Chapter 24: Star Girl
(A Month Later) The last month had gone by, nothing much had happened, it was just classes, a few duels and talking, dates and other such things. Nothing of any big deal that I would normally feel obliged to talk about but it was just not entirely interesting, to the least; But that all was about to change.
I was sitting on my bed when Kari came in my room. "Guess what Alexis, you, me and Kate there have been invited to the Obelisk Blue Beauty Pageant."
"Are you serious?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's the annual one that the Obelisk Blue girls throw every year." Kari informed me.
"Alexis, you'll win for sure."
"I don't know Kari, I beauty pageant; what does that have to do with dueling?"
"I don't know, it doesn't but it's a break like the homecoming dance that's coming up soon." She answered.
"Great, dances and pageants; exactly what I want to do after I come back." I said sarcastically.
"Come on, it will be fun; come on Alexis." Kari said. "I mean what's the difference between the fancy parties you throw and a beauty pageant?"
"Okay, okay Kari, I'll accept but I'm keeping Kate out of this, she's just a little too young, she's staying with Jaden any way." I said walking to my closet to find a dress to wear for it.
I picked out a lilac one that was spaghetti strap like on top and went down to my ankles and had a slit on both sides and lilac arm length gloves that matched the dress, and the look was finished off with lilac sandals and a lilac ribbon.
Kari had picked out a pink one that was strapless and went to her knees with a ruffle at the end. She had high heeled pink boots and her head was wrapped around by a ribbon.
"What are the details of the pageant?" I asked.
"Here's your invitation." Kari handed it to me.
Dear Alexis Rhodes, you are hereby formally invited to the Obelisk Blue Girl's Beauty Pageant. Dress your finest and look your best for this is graded on 3 levels: Performance, Walking, and your speech. Sincerely: The Obelisk Blue Girls
"A speech?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's not big; it's just what you think being a girl is about." I sighed, of course, what else would girly girls like then write about, girls.
"That's the most exciting assignment I've ever had." I said sarcastically.
"Alexis, you make everything more badly then it really is, try thinking about it as an opportunity."
"It's not really a challenge at all, I think I might not even give a speech, I can just show up, and cheer you on."
"Alexis you are being boring, it's not like I'm into this girly stuff either and I just think it would be fun for once. You've been all business for the last few weeks, you need a break." Kari told me.
"Fine, but I'm not going to enjoy it."
"All I ask is that you try to enjoy it, please?" Kari asked.
"It's not the sort of thing that I can enjoy; but I'll try." She smiled.
"Good because you being all hard and working are not good for your body; it's too stressful. It will be fun if you let it be. We'll go invite TK and Jaden too."
"No you will not, this is something I'm doing on whim because you asked not to invite our boyfriends."
"Are you trying to hide something from me, huh Lex." Jaden said from behind me and I jumped.
"I heard about the thing, I may not be in obelisk blue other than because of the new system, but you see, well, I knew about it so I wanted to see if you'd go for it."
"Why is everybody so for this?" I asked out loud.
"It's a good thing that you are more relaxed when I'm with you or you'd be really depressing to me." Jaden said sighing.
"I told her she was up tight but she didn't listen." Kari told Jaden. Jaden and I hold a bond, and I think that is why he feels I should relax. He can sense my stress.
I walked over to the main assembly room where it was being held. "Alexis, you are really to up tight, calm down. Let loose, no one's judgin' you. Just enjoy yourself and have fun." Jaden said to me. "You look really pretty tonight, so go and enjoy this."
"I'll tell I do have ways to let loose my stress but this is not one of them, Jaden." I said straightening my dress.
"Okay Alexis, then tomorrow, seeing as it's Saturday; I'm going to take you out in the forest for a nice relaxing picnic, got it." He said.
"Okay Jaden, but I'm still not going to enjoy this." I said.
"Just try for me, okay Lex?" Jaden begged.
"I'll try."
"That's all I ask." Jaden answered me.
"Okay, well I have to get ready, bye." She said kissing him on the cheek and walking downstairs with Kari following close behind.
She ran through the program, it was the weirdest thing she had ever done. There was a reason she had hated these things, why she hated them? Because this was against everything she was for.
Kari took the stage and walked around the stage showing her grace and beauty as she made her turns and then returned. "You look like you enjoyed being out there Kari." I said making a little joke.
"I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy being in the spotlight because of my beauty." Kari answered me, surprisingly.
"I know I won't." I answered as it was now my time to take the stage. Everyone gasped as I took stage and made my rounds, I didn't purposely try to get the guys' attention but I was doing pretty good job, I just naturally walked sort of guyish, I would lose points but I walked naturally and made not a flaw unlike the other girls.
I got off the stage and prepared my talent; if I had one that is. I had virtually nothing to present. The only true talent I had was for dueling and I couldn't do that on stage. I also was an expert at Karate and Gymnastics for some reason I had learned these things. I took Gymnastics for grace and agility and Karate to center my mind. So I could do gymnastics on stage, now I just needed and outfit.
I ran to my room and picked up the stupid toto that my brother had given me when he wanted for me to be a singer, it was practically just a swimsuit with light sleeves and a small skirt that would serve justice to my performance, for modesty also.
Kari was already on stage when I came out in my outfit, I stretched as she finished up her show. She was doing a singing and dancing act. It was hilarious to watch but I definitely enjoyed it because she was struggling, she had also pulled together a random act for this.
She came out. "What are you doing Alexis?" Kari asked me, happily.
"I'm doing my gymnastics routine." I answered. In all realization I had taken this routine to finals and won with it, it was a beautiful and graceful gymnastics routine.
"You've done gymnastics?" She asked.
"Yeah, I was a champion when I was younger…" Younger, meaning like 10; could I pull off the routine? I didn't know but I'd try.
I stood at my ready position, I did two flips, no handed and landed on my feet then I cart wheeled into a split. I lifted my body up above my head and put my legs together then lowered them in between my hands then I forced my body to flip back on my feet, I did two back flips and then a front flip landing on my hands. I bowed and ran off the field. I was weird like that.
"That was amazing, we've never seen something so beautiful, and graceful at the same time." A judge said walking over to me.
"Your performance was truly a treat." They said to me.
"Good job," Another one said smiling and walking off.
"Thanks," I said sitting down and taking out a sheet of paper and wrote down a few words on a piece of paper. I went to the office and made about 2000 copies and told a stage manager to pass them out.
"So Alexis, what do those papers have to do with your speech?" Another girl asked me.
"You'll see, all good things have to wait for the right moment." I answered walking to the bathroom to make sure everything was ready, especially me.
"And in general being a girl is about a loyalty in the end to a boy and being with them to support and care for them." Kari said finishing her speech.
"You ready Alexis?" Kari asked.
"When am I not?" I answered walking out on stage; this was the perfect moment to show the school that they are the people.
"Next up, is Alexis Rhodes," The announcer said as I walked onto the stage.
"Hello everyone, you have those cards ready?" Some of them held their cards up others didn't move. "Well I'm glad. I want you to write three traits that you want in the personality of your girlfriend or boyfriend. They put the cards down and began to write sentences. "Okay, done… good. Now everyone I want you to on the other side, write three traits that you have and then for the next week try to use these cards to find someone who wants those three traits of yours, and you want theirs."
"That's not easy!" Someone yelled.
"Of course it isn't, it wouldn't be a purposeful exercise if it was easy." I responded. "The point of telling you this is to tell you, only 23 of human when asked to write about traits of their partner, would write physical traits. The others would write mental traits. I wanted you to find out what percent of the population you are, are you looking to spend your life with someone only for their looks and cause yourself to be miserable as well as them; most wouldn't. Still, sadly there are people who do feel like that." I said smiling thinking about my next point. "Most of those people, who are only concerned about looks, aren't going to find someone who's like that, and if they do, they won't match with the other's expectations. If your lucky maybe, but I want to see how many of you can find a match by Saturday."
"What's your real point?" Another person asked.
"My point is if we are only concerned with looks we can never be truly happy, just sad and depressed because you'll end up hurting yourself. I want to tell you that being in the competition means I have two things: brains and looks. I only care a lot about my brains; I don't really care for my looks. That doesn't mean they don't matter or I don't care for them. I'm saying that, if I had to have one thing taken away from me, I'd rather it be my looks."
"I think that this is all a little to beauty centered and it's all about things that you wish you'd move up in the world. It's all about the real beauty of everyone's personality, and attitude. If you can't see that then you're destined to be a failure in your relationship with others, and you don't have what it takes to make it in the real world." I said.
"I'd finally like to say, being pretty is great because a lot of great duelists here are handsome or pretty and they're also great duelists as I said. So learn to be content with which you are, learning to see beyond someone's exterior and live life to the fullest for you aren't the only one who matters and that's how you duel, with care for your cards, and others' skills." I looked out into the audience. "Thanks for listening, good-bye." I said walking off stage.
I think I did a great deal of good, during that speech. Now was time for the voting, I put on my evening gown and went out on stage, and waited for whatever girl was picked to be announced. I did my best, I truly did; but if I didn't win then so what, I was glad just to give that speech, I hadn't thought about it much.
"The Contest Queen is… Kari Kamiya." They announced. Kari, a perfect choice; Kari had actually given the people what they asked for while keeping her personality and dignity. I was glad. I pretty much said how stupid I thought this thing was, and how the people in it were stupid so I didn't expect myself to get picked but Kari was just as good a pick.
"The Contest Princess is… Alexis Rhodes." Me? I thought, Kari walked over to me and pulled me up on stage next to her, I waved, a bit surprised to the point I was petrified.
Kari and I were pushed back to the podium to make a speech. Kari, as Queen, went first. "Thank you guys for picking me as Queen, I really hadn't expected to be picked since I was just here for the enjoyment of it, for fun. Not because I'm in to this sort of thing, but I'm still glad to be your Queen, thanks a lot. I hadn't prepared a speech, but I'd like to say thanks and that I totally agree with the points Alexis made in speech that's why I don't exactly love these sorts of things but they're cool." She said smiling at the crowd. She was a perfect Queen, Kari was all around great."
"Alexis, your turn," An announcer said pointing to the podium.
"Sorry but you're not getting a prewritten speech from me, I didn't expect this at all either, I guess fate just likes me today. Well, I wanted to say that I'm glad to be picked I guess, it kind of proves another point, that character sometimes out shines beauty because that's how I see it, and I'm glad that I was picked and I wanted to tell you that I guarantee unless you were sitting next to your boyfriend or girlfriend or had her or him in mind at the time, you're going to have a somewhat difficult time finding your partner. The whole thing is not to use these cards to find a partner, as many of you think; the point is to see that many of us didn't have the right thoughts in mind when it came to these cards. But, you could use these cards as a guideline to help you find a person who's right for you; it would just be hard." I said smiling and walking next to Kari.
"Now, these girl's boyfriends will present the crowns on our princess and queen." The announcer, announced.
Jaden and TK came out of the door with a red velvet pillow and a crown and a tiara on them. Jaden walked over to me, and kissed my cheek and placed the tiara on my head. "You seem a lot less uptight since you were out there, you feel better?" He whispered in my ear.
"Yeah," I responded.
"I'm glad; someone is waiting back in your room for you." I smiled and nodded. Jaden and I were two of a kind, a special kind, one that I thought I'd never meet another like myself; then I met him. Jaden and I were as happy as happy to be when we were together.
"Does her name happen to start with a K and end with an E?" I asked.
"Maybe," Jaden answered smiling.
"Then tell whoever it is who's waiting for me in my room that I'll be up soon, as soon as I finish my duties here." Jaden nodded and walked of stage, leaving me smiling. Jaden and I loved Kate that was for sure. (73)
I went to my room to see a very energetic little girl sitting on my bed. "Mommy looked beautiful at the thingy." She said, with a lack of vocabulary is something that I found funny, like Jaden's.
"It's a beauty Pageant, Kate." I said picking her up onto my lap.
"Did you win?" She asked, excited.
"I got second, I'm a princess is what they say but that isn't a really good thing to judge character on but I guess that being pretty and smart is okay, right?" She nodded and I smiled at her childish behavior; she was a child after all.
(Next Morning) The next morning and a newspaper article were already sitting at my door. I wonder why they'd write without me knowing. Kari came to my door. "Alexis, did you know about this article?" Kari asked.
"No, I didn't. I just woke up."
"Me neither, I wonder why they'd write it behind out backs." I couldn't figure it out.
"I know why, because it's about us and they wanted to surprise us." Kari said showing me the article on the pageant.
Fellow Newspaper Staff Members, Kari Kamiya and Alexis Rhodes were picked at Queen and Princess of the School at the Obelisk Blue Pageant yesterday. Kari Kamiya stated that she agreed completely with Alexis that she was here for fun, not because it was her sort of thing. Alexis made a sort of challenge to the students involving a note card and matching it, even the most obvious people to match up with which, makes it hard.
Alexis Rhodes and Kari Kamiya are two of the four top ranked students here at DA. The surprising fact was that neither of them, expected or really wanted to been the leaders; neither had prepared a speech. The girls were picked for their speeches, ability and grace in all aspects so they surprisingly responded well to this formality.
"I can't believe they wrote this!" I yelled.
"I know," Kari said sitting on the bed.
"Mommy," A voice said, wiping her eyes. It was Kate who had been woken up by our loud talking.
"Sorry Kate, you should go back to bed, I'm sorry."
"It's okay," I picked her up and put her back in her bed. Kari was laughing. I came back into the room, "What?" I asked.
"You're such a good mother, at such a young age. It's so wonderful, yet someway, creepy."
"Thanks, I think." I responded confused.
"I think it's a compliment, a little. I've never met anyone who has been so good with children at this time in their life." Kari said.
"Tai's friend from school who is surprisingly 18, and a super model is pregnant but she's married but she's having a horrible time taking care of herself because she is really scared and is afraid. Her fiancé is TK's brother." Kari informed me.
"She's going to have a tough life if she can't even handle being pregnant." I said laughing.
"She's always been a mother figure to everyone; I don't understand why she's freaking out about the baby being born." Kari said.
"A newborn baby isn't like Kate, Kari. Kate can take care of herself to some extent, while this baby is defenseless and relies on her 100. Being a mother figure to her friends, is a lot different then being a mother." I told her.
"Yeah but she is always calm and collected, unless someone's in danger. But other than that, she's fine." Kari responded.
"You'd hope so," I answered.
"So you've been to the future right?" I nodded.
"When do you and Jaden get married?" She asked.
"5 years from now, or so; my mind is having a struggle to remember everything about the future."
"It's better that way, so it comes as a surprise."
"Trust me, nothing surprises me anymore." I said, we both were laughing.
"Yep, that's our own stupidly for you." She said, smiling.
"Let's go give, those writers a piece of our mind." I said standing up and going to the office to show them what to do and what not to do.
"That sounds good but you can't very well leave Kate, Alexis."
"Oh yeah, duh. I'll stay here, you can."
"Okay, I will." Then Kari left.
A/N: I know this is a boring chapter but I was bored and didn't feel like it. Plus, there is a major time skip coming up which will add to the excitement, but for now, life's a bore.