The rose competition

I may not be nice. But I am pretty.

They tell me this as the silent stylists brush bronzer onto my cheek bones. "Stephanie, you really are gorgeous," murmurs my mother as she and my aunt hover around me, trying not to get in the way. "If you charm the judges then that's all the better." She smiles at me, willing me to put aside my bruising personality. I look stiffly away, hoping she'll know that she hurt my feelings.

"On stage in 5, beauty queens! Start practicing your smiles!" A beaming assistant looks through the door. The makeup stylists speed up to a blur around me and give my chair a dizzying spin to face the mirror. As usual, I almost gasp. I never feel beautiful when I'm not looking at my self. But soon I shrug it off. Nothing matters. I stand up and smooth my clinging, sparkly gown over my hips.

A few girls line up at the door with me. They may all be a mean as me, but at least they're better at hiding it.

Suddenly, the assistant comes back to the door. No! It can't already have been five minutes! But they pull the door back and girls flow through it all around me. I hurry to keep up.

As I sit back stage, fighting the urge to fidget, a guy who looks about 17 walks by. Everyone immediately stares at him like he's the answer to life. He is pretty attractive, I guess. But I refuse to stare.

Being constantly in the world wide Rose Competition is a big deal- such a big deal that you're pretty much never home. Or around different people. Or boys.
I guess seeing one is a rare sighting.
"Alright, stage in ten- nine-" A tall man comes into the room and begins counting down in a stage whisper.
Panic grips my throat. Why the heck did I enter this anyway?

Thanks for reading guys! I will definitely update soon!

My senses are overwhelmed as we walk out onto stage and take our seats. The audience roars and the lights are insanely bright. Our introduction videos play on a big screen behind us on the wall.

"Hey y'all, I'm miss Alabama and I come from the most amazing family in the world," gushed a golden haired girl on the screen.
I look at her sitting 6 seats down from me. She's wearing bouncy curls and the tightest pink dress I've ever seen.

I kind of space out for the rest of them, hoping that I'll miss mine. It's pretty embarrassing, actually.

I close my eyes lightly. I haven't gotten much sleep lately.
Nervous about the competition and all.

Suddenly I feel sick to my stomach. I know I probably should have sat this competition out- I had felt a cold coming on since days ago.

My head hurts so badly- I can't really see what's in front of me...
~
Everyone gasped as the girl in the sparkly red dress slides out of her chair and hits the floor, laying in an awkward position.

The announcer turned and quickly assesses the situation. "Ladies and gentlemen! We seem to be having a problem..."

In the audience, a solitary woman smiles.


I woke up in an ambulance, my mom and aunt peering down at me. "Stephanie! How do you feel?" my mom asks, concerned.
"I...I don't know," I say nervously, suddenly panicked. I sat up and a female medic came up and gently pushed me down.

"Hey!" "Dear, please just relax for now," she says, and I lay as ridged a board on the stretcher.

I eventually fall asleep.