on, Dede. Time for the grand unveiling." Paloma said.
"I'm not coming out!" Dedes voice rang out from the stall. " I appreciate the effort but this thing looks like Gus sewed it together in the dark!"
"Dede, we've all worked very hard. We deserve to see the fruits of our labour." Said Gretchen.
"Do I have to?"
"If you don't come out on your own I'll come in there and get you myself." Spinelli said.
They heard Dede sigh as she opened the stall door and walked out, she was basically swamped in white and blue from the so-called dress that Gus had made, her hair was even in Velcro curlers. "I seriously can't wear this out in public." Gretchen got up from leaning on the sink and started to walk around Dede in circles. "What?"
"Yes. It just might work." Gretchen said before shouting to the door. "Hey, guys, slide me in one of those fashion magazines."
"Incoming!" Mikeys voice rang out as a magazine slipped under the door.
"Of course. It's merely a function of proportion." Gretchen says reading the magazine. Dede, all is not lost. I can simply scale this dress down and copy a Paris designer's latest sensation."
"Alright. I'm in your hands Gretchen." Dede said as Gretchen got to work.
Outside the girls bathroom TJ, Mikey and Gus were sitting with their backs to the wall as Vince was still pacing around. "I've worked her and worked her. I've taught her everything I know, but is she ready? Is she ready?"
"Attention, Team Dede." Said Spinelli as she and the other two girls walked out of the bathroom. "I present the lovely Miss Dede King."
The three girls all moved out of the way and Dede walked out of the bathroom, both hands holding the spinning plate sticks as she walked to be more in the middle of the hallway. The horrible parachute dress has been transformed into a beautiful white high-low skirt dress with a one shoulder sleeve on her left shoulder. She had on long gloves that stopped above her elbows, she was still wearing her blue bracelet, around the top of the gloves and her waist is a blue ribbon to give the white dress a pop of colour and she had on blue heels to match. Her hair had been put into natural waves, with her fringe being pulled back into a plait and pinned at the back of her head, giving a nice elegant look.
"If chosen Little Miss Blush, most important to me will be achieving world peace, adding happiness and unity to every life I touch, teaching others to read, and lastly, managing to do it all in style with a radiant head of expertly coiffed hair. Comments?" Dede recited perfectly as she looked at her male friends who all just stood there, shocked.
"I'm gonna win! I'm gonna win! I'm gonna... I mean-" Vince broke out of his shock first to cheer before he coughed nervously. "we're gonna win."
"Wow, Dede you look amazing." TJ said as he and the others broke out of their shock.
"We did a good job." Said Paloma as she put an arm around Dedes shoulders.
As the group of eight were all talking and laughing about how they were gonna win, someone had yet to get over their shock of seeing Dede when they came around the corner. It was only when Dede went back into the bathroom to get out of the dress did they manage to walk away, though not without the little blush that had crept into their cheeks.
Over the next few days the group kept going over everything to make sure Dede was ready for the contest. On the day of said contest Dede was with all the other contestants of the pageant while her friends all went and sat in the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this year's Little Miss Blush beauty pageant!" Said Guy.
As music started to play girls came out from the back to do a walk out before the rounds got started. "I don't see Dede. Does anyone see Dede?" Asked Mikey as he couldn't see his friend.
"What are you blind?" TJ said before pointing to a girl. "There she is."
"Where?" Gus asked not seeing her.
"On the left. Between the two other ones."
"That's not her. She's the one on the right." Said Vince. "Oh, wait. Is she the one in the middle?"
"I must say, they do all look similar." Said Gretchen.
"Yeah, how are we gonna cheer for Dede if we can't even find her." Said Paloma, also not being able to spot Dede.
"What! You're all crazy." Said Spinelli before she pointed at the stage. "She's the last one in line going towards the right of the stage."
"Oh, I see her now." Said Mikey as they all followed Spinelli's directions.
Out backstage Dede had just sat down at her vanity table when the Ashley's all approached her.
"You actually showed up?" Asked Ashley A as she and the others surrounded Dede.
"The others thought it'd be good for me to enter just to beat you." Dede answered honestly as she turned to face them.
"Well, you're welcome to try. But while you may have the looks, we have far more experience than you'll ever have." Said Ashley Q as they all walked away.
As the contest continues on the crowd is constantly cheering, other than the one time when one of the contestants had misstepped and had fallen off of the stage.
♪ 'Cause we're the girls
Who didn't win ♪ Sang the girls who, well, didn't win.
"Thank you, girls who didn't win. There will be more of you very shortly after we announce our three shimmering finalists." Guy said to the audience as the Ashley's and Dede were standing behind him.
"You might as well take that dress back to the surplus store, 'cause us finalists are jumping without you." Ashley Q had said.
"Finalist number one, Ashley Quinlan." Guy said and Ashley Q walked forward smugly. "Finalist number two, Ashley Armbruster." Ashley A walked forward, just as smugly, to join Ashley Q. "And our final finalist, Dede King!" The three remaining girls all gasped as Dedes name was read out. As Dede walked to stand next to Ashley A and Q, Ashley B and T hugged each other crying at not being picked.
"Yes! We're going all the way!" Vince said as the seven of them were cheering from the audience. "That sash is gonna look sweet in my trophy case."
"Hold on to your hats, folks, because in just a few minutes, these three lovely finalists will be back to dazzle us with their sparkling personalities. But first, a musical tribute to lip gloss." Guy said and as the three finalists walked backstage a group of girls came out dressed as lip glosses and started to dance.
"Wow. Me, a finalist." Dede said to herself as she sat down at her vanity table.
"Hey!" Vince said, appearing from Dedes left.
"Vince, what are you doing here?"
"I just had to tell you how great you're doing."
"Hey, thanks, that means a lot."
"And I think you're in the lead, too."
"How do you know?"
"Judges all have tells. The guy with the beard pulls on his ear when he likes someone. He practically yanked it off his head during your plate routine."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And of course your mum always smiles more when you come out onto stage. All you have to do to clinch this sucker is mention those five things in the Q and A. Remember, we're all pulling for you out there."
"Five things. Five things." Dede whispers to herself as Vince walks off to go back to his seat.
"Excuse me, Dede?" A new voice called and Dede looked over to see Ashley A standing near her. "like, wow! I mean, I'm just totally amazed that you did it."
"Did what?" Dede asked as Ashley came to stand right next to her.
"The look, the talent, the poise. It's like you were born to do this. With your family and social status you should really consider being our friend more as you really are just like us." Ashley A said before she hugged Dede.
"Yeah, I'm just like you." Dede whispered as she hugged Ashley A back, looking at her reflection, not recognising the girl looking back at her.
"If selected Little Miss Blush, I would support world peace, happiness, unity, hair, and teaching others to read." Said Ashley Q for her part of the Q & A segment.
"What a cheery, toothsome response. And now, for our final pageantress, Miss Dede King." Guy says after the audience is finished cheering for Ashley Q. "Dede, if you were selected Little Miss Blush, what would you try to achieve during your reign?"
"Well, Guy, it seems to me that today's Little Miss Blush should concern herself with five main areas. She must first concentrate on achieving world peace. And... and second," Dede started to struggle as she looked around from the judges to her friends. "She should work hard to end illiteracy by teaching others to read, and third..." when Dedes sight got back to the judges she looked at her mum and sighs. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this." The crowd was left flabbergasted at this. "I mean, sure, I'm all for peace and people reading, but if I really was selected Little Miss Blush, I'd do the same stuff I do now, continue my own comic, try to keep up in school, hang out with my friends, you know, kid stuff."
"Oh, no." Vince whines as he buried his head into his hands.
"I only got entered in this contest 'cause some kids thought it was a funny joke, and I stayed in 'cause I wanted to win, but the truth is, this isn't me. I'm not a painted-up doll. I'm a kid, and I don't want to be anything else." Dede looks from her friends disappointed faces to her mother's which was the complete opposite, instead Crystal was looking at Dede with such a proud look it left Dede shocked. "Anyway, I'm sorry I wasted
your time. Thank you."
"No, no! It's all over." Vince cried as Dede started to walk off the stage.
"OK." Guy said, trying to get the contest back on track. "Who said these contests aren't full of surprises? So, judges, which of our two remaining finalists--"
"Wait!" The old guy judge said, making Dede stop and turn around.
"Really?" Guy asked after he read the sheets of paper he was given, only for the three judges to nod at him all smiling. "Uh, ahem. Ladies and gentlemen, our, uh, new Little Miss Blush is Dede King, 'for she is exactly what the fourth-grade girl of today should be, herself.'" As guy read the reasoning for this the Ashley's were all left crying at not winning. Guy and one of the female presenters put the sash and crown on Dedes head before she did her final walk down the stage.
"Isn't dede just radial?" Gus said as he watched dede.
"This is the happiest moment of my life." Said Vince about to cry again, but out of happiness this time.
When dede got home with her mum after the beauty pageant was finished, they walked in to see Keith standing there. "So? How'd it go?" Keith asked, seeing as he couldn't make it to watch the pageant himself.
"Our little jewel won." Crystal said still with that look of pride on her face.
"HA! I knew it. No one can match our little girl's beauty." Keith boasted as he pulled Dede into a hug.
"While she is a beauty, that's not why she won." Crystal said, making Keith look at her. "She won because she stayed true to who she is, she didn't pretend to be someone she wasn't. And that alone made me so proud of you Jewel, even if you didn't win, you'd still be a winner to us and especially yourself."
"Thanks mum." Dede said with a tear in her eye. Keith quickly grabs Crystal and brings her into the hug.
"What did I do in my past life to deserve two amazing girls in my life now." Keith sobbed as the mother and daughter laughed.
On the next day of school the group of eight met up and we're all still hyped about the beauty pageant, that it's all they could take about on their way to class. Upon entering the class they all went to take their seat, all did except for Dede and Spinelli who stopped by Dedes desk, seeing a folded up piece of paper just sitting there.
"What's that?" Spinelli asked as Dede picked it up.
"I don't know." Dede said as she unfolded it to read.
*No one in this world knows the feeling that I get when I see you. They have no idea what I feel when I hear your name or your soft voice. Nobody has ever made me feel the way you make me feel, and that is such a crazy feeling. You don't need a fancy dress or make up to be beautiful, you already are to me. Every time I think about you, It makes me glad to know that you're my friend. And I hope that you feel the same.
From
Your secret admirer.*
As Dede was reading she couldn't stop the little blush that was rising onto her cheeks, this made Spinelli curious so she took the paper from Dedes hand and read it herself. "Woah! Since when did you have a secret admirer?" Spinelli exclaimed, grabbing her friend's attention.
"What are you talking about?" Said TJ as they all walked up and took turns reading the note.
"Wow! Wonder who wrote this?" Said Paloma before handing it to Mikey to read.
"Ahh, love. Such a wonderful thing." Mikey sighs.
"Huh? Love? I don't even know who it's from." Dede looked away from her friends, not knowing what to do.
"Hey, Miss Grotke." Spinelli calls out getting the teacher's attention.
"Yes Spinelli." Miss Grotke walked up to the group.
"You know who left this on Dedes desk." Spinelli took the note from Mikey and handed it to Miss Grotke.
Miss Grotke read the note and had a grin on her face before turning to the kids. "Why no, I have no clue on who left this note." Miss Grotke said before handing the note back as the bell rang for class, but the way she said it made Dede think she was lying.
A/N - hope you all like this new chapter.