Right in Front of You

Chapter Eight

I learned two things about myself that night. First of all, I learned that I was absolutely dreadful at walking in heels. I nearly twisted my ankle practicing with Aurora before the pageant. And secondly, I was the biggest baby when it came to being on stage. I was pacing back and forth backstage about twenty minutes before the pageant began when a girl stopped me by grabbing my shoulders.
"Deep breath!" She laughed, flashing her perfect pageant girl teeth. She threw her long, blonde hair behind her shoulders and directed her attention to keeping me under control.
"You're doing to do fine. You look beautiful! I think your dress might be my favorite one here." She whispered, looking around. As it turned out, there were twelve contestants at the end of registration. So that meant that I had a one in four chance of placing. Not that I cared. I was just here for the list, you know.
"Thanks, but that's totally not true. Your dress is amazing." I sighed, motioning to her lilac colored dress. It was all tight, and she looked like a goddess. "My name is Paisley, by the way."
"I'm Amanda. It's great to meet you, Paisley. Don't be nervous. I've done like a thousand of these things, and I promise that you're going to be awesome. Just smile and pretend that you aren't nervous." She gave me a wink before walking away. As soon as she was gone, Aurora marched up to me, glaring at me below her thick fake eyelashes.
"Why are you chatting with the enemy? Don't you want to win?"
"Not really." I laughed.
"Oh." She replied. "Me either. Look, we're on in ten. Guess we're running ahead of schedule."
The girls backstage were now frantic, running around with cans of hairspray, bobby pins, pallets of eyeshadow, and back-up heels. It was like a circus of brightly colored pageant dresses and even brighter shades of makeup. Most of the girls looked just as nervous as I felt, so I began to calm down a little bit. I glanced in a nearby mirror and observed myself thoroughly. I did look pretty good. Curled hair, perfect makeup, princess dress, sparkly shoes. I even put in contacts so I didn't have to wear my glasses. I looked like a completely different person!
"Is your family coming?" I asked Aurora nervously.
"Well, assuming you don't care if Jeanie is or not, because you aren't secretly in love with her - yes, my brother will be here." She replied, not even looking up from the blush that was tracing across my cheeks.
I grew silent and found myself smiling just a little too much. But then a thought occurred to me.
"Wait a second, do you suppose Jacob Halsey will be here? This is a pretty
big event every year!" I exclaimed, grabbing the blush brush from my friend's hand.
"I don't know, Paisley! Calm down. We are about to go onstage and-" She began, but a pageant official came running over to us and called us into a circle.
"Are you girls all excited?" She shrieked with too much enthusiasm, and half of the girls responded the same way. The other half, including myself, just stared at her nervously biting at our painted nails.
"Here's how it is going to work. One at a time, you are going to go on stage. There will be music, so don't worry about silence. You will walk to the three x's in the middle of the stage like we practiced, smiling the whole time, then you will return to backstage. After everybody is done, you will all come on stage at once for line up then one at a time, you will come forward and answer a randomly selected question. Any questions?" She said entirely too quickly. Nobody replied, and she clapped her hands. "Alright! It's show time, ladies! We got a big crowd, so don't be surprised!"
The pageant itself was taking place on a huge stage in the middle of our town's park. There were about a thousand chairs set up, but I doubted that a thousand people would show up. Maybe one hundred. Maybe.
"First up, contestant number one - Kylee!" The emcee boomed. The crowd clapped loudly as the tall brunette with the ridiculously long legs glided onto the stage. We all watched her from behind the curtain, examining her every move to see if we could be better.
The next three contestants flew by, and it was Aurora's turn. She didn't even look nervous. I was instantly jealous.
"Here goes nothing!" She winked at me before strutting onto stage. I had never seen someone with so much confidence. She walked to the first x with her hands on her hips and flashed the crowd a dazzling smile. When she approached the second one, she spun in a circle and laughed adorably. The real show stopper happened at the last x, however, when she leaned forward and blew a kiss to the front row of the crowd. After she was done, the crowd cheered feverishly, and she walked up to me.
"Be aware!" She whispered quickly. "About nine hundred of those chairs are filled." My heart dropped.
"Next up is contestant number six - Paisley!"
I sucked in a deep breath and pulled myself together. It was time to face my fear. As soon as I was onstage, I tried to forget about the crowd. I didn't think about Avery or Jacob or Jeanie or whoever else could be watching. Instead, I threw every ounce of my energy into putting on a performance. I felt lighter than I ever had before with every step.
I walked to the center of the stage and popped one leg out, placing the opposite hand on my hip. I heard a loud yell from the crowd. Much to my surprise, the stage lights were so bright, and it was becoming so dark outside, that I could barely make out the faces that were a few feet below me.
"Go Paisley! Yeah!" It was a male voice, but I had to shut it out and focus.
I smiled brightly, showing off my braces that matched my dress surprisingly well. The rest of my walk was a bit of a blur. I strutted purposefully, then finished it off like Aurora with a random kiss blown to the first row. Lord only knows who I blew it to.
As soon as I was offstage, Aurora picked me up in an embrace.
"You were amazing, Paisley! You looked like a real pageant girl out there! I'm so so happy for you!" She whispered, squeezing me tightly. I smiled. It was done. My stage fright was conquered. I could check it off the list.
Time seemed to stall while the remaining six girls went on stage. I was shaky and ready to get onto the question part of the pageant. I hoped that I wouldn't completely freeze under pressure. I zoned out for a minute and imagined Jacob sitting in the front row, watching me. I imagined him coming up to the pageant afterwards and confessing his undying love for me AND my sparkly heels.
"Thank you, contestant number twelve!" The emcee said charmingly.
Oh no! Was it time already? Aurora squeezed my hand for support, but I was staring blankly at the floor. Maybe I wasn't cut out for this.
"Okay, girls! Walk!" The backstage helped direct us. The twelve of us walked out onto the stage in a perfect row, each confident that we were the unique snowflake that would win. Some girls winked, others blew kisses, but not me. I stood there smiling bigger than the state of Georgia. It was the only thing that I could do, because I was nearly paralyzed with fear. I guess the fear wasn't entirely conquered after all.
"Contestant number one - please step forward." The emcee said, and the long-legged brunette took a big step towards the microphone. The emcee drew a little piece of paper out of the fishbowl and held it to the light for examination.
"If you could be one animal for the rest of your life, what would you be and why?" She asked happily. I looked around quickly in confusion.
"Did she really just ask that?" I whispered to Aurora beneath my smile. "What kind of question is that?"
"It's a pageant question. They're all dense and stupid like that." She laughed quietly. We both redirected our attention to the girl, curious to see how she would respond.
"I would be a horse!" She smiled brightly. "And I would be a horse that carried a wounded man from the battlefield to a local hospital!"
My jaw nearly dropped. Was I hearing things, or did that girl just say she would be a horse?
"Lovely answer, contestant number one! Thank you!" The emcee replied, and she waved to the crowd before stepping back in line.
"Contestant number two, please step forward."
As it turned out, contestant number two was Amanda, the girl that I had met earlier. She walked towards the microphone, her purple dress shimmering with every step.
"Who is your biggest inspiration, and why?"
"That's easy. My mother is my biggest inspiration. She works so hard to support my two sisters and I everyday. Plus, she never lets me go hungry. Shoutout to my mom and her world famous pasta!" She fist pumped, and the audience laughed simultaneously. They were loving her.
"Thank you, contestant two. Contestant three - you may step forward." The emcee said robotically.
The third and fourth girls weren't really memorable. I kind of spaced out during their questions. I only snapped back into reality, because Aurora's number was called. I felt myself growing nervous. That meant that I was next!
"Contestant number five - where do you see yourself in five years?"
"What kinda question is that? I'm not a psychic." She replied in confusion. The crowd erupted in laughter, and the emcee shifted uncomfortably.
"If you were to predict where you would be in life, what would be your best guess?" She repeated in annoyance. Aurora brought a finger to her chin like she was genuinely contemplating.
"Well, since in exactly five years it will be June, I assumed that the weather will be pretty nice, am I correct?" She asked, and the emcee nodded impatiently.
"Then if there was such beautiful weather, I would probably be outside - relishing the sun. Maybe going on a nice swim...or perhaps a walk in the woods." She finished with her hands on her hips. The emcee glared at her then thanked her through a fake smile.
"Thank you for that interesting spin, number five. Contestant number six - you may step forward."
I took a step forward nervously and held my hands together to keep them from shaking. I was praying to God that my question wouldn't be too terribly difficult. When Aurora passed me, she patted my shoulder and whispered good luck. I hardly heard her though. My ears were ringing.
"Contestant number six - people often talk about changing the world, but not many people have an actual plan. How do you think we can change the world around us?"
What?! I was almost infuriated. Everyone else got questions about animals and their favorite color, and then here I was getting drilled about world transformation. I froze, paralyzed with fear, and I looked down into the audience. My eyes instantly connected with Avery's and my heart slowed a little bit. He motioned for me to take a deep breath, raising his shoulders slowly. I did what I was told, and my brain clicked on.
"I think the only way we can change the world is to start with ourselves. We can't control what anyone else says or does, but we can control what we say and do. If each of us commits to becoming the best versions of ourselves, we can change the world. If you want to see a change in the world..." I stopped and glanced at Avery. I thought about his rubber bracelet and the three little words that were written across it. "Be the change."
His face lifted into a perfect smile, and him and the rest of the crowd cheered wildly. They loved my answer. I couldn't believe it!
I gave a tiny wave and stepped back in line with the rest of the contestants.
Aurora grabbed my hand and leaned in towards me.
"That was awesome. Hey, isn't that what my brother's bracelet says?"
"Oh, is it?" I asked innocently. "I didn't even realize that."
I let my eyes drift back to the front row of the audience, and I caught Avery staring at me. He smirked in a knowing way, and I stuck my tongue out at him. It wasn't pageant girl etiquette, and it certainly wasn't lady-like, but I didn't care.
The rest of the girls Q and A's flew by. None of the answers were as long as mine. Except for the tenth girl.
"Contestant number ten - why do you think global warming is an increasingly prominent issue today?"
The girl froze, clearly not understanding at all. Her white, shimmery dress was almost see through and so was her clueless answer.
"I think that, obviously, we can't control such factors and such things, but maybe if we were to eliminate such other factors such as pollutions and littering...then maybe we can change the world. We can be the change." She finished, and the crowd clapped awkwardly.
I looked down at Avery, and he had his hands on his face, probably laughing hysterically. When he looked back up at me, he looked around like he was trying to find the root of her stupidity. No such luck. The last two girls answered their questions then we all walked off stage.
We were told to wait backstage for ten minutes then we would all go back onto the stage for awards. We all waited around, chattering nervously. I could hardly breathe.
"Do you think I have a chance at placing?" I asked Aurora. She was glued to her phone, sending hearts to someone. "Who are you texting?"
"Oh, it's just James. He's here, actually! He said that I looked beautiful on stage." She looked like she was in a dream with her hand under her chin. I was happy that Aurora had found her Prince Phillip - ha - but now, I wanted to find mine.
"You seriously were great out there." Amanda said from behind me.
"Aw, thank you. So were you." I replied, sweetly.
"Thanks. It's my last ever pageant." She explained sadly. "I'm gonna miss it so much."
"Why are you quitting?" I asked curiously.
"Not exactly quitting. Pageants are just a really expensive hobby, and I have a brother with autism, and my mom is paying to put him through a school for kids just like him...we just don't have the money anymore." She said sadly. If any other girl was saying these things, I'd probably think she was making it up, but there was something genuine about Amanda. She seemed so real for a girl who did beauty pageants all the time.
"Oh, I'm sorry..." I said, unable to find anything better to say. I tended to get awkward when I didn't know what to say, so I just shut up.
"It's okay," She shrugged. "I care more about my brother's future than some crown."
I gave her a smile, and she returned it graciously. Before I could say anything else, Aurora marched up to me. She pulled me away from Amanda in a somewhat rude fashion, but I let her drag me to the other side of the room, because whatever she wanted to tell me seemed fairly urgent.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Jacob. He's here." She replied with wide eyes.
"How do you know? Do you even know what he looks like?" I exclaimed, feeling my heart stop.
"No, but one of the girls said a guy named Jacob Halsey was here, and she was a nervous wreck because of it." She explained quickly. "Apparently, he's in the second row." I nodded understandingly.
"Okay, ladies, it's time for crowning! Who's ready to hear the winners?" The backstage director yelled. We all made our way back onto the stage to hear our fate. Aurora and I held hands tightly as we walked.
As soon as we were back on stage, I began scanning the crowd for Jacob. I let my eyes wander all the way across the second row until-
"Jacob." I breathed quietly. Aurora slapped my wrist, and I shut my mouth. There he was. He looked like a movie star. His curly blonde hair was pushed back lazily, but he looked like he was trying at the same time. The dark blue polo that covered his beautiful chest seemed to make him look even more tan and beautiful than ever. When I looked at him, he looked back at me, giving me a small smile then letting his eyes graze over the rest of the girls. Typical boy behavior.
If he was going to play hard to get then I was too. I let my eyes fall back onto Avery, and I gave him a huge smile. He looked at me in shock, then smiled back. His eyes seemed to light up when he looked at me. It was probably just the dress, though.
"Third and second place will each receive twenty five dollars and a trophy." The emcee explained.
"And third place goes to - Aurora!" The crowd erupted, and Aurora stepped forward, faking shock. She threw her hand over her mouth and waved dramatically, wiping away fake tears. Without permission, she grabbed the microphone from the emcee and began to give a fake acceptance speech.
"I would just like to thank my brother, Avery, for always believing in me, and my mother, for giving birth to me. Thank you all, and God bless." She took a bow and handed the mic back to the emcee who looked anything but amused.
"Thank you. No more speeches, please. Second place goes to - Kira."
A short girl with curly black hair stepped forward and accepted her runner up trophy quietly, then returned to her place.
"And now first place. This person will receive a crown, trophy, and one hundred dollars in cash. Drum roll, please!"
Time stopped for a moment, and I looked at Amanda. Her eyes were squeezed shut in anticipation, and it occurred to me that I didn't want to win. I wanted her to win. It was her last pageant, and her family needed the money. I instantly uncrossed my fingers and re-crossed them for her.
"Your Miss Southern Georgia Teen Queen is...Paisley!" The emcee exclaimed, and the crowd cheered once again. I could hear Avery yelling my name, and Aurora was freaking out too. As I walked towards the emcee, I found myself doing something that I never would've done a few weeks ago. I grabbed the mic from her hand and held it in one hand while grabbing the crown and hundred dollar bill with the other.
"First of all, I want to say thank you." I explained slowly.
"I thought I said no more speeches." The emcee growled behind me. "Why can't these girls just smile and take their crowns?"
"But more importantly, I don't want this. I don't deserve it. There's only one girl here who truly deserves this." I walked over to Amanda, and she looked at me with incredibly wide eyes. I put the crown on her head and handed her the money. She looked surprised, but accepted it anyway with tears springing to her eyes.
"Amanda was the only girl backstage, minus my best friend, to encourage me when I was nervous. She was sweet to every single girl, and this is her last pageant, so I think she's the real winner here. Congrats, Amanda. You earned it." I finished my speech, and everyone was silent for a moment. Then Amanda sprung forward and pulled me in for a hug. The crowd burst into applause unlike before. Everyone screamed and cheered. I couldn't look at anyone while I walked back over to the emcee.
"Sorry." I laughed, handing her the microphone, and she gave me a dirty look.
"Thank you everyone for coming out, and drive safe." She finished before stomping off stage. I turned to look at the crowd, but Aurora was already dragging me off stage.
"I'm so proud of you." She whispered. "That was the greatest thing that I've ever seen."