Chapter 8: Step 1
When March 19 came all the women who filled out an application came to the theater for selection. They all stood nervously on the stage, as Buster came on stage with his clipboard.
"All right, first let me say that you are all wonderful ladies. But only 15 can participate, and here are the lucky ones." said Buster.
The women looked nervous, as Buster looked at his list. First he came to a goat.
"Doris, you're in." he said.
Doris squealed and walked to the other side.
"Vivian." Buster told an ostrich.
He also picked Courtney, a black bear, Wendy, a duck, a cheetah named Beverly, a tiger named Yolanda, Anna, a toucan, an alligator named Zoey, and he also picked Nancy, Rosita, Ms. Crawly, Ash, Meena, and Missy.
"And last but certainly not least, Stacy."
Stacy couldn't believe her ears, she felt her heart stopped, her eyes widened, and her ears stood up. Buster sent the other women home, and spoke up again.
"Congratulations ladies, you've been chosen to take part in this pageant, we start rehearsing tomorrow, so I'll see you all tomorrow."
He walked off the stage, and the women started talking excitedly.
"This is going to be great." squealed Missy.
"Yeah, you excited Stacy?" asked Rosita.
But Stacy was still in shock.
"Stacy?" wondered Ms. Crawly.
"Did I hear that right? I'm in the pageant?" Stacy wanted to know.
"Yeah." confirmed Nancy.
"Oh no, this is a disaster."
"If it's a disaster why'd you enter?" asked Meena.
"Mr. Moon thought that I should, he said what've I got to lose. And I didn't think I'd actually be picked. I have to tell Mr. Moon I can't do this."
And she was about to leave.
"No Stacy, this could be your chance." said Missy stopping her.
"What?" asked Stacy confused.
"We know you like Mr. Moon." Ash told her.
Stacy blushed, and replied,
"No I don't."
"You do." Missy answered.
Stacy saw that the others were giving her a pointed look.
"Okay fine, maybe I do like him. But I doubt he's gonna want anything to do with me."
"Well, maybe being in this pageant will get him to notice you." suggested Rosita.
"Yeah, besides, my brother could use something else on his mind besides the theater." added Missy.
"But I've never been in a pageant. I don't have an evening dress, or a talent, and I have the grace and coordination of limp noodle."
"We can help you, Stacy." Nancy offered.
"You can?"
"Yeah, we help you get ready for the pageant. Gunter and I could help you get graceful." said Rosita.
"And finding you a talent won't be a problem." added Ash.
"And we can help you with your look." Ms. Crawly told her.
Stacy looked down at her clothes, and asked,
"What's wrong with my look?"
"Well, no offense but t-shirts, sweats, and flip flops isn't exactly the look of a pageant winner." Missy informed.
"So what do you say, Stacy?" wondered Meena.
Stacy looked down at her clothes, back at the women, and turned around and saw Buster checking on the dressing rooms.
"Let's do it." she declared.
"Great, first let's get to your place." said Rosita, getting her purse.
Meanwhile at Cassia's school, she and Brianna were playing on the playground.
"So Ash is going to live with you and your brother?" asked Cassia.
"Yeah, it's gonna be great." said Brianna.
"I wouldn't count on it." a voice piped p.
The two girls looked, and saw a lion boy, Harvey, who was the school bully.
"What do you know, Harvey?" Brianna remarked.
"Once this girl moves in, your brother's going to forget about you, since he'll be too busy catering to his girlfriend." Harvey told her.
"Why don't you go bully someone else, Harvey?" suggested Cassia.
"Hey, I was just trying to give you a heads up."
And he left.
"That Harvey. Michael would never forget about me."
"Yeah."
When recess was over, the two walked back to the building.
"He wouldn't, would he?" Brianna thought to herself as she walked.
Back with the group from the theater, they all went to Stacy's motel room.
"You live here?" asked Ash.
"Yeah, just until I get enough for an apartment, or until they kick me out." said Stacy.
"You don't have much money?" Rosita wondered.
"No, I just had a enough to get me here, buy food, and a temporarily place to live." Stacy explained, and then she whispered,
"My father would never give me money anyway."
"What was that?" Meena questioned.
"Nothing."
"Gee Stacy, you need more color in your wardrobe." observed Nancy, as she saw the only thing Stacy had in the closet were dark colored sweatsuits and t-shirts.
"Looks like we need to go shopping." declared Missy.
"Shopping where?"
"Just follow us." Ms. Crawly told her.
They all got on the bus, and rode downtown. When they got off, they stood before a giant mall.
"Wow, that's the biggest mall I've ever seen." Stacy complimented amazed.
"So let's start shopping." said Meena.
They then went inside, and walked around the stores.
"So where do we start?"
"First we're going to get you some regular clothes, then we'll get you a swimsuit and evening dress." Rosita told her.
Stacy smiled, this was going to be fun.
That's chapter 8, plz review