A/N: This story is based on the NBC television series The Facts of Life, which as far as I know, is the property of Embassy Television, Columbia Pictures Television, and Sony Pictures Television. No infringement is intended.
Chapter 1: Apple Maiden
"I can't wait for the Harvest Fair this weekend," fourteen-year-old Tootie Ramsey excitedly told her best friend, fifteen-year-old Natalie Green, as they were finishing up cleaning all the tables in the school cafeteria.
"I know. I can't wait, either," Natalie agreed. It was now mid-September and two weeks ago, Natalie and Tootie returned to the all-girls boarding school they attended, the Eastland School for Girls, for the fall semester. And every September, the small town of Peekskill, New York, always held their annual Harvest Fair, which was an event most girls at Eastland really looked forward to.
"I bet I know why you can't wait for the Harvest Fair, Natalie," Tootie said with a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. "I bet you're just counting the seconds 'til you see that hunk from Bates you've had your eye on since last semester, Peter Watson. You've had the biggest crush on him ever since you and George broke up. I know you're just aching for the next moment you can see him!"
"I am not!" Natalie insisted, trying to deny it, but the truth was written all over her face. Several seconds later, she admitted, "Okay, maybe I am a little anxious to see Peter at the Harvest Fair."
"Mm-hmm. And maybe the Eiffel Tower is a little tall!" Tootie teased, and Natalie scoffed.
"Look, just because I've had a slight crush on Peter for a while doesn't mean that I'm going to let my whole world revolve around him. Yes, he's cute. Yes, he's intelligent. Yes, he's a lot of fun to be around. But I'm not going to obsess about him."
"Mm-hmm. Then why have you taken all your nicest clothes out of the closet in the hallway and laid them across your bed, going through them time and time and time again, trying to decide on the perfect dress to wear to the Harvest Fair on Saturday, when it's still almost a whole week away? Admit it. You just want to get Peter's attention at the fair."
"Peter has nothing to do with it," Natalie insisted.
Tootie was about to respond, but then, their two roommates and friends, Blair Warner and Jo Polniaczek, burst into the cafeteria from the kitchen along with the school dietician, Mrs. Edna Garrett. Due to all the trouble the foursome had gotten themselves into over the years, they had to live over the cafeteria with Mrs. Garrett instead of in the dorms. Their room was right across the hall from Mrs. Garrett's room upstairs, and during the school year, the school held Mrs. Garrett responsible for them, and they worked for her in the kitchen and cafeteria.
"Blair, I'm sick of hearin' about it!" Jo fussed. Jo was a scholarship student from the Bronx – and a former gang member – and her tough, no-nonsense personality frequently clashed with the spoiled personality of wealthy debutante Blair. The two of them were constantly bickering about something. "Ever since you decided to enter the Harvest Queen pageant again this year, you've been goin' on and on about it constantly, and I'm sick of it! Either change the subject or shut up!"
"I live here too, you uncouth barbarian! And I can talk about whatever I please! You just don't want me to talk about the Harvest Queen contest because you're jealous! We both know that I'm destined to become Harvest Queen for the fourth time. I'm a lock. A legacy. And a grungy grease monkey like you wouldn't stand a chance against me!"
"I don't give a rip about your stupid pageant, Blair! Unlike you, I have higher priorities in my life than some dumb beauty contest!"
"Actually, Jo, I think it would be a great idea if you entered the contest," said Tootie.
"Me too," Mrs. Garrett concurred. "A lot of girls are competing in the Harvest Queen pageant this year. Sue Ann's competing. Nancy is competing."
"Cindy just told me yesterday that she's decided to enter the contest too, Mrs. Garrett," Tootie added.
"That's terrific!" Mrs. Garrett said aloud with a smile. "Natalie, Tootie, how about you two? Are you entering the pageant this year? After all, you know what they say: the more, the merrier."
"I personally refuse to enter the contest on principle," Natalie replied. "I think these beauty pageants objectify women and I refuse to be a part of it. Tootie feels the same way. Right, Tootie?"
"Actually…I think it'd be kind of fun to be in the contest this year."
"No you don't!" Nat cried out. "Tootie, beauty contests like the Harvest Queen pageant encourage men to think of women as sex objects! You don't want to be a part of something like that!"
"Natalie, being in the Harvest Queen pageant only objectifies me if I feel objectified. And I don't. There isn't any guy forcing me to be in the contest against my will so he can stare at me on a stage and think of me as some kind of object. I've decided to sign up for the contest of my own accord, and I'm doing it because I think it's fun, plain and simple. It'll especially be a lot of fun if I beat you, Blair," Tootie teased.
Blair let out an annoying chuckle in the following moments, just as sixteen-year-old Fred Davis, a student at Peekskill High, entered the cafeteria unnoticed, on his way to restock the candy machines in the lounge. Blair then wrapped an arm around Tootie's shoulders and told her, "Ah, Tootie. Tootie, Tootie, Tootie, Tootie. Although you are beautiful, I'm afraid that not even the most beautiful girl can stand a chance against me in the Harvest Queen contest this year. As you know, I missed out on being in the pageant for the last two years because both times, I got sick unexpectedly. Two years ago, it was a head cold and last year, it was a stomach virus. But this year, nothing is going to stop me from being in that contest. Undoubtedly, the judges have missed my presence in the pageant so very much over the past two years, and the instant they see that Blair Warner has returned, they will be so overwhelmed by my stunning beauty that no other girl will stand a chance." As would be expected, Blair's annoying snobbery made Fred shake his head in disgust.
Tootie, however, giggled at Blair's goofiness, and then she said, "Maybe not, Blair, but I'm entering the contest anyway. I'm just doing it for fun. I don't really care if I win or lose."
"That's the spirit, Tootie," said Mrs. Garrett. "You know, Blair, you really shouldn't take this thing so seriously. Tootie's absolutely right. You girls should just relax and enjoy yourselves and have some fun at the Harvest Queen contest this year. That's really what it's all about."
Fred loudly cleared his throat then, and the girls and Mrs. Garrett all turned around and saw him standing there with several big boxes of candy on a roller.
Mrs. Garrett smiled and said, "Hello, Fred. We haven't seen you in quite a while."
"Yeah, my parents got a divorce last year and I went to live with my dad in Boston. Dad and I just moved back to Peekskill a few weeks ago, and I'm working for my uncle again," he explained.
"Oh, I see. Well it's so good to see you again," said Mrs. G. as she shook hands with Fred. "Welcome back to Peekskill."
"Yes," Tootie said with a big, flirtatious smile, which Fred returned. "Welcome back indeed! I missed you, Fred."
"I've missed you too, Tootie. Anyway, if you all will excuse me, I have to go restock the candy machine. I'm running pretty late today."
"Of course," Mrs. Garrett said.
"I'll help you, Fred," Tootie offered, and then she turned to Mrs. Garrett and the girls and signaled for them to leave so she and Fred could be alone.
"Uh, Blair, Natalie, why don't we get outta here? After all, we've got a lot of stuff to do," said Jo, quickly catching on to Tootie's signaling.
"What stuff?" asked Natalie.
"Stuff," Jo responded in her best no-nonsense voice. "Come on, you two. Let's go."
"Yes, I have…stuff…to do as well," said Mrs. Garrett.
"Yeah," said Jo. "Mrs. G.'s got stuff to do. Blair and Nat have stuff to do. I've got stuff to do. We've all got stuff to do, so we'll get outta here and go do it."
Jo then walked out of the cafeteria with the girls and Mrs. G., leaving Tootie alone with Fred.
"Well Tootie, I can see that things at Eastland haven't changed a bit," Fred told Tootie with obvious disapproval a couple of minutes later as they began stocking the candy machine in the lounge.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Didn't you hear the way Princess Blair was just talking to you?" he angrily asked. In the next moment, he said in a mocking voice, "'No girl will stand a chance against me!'"
"Oh Fred, Blair didn't mean anything by it. She was just goofing around, just like she always does."
"Please, Tootie. We both know that what Blair really meant to say is, no black girl will stand a chance against her."
"Blair didn't mean that at all. She may be all silly and snobbish, but she's not a racist."
"I'll bet she's just as racist as her grandfather was. George Cramer, Natalie's ex-boyfriend at Bates, told me all about how she uncovered that obituary about Blair's grandfather last year that revealed the truth about him secretly supporting and being a member of the Ku Klux Klan all his life."
"That's Blair's grandfather, not Blair."
"You know what they say: the leaf never falls far from the tree."
"Come off it, Fred! Blair is not now, nor has she ever, been a racist. Blair was horrified when she first learned that her grandfather had secretly been a member of the Ku Klux Klan. And for a while, she was scared to death that I would think that she was a racist just because her grandfather had been."
"Tootie, when are you going to wake up and realize that all white people are racist, at least on some level."
"You know what, Fred? When we first got to know each other a couple of years ago, I really liked you. You seemed pretty intelligent, and you made me do some deep thinking, and I liked that. But now, I see you for what you really are: a reverse racist. Blair isn't the racist one, here. You are. You are racist against every white person you meet, and that's just as bad and just as wrong as a white person being racist against blacks. You automatically judge every white person you come in contact with before you even have a chance to get to know them. Yes, some white people in this world are racists, but all the white people I know despise racism. And unlike you, I don't automatically assume that every white person I meet is a racist, and I don't have this messed-up idea that you've always had that black people and white people should never have anything to do with each other. You've always had this crazy idea that blacks and whites shouldn't dance together or go to school together or do anything together. And in fact, it's not just crazy of you to be that way; it's downright stupid. I don't understand you, Fred. I really don't. It's almost like you want to find racism in every single thing in life you encounter. It's almost like you want to see racism in somebody so you can be offended; like you get some sort of weird kick out of it. If you want to go on throughout your life with that dumb attitude, that's your business, but leave my friends and me out of it," Tootie told Fred point-blank, and then she left him behind in the lounge to finish stocking the candy machine.
"Hey, guys," Tootie said to the girls a few minutes later as she walked into their room upstairs.
"Tootie, what you doin' up here?" asked Jo. "I got everybody to come upstairs so that you and Fred could be alone."
"I know, Jo, and I appreciate it, but Fred is acting as stupid as ever, and he's really getting on my nerves."
"What's he doing, Tootie?" asked Natalie.
"I really don't want to talk about it. Let's talk about something more fun, like the Harvest Queen contest. Blair, have you decided what you're going to wear in the pageant Saturday night?"
"No, I haven't made up my mind yet. What about you?"
"I'm wearing my purple floor-length dress."
"Oh Tootie, I think that's perfect. You'll really be a knockout in it. Hey listen, I'll help you out with your hair and makeup and accessories if you want me to."
"Really, Blair?"
"Of course."
"Gee, thanks. That would be great."
"Don't thank me, Tootie, dear. Yes, it is incredibly generous of me to offer to help my competition, but as we all know, generosity is a way of life for me. Besides, any girl competing against me will need all the help she can get."
"Actually, Warner, with you competing against Cindy, Nancy, Sue Ann, and Tootie, I think you're the one who's gonna need the help," Jo quipped.
"Jo, you should enter the contest, too," Tootie told her. "That would really make things interesting, you competing against Blair."
"Oh, please! A Bronx barbarian going up against me? It wouldn't be a competition; it would be a slaughter! You wouldn't stand a chance against me, Jo."
"It's like I said before, Blair: I'm not interested in your crummy contest. I hope you have fun with it, Tootie, but as for me, I agree with Natalie. I think these beauty contests are stupid. I think it's dumb to have contests judging girls on nothing but their looks. There's a lot more to being a girl besides just having a pretty face."
"Right on, Jo!" Natalie said aloud.
"But Jo, just think how much fun it'll be if you win," Tootie persisted. "Wouldn't it be great to get to wear the Harvest Queen crown on your head?"
Blair then wrapped her arm around Tootie's shoulders and said, "Tootie, darling, it really isn't wise to fill Jo's head with all these silly ideas of winning. If Jo competed against me in the contest, she'd get pulverized. Crushed. Decimated. Annihilated. I've been the Harvest Queen for three years in a row, and I'm going to win a fourth time this Saturday night. Jo's never won a beauty contest in her life and she wouldn't stand a chance against me and she knows it. Jo, you may be a great mechanic and you may be brilliant in the classroom, but one thing you don't know how to do is be beautiful."
"Are you quite finished, Gloria Vanderbilt?" Jo asked sarcastically with her arms folded across her chest. "Listen, I can be just as beautiful as you, and I can beat you in any stupid beauty contest."
"Alright, Polniaczek. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" asked Blair. "If you're really so certain you can beat me in the Harvest Queen contest this year, you shouldn't be afraid to make a bet on it."
Jo smirked and said, "I'm not afraid of any contest, and I'm not afraid of any bet."
"Alright, then. If I win the Harvest Queen pageant this year, you have to do all my chores for me for an entire month."
"And if I win, you have to wash and wax my bike for me every single day for a month. Every. Single. Day. Rain or shine. No exceptions."
After a brief pause, Blair said, "Agreed." In the next moment, she and Jo shook hands.
"This is getting goooood!" Tootie cried out, and Natalie smiled and nodded.
Immediately after Jo entered the Harvest Queen contest, she went to Mrs. Garrett and asked for her help. After Jo told her all about the bet she'd gotten into with Blair, Mrs. Garrett agreed to give her all the help she could, and knowing how obnoxious Blair could be at times, she also agreed to keep it just between the two of them. Mrs. Garrett went with Jo to Harrison's, and fortunately, they were able to find the most beautiful long-sleeved, floor-length, navy blue dress in Jo's size on clearance, and Jo didn't hesitate to buy it. Mrs. Garrett also had a pair of navy blue dress shoes which went with perfectly with Jo's new dress, which she was more than happy to lend to Jo for the night of the Harvest Queen contest. Tootie agreed to help Jo style her hair on the day of the contest, and with Tootie and Mrs. G. in Jo's corner, Jo actually did stand a decent chance against Blair.
And all the way through Thursday of that week, the Harvest Fair and the Harvest Queen contest and Blair's and Jo's big bet were all the girls could talk about. However, that Thursday afternoon, Mrs. Garrett had some shocking news for the girls that turned everything on its head. As soon as they all came bouncing into the school cafeteria after their classes at ten minutes past three that afternoon, they could take one look at Mrs. Garrett and tell that something was horribly wrong.
"Blair, didn't you see the way I was floundering in French class this afternoon?!" Natalie fussed at Blair as the four of them walked into the cafeteria together. "I really needed your help and you just abandoned me!"
"I was distracted! I had a lot on my mind today with the big Harvest Queen competition coming up! Sue me!" Blair snapped back in response.
It was then that they all saw Mrs. Garrett sitting at one of the tables, stiff and erect, as still as a statue, and in the next moment, they all came over to her.
"Hey, Mrs. G., is somethin' wrong?" Jo kindly asked her while putting her hand on her shoulder.
It was Jo's touch and voice that brought Mrs. Garrett back to earth. She then looked up at Jo and the girls and said, "Oh, hi, girls." In the next moment, she stood up. "Listen," she continued, "I'm glad you're all here. I have something very important I need to discuss with you."
"Sure, Mrs. Garrett. What is it?" asked Tootie.
"Girls…something happened today. You all know Mr. Jamison?"
"The custodian," said Jo. Mr. Jamison's seventieth birthday was only weeks away, and with the headmaster, Mr. Bradley, having spoken to the head trustees about it, a nice retirement package had been arranged for him, paying him well for all his decades of hard work at Eastland. Mr. Jamison had been preparing to retire and leave Eastland at the end of the school year in June.
"It was a few minutes after twelve and he'd left to get something to eat; he was out on his lunch break. And while he was out walking in town, he…he was attacked. Right now, he's in the hospital in the city. His condition is stable, but serious. He was beaten, badly beaten, by some group of hoodlums that calls themselves 'The Assassins.'"
"Did I hear you right, Mrs. G.? Did you say, 'The Assassins'?" asked Jo.
"That's right," Mrs. Garrett confirmed.
"Do you know of this group, Jo?" Blair questioned.
"Yeah…sort of. The Assassins isn't your ordinary, run-of-the-mill street gang like the Young Diablos. In order to be a member of The Assassins, you have to either be a Skinhead or have ties to the KKK. It's a group of white supremacist thugs. That gang only exists for one reason: to kill as many blacks and/or as many Jews as they can, and I mean that literally. I'd heard from a friend of a friend several weeks ago that some of them were lookin' to set up shop here around Peekskill, but I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that anything like that could happen here, in small, sleepy, innocent little Peekskill."
"I didn't believe anything could happen to me in small, sleepy, innocent little Peekskill either when that rapist was hanging around here and he raped Mrs. King," Natalie interjected. "But then, something did happen. That terrible man attacked me and I was almost raped. It doesn't matter where you live. It doesn't matter if you live on the streets in the Bronx or in a small town like Peekskill. Violence is everywhere nowadays and you can't avoid it."
"You're right, Natalie," Mrs. Garrett agreed. "These are crazy times and violence is a very real problem in this country, and it's only getting worse. And for that matter, it appears that, tragically, racism is still a very real problem for some people as well. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Mr. Jamison was attacked because he's black. I don't mean to scare you girls, but it's just the truth that every black student and every Jewish student at all the schools here in Peekskill is in serious danger now. I've spoken with Mr. Bradley about it and he and all the officials in charge of the Harvest Fair festivities this weekend are considering canceling everything, including the Harvest Queen contest."
"The pageant? They can't cancel the pageant, Mrs. Garrett!" Blair protested.
"I didn't say they were canceling everything, Blair. I only said they were considering canceling everything."
"They were only considering canceling last year's costume party too, and they didn't, and look what happened," said Natalie.
"What are you saying, Natalie?" Tootie asked pointedly. "Are you saying that we should just lock ourselves up in our room and never go anywhere or do anything because we're too scared to live our lives? Are you saying that we should just let all these violent thugs win?"
"Sometimes it's wise to listen to fear, Tootie. I'm not saying we should let fear rule our lives, but we shouldn't take unnecessary risks either. Trust me; none of you would like being attacked by a rapist. Or by a gang of racist, murderous thugs, for that matter."
"So what's the answer? Where is the middle ground between staying locked up in our room all the time out of fear, and living our lives, going wherever we please, doing whatever we please, all the while running the risk of being attacked?" asked an exasperated Blair.
"The middle ground is remembering to make wise choices, Blair," Mrs. Garrett responded. "Until the police deal with this gang, I don't want you girls going anywhere alone. I mean it. Any time that any of you have to go out for any reason, take someone with you. If you can't find another student to go with you, come find me and I'll go with you. And don't even think of leaving campus after curfew. And until things calm down, I don't want you girls leaving campus for any reason unless it's absolutely necessary. Is that understood, girls?"
"Yes," Blair, Natalie, and Tootie responded.
"It's understood, Mrs. G.," Jo told her seriously, and she meant it. Jo was the world's worst about sneaking out after curfew, but she knew better than anybody how important it was to obey the rules in a time like this.
"Good," said Mrs. Garrett.
"Mrs. Garrett, do you think they should cancel the Harvest Fair and the Harvest Queen contest this weekend?" asked Tootie.
"I know how much you girls have been looking forward to it, but after what happened to Natalie last year and after what happened to Mr. Jamison today…I think that at the very least, they should postpone it until things calm down a little."
"It's always been my experience that things never 'calm down a little,'" said Jo. "There's always gonna be somethin', Mrs. G. That's just life. I don't think canceling or postponing the Harvest Fair and the Harvest Queen contest is gonna solve anything. I don't blame you guys for bein' scared because of what happened to Mr. Jamison. The Assassins scare me too. But we can't let 'em scare us outta livin' our lives."
As soon as Jo said that, Mrs. G. and the other girls all got lost in thought.
"Mrs. Garrett, I come bearing good news," Mr. Bradley said in a happy, loud voice as he came walking through the cafeteria the following afternoon.
"What is it, Mr. Bradley?" she asked with a friendly smile, sitting alone at one of the tables.
"I've been talking with all the officials in charge of the Harvest Fair, and we have all agreed that the Harvest Fair and the Harvest Queen contest are still on for this weekend."
"Oh. That's very nice," said Mrs. Garrett with no enthusiasm whatsoever.
"I thought you'd be happy that we weren't canceling everything."
"Well I am glad for the girls that everything is still on," said Mrs. G. as she got up from her seat. "I know how happy they'll be. But after what happened to Mr. Jamison yesterday, I…Mr. Bradley, I really am worried. You know me. I don't get scared easily. But after that gang came to Peekskill, I can't help but be afraid. This isn't your typical gang of young teenaged shoplifters looking for a thrill. The Assassins are convicted murderers. Professional killers. Our girls here at Eastland really are in danger, Stephen. Terrible danger."
"I realize that, Edna," Mr. Bradley said soberly. "But the police have put more cops out patrolling the streets. They're watching every move every thug in that gang makes. And we have several cops here keeping an eye on the Eastland campus as well. I know that all of this can be very frightening, but don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. We're not going to let anybody touch a hair on our girls' heads."
"I know that," said Mrs. Garrett as she locked her gaze with Mr. Bradley's. "You know, Stephen, you've come a long way since you were last here two years ago. I can tell that you've really grown a lot."
"You're right," Stephen concurred. "I'm no longer that same silly goofball who used to go around thinking he knew everything. When I left Eastland for that boys' boarding school in England a couple of years ago, I could never have imagined what all life had in store for me. I'd barely been in England a month when I met Jasmine. The most gorgeous lady I'd ever set my eyes on. I think it was love at first sight for both of us. When we got married four months later, I was the happiest man on earth. Then last year, she…she found that lump in her breast, and our whole world changed. First came the mastectomy. Then chemo. Then we found out that the cancer had spread to her liver."
"The way I hear it…Jasmine put up an incredible fight."
"Oh, she did, Edna. She did. She was…amazing. Right up to the last second of her life, she was amazing. Even today, I keep having moments when I find myself humbled that I'm the man who got to be her husband."
"I know she must have loved you very much."
"I was very blessed."
"Yes, you were. And we are also very blessed to have you back with us."
"It's very sweet of you to say that, especially after the way I treated you at times. There were a few times when I was a downright idiot."
"All water under the bridge," Mrs. Garrett said kindly with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Anyway, after…well, after losing Jasmine, I just…I just wanted to come home. Only…it took me a little while to figure out where home was. I lost my parents in a car wreck ten years ago. I'm an only child. These past two years, Jasmine was the only family I had and when she died, I just felt so lost. Then I was notified that the position of headmaster was open at the Eastland School for Girls, and it was in that moment that I knew where home was. Where family was. Where I really belonged."
"Oh, I know exactly what you mean. When my two sons grew up and got out on their own, I ended up pretty alone in the world, myself. I guess that's why I can't thank God enough that I ended up working at Eastland. My girls and I…well, I love my sons, Stephen. I love them more than anything. But sometimes, I honestly do have moments when I think that my girls and I actually are closer to each other than we are to our own flesh and blood families. Eastland is just…like that. Eastland is a place that means home and family, not just to all its students, but to us, too."
"I couldn't agree more."
"When I first heard at the end of the last semester that Mr. Parker was leaving Eastland for another boarding school in Maine and that you were coming back, I was so happy. I mean, Mr. Parker was okay, and he was certainly a much better headmaster than Mr. Harris was the year before, but still, neither of them really put their heart and soul into the job the way you did, even if you were a bit of a goofball," Edna teased, and Stephen laughed. "It just hasn't been the same around here without you. I'm so happy you decided to come back to Eastland. To come back home, where you belong."
"Thank you, Edna," Stephen said with a smile, and then he and Mrs. Garrett gave each other a big hug. When the embrace ended, he told her, "It's good to be back. It really is. And don't worry about all this mess with this stupid gang. We'll keep our girls safe. That's a promise."
"I'm going to hold you to that," Edna told him seriously, keeping her eyes locked with his, and Stephen nodded.
"Criminal!" Blair furiously shouted as she stomped into the Eastland cafeteria several minutes after the Harvest Queen contest ended. She was wearing a long-sleeved, floor-length black dress, matching black dress shoes, and a gold chain around her neck with matching gold earrings. And naturally, her hair and makeup were done to perfection. As always, the young wealthy debutante did look quite beautiful, but tonight, it wasn't enough. This year, Blair Warner did not win the annual Harvest Queen contest. "Absolutely criminal!" she cried out again as Natalie and Mrs. Garrett followed her into the cafeteria. "How could they do this to me?! How dare they do this to me?!"
"Oh, come on, Blair. Just because you weren't Harvest Queen this year, that doesn't mean that it's the end of the world," Mrs. Garrett said sensibly. She was wearing a long-sleeved, dark red dress that accented her red hair beautifully.
"Mrs. Garrett's right, Blair," Natalie agreed. Nat was wearing a long-sleeved teal blouse and a long black skirt that night, and she also looked wonderful. "Besides, it's not as if you totally lost the competition. You were second runner-up. You got a big bouquet of flowers and the title, 'Apple Maiden of the Harvest.'"
"Apple Maiden!" Blair sullenly cried out. "I went from being the Harvest Queen three years in a row to being a mere Apple Maiden! Getting the title of Apple Maiden isn't anything to celebrate! It's an embarrassment! What makes it even worse is who won! If I live to be ninety, I'll never live this down!"
In that moment, Tootie came walking into the cafeteria victoriously in her lovely purple dress, carrying a big bouquet of flowers and wearing the most adorable smile.
"Well, there she is. Our first runner-up," Mrs. Garrett said with an even bigger smile, and then she gave Tootie a hug.
"Miss Tootie Ramsey, Corn Maiden of the Harvest," Natalie happily announced.
"Yeah. The pageant was a whole lot of fun tonight, wasn't it guys? I still can't believe I actually came in ahead of you, Blair."
"I can't believe it, either," Blair moaned.
"And now, here she is! Our brand new Harvest Queen of 1982! Miss Joanna Marie Polniaczek!" Tootie announced, and while Blair sulked, Tootie, Natalie, and Mrs. G. loudly applauded. As their cheers and applause filled the air, Jo walked into the cafeteria triumphantly. She was in her new navy blue dress, carrying a big bouquet of roses, and the silver Harvest Queen crown donned the top of her head. Her hair, which was usually up in a ponytail, now cascaded past her shoulders and she looked positively breathtaking.
"Thanks, guys," said Jo, almost blushing. "Thank you. Thanks."
"As you all know, I'm really not a fan of these beauty contests, but Jo, I have to say, you look gorgeous tonight. You really do."
"Nat's right, Jo," Tootie agreed. "You deserved to win tonight. You really did."
"Aw, thanks, you guys. I appreciate all your support. I really do."
"I'm so proud of you, Jo," Mrs. Garrett said sweetly, and then she kissed her cheek. "I'm proud of all my girls. I'm proud of you regardless if you competed in the Harvest Queen contest or not. It's not about who won the title of Harvest Queen or who was first or second runner-up. It's simply about enjoying yourselves."
"Yeah, you're right, Mrs. G.," Jo concurred. "And even though beauty contests are not my thing, I actually did have a lot of fun tonight. However, I'm gonna have even more fun watchin' you wash and wax my bike for me for an entire month, Blair!" Jo said aloud, and Blair responded with her typical spoiled whimper. And after Blair whimpered, Mrs. G. and the girls laughed.
"Blair, come on. Being second runner-up in the Harvest Queen contest isn't the worst thing that could happen to you. Just remember Mr. Jamison," Tootie scolded.
Blair thought for several long moments about what Tootie said, and then she told her, "Yeah, you're right, Tootie. Being an Apple Maiden instead of a Harvest Queen is a disaster for my reputation, but still, I'll survive. After all, I am a Warner. Besides, I'd much rather end up second runner-up in a beauty contest as opposed to getting beaten to a pulp and ending up in the hospital."
"Yeah, me too," Jo agreed.
"Speaking of Mr. Jamison, I'm glad we all went to the hospital in the city to visit him this morning before all the Harvest Fair festivities began," Natalie added.
"I'm glad we went, too," Mrs. Garrett concurred. "I was so relieved to hear that he'll be going home sometime within the next few days."
"Boy, this kinda thing really puts everything in perspective, doesn't it?" asked Jo.
"I'll say," Blair agreed, and then a long, deafening silence filled the cafeteria.
At last, Mrs. Garrett said, "Listen, girls. It's been a long night. Why don't we all call it a day and get to bed, huh?"
The girls all nodded and agreed that that was a good idea, and then everyone said goodnight and went to bed.