The three girls looked around the room, their eyes wide with astonishment and, though they would rather die than admit it, just a bit of fear. Filling the room were dozens of girls, all wearing frills and pastels, with elaborately styled hair and flawless makeup that made them look years older. Several wore padded bras beneath their dresses, and more than a few had capped teeth. In comparison, Eva, Jane, and Leah looked almost ridiculously childish.

“Is it too late to back out?” Eva whispered.

“I think so,” Leah replied.

Jane swallowed hard and wiped her sweaty palms on her dress. “We look like kids, don’t we?”

“But… aren’t we kids?” Leah asked.

“Well… I guess… but… it’s… I can’t explain it,” Jane stammered.


“Looks like new meat,” a girl in a skimpy dress remarked to a friend nearby, smirking.

“They’re not even wearing makeup,” her friend added. She nudged the girl next to her, remarking, “Hey, Katana, check out the losers.”

Katana looked up from the mirror, where she was adjusting her hair, and stared at the girls. “Oh, them again,” she said disgustedly.

“What, you know them?” the girl responded.

“Yeah, kind of. I think they’re my cousins or something like that. Obviously, I don’t know them that well. I’m way cooler than they are.”

“I hope they’re at least cooler than your other cousin. Mykaela is the worst!”


“Did you say something about me?” Mykaela spoke up. She frowned at the girls. “At least say it to my face, if you have a problem with me.” She rolled her eyes at Eva and, addressing Eva and her sisters, remarked, “They like to try to psych out everyone. They think if they talk bad about you, you’ll give up.”

“We… we weren’t going to give up!” Jane lied.

“Come on,” Mykaela said, grinning. “Let’s go hang out before the competition starts. If you want, I’ll at least do your hair and makeup. I’m not beauty queen material, but I can at least make you look okay.”

“Deal,” Leah replied.

“But if you make us look bad…” Jane threatened.

“I won’t. Trust me, I know what it’s like to deal with those pains. My mom makes me hang out with them all the time. Thinks we’ll be best friends or something. Like we have anything in common. Honestly, I’d rather be reading or climbing trees.”

“You know,” Eva remarked, following Mykaela, “I think we’re going to get along just fine.”