All’s fair in love and pageants 6 страница

Henry Schafer pursed his lips in disgust, as though he found Portia’s outburst to be in poor taste. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that Fallon Gregory set Portia up to be dethroned,” I cut in smoothly, wanting to keep Portia as quiet as I could. I laid it all out for them: Candy’s strange behavior when I’d visited Fleur; the salesgirl’s news that the store had been in danger of closing; Fallon’s comment to Kelly that she would “come out on top”; and, finally, Candy’s confession. “Fallon wanted revenge on Portia. They’ve known each other since they were little, and have never gotten along. Of course Fallon resented her old rival blackmailing her out of the crown she thought she deserved.”

The pageant officials looked dumbfounded. I could tell they’d all grown accustomed to thinking of Portia as a liar and a thief, and her admission that she’d blackmailed Fallon only added to that reputation. Still, what I was saying made sense. They glanced at each other uncomfortably, as though deciding what to do.

“Are the contestants here yet?” Lucille asked Cupcake.

Cupcake glanced at her watch. “Oh, heavens, yes,” she replied, jumping up. “I should go and tend to them. Whatever happened last year” — she stopped to glare at Portia — “we still have a pageant to put on.”

Kyle held up his hand. “Just a minute, Cupcake,” he said with a sigh. When all eyes turned to him, he looked gravely at me and Portia. “I think you’d better tell Fallon to come in here. I’m going to place a call to Fleur.”

 

Twenty minutes later, we were all assembled. A few yards away, the dressing area for the Miss Pretty Face contestants was buzzing with girls shimmying into their dresses and smearing on their Pretty Face makeup. But in the small empty classroom we occupied, you could hear a pin drop. Fallon had finally stopped gasping and whining about why she was called in, and now sat quietly between Kyle and her aunt Candy, who had just arrived. Candy looked upset. The two hadn’t exchanged a word except for “hello.”

Finally Kyle broke the silence by clearing his throat. “Nancy,” he said, “would you like to tell everyone here what you’ve told us?”

I took a deep breath as all eyes turned to me. “I believe Portia was set up to be dethroned as Miss Pretty Face,” I said simply. “And I believe Fallon Gregory was behind it.”

Fallon’s face went chalk white as her mouth dropped open in alarm “ What? Are you — are you crazy?!”

But Kyle hushed her. “Wait for Nancy to finish, please.”

I laid it all out for the second time. The plastic surgery; Portia blackmailing Fallon; the shop-lifting scam and Fallon’s connections to Fleur. As I spoke, Fallon’s face remained frozen in shock. Her beautiful features turned ugly with shock and rage. She looked furiously from me, to Portia — and then, finally, to Candy.

“It’s not true,” she insisted. “I would never. It’s not true, tell them, Auntie Candy.”

But Candy only looked miserably at her lap. She was silent. Portia shot me a triumphant expression, unable to hide her grin.

“ Auntie!” Fallon cried, sounding angry now. “Tell them! Tell them I didn’t do it!”

Candy stayed still for a few seconds, then sighed and closed her eyes. “I can’t, Fallon,” she said quietly. “Because it is true.”

“Ha!” Portia cried, unable to contain herself any longer. “It’s true, Fallon, you know it is! You couldn’t stand that I’d won the crown you’d lost with your stupid nose job — so you took it from me! You have some nerve! I hope you’re banned from beauty pageants for the rest of your life! I hope your nose job reverses and you get your awful Banana Nose back! You deserve it!”

I reached over and grabbed Portia’s arm. “Cool it,” I whispered.

But Fallon didn’t even seem to hear Portia’s rant. She was already crying. Dark Pretty Face mascara streamed down her face with her tears as she looked from me to Candy. “I can’t believe this,” she said quietly. “I can’t believe it. I can’t…”

“Fallon,” said Kyle. “I’m afraid…”

“ No!” Fallon sobbed.

“You’ve broken several of the conditions for competing in Miss Pretty Face, and I’m afraid that you’re disqualified from the current and all future competitions.”

Fallon shook her head, sobbing. “No! No! I was supposed to win this year!”

Candy was still staring down at her lap. She sat tensely, like she would give anything to get out of this room.

“As for you.” Kyle turned to Portia, who grinned eagerly. “On behalf of Miss Pretty Face, I apologize for the treatment you received during and after the shoplifting scandal. I see now that you were innocent. And I’m sorry for any… embarrassment we caused you.”

Portia just kept grinning. “Oh, it’s all right, you didn’t know,” she said, pausing, obviously waiting for him to continue. But Kyle turned away and rubbed his eyes tiredly. All attention seemed to turn back to the sobbing Fallon.

Portia glanced at me, a confused look on her face.

“Um, excuse me,” she said, an edge creeping into her voice. “But I was a lot more than embarrassed by those accusations. I lost my scholarship, my car, my livelihood. You’re going to reinstate me, aren’t you?”

Kyle turned around, and Lucille and Henry exchanged concerned glances. Kyle looked at Portia and frowned.

“ Reinstate you?” he asked. “Reinstate you? No, I’m afraid I can’t do that, Portia. You may not have shoplifted, but we’ve now learned that you blackmailed a fellow contestant into dropping out of the competition.” He glanced at Fallon, who was wiping her eyes with Henry’s handkerchief. “Isn’t that right, Fallon?”

Fallon nodded slowly. “Yes.” She glared at Portia. “She said if I didn’t drop out, she’d get me kicked out.”

Portia’s eyes narrowed. “And to you, that was a good enough reason to send me to jail,” she replied.

“You didn’t go to jail,” I pointed out.

Portia glanced at me in surprise, like she’d forgotten I was there. “Only because Candy felt guilty and dropped the charges,” she hissed, drawing closer to me. “So, just to recap: I lost my crown, my scholarship, my car, everything, and then I hired you to fix it, and instead you got me thrown out on some other charge.”

“You —” I started to defend myself, but stopped. The case was over. What was the point?

Portia glared at me one last time, then turned on her heel and walked out. “Thanks for nothing, Nancy Drew.”

The door slammed behind her.

For a few seconds there was silence, except for Fallon’s sobbing.

“Nancy,” Kyle said finally, gently. “I appreciate your bringing this to my attention. But perhaps you should go get ready.”

My head snapped up. “Ready?” I asked.

“For the pageant,” Lucille added.

I turned to Kyle. “But I — I mean, I thought it was clear —”

“I know you were competing for your investigation,” Kyle explained with a warm smile, “but I think you learned more than just scandal. When I saw your rehearsal yesterday, I was struck by your poise and talent. I think you should compete in the pageant, Nancy. I think you have a shot at the crown.”

Fallon sobbed harder. Candy glanced up at me, looking uncomfortable. Henry and Lucille stared at me curiously. Suddenly, I think I would have done anything to get out of that room.

“Okay,” I said quickly. “I’ll go put on my dress!”

 

MISS PRETTY FACE

 

There I was, decked out in a sequined flamingo dress, with my hair teased and twisted into a complicated updo that Bess called “the Parisian rose.” It was fifteen minutes till curtain. Bess flittered around me, adjusting my dress, clipping on earrings, mixing lipstick shades on her hand to find “the ultimate rosy-pink,” as she put it. George was leaning against my dressing table, watching the proceedings with an amused smirk. “I cannot believe I left my digital camcorder at home,” she said with a sigh.

“George?” I replied as Bess applied yet another coat of hair spray. “If I see this pageant on YouTube, I will spill a whole can of soda on your laptop.”

George ignored me, shifting to get a better look. “Is that a flamingo?”

“Special delivery for Nancy Drew!” Cupcake chirped, sweeping into my area with a huge bouquet of pink roses. She glanced at me approvingly and gave me a warm smile. It seemed like she’d gotten past her anger at my disrupting the pageant once she realized that my charges against Fallon were true.

“Ohhh, how beautiful,” Bess cooed.

I reached into the middle and pulled out the card that came with the flowers, reading it aloud: “‘Best of luck to our favorite pretty face. Love, Dad and Ned.’” I smiled. Dad and Ned were sitting together in the audience.

“That’s sweet,” George admitted.

“Very!” squealed Bess. “Oh, Nance, you look so gorgeous. I just know you’re going to win this thing.”

I laughed. “That’s because you haven’t seen the other contestants.”

Cupcake, who was lingering by my dressing area, checked her watch. “Oh my, look at the time. Nancy, I’m afraid your friends will have to leave. All non-contestants must take their seats in the audience.”

I turned to my two best friends. “You heard her.”

George and Bess looked me over, both smiling encouragingly.

“You know,” said George, “I still think pageants are a humiliating way to exploit women, but you do look amazing, Nancy.”

“Do you ever!” Bess added with a grin.

“Thanks, guys.” I smiled. “I couldn’t have done it without you. And I’ll see you after the pageant, just as soon as I lose and scrape all this makeup off my face.”

Bess laughed. “Don’t say that too loud, Nancy,” she said, picking up her purse and heading to the exit with George. “This is sponsored by a cosmetics company!”

I waved them off, pausing to look at myself in the mirror. I had to admit they were right: With Bess’s hair and makeup job and all the sequins, I looked completely different. Glowy. Confident. I smiled at my reflection, and had to admit I looked pretty great. Not that I would ever wear this dress or hairdo again — but it was nice to know I had a sparkly side.

“Hey!” I called, spotting a familiar face going by in the mirror. “Piper!”

Piper turned and glanced at me. She looked stunning: Her dark golden hair was styled in loose, dangling curls, and a sparking violet gown set off her tanned skin and dark eyes. Rhinestone chandelier earrings dazzled her earlobes, drawing attention to her perfectly drawn pink lips.

She sighed. “What?”

Hmmm. It seemed like Piper had taken the disqualification of her best friend kind of badly.

“Look, I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” I moved closer, smiling apologetically. “I took Portia’s case because I didn’t think she should be dethroned unfairly. I had no idea the trail would lead to Fallon, or that it would end with her being disqualified.”

Piper looked at me in confusion. “What?” she snapped. “Oh, right, the investigation thing. Fallon said something about that. What are you, some kind of detective?”

I shrugged, surprised by the edge in her voice. “Some kind,” I agreed.

Piper sighed and tossed her hair over her shoulders. “Look, if you think you broke my heart by getting Fallon kicked out, you’re wrong. That’s just one less girl standing in my way. Okay?”

I stepped back, stunned. Where was the sweet Piper who called me “girl” and brought me lemonade? “Okay.”

Piper glanced at me out of the side of her eyes. “And good for you, for competing or whatever. But let’s get one thing straight. With Fallon out of the competition, that crown is mine. And we’re not friends again until I’m wearing it. Got it?”

I nodded, too stunned to speak. “Got it,” I whispered finally.

“Good.” Piper turned on her heel and sashayed toward the stage, where the contestants were starting to line up.

Deirdre stepped away from her dressing area, adjusting her strap nervously. She, too, looked amazing in her beaded pink sheath, with her hair swept up in curls and a pink rose tucked into the middle.

“Hey, Deirdre,” I called.

She glanced over, looking me up and down. “Hey, Nancy,” she replied, a reluctant smile forming on her lips.

“You look beautiful,” I said honestly.

Deirdre nodded slowly. “You too,” she said quickly. Then she shuffled off toward the stage.

I sighed, taking one last look at myself in the mirror. This is it. In a way I couldn’t wait to get out on stage and lose this thing so I’d never have to think about pageants again. All of the backstabbing and the lies were making me dizzy. Portia and Fallon had both gone crazy for the crown — and now Piper? Who next? Was anybody who competed in pageants sane?

I headed over to the backstage waiting area and smiled as I spotted the one sane person here: Kelly. Kelly was wearing her beautiful peacock dress with her hair up in a French twist and her sparkling tiara on her head. Ever since I’d told Kelly that I was investigating the pageant, she’d been a little distant with me: not mean, but she didn’t seem quite sure whether she could trust me or not. “I know you’re a good person, Nancy,” she’d told me as we’d said our good-byes at lunch the day before. “I just… need some time to process this. That’s all.”

Now I caught her eye and smiled, giving her a little tentative wave. To my great relief, a huge smile took over her face and she laughed, opening her arms wide in surprise. “Look at you! My gosh, Nancy, you look like a bona fide pageant girl.”

The contestants were already lining up, and Cupcake was going down the line, checking to make sure that everyone was “pageant-ready.” “Piper, you look lovely. Deirdre, very nice. Nancy...” She paused and looked at me. First, she looked impressed, but then concern blossomed in her eyes. “Nancy,” she said with alarm, making me wonder if a third eye had somehow erupted out of my forehead. “Your skin is bland. You don't look shimmery and revitalized!”

It hit me. “Shoot!”

“You forgot your Perfect Face!”Cupcake cried.

I scrambled, trying to figure out the fastest way to get it on. My dressing area was the farthest from the stage, and we only had one minute to curtain. “I’ll-I'll —”

A hand reached out and firmly grabbed my arm. “Nancy, use mine.” It was Kelly. “My dressing station’s right over there. It’s in the box on the table. Hurry!”

“Thanks!” I squeezed Kelly’s arm and then ran over to her dressing station. Behind me, the River Heights High School Orchestra was already playing the first chords of our entrance song. I grabbed the plain cardboard box that all of our Pretty Face cosmetics had come in, and dug through the lipsticks and pans of eyeshadow. At the bottom, I felt a small square box that had to be it. I pulled it out, tore open the box, and pulled out...

A white bottle?

I stared down at it, surprised.

PERFECT FACE, said the handwritten label. Where was the pretty pink tube, printed with an English garden scene, that all the rest of the contestants had received? I scrambled to twist off the cap, and took a whiff.

VANILLA.

This was the test version.

Granted, Kelly got samples of early products from her dad all the time. And I’d seen this very version of Perfect Face in her room just days before. But we were all given boxes of new Pretty Face products, mailed straight from the factory, to use at the pageant. Why would Kelly replace her “real” Perfect Face with this early test version?

“Nancy!” shrieked Cupcake from the entrance to the stage. “Get your Perfect Face on and get out here, now! We've got twenty seconds till we start the procession!”

Shaking with nerves, I turned the bottle over and shook a dollop into my hand, then used my fingers to spread it on my face. The lotion was cool and refreshing, but there was something missing. The tingle. The strange sensation that I’d gotten every time I’d used my Perfect Face before was gone.

Suddenly Robin Depken’s words came back to me. I would never use their products on my face again. A chill ran down my spine. That pageant is the biggest joke in a town full of them. The real competition has nothing to do with you.

What were Kelly and Kyle hiding?

“NANCY!” Cupcake screeched. “We’re entering! Now! ”

I dumped the bottle back on the table and ran, as best I could in my heels, over to the stage. Just as Deirdre, who was right in front of me in line, took to the stage, I slid in behind her. Passing my hand over my head to smooth back any stray hairs, I pasted on my best Vaseline smile and stepped into the lights.

I had a pageant to lose.

 

“And the winner,” Kyle McMahon read off his card, “of this year’s Miss Congeniality title, is...”

I braced myself. Since there was no way on earth I was winning this pageant — I’d been so distracted throughout the competition that I’d tripped during our entrance and forgotten key words to “On My Own” — I figured my only chance of being called out was for these lesser titles. I really didn’t want to win anything, though. I wanted to get off this stage and do some real thinking about Perfect Face.

“...Deirdre Shannon!”

“Oh my gosh!” Deirdre. still standing next to me, squeezed my arm and shrieked. “Don’t worry, Nancy,” she whispered to me before she left, her usual haughty expression returning. “I'm sure you’ll win something. ”

I just smiled. I watched as Kyle awarded Deirdre with a miss congeniality sash. Miss Congeniality worked out pretty well for Kelly, I figured. Maybe Deirdre can take the crown after some big scandal hits.

“And now the runners-up!” Kyle paused and gave us all a meaningful look, letting us know that we were getting to the end. “The second runner-up is...”

I stifled a yawn.

“Julia Felice!”

Julia, a pretty brunette with short hair, stepped forward to accept her sash. Kyle then turned back to the audience. “The next name I call, the runner-up, is an important position, and will take over as Miss Pretty Face if the winner is unable to fulfill her duties.”

A muffled titter went through the crowd — no doubt everyone was thinking back to the embarrassing Portia Leoni scandal, when the winner was unable to fulfill her duties.

“Our runner-up this year is... Piper Depken!”

My mouth dropped open. Piper? But that meant... she hadn’t won. And how was that possible? All of Cupcake’s favorite girls — Deirdre, Julia, Piper, and Fallon — had all either placed already or had been disqualified. This was going to be a huge upset. Who, of the girls left, could reasonably win?

Piper was unable to hide her disappointment and anger as she walked up to Kyle at the front of the stage. When he fumbled with the sash, she grabbed it out of his hands and angrily threw it over her head.

“Congratulations,” I heard him tell her.

But she just sneered and rolled her eyes.

Kyle ignored her, grinning hugely as he took the microphone again. “And that brings us up to the main event — this year's new Miss Pretty Face! My daughter, Kelly, has done an excellent job as Miss Pretty Face for the remainder of last year’s term. As you may know, she’s worked with terminally ill children and been a wonderful representative for her generation and for Pretty Face Cosmetics.”

Kelly stepped forward at the mention of her name, walking a slow loop around the front of the stage as photos from her reign were projected behind her and the audience cheered. When she finished her loop, she stood quietly next to her father.

“As you know,” Kyle said, as the lights dimmed and the drummer started drumming, “the Miss Pretty Face title doesn’t just come with a crown. The winner will also receive a four-year scholarship to the institution of her choice; a new car, hers to keep even after her reign ends; a contract to be a spokesmodel for Pretty Face Cosmetics; and free Pretty Face Cosmetics for life!” Kyle paused, and the audience cheered again. “In addition, the winner will travel with me, Kelly, and Piper to compete in the national Miss Pretty Face pageant in New York City! We’ll depart next week!”

The applause grew even louder. I squinted, trying to see Bess, George, Ned, and Dad in the audience. There they were: fourth row. Ned winked at me, and I winked back. Don’t go anywhere, I wanted to say. I'll be out of this makeup and out there soon. I was anxious to talk to Ned about Kelly’s suspect tube of Perfect Face. Something about it unnerved me, in the same way I had been unnerved in the parking lot when I thought someone had been following me. Could I have been right about that after all — had someone followed me? I was starting to feel like there was a bigger mystery behind this whole competition than Portia Leoni and her dethroning.

“This year's new Miss Pretty Face... is...” Kyle caught my eye. Why was he looking at me like that?

And then, in the instant before he said the name, I knew. My knees went weak. I felt like I might throw up.

“Nancy Drew!’’ The audience erupted into applause.

So many things happened at once. The music changed, and got louder. All of my fellow contestants ran over to hug me. Flashbulbs went off. Kelly broke out into a huge grin and started clapping.

Somehow, I don’t know how, I made my way to the front of the stage.

Me? I won? But how?

I was vaguely aware of Kyle placing the sash around me, and Kelly gently removing the crown from her head and firmly bobby-pinning it to place onto mine.

“I was horrible,” I whispered to her. “How did I win? How did Piper lose?”

Kelly just shrugged and smiled at me. “Enjoy it, Nancy. You’ll make a great beauty queen.”

I looked from her, to Kyle, to the audience.

For so long, I’d so wanted this pageant to be over. But, now — well, now it looked like I was headed to New York City for the next round of competition. I decided maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. There was something else going on with this pageant that had my detective senses tingling. And I had a feeling the next competition was going to be even more scandalous than the first.

I glanced over at Kyle and Kelly, both of them beaming at me. I returned their smiles, thinking about the vanilla Perfect Face and my skin, which still didn’t feel the slightest bit tingly. Did Kyle and Kelly know something that the rest of us didn’t?

One thing was for sure: I’d done it again. I had another mystery to solve — and this time, the subject was Pretty Face Cosmetics.

 

TO BE CONTINUED…

 

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