Part 5 (2/2)
”You know,” Claudia said slowly, ”that's not a bad idea. It's not like singing or dancing; it's different. The judges might like it. Do you want me to ask your mom if you can be in the pageant?”
Charlotte scrunched up her face in thought. ”I don't know,” she said. ”See, the thing is, I'm not pretty.”
”Being pretty isn't the point,” Claudia told her. ”It really isn't. You have to have poise and talent and be smart.”
”But you have to be pretty, too. I know you do,” Charlotte replied.
Claudia didn't answer her right away. The thing is, Charlotte is quite pretty, with big dark eyes and chestnut-colored hair, but Claudia knew how useless it is to try to convince someone that she's pretty when she thinks she's not. So all she said was, ”This isn't just a beauty show, Char. I guarantee it.”
It took a little more talking, but finally Claudia convinced Charlotte that they should ask if she could be in the pageant. Claudia knew she didn't have a very confident partic.i.p.ant, but at least she had one.
And when they talked to Dr. Johanssen about it, she gave them her permission, along with the other usual stuff. She said that Claudia would take the responsibility of preparing Charlotte, and that Charlotte should try not to be too disappointed if she lost.
So the Little Miss Stoneybrook pageant gained another contestant.
Chapter 9.
I had no idea how caught up Claire and Margo had become in the pageant. I had told Mrs. Pike I would work with them a few afternoons after school. But apparently they were rehearsing and preparing on their own. As you can tell from Jessi and Mal's notebook entry, they spent all Sat.u.r.day afternoon working on pageant stuff. I guess it got kind of annoying for Jessi and the Pikes. On the other hand, n.o.body gave the girls an easy time. According to Jessi and Mallory, this is how the afternoon went: When Jessi arrived, the Pikes had just finished eating lunch. Nevertheless, Margo, who was standing in the middle of the living room, was holding a half-eaten banana in one hand and the copy of The House That Jack Built in the other (in case she forgot the words). She was rehearsing away in the banana-scented room.
”Thish ish the housh that Jack” (chomp, chomp, swallow) ”built. This is the malt that lay in the” (bite, chew, chew) ”housh that Jack bit. Thish ish the rat that - Oops.” A piece of banana had broken off and fallen on the carpet.
”Ha, ha, ha! Hee-hee!”
Margo had an audience consisting of everyone in the house - Jessi, Mal, the triplets, Vanessa, Nicky, and Claire. A few of the kids began to laugh when the banana fell apart.
”Mal, don't you think she ought to rehea.r.s.e in the kitchen?” Jessi said. ”It's awfully hard to get banana out of a rug. I know because Squirt smushed a big piece of one into the carpet in the den last week. I thought Mama was going to have a fit.”
”Good idea,” Mallory replied. ”Margo, you better rehea.r.s.e in the ki - Don't eat that! Don't you dare put that in your mouth!” she cried as Margo aimed the fallen piece of banana toward her lips. ”It's been on the floor.”
”Ew, ew, ew!” cried Claire.
”Ew, ew, ew!” mimicked Nicky.
”Aw, do I have to go in the kitchen?” asked Margo.
”Just until the banana is gone,” Mallory told her. ”And after that, no more bananas. You can't rehea.r.s.e with them all afternoon. You'll make yourself sick. Concentrate on the poem.”
”Boo,” replied Margo unhappily, but she headed for the kitchen anyway.
Everyone followed her. They all wanted to watch.
Margo stood in front of the refrigerator. She popped a piece of banana in her mouth and chewed it thoroughly.
Just as she was about to begin reciting, Adam jumped in with, ”This is the mouse the cat killed. This is the fly that landed on the mouse the cat killed. This is the spider that ate the fly that landed on the mouse the cat killed.”
”Adam!” Margo cried. ”Mallory, Jessi, those aren't the right words! Make him stop!”
”Adam,” said Mallory warningly.
”Mallory?” Adam replied.
Mallory hid a smile. She thought Adam's poem was sort of funny. And she thought all the pageant business was ridiculous. But as a baby-sitter, it was her job to try to keep the peace. She frowned at Adam. He frowned back, but remained quiet.
”Thish ish the housh that Jack” (swallow) ”built,” said Margo.
”This is the fly that landed on the mouse the cat killed,” Adam continued for her.
”Adam!” screamed Claire and Margo.
”Why don't you go rehea.r.s.e in your room?” Jessi suggested to the two hopeful beauty queens.
”No!” they shrieked. ”Make Adam be quiet.”
”Adam - ” Jessi began.
”Never mind,” he said hastily. ”Come on, you guys,” he added, and as he left the kitchen he was followed by Jordan, Byron, Nicky, and Vanessa.
Mallory and Jessi looked at each other and shrugged. Then they left/ too. Claire and Margo were alone in the kitchen.
”Good,” said Margo with satisfaction. ”Now we can really rehea.r.s.e.”
”Right,” agreed Claire. ”Only it's my turn to 'hea.r.s.e.”
”No, mine! I'm not finished.”
”It's mine! I haven't even started.”
”Mine!”
”MINE!”.
”Okay, break it up in there!” shouted Mallory from the living room. ”Either take turns or rehea.r.s.e in separate rooms.”
Margo and Claire looked at each other. Margo had finished her banana. ”Separate rooms,” she said, glaring at her sister.
”Good,” said Claire angrily.
As Margo marched out of the kitchen she called over her shoulder, ”I'm going to win, you know. Because my talent is better than yours.”
”Is not!” Claire began singing at the top of her lungs, ”I'm Popeye the sailor man. I live in a garbage can.”
”Claire, hold it down just a little,” said Jessi, poking her head into the kitchen.
Claire ignored her. ”I eat all the wor-orms and spit out the ger-erms. I'm Popeye the sailor man!”
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