Page 57 of The Accidental Beauty Queen
I have too.
And this moment feels like a balm. I cling to it, holding on tight. And I try with all my might to remember that whatever happens when all of this is over will be worth it.
Because right here, right now, I’m where I belong.
In the excitement that follows, I lose track of Gray. He slips away at some point while I pose for pictures and am hugged and congratulated by all forty-nine of my fellow contestants.
I’m embraced so many times that my roses are starting to wilt. When I finally head back to the hotel room, I leave a trail of petals in my wake, like a flower girl at a wedding.
My head is buzzing. I can’t wait to tell Ginny what just happened. But once I’m standing at our door with my card key poised just over the lock, I hesitate.
Seeing me in a tiara is going to sting. I know it will. I’m tempted to pry the thing off my head, even though Miss American Treasure anchored it in place with so many bobby pins that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to remove it.
I look down at Buttercup. “What do you think?”
Her response is nothing but a series of long, slow-motion blinks. The poor thing is exhausted. Cramming a month’s worth of dog training into a single day will do that to a dog, apparently.
Message received. We can’t keep hiding in the hallway. And it’s not as if I can keep the tiara a secret from Ginny forever. Sooner or later, she’d sniff it out. Probably sooner. She has a nose for crowned jewels.
I slide my key into the lock, take a deep breath, and open the door. Then I pause, thoroughly confused by the sight of Ginny on the other side.
“Here you are,” she says. “I thought I heard someone out there.”
She’s walking toward me with a strained smile plastered to her face. Her eyes are wild. Manic, almost. But her frenzied expression and unnaturally high-pitched voice aren’t the only things that give me pause. What catches me most off guard are her clothes.
She’s wearing my Hogwarts T-shirt. It hangs loosely on her, reaching halfway to her knees—a good two or three sizes larger than any shirt she would willingly put on. And are those my favorite sweatpants she’s got on? The ones she almost didn’t let me wear to the cheeseburger party?
Yes. Yes, they are.
“Um...” My gaze fixes with hers, and it’s then that I notice her messy bun and lack of makeup. She looks like me, from head to toe, only her face is still swollen. So, more accurately, she looks like I would on an exceptionally bad day.
I glare at her.
Is this some kind of joke? She’s mocking my usual appearance. But why?
“Come on in, silly.” She grabs my hand, squeezing it hard when I try to pull away. “Look who’s here.”
I stumble into the room behind her, tripping over my high heels. Buttercup trails after me. Then two familiar faces come into view and I freeze. My beautiful bouquet of roses falls to the ground.
“Dad. Susan.” I swallow. Hard. My heart is beating so hard that I might be on the verge of a panic attack. I probably am, because if ever there was a time to panic, it’s now.
What on earth are our dad and stepmother doing here? They weren’t scheduled to arrive until the start of the finals two days from now.
“That’s right. They wanted to come early and surprise us, since we’re both here together,” Ginny says. “Aren’t you surprised? I know I am.”
Understatement. I’m beyond surprised. I’m aghast. I’m so stunned to see them standing in our room that I’m rooted to the spot.
My twin moves closer to me and gives me a subtle jab in the ribs.
I jump, then propel myself toward our parents for a hug, since that’s what Ginny would normally do. It’s also whatIwould normally do if I weren’t suddenly longing for a paper bag to breathe into. “Sorry, it’s great to see you both. I just wasn’t expecting you so soon.”
My throat closes as I throw my arms around my dad. He’ll never be fooled by this charade. He’sour father. No amount of makeup and sparkle will trick him into believing I’m anyone but who I am.
But behind him, I spot Ginny again, dressed in her Charlotte attire. I’m not altogether sure what transpired while I’ve been competing, but clearly my sister had enough of a heads-up to transform herself into me. Granted, it was surely a much less time-consuming endeavor than what I went through to assume her identity.
Still.
As convincing as her dressed-down Charlotte costume may be, how has she managed to fool them for even a few minutes?
