Part 10 (2/2)
”Myriah's going to win!” Kristy exclaimed softly. ”I just know it!”
Mary Anne looked a little faint, so we gathered around her with support. None of us felt jealous anymore - not of each other, anyway. We just wanted one of our kids to win, whoever it was. I'd be as happy with Myriah as with Margo or Claire.
”The second runner-up,” cried the announcer, ”is Little Miss Lisa Shermer, our ballerina!”
The audience cheered as Lisa stepped out of the line and crossed the stage to stand by Mrs. Peabody.
”The first runner-up is. . .Little Miss Myriah Perkins!”
I heard two sounds just then. A shriek of joy from Myriah, who, I'm sure, was thinking of Toy City, and a cry of anguish from Mary Anne.
”Why isn't she the grand winner?” she wailed.
But everyone quieted down as the announcer went on, ”And now, folks, the moment you've been waiting for.” (Someone handed Mrs. Peabody a small crown and a bouquet of roses.) ”I am happy to announce that our very own Little Miss Stoneybrook is ... Sabrina Bouvier!”
The audience burst into applause, music began to play, and Sabrina was crowned. Photographers took her picture.
Mrs. Bouvier cried.
It was really disgusting.
My friends and I held a vehement, tortured conversation.
”Sabrina! How could they?!” exclaimed Kristy. ”Myriah should have won.”
”Told you,” said Claudia knowingly. ”Sabrina's a pageant-head. That's how these things work.”
Our conversation came to an abrupt end as the contestants straggled backstage. As you can imagine, most of them were not very happy. In fact, Margo and Karen were in tears. They were both crying so hard they couldn't speak. When Margo dried her eyes and nose on the hem of her velvet dress, I didn't scold her. I just knelt down, took her in my arms and held her, letting her cry for as long as she needed to.
Nearby, Kristy was doing the same with Karen.
After a long time, Margo gulped and sniffled and said, ”I tried my hardest, Dawn, honest.”
”I know you did.”
”And we're proud of you,” added a voice.
Margo and I looked up. There were Mr. and Mrs. Pike and Mallory.
”Why are you proud of me?” asked Margo.
I glanced at Mallory, who gave me a look that said, ”See what beauty pageants can cause?”
I shrugged. What else could I do? Claire and Margo had wanted to be in the pageant. It was their idea. This wasn't like Charlotte, who'd had mixed feelings about being in it.
”We're proud of you, honey,” said Mr. Pike, leaning over and cupping Margo's chin in his hands, ”because you were very, very brave to go out there on that stage in front of so many people. That took real courage. And you rehea.r.s.ed hard. Both you and Claire did. We're proud of you for that, too.”
I turned away. I had no idea Margo would take losing so hard, but I guess I should have known.
I left her with her parents and looked around for Claire. I saw her talking to Myriah, Mary Anne, and Mr. and Mrs. Perkins. Claire didn't look upset at all. I guess different kids react different ways to the same experiences, Karen was still crying against Kristy's shoulder.
I joined Claire and Mary Anne and the Perkinses. I reached them just in time to hear Mary Anne say (again), ”Myriah should have won the grand prize.”
”But then I wouldn't have won the toys!” exclaimed Myriah, looking amazed.
Something occurred to me then. It was all about the unfairness of the pageant. Mary Anne was absolutely right. Myriah really should have won - if this pageant was honestly based on people's talents and character. But it wasn't. I was glad that because Myriah had been given such a terrific prize, she wasn't disappointed about not winning the grand prize. But I was sorry that she had to settle (even happily) for second best.
Mallory wandered over to us then, followed by Jessi, who I guess had been in the audience.
”Don't say it,” I said to them. ”I know. We all should have listened to you guys on the day the newspaper article came out.”
”Well ...” said Mal, and I could tell that she and Jessi were just dying to gloat.
”I only want to say one thing,” Jessi spoke up. ”And I promise it isn't 'I told you so.' I want to say that now maybe it's clear how silly pageants are. 4 mean, look who won . . . and look who should have won.”
”I know, I know, I know,” I said testily. ”I was thinking the same thing. I don't know what this pageant judged, but it sure wasn't talent and character.”
”It was fake personality,” Mallory p.r.o.nounced.
I had to agree with her.
”Dawn?” said Claire. ”Can I be in the pageant again next year?”
I nearly pa.s.sed out. It was time to join the rest of the Pikes - quick! - and get home.
Chapter 15.
It took everyone - especially Charlotte - quite a while to get over the pageant. After all, Charlotte was the one who had run away in tears and had to be taken home.
Us baby-sitters discussed the pageant endlessly. The six of us sat around in Claudia's room most of Sunday afternoon. After we talked about how Mal and Jessi had been right, and the pageant wasn't fair and all that, Claudia (who looked a little teary-eyed) said, ”I did a terrible thing.”
”What?” asked the rest of us.
”I forced Charlotte into the pageant. I've apologized four times to her and her parents and they're being really nice about it, but I still feel awful.”
”Well, you didn't actually force her into the pageant,” Mary Anne pointed out. ”You didn't pick her up and carry her kicking and screaming onto the stage.”
”No,” agreed Claudia, ”but I did have to talk her into it.”
”Well, I kind of did the same thing with Myriah,” Mary Anne replied.
”And I kind of did the same thing with Karen,” added Kristy. ”They both wanted to be in the pageant, but we brought the subject up, hoping that that would happen. . . . And all so we could prove what good sitters we are. Pretty dumb. We know we're good sitters or we wouldn't have this great club!”
The rest of us laughed. But we couldn't forget the pageant. Not easily.
<script>