The Beauty Queen

The Beauty Queen - Chapter 9

Well, since it's Sunday, the last day of spring break, I have nothing to do. I'm actually not hungry for like the first time in my life, and it's already kinda late. I don't think I'll be doing anything tonight... Sooo... I'm just gonna upload a chappie. :D

I have two other story ideas, and of course there's the sequel to Royal Idiot... but I'm gonna finish this story first. :) You know what happens when I have a bunch of stories in progress at the same time... all but one go on hold. :P

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Chapter 9

I woke up to the alarm clock's annoying beeping. I groaned.

I hate having to sleep in the pageant place's dorms. Okay, okay, I know it's probably a lot better than sleeping on the floor at home, or on that one pillow we have. But I'm not talking about where I'm sleeping.

First of all, the alarm clock is set for five thirty. I don't know who in the world would wake up that early, or earlier, since most of the other girls are already outside of the dorms before then. It amazes me, but at the same time, it irks me.

Second of all, I feel like an outcast. Since there are only three giant dorms for my age group, there are about five girls per room. Every time we're all inside at the same time, the other four girls tend to stray away from me and have their own conversations, excluding me on purpose.

Sometimes I feel like the best times of my day are when I'm alone.

I've never figured out why the alarm clock is set for so early, even though practice starts at nine. I've always suspected it was a trick, or maybe it's for us to have time to get ready. But I'm pretty sure the getting ready one is invalid. I mean, I don't know any normal girls that take three and a half hours to get ready. Actually, longer than that, since everyone's already out of the dorms before the alarm clock.

I walked out into the hallway and stretched. My pajama shirt lifted a little, exposing a bit of my stomach. I laughed a little a pulled it down. Is it weird that my belly's ticklish to air?

At least the pajamas they gave us are comfortable. And they're Calvin Klein, so I bet they were pretty expensive. But of course, the best for any future beauty queen.

I shuffled sleepily to the dressing rooms. I pushed on the door and walked inside, rubbing my eyes and yawning. I went to the table I was at yesterday. I tried to ignore the surprised looks I was getting.

I picked up the same eyeliner I did yesterday. According to its label, it was coal-colored. I snapped the top off of the pencil and examined the tip. My eyebrows furrowed. Tracing my eye with a pencil can't be too hard, can it? I brought the pencil closer to my eye, my pupils going cross-eyed as it got closer. Then again, I've never even used make-up before...

"Umm, do you need help?" a quiet voice asked behind me. The question was followed by a few shocked gasps, and I heard a bunch of shuffling, and then the door slamming shut. I scowled. I glanced up at the person behind me in the mirror. My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

It was mouse girl! I thought she had run away!

After searching the rest of the room in the mirror, I realized all those gasps and footsteps meant all the other girls had left. I guess talking to a sort of embarassment was against the pageant law or something. I'm guessing the girls' pageant law went something like this: Thou shall always make others feel like dirt.

"Do I look that confused?" I said, sounding a little too concerned. I had lowered the eyeliner from my face and I was twirling it in between my fingers. Mouse girl smiled sheepishly.