Well. I bet none of you expected this to be the last chapter! I hope you'll like the various endings, but if you don't…well…sorry about that! Perhaps Nami's bikini will make it up to you? Thank you so much for reading it. I'm honored. If you wouldn't mind, a review makes all the difference in the world!
LookAway: No, I'm planning to finish it after sixteen chapters. : )
Snowpenguin55: No cliffie for you today! Thanks for being a fanboy!
Midnight Raining Down: Unexpected, eh? You're saying that half-mad, partly-schitzo, obsessed scientists don't deserve love? Haha! Thank you so much for reading this story.
Awesome Rapidash: Kaboom! Last chapter! I'm happy and a little disturbed about how excited you are about Nami. Well…read on! Thank you for reading!
1angelette: Yes, my friend, I accept your apology. Just kidding. -hugs- I hope you like this last chapter.
Cloudy.skye: Well thank you so much! I'm actually quite embarrassed about Raindrops…but…that's alright. Thanks for reading!
AshRB: Wouldn't Rock make a great girl? Hmm…no…that's just wrong. What a mental image!
Kountry101: As said below…well…if I told you that…I'd have to bump the rating…
10Join-Fei: Thank you! Hee hee!
Chicken Yuki: Thank you so much for that lovely drawing of Kate. I absolutely love it! Last chapter…read on…
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: The Ends Justify the Means
Ten minutes before the pageant was set to begin, Nami was led into a room full of (mostly curly blonde) girls in various dresses that sparkled invitingly in the bright lights. The women were drinking water and nibbling daintily on celery sticks. One particular girl waved as Nami approached. "Hello! Oh…I love your shoes! My name is Cherry. What's yours?" Her hair was an angelic golden blonde, purer than even Muffy's color. Her eyes were a cunning blue and her dress was white and slinky. It form fitted her body all the way down to calves before sliding off to one side and puddling elegantly on the floor. Her shoes were white and had no jewels on them. Unlike the rest of the girls and even Nami herself, Cherry's dress had no sequins, no bows, no ruffles and no faux gems. The sleeves were just slightly wider than spaghetti straps and the neck fell down to just above her breasts, draping almost like a goddess' feminine toga.
Even standing next to this supreme specimen of the female gender made Nami blush in embarrassment. How silly she felt to be in a competition against all these other girls! Cherry noticed the flush on her new friend's cheeks and smiled sweetly. "Er…my name is Nami. It's…nice to meet you."
"Are you too warm? Your face is flushed."
Nami shook her head and switched her weight from one elegantly adorned foot to the next. "No, I'm fine. I feel foolish, though, to be honest."
"Why?"
"Well…I'm not sure why I'm even here. Look at all of the really pretty girls here! Look at you! I'm not beautiful and I can't believe I accepted the ticket!" Nami dropped her head down and crossed her arms, trying to hide herself.
Cherry tilted her head and opened her eyes wide. "You think you look bad next to me?" She giggled and reached her slender hands out to grasp Nami's trembling ones. "Imagine that! I was thinking exactly the same thing about you! You have every right to be here with us. Have you looked in the mirror recently?"
A warmth spread through Nami's body. "They wouldn't let me." She looked up and caught an impish gleam in the young woman's eyes. "Do you know any of the other girls competing?"
"I know them all. My mother used to judge this competition yearly and my sister is a stylist. I've been an audience member every year ever since I was five. Here, let me point some of them out to you." She pulled Nami over to a corner and began pointing at some of the contestants. The first girl she named was a short brunette who wore a green sequined gown. "That's Marie. She's Miss Amarillo Bay. That one over there is Megan. She's Miss Cholla Plateau." Miss Cholla Plateau wore a red cocktail dress. "Oh! The girl with the pretty skin is Lilli. She's Miss…actually…I'm not quite sure. Miss Berry Valley is behind her--Dana. Stay away from her." Dana, a sharp platinum blonde, looked like she'd like to kick something. "Oh! That girl right there is Eve. She's Miss Flowerbud Village. She looks slightly tipsy…last year she tripped over her own feet." Eve was also blonde, with red eyes and a red flower behind her ear. "Speaking of tipsy…I don't see Miss Mineral Town this year. A few years ago a girl named Karen competed. She was drop-dead drunk that year. This time around I heard that she's on maternity leave. Her mom, Sasha, used to be a big participant when she was younger. That's all I can think of. I'm Miss Angel Peaks, by the way."
"I guess I'm Miss Forget-Me-Not Valley. That's an awful long name comparatively. I think it's almost time to go on, by the way. How many events are there?"
"There's four events. First is the introduction phase, then comes the swimsuit walk…then the personality phase…and finally the evening gown walk and results. No sweat. The personality phase is easy. All they do is ask you questions about random stuff. Two years ago Miss Cholla--" She was silenced by a bell ringing. "Showtime. Break a leg, Nami."
Unsure how to take the phrase 'break a leg', Nami followed Cherry out through a door and into a backstage area where she and the other contestants were given instructions on how to walk. The girls lined up behind a velvet curtain on the slippery stage and given sashes stating their various towns and valleys. Nami swallowed hard, the lights went out, spotlights focused on the girls and, with a swell of orchestrated music, the heavy curtain rose to reveal a runway and a large audience.
------------------------
Carter was sitting beside the entrance to the excavation site, looking forlorn and pitiful. He had nearly hit the roof when Flora began packing all of her belongings into a bag while humming. "What are you doing?!?"
"I'm leaving, silly! What does it look like?"
"What? You can't leave! We're just about to hit something incredible--I can feel it. What about Mr. Poopsikins?"
Flora shrugged. "I'll take him with me. I'm not moving that far away, Carter, dear. I'll still be working here."
This relieved Carter only minutely. "Oh. Why are you moving, then?"
"Well…it's because…" Flora's eyes misted over and she clasped her hands in ecstasy. "it's because I've found my one true love!"
"What?!? Who?"
"Daryl!"
"WHAT?!?"
"Daryl!"
"I heard you fine!"
"Why'd you ask me to repeat myself, then?"
"I didn't!"
"Yes you did!"
"No I didn't!"
"Yes…you did!"
----------------------
Hugh leaned against a tree and tried to look tough as Kate conversed with a gray haired man dressed in a black turtleneck and jeans. The man's face was covered in a stubbly beard and he wore glasses over small, beady eyes. "Actually, I need that thirty thousand in the next week, Steve. Surely you can have it to me by then." The man replied that he wasn't sure if it could be secured in such a short amount of time. "How many stupid mp3 players have you sold by now? A lot. You can get the money, I know you can." Again the man made an excuse and Kate cut him off, waving her hand in front of the webcam that made the conference possible.
An ant crawled serenely over the laptop's keyboard and was leisurely swatted by the computer's mistress. "I doubt I need to remind you what will happen if you fail me, am I correct?" Steve nodded. "Good. Now wire the money in by next week or I take back the patent. No ifs, ands or buts. Thank you." With a satisfied grunt, she pressed a key, ending the exchange.
"Tactfully done." Hugh sat down beside her and grinned.
Kate leaned back and returned his careless grin.
--------------------
Nervous to the core, Jack squirmed in his seat, trying to find a happy place. Why doesn't it start already? He thought desperately, looking up at the judges' desk where Muffy sat, smiling for the hundreds of cameras flashing in her face. The lights dimmed without any warning, taking Jack by surprise and shooting a shiver up his spine. "Welcome to the sixty-third annual Miss Country Belle Pageant! Cell phones must be turned off! Now…give a warm welcome for our lovely contestants!" Orchestra music blasted and the curtain rose.
The boy sat forward in his seat and gaped. He should come to pageants more often! These women were gorgeous! And just look at Nami! She was dressed in a black, shimmering, scandalously low gown that flowed from where it was tied with a golden cord around her waist. The girl beside of her, Miss Angel Peaks, was another doll, but in quite a different way than Nami. In fact, there were many different styles of looks up there. Miss Angel Peaks was…well…angelic in white. Miss Flowerbud Village was a very sexy kind of beautiful--with long locks of dark blonde hair and a lavender filmy gown that had an open slit down the front all the way to her belly button. It was tied like a corset, of course, but still…yikes. Miss Cholla Plateau was chic-looking with short black hair that swept over one eye. Nami was just classically beautiful--the red hair over the black dress. One by one they were introduced and they took a walk up and down the runway. Jack sat back in his seat and enjoyed himself tremendously.
---------------------
Nami wasn't in much of a hurry to get into the gold bikini. Strutting around a stage in naught but a tiny swimsuit did not appeal to the girl. She hadn't tried to tan that summer and she knew it…she'd likely blind the audience with her whiteness…oh heavens…why hadn't she at least sat outside for a couple of hours like Cherry?
Her thoughts were interrupted when Cassidy-the-stylist suddenly began rubbing her stomach with a cotton ball covered in shiny powder. "It's bronzer." Explained the girl. "I was planning on only doing your face…but…the rest of you seems to need it, too. 'Scuse me while I apply it. Patty's helping me if you don't mind." Together the two smocked girls rubbed the powder all over Nami's legs, arms and stomach. The end result was apparently pleasing, but Nami couldn't see herself because the room had no mirror.
The swimsuit fit well and although she itched to see herself, Nami sat down in a checkered loveseat and waited until Cassidy announced the start of the second phase.
The stage lights were even brighter when she stepped out onto the polished floor and walked across in her bare feet. She turned to face the audience like instructed and posed, while searching the many, many faces for the one that she longed to see. There he was…blushing scarlet. His eyes met hers. Nami stared at him and suddenly went blank as her heart did a cartwheel and began pounding fast and furiously. Confused and disoriented, she felt the corners of her mouth pulling upwards and something clicked in her brain. Gradually she became aware of the backstage techie hissing at her to get off the stage, so she scooted to the side of the stage nervously.
I shan't bother recording what Jack was thinking at that moment. I'd hate to have to bump my rating up.
-------------------
"YES, you did!" Flora screamed.
"NO, I most certainly did not!" Carter screamed back.
"What were we arguing about again?!?"
"I don't remember!!"
"Oh." Flora scratched her neck and put an artifact in her gym bag. "I'll be back for work tomorrow morning at the same time."
Carter hung his head. "I don't know what I'll do when you leave…you know I can't cook…"
An idea struck Flora's head. "Hey…if you pay me five G a night…I'll come cook dinner for you. How about that?"
"Well…alright. I also want brownies once a week."
"Done. Now is everything alright again?"
"Yeah. I guess so." Carter pulled his assistant to her feet and gave her a big hug. "I'll miss you…"
Flora pushed him away gently and smiled. "I'm two minutes away. No need to miss me. See you tomorrow, okay?" Carter nodded and sighed as she walked down the path towards the main street.
Two minutes later, Flora opened the door to the lab and called out, "Daryl? I'm home!"
Daryl had never heard three more beautiful words.
--------------------
Muffy had been nervous at the beginning of the pageant, but Nami had proved to be a worthy contestant. She no longer worried whether or not the redhead would clump across the stage or trip on the heels or scowl at the audience. But she did worry about what the girl would say to the personality questions.
Her worries were well founded. The question and answer session went like this:
Judge: Hello, Miss Setter. Tell me--have you enjoyed the pageant so far?
Nami: Not really.
Judge: I see. Well…what would you like to see happen in the world?
Nami: I think that everyone should stop worrying so much about how they look.
Judge: You mean that everyone should be more comfortable with their own appearance?
Nami: I mean that they shouldn't be so worried about it that they have to participate in stupid pageants like this. I wouldn't be here if Muffy had had any other option.
Judge: (Nonplussed) Don't you think that it's good for girls to show their personal gifts of beauty?
Nami: No. It's stupid.
Judge: (Upset) What do you think about global warming?
Nami: Global warming is a lie. I hate it how everyone is acting like Chicken Little as if the sky were falling when it's absolutely nothing.
Judge: (Appalled) Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Nami: Probably exactly where I am now.
Judge: (Getting smart-mouthed) On this stage?
Nami: No, idiot. In Forget-Me-Not Valley.
Judge: (Angry) You're a cheeky little brat, did you know that?
Nami: Yep.
Judge: (Shaking with anger) I hope you lose.
Nami: Considering as how you're one of the judges…I probably will.
Judge: (Speechless) You don't care?
Nami: Nope.
At this time, Muffy interjected and said that she'd ask the final question. A little idea had been hatching under the mounds of curls on her head. "Miss Setter…do you have a boyfriend?"
Nami: "You see that brown-haired farmer boy in the eighth row? Yeah, he's my boyfriend. Actually, he's my fiancé. We're getting married next spring. His name's Jack."
Judge: I pity Jack.
Muffy: Stop that, Lara!
Judge: I won't take this! I'M the one in the judge's chair!
Nami: I pity the chair.
Things went downhill from there. Finally Nami was escorted off of the stage by the same techie that had hissed at her earlier. Lara began writing her resignation from the Miss Country Belle Pageant Board of Judges. Muffy buried her head in her hands and prayed that it would be over soon.
You're probably wondering what Jack is thinking about now, right? Well…see…if I told you that…well…I'd embarrass myself typing it down! The rest of the pageant passed quickly. For her final evening gown, Nami wore a baby blue dress that form-fitted until it fishtailed at the bottom. The third judge that had, luckily, been in the bathroom during Nami's personality session, stood up and announced, "Thank you all for competing. Let's have a round of applause for these lovely ladies!" The audience applauded joyfully. "And now…the winner of the Miss Country Belle Pageant is…Miss Angel Peaks! Congratulations!" The crowd went wild as the tired techie brought out an enormous glimmering crown and a sash that proclaimed the title.
Nami clapped happily. Cherry looked so beautiful in her flowing blue-gray silk gown that she seemed to glow under the lights. Cherry belonged to this world. Nami didn't. All she wanted at that moment was to put on some comfy clothes and go back home. Being beautiful was tiring.
-------------------------
When the trio finally pulled up beside the Blue Bar, Celia was there to greet them. "Nami! How'd you do?" She asked excitedly.
Nami glanced at Jack, with whom she was holding hands. "She…got last place. She made a judge pretty angry."
"I see that you two are looking cozy. What happened?" Celia could easily imagine Nami angering any judge out there.
Jack shrugged. "Oh…things just fell into place. Nami decided that we're getting married next spring."
Muffy slipped an arm around both Jack and Nami's waists. "Is she going to live with you until then?"
"We don't do anything!" The boy went scarlet and unsuccessfully attempted to wriggle out of her grip. "But yes. She's now a farmer, right, Nami?"
Nami glared at him. "I guess you could say that. Until next spring…"
"Then you'll be a farmer's wife."
"Why yes…" the redhead said fondly, pushing Muffy away and putting her arms around the boy. "Yes I will be."
---------------------
The next day, Muffy was preparing to leave again for Bevel with Hunter when Rock ran up and interrupted the two. "Muffy…I wanna go with you."
"What? You can't do that…!" Muffy shook her head and made a face.
"Why not? I can be a model. I'm handsome, aren't I? Take me with you, please?"
Muffy stepped towards the limo and picked up Image, who was sitting and shivering on the plush seat. "Why?"
"What if I told you that I didn't know?"
"That's not a good enough reason."
"What if…I told you that I wanted to be with you?"
Muffy stiffened and clutched Image to her chest. Hunter leaned on the car behind her and glared at the blonde boy standing in the street. "Rock…you'll always be one of my very best friends. But…I'm with Hunter now." She suddenly handed Image to Hunter and rushed at Rock with a hug. "I couldn't love you like that. Celia was right. I don't want you to be like me."
Rock wrapped his arms around the girl and closed his eyes. "There's no chance?"
"No." Muffy whispered, wetting his shirt with her tears.
Rock nodded and carefully untangled himself from her. "I understand, I guess. I wasn't quick enough. But here, take this with you. That way I'll always be with you somehow." He reached up and unclasped the peace medallion hanging from his neck. With a swift motion he put it in her hand, turned and walked away, towards Jack's barn and home. Muffy hooked the necklace around her neck and slowly got in the limo.
It drove out of Forget-Me-Not…not to return for a long, long time…until a chubby blonde child bore the medallion around his neck.
--------------------------
Rock slouched over and joined Jack at a section of the fence, leaning against it and squinting in the sunlight. "You know…love sucks."
"Mmm…" Jack put his chin in the palm of his hand and drank in the sight of his scarlet-haired girlfriend scribbling in her tiny notebook. Thinking of a sparkling blue pageant dress that almost perfectly matched the feather in his backpack, he sighed a contented sigh. "Love will raise your blood pressure. That woman has taken probably two years off of my life expectancy from stress…but…" He stood up and stretched before shaking his head slowly. "the sight of Nami in a gold bikini arguing with a judge and scowling at the world makes every single worry worth it."
Rock made a face. "I'll take your word for it."
------------------------
EXCERPT FROM DIARY:
It's not every day that I learn something, diary. In fact, it's very rarely that I learn something because I already know it all. But today was one of those days. It came to me while I was leaning against a tree, talking to my best friend Hugh. This little bit of knowledge was swift, sudden and very satisfactory.
I learned that kissing is just plain nice.
-------------------------
THE END