I'm back from my temporary hiatus now! I've worked hard on this chapter and I can't wait to read your comments on this one. Read on!
Kiri268: I know…I'm just too evil…and guess what? I left another cliffie for you this time, too! Heehee!
LookAway: Why thank you! I've never been called 'original' before! I love your penname, by the way!
Snowpenguin55: I know, I know! Cliffies seem to be my specialty…
Midnight Raining Down: Who doesn't know what 'emo' means? (Er…beside my parents, that is…but they're kinda stuck in the nineties..) Thanks for reviewing!
Morgan Lee Faye: And here it is, m'dear. You're so kind. I feel so loved with all my story-followers…huggles
Awesome Rapidash: Sorry…there isn't any half-clad Flora in the forecast…but there is someone else…nothing more said here. I'm sure this chapter will answer your question about the wonderful world of Jami.
Moonlit Dreaming: Kate and Hugh are really…odd…aren't they? Will Flora kill Daryl? Will she realize her burning passion for creepy stalkers? Find out!
1angelette: If I didn't love you, Lenga, I would smack you for even suggesting that there might possibly be even the tiniest hint of a real Gustami relationship coming from MY pen. Why, I'd rather write a Jockustafa threesome fic than a Gustami one! For shame!
Cloudy.skye: Rock isn't the only one going crazy in this town! Read on to see what I mean!
AshRB: I'm glad you like Flora because she's one of the ones that actually have a happy-fluffy-kittens-and-bunnies ending! I'll be quiet now. Read on.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Teeny-Weeny Gold Bikini
Neither Jack nor Nami were completely surprised when Celia returned from her visit with Muffy looking positively outraged. "It's scandalous! Simply scandalous!" She yelled, ready to throw something.
Nami looked up from the notebook in which she was carefully writing. She'd been writing in it often as of late. "What's the damage report, Celia?"
"It's a nightmare. She's a nightmare--along with that stupid Hunter Carr of hers! I was ready to kick her. I'd love to kick her! I don't know what kind of deity she thinks she is all dolled up like that until she looks like a perfect clown."
Jack's face carried a befuddled expression, but he suddenly lit up and said, with the air of having discovered something amazing, "So something is wrong with Muffy?"
Wow. Our buddy Jack can be pretty deep at times. I'm impressed even as I write this. Both girls hurled disgusted looks in his direction and then turned back to engage in the intriguing form of communication that only happens between girls when they stare at each other and pass thoughts through their eyes. "Perhaps you'd like to explain to some of us who are slower than others." Nami sat down in a worn chair patterned with fleur de lis and jerked her head to indicate Jack.
Reservedly pleased with the attention and the spotlight, Celia began to speak. "Of course you know that Forget-Me-Not isn't the most elegant place in the world, but I'm used to our quiet way of life. Next to the sturdy, comfortable Blue Bar, the ugly limousine that Muffy's new boyfriend drives just looks ridiculous. I walked through the door expecting a warm hug and a good story from my best friend, but boy was I disappointed! She was standing in front of the bar looking like a witch from Glitterland. I never saw the likes of all the glitter. Ignoring all the fuss and feathers, I stepped up to her and held out my arms for a hug. Guess what she did next! She backed up and twittered that I was 'dirty'! Good heavens alive, I nearly died and flew straight to the pearly gates above! 'Celia, just look at the state of your dress!' She told me. 'You look like a complete wreck!' How is that for a greeting?
"My mind didn't accept what she said and I just looked at her funny while wiping my hands on my apron. 'Come again?' I asked. 'If I hug you I'll muss my new clothes.' She explained prissily. My ears about fell off. 'You won't hug your best friend?' I cried. She stood there looking all hot and embarrassed until Hunter-Carr-the-god-of-all-things-fashionable spoke up. 'I thought you said that Beatrice Vedine was your best friend.' Perhaps Muffy would have contradicted him, but I stormed out of that stupid bar aways from stupid Hunter and especially stupid, stupid, STUPID Muffy! You should have seen Griffin's face! He looked dumbfounded! Even air-headed Rock looked sick!" Out of breath and awaiting proper outrage, Celia glared at her brother, craving support.
Again Jack proved beyond a shadow of a doubt just how profound his incredible mind was. "Wait…" he licked his lips and blinked twice. "Muffy's boyfriend drives a limo? No wonder you're so bent out of shape. This is heavy, man."
Celia stared at the farmer. What could she possibly say to that? He completely missed the wrenching heartbreak and was focused on what kind of ride Muffy's pimp boyfriend drove. Idiot. Baka. Estùpido. Balourd. Idiota. Hakuchi. But then again…he was, in fact, male. It wasn't entirely his fault.
-----------------------
For the three standing outside the lab, time seemed to slow to the consistency of oatmeal cookie batter when Flora began to reach for the wayward snapshot. It was comical, really, the way their faces contorted into varying degrees of horror. Hugh gaped like a fish and stepped backwards towards the house, pulling along Kate who, though shocked, was disturbingly gleeful. Daryl was simply aghast. He froze and stared at Flora with bloodshot saucer eyes.
Flora gently picked up the worn photograph and straightened her shapely body before looking at it. "Is this…?"
She never finished her sentence because Daryl threw himself at her knees and cried wholeheartedly for her forgiveness. "OOOOOHHHHHH! FORGIVE ME, OH BEAUTIFUL FLORA! IT WAS THOSE WRETCHED CHILDREN, I SWEAR! THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT! IT WASN'T MY FAULT! WAHHHH! IT WAS THE DEVIL'S FAULT!" He lay in the dust and sobbed like he'd never smile again. His tears dripped onto the ground, creating tiny muddy areas.
The pretty blonde girl bent down and pulled Daryl to his feet. "You've kept this picture of me in your house for three years?" The scientist had no choice but to nod. "Why…"
Both Kate and Hugh inched forward, waiting to see the slam come down upon Daryl's head. "Here it comes!" Hugh whispered.
"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard of! Only someone who truly loves me would keep this old picture for that long! I'm so happy!" She clapped her hands happily and Daryl stared up at her with an expression of pure, unadulterated disbelief. The teens behind the couple signaled each other and sneaked into the house to pilfer the candy drawer whilst the owner was busy.
------------------------
Muffy had excused herself from the company of Griffin, Hunter, Rock and Kassey. After Celia left, Griffin and Rock exchanged a look that clearly outlined what they were thinking. Perhaps the bottle green sparkly eyeliner had been too much for Forget-Me-Not Valley. Or maybe it was the sequined tube top. Or the…scandalously tight jeans. Hunter had liked her outfit…why hadn't the rest of the town?
Hunter was different, though. Just being around him made Muffy feel different, too. She acted like a different person around him. Bevel Modeling was such a wonderful, starry, glamorous place and you could really lose your sense of self among all the girls that looked all alike after a while. Everybody was beautiful, image was everything and the pressure to fit in was stifling. Muffy had resisted it at first, but finally succumbed and fell in among the starlets standing around in less clothes than you see at the beach. All the dermatological visits, the salon stays and the wardrobe fittings took up day after day until she no longer thought about Celia or Griffin or even Rock. But who said that beauty didn't come with a chafing price tag?
She reached over and scruffed the fur of her Chihuahua, whom she had named Image. The tiny dog was white and had long fur on it's ears and belly, but short fur everywhere else. "You don't mind eyeliner, do you, Image?" she asked, pouting. The dog stopped shivering momentarily and licked Muffy's thumb. "Thanks. Wouldn't you like it if I got you a kitty friend?" Image immediately began to shake again. Muffy took that as a no.
"Muffy!" Hunter's voice called up the staircase. "Didn't you have something to give to that messy brunette girl? Wasn't that the whole reason we came? You'd better hurry because we have to prepare your judge's ensemble."
Oh! Yes! The reason that Muffy had come back to Forget-Me-Not Valley was to deliver the ticket to Celia! Perhaps that would bring her back into her…best…friend's good graces.
----------------------
Celia was still stewing over the events of late when Muffy cautiously approached. "What do you want?" She asked rudely, glaring and ripping a carrot out of the ground with unnecessary force.
"Well…you see…the only reason I came back to Forget-Me-Not was to see if you'd be interested in something…" Muffy scuffed her foot in the ground nervously. Celia nodded for the blonde girl to continue. "I was chosen to be one of the judges in this year's Miss Country Belle Pageant…and they gave me one free ticket to give to a country girl who I think could win! You'll have an agent and a stylist and everything! Think of all the fancy gowns and swimsuits you'll be able to wear! What do you say?" She pulled out a shiny pink ticket and waved it in the air.
Celia didn't even consider a moment. "No." She answered, uprooting another carrot and wiping soil off with her skirt. Her voice shook with scorn. "I don't want to be like you."
I doubt that I need to tell you how much that hurt Muffy's feelings. Pushing the tears down, she pocketed the ticket and went in search of Flora, whom she found at…Daryl's house. With the feeling that she was interrupting something, she quickly explained about the pageant and showed the ticket to the assistant excavator.
"Oh…that sounds fabulous, but…I just found the love of my life! I don't have time for a pageant right now! Sorry." Flora grinned and took a step towards a very shell-shocked scientist.
Discouraged and slightly nauseas at the thought of Flora and Daryl…well…you know…Muffy sought out Kate, who was in the midst of sharing a box of candy with Hugh behind Dr. Hardy's house. Once more she explained the ticket. "You could compete in the junior's part. Would you like to?"
Kate glanced at her friend and shook her head. "No can do, blondie. I have a webcam appointment with a certain Steve Jobs on that day. He owes me money. Too bad for you." Hugh looked disappointed, but Muffy nodded and wandered around until she found an upturned bucket outside of Jack's farm. She sat down upon it and scratched her head wearily.
"Who else could I possibly find to go to a Miss Country Belle Pageant? I'd even ask Romana if she were still alive! What a shame that Lumina had to go away…Vesta's too fat…Nina's dead…Oh! I can ask Chris! Great idea!" She hurried to Chris' house and knocked on the door. "Chris! How would you like to compete in a pageant? Redheads are all the rage nowadays, I've heard."
Chris shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry, but my husband wouldn't like it if I did anything like that. Why don't you ask Samantha next door?"
"What? Me? Compete in a pageant? No, honey, I'm just not that young anymore. I'd look and feel silly." Samantha laughed and palmed her forehead. "Thanks for asking, though! If only I were ten years younger…"
Muffy was at her wit's end. What would she do now? Who else could possibly compete in a Miss Country Belle Pageant? Perhaps she could put a wig on Rock…no! Oh…wait just a minute…no…impossible…what if…?
Two minutes later she was knocking on Jack's door. The farmer boy answered and observed with displeasure the new-and-not-quite-improved-Muffy-Scott. "Yes?"
Muffy dropped her head down to her chest. "I can't believe I am doing this…but may I speak to Nami?"
"You want me to compete in some beauty pageant?" Nami couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I'd say yes…but beauty pageants are for beautiful girls. I'd make you look stupid."
Muffy shook her head and took Nami's hand. "No, no, you are…beautiful! Jack agrees, right, Jack?"
The boy's face went hot and he cast about for something to say. "Er…yes."
"Well…would I have to wear a dress?"
"Of course."
"Would I have to wear a bathing suit?"
"Naturally…"
"Will there be free food there?"
"I promise there will be! Just please say yes!" The young model was ready to beg and plead on her knees for assent.
Nami took a deep breath and finally shrugged her shoulders. "Sure…I guess. But there better be cream puffs."
Muffy had never felt like hugging someone anymore than she felt like hugging Nami now. "Thank you!"
----------------------
Two days later, Nami was backstage at the Miss Country Belle Pageant, held in scenic Giant Cap Island. It had taken half a day to drive there in the limo and the rest of the day to be poked, plucked, blow-dried, scrubbed, exfoliated, moisturized, primped, glitterized, made up and fitted with a vengeance that brought stars before her eyes. Muffy enjoyed it all, offering advice on colors and styles of skirts. Jack, whom Nami had insisted ride along although she didn't know why, tried to stay out of the way and gave the thumbs up sign whenever it looked like the redhead was about to go insane.
The pageant was set to be in five hours and already the beautiful stylist was working on Nami's stubbornly unworkable hair. "Alright honey, we're going to be trying for a chic style here…I might twist a few of those hair jewels into the style, though. It's gonna match your gown wonderfully. The jewels will, I mean, not your hair. My but your hair is red, ain't it? I wish we had time to dye it…you'd make a fabulous brunette or even auburn head…but I guess red will have to do. It will complement your swimwear amazingly, though!" The stylist said. "You have the slightest hint of freckles, but I can hide that with foundation. You're awful pale…I wonder if my makeup will be too dark for you. If it is, we can borrow some of Patty's. She works next door. I'm Cassidy, by the way! It's certainly a pleasure working with you today! You have such a nice edgy look…I can do a lot with that!"
Nami tried hard to ignore the chatter and focused on her reflection. Who was she kidding? She was far too ugly to be in a pageant. She wished she hadn't come. Her cheeks began to redden as she steered her eyes away from the mirror and towards her fingernails which had been painted a cardinal red. Cassidy worked away at her hair, using far too much mousse.
It seemed like ten years later when it was finally announced that her hair was finished and it was time to step into the gown. Cassidy and a few other girls began lacing her into it and then stepped back to admire the view. "Oh! Why you're just a knockdown! Wait until that boyfriend of yours sees you in that!" They seemed to sense that they had struck a nerve. "Glory, but she gets awfully red when she blushes, doesn't she?" The girls giggled and began to steer her towards the door.
As soon as they opened it, however, a nervous looking woman with a vein pulsing in her temple rushed up to the group. "Is this Miss Setter? Well, there's been a slight change. Miss Bradley borrowed the cream swimsuit that we were going to use with Miss Setter and she hasn't returned it yet. We decided to use a different one. Here, take this and hang it up in her dressing room, okay?" She brought out from behind her back a bikini on a hanger.
It was shiny satin gold. Just wait until Jack saw that.