Lets Do This

chapter 8: Rotten fruit

The next morning, Rose snorted herself awake. She didn't recognize anything. She rubbed her eyes awake, and some of her eye makeup smudged onto her hand. She noticed she was holding a beer bottle in her other hand. She was upside down on her couch. Rose fell off and stood up to see her couched ripped up, stuffing everywhere, broken glass on her carpet, drool on her forehead, her back door wide open, a four foot hole dug in her backyard, and dirt under her fingernails.

She couldn't comprehend what had happened, and was about to fall back asleep until she suddenly remembered it was the carnival day. This was her big moment to impress everyone by her looks. She sprayed a ton of cheap tacky rose scented perfume on herself. Rose got into her car and drove to the carnival without even checking herself in the mirror.

When she got there, she walked into the place sweating like a pig. At this point, any makeup left on her face started to melt off. She looked around and stared at all the children. Someone tapped her back so she turned around and-

"Well if it isn't Rose! I wasn't expecting you here today."

It was Drew. He had visited the carnival with his wife and kids.

"Oh Drew! Yippeee hello" Rose replied with a smile.

Drew noticed the runny makeup on Rose's face, and her stained dress. Her hair was a mess as well, and there was a red bow in it.

"So uhh, what are you all dressed up for?" Drew asked.

"OH well I'M going to win the fruit pageant! Can you tell I dressed up as a strawberry?!" Rose was practically squawking at this point. Drew looked her up and down.

"You look like the best strawberry here!"

*If a strawberry was stepped on* Drew thought.

"Thank YOU Drew! You should come and watch me win! The pageant starts in 30 minutes and you bet I'll be there. YIPPEE!"

Drew was already going to the pageant because his wife wanted to enter it, but decided he was going to support Rose more, so he told her he would watch her "win". They hugged and parted ways.

Rose walked around a while and lost one of her heels. Her exposed bare foot was now all dirty. She walked over to the pageant and entered it. The lady in charge of entering people had looked at Rose thinking this was some kind of joke. When Rose continued and seemed serious, she just went along with it, trying not to judge. The stench coming from Rose almost made her throw up, but she held it all in and quickly moved Rose out of the room so the smell of fresh clean air could relieve her senses.

When the pageant began, all the contestants were told to line up in the event section. The crowd gathered from behind a gate, some cheering for their family members participating. Rose looked around and spotted Drew waving at her in the crowd. She waved back and smiled. The judges began writing stuff on their clipboards, observing each contestant. Rose stood confidently. When the judges reached her, they scribbled something down and quickly moved on. Rose found it odd how they spent so much time judging the other contestants, but concluded it to her being the obvious winner.

Rose got excited, believing she was so beautiful that she had already won. She looked side to side, flinging her grubby fingers around in an attempt to elegantly wave. Drew shouted amongst the crowd cheering for Rose.

When the judges were finished with everyone, they started giving out awards. They started with the average fruit titles. One old lady won the blueberry title, one won the orange, a teenage girl won the lemon, and a little girl won grape. Fruits were running out and there was only so many before they announced the grand strawberry winner. Rose's name hadn't been called, and it was getting closer and closer. Drew was astonished she had made it this far. The judges had awarded every contestant until there were two left. Rose and her competition. It was Drew's wife. She was a nice, gorgeous woman a little younger than Rose. She had a beautiful smile and shiny curly hair. Drew still wanted Rose to win more than his wife. The judge turned on the speaker, and said:

"Rose, you win-"

Rose lost her mind and screamed

"YIPPEEEEEEEEE!!"

She was jumping up and down, until the judge continued.

"You win the raisin title!"

Rose continued cheering and jumping until the stinging words processed in her old waxy ears.

"The WHAT!?" She yelled in the judges face.

"All the judges thought you looked most like a raisin, so you win the raisin title. Thank you for competing."

The judges moved on to announce Drew's wife as the strawberry winner, while Rose stood frozen staring off into space. Drew was cheering for his wife, but deep down was disappointed. Rose dribbled uncontrollably, in a daze. Her knees were locked, her hands in a fist, while her head started shaking. When she came back to reality, she cussed and slurred at the judges. She got up real close trying to degrade them. The security officer had to escort her out of the carnival, and she stood tearing up in the parking lot. Drew rushed outside to see her, and tried to comfort her.

"It's okay you're the real strawberry winner in my heart."

Rose didn't care, she wanted the money. She explained to Drew about how her kids were kidnapped, and she needed ransom money. She made puppy eyes at him, until he said,

"Oh don't worry about it, I can pay it all for you!"

Rose smiled and thanked him. When the time came, she went to the location and paid off the kidnapper. Her kids didn't want to stay with Rose, as life with the kidnapper was better, but he forced them out of his van. Rose took her children and went home.