Thank you for the review. First off, I am sorry for not updating sooner, but I've been busy. I hope that all of my readers will be understanding. Secondly, on to the review.

Yes, Aggie knows about the Ashleys now, which won't make it any easier on Spinelli, especially not if her parents will be on a work assignment. If Spinelli behaves, then her grandma might just give her more freedom, by allowing her to hang out with the Ashleys.

Now onto the chapter

Chapter 8: Pageant training

The next day started out as the day before, with her getting woken up by her grandmother, and having to do a workout. Today, earlier than yesterday. Then taking a shower, and then putting on a bathrobe, after putting on lotions and creams. Once she walked into her now feminine room, her grandma was waiting for her.

"Now Ashley, since you now have an appropriate wardrobe, I will let you pick out an outfit yourself, because as a young woman, you must learn how to put together an outfit that is presentable and appropriate. Though until the pageant you can only chose a dress" Her grandma said.

Spinelli looked into her closet and saw that there was nothing she liked in it. The clothes were so unlike her. They all screamed Ashley. They were all girly and frilly, and none of it would make her look tough. She sighed and took a deep breath, before her hand landed on a yellow sundress, with a sun pattern. The front of the dress was square, with arms of the dress being similar to that of a t-shirt.

"Good choice Ashley. Very decent and presentable dress. Now for the shoes." Aggie found a pair of white wedges. Ashely still hadn't learned how-to walk-in heels, so it would be wedges for now. She then started talking again, and said, "Now come along. It's time you learned how to properly do your makeup and hair." They walked into the bathroom, where Aggie was teaching her granddaughter how to do her makeup. Today, the makeup was some light pink eyeshadow, black eyeliner and mascara, pink rouge, and pink lipstick and lip-gloss. Spinelli had to try and do it herself first time around, and when she failed, her grandma would do it for her. She had a feeling that this was going to happen every day. After makeup, it was time for her hair. Today she had to straighten it, after putting in hair products. She still had a lot to learn about doing her hair, but she also knew that she had no choice. Her grandma kept saying that, as a young woman, she had to learn how to do her hair and makeup. To finish up her look, a butterfly clip was put in to keep the front of her hair in the back, so that her hair wouldn't be in the way of her face.

The rest of the morning went by as it had the day before; with her helping her grandma with breakfast, her mom gushing over her look, and all of them eating breakfast together. Though today, she didn't have a hoodie to put over her clothes, and she no longer had her skateboard. That had been put away.

She met up with her friends to walk with them to school, and they didn't stare at her like they had yesterday, because they knew that it was hard enough as it was already for her. But she did tell them that Menlo had been her tutor, so the whole school would probably know by now about her going by Ashley now. She also told them that her grandma now knew about the Ashleys. She was telling them all, on the way to school

"Okay wait, so she knows about the Ashleys now. I'm sorry Spin." T.J said.

"Yep, she knows about them, and even implied that I have to be friends with them. Oh god, I don't know if I could handle my grandma pushing me towards them." Spinelli was really grateful for her friends. They were the only ones she could be completely honest with and complain to, who would listen to her and not judge her.

"But you don't have to hang out with the Ashleys, even if they're probably entering the pageant as well. You just have to stick it out for one month, and we can even help you out. Isn't that right, guys." T.J said.

"Right" The others said in unison

"Gee thanks you guys. But how. My grandma would never allow me to hang out with you guys. She wouldn't approve."

"It's simple. We'll use our lunch break to do so. We'll find a place outside to have lunch, where no one else is. There we can help you train. The rest of us will find research for pageant training. Then once the pageant is over, your grandma will leave, and you can go back to being Spinelli."

"That's another thing T.J, that I haven't told you guys yet. When I came home yesterday and saw that my mom and grandma had completely redecorated my room."

"What do you mean by redecorating Spinelli." Gretchen asked.

"I mean, whole room was different. Gone were the wrestling posters, my skateboard, everything that I collected over the years, and my furniture. Instead, it now has pink walls, with purple and white furniture, white shelves with picture frames, and stuffed animals on the bed. There's even a makeup table with a mirror, and a big mirror standing in the room. There's even an atelier with paintbrushes. Then there is the vase with flowers in it, and the whole room smells differently."

"Wait, so your grandma and mom changed your room, but why would they do that." Vince asked.

"Because my grandma claims that 'a feminine room' will help make me more feminine and help me behave more feminine. I mean, I used to love my room just as it was, but now it looks like something that just isn't me."

"Okay, so your room looks a bit different from what it used to be, but it doesn't make you who are. We know who you are." T.J said, trying to cheer up Spinelli.

"There's more Teej. My grandma and my mom not only completely redecorated my room, but also bought me new clothes."

"What's wrong with new clothes." Gus asked.

"Everything, when it's all girly and feminine, and clothes that the Ashleys would wear. Not to mention, they got rid of all my old clothes, and donated it to charity."

"Oh." Gus said.

"Yeah, so you guys can see that it's bad. I mean she even banned wrestling from the house. She's trying to change me, and turn me into an Ashley, and I'm not. Just because I happen to share a first name with them, does not mean that I will ever be like the, no matter how much my grandma will try to push it."

"You know Spinelli, perhaps you could take this opportunity to embrace new things. You never know, you could end up enjoying it. It would help you get through this month." Gretchen suggested.

"Nope. I understand what you mean Gretch, but I seriously doubt that I'm going to enjoy it. I'm not a pageant girl, and I'm not a made-up doll. I'm not one of those girly girls. I'm not an Ashley."

"Look Spinelli, I know you're upset, but you know, we don't care what you look like. You'll always be Spinelli to us, and once this whole pageant stuff is over, you can stop pretending to be all those things." T.J said, before he continued as they finally reached school, "well we should get to class. Don't want to be late."

And with that, they all went their sperate ways, but agreed to meet up for lunch.

Spinelli groaned to herself when she realized that her first class was with Ashley A and Ashley B. She knew that they would have something to say about her appearance. She went in, and took a seat, remembering what her grandma had told her about how to sit properly.

Of course, the two Ashleys walked in, and sat close to her once they saw what she was wearing. It was two days in a row where she actually looked somewhat decent, and they were getting curious. But not too curious to the point of not mocking her completely. It would be a fun way to test her limit.

"OMG Ashley B, look it's Spinelli. Like, what are you wearing Spinelli?"

"Oh my gosh Ashley A. It's, like, two days in a row now. I am, like, starting to think you might be right about the personality transplant."

"Well duh, she just cracked. Huh, no words from the cracked herself. Like, did you crack or, like, have a personality transplant Spinelli, since we, like, can't call you spin ugly anymore."

Spinelli just looked in the book and ignored the Ashleys, no matter how hard it was, and no matter how much she wanted to push back. Maybe she should get started on painting once she got home, to let of some steam.

Eventually it was time for lunch, and she met up with her friends, so that they could have lunch outside, and so that they could help her with her pageant training.

Gretchen was the first to speak up. "Okay Spinelli, I found some information about pageant training, on the internet on one of the school's computers. Okay, so there are the basics. formal wear, talent portion, questions and a speech." Gretchen said, before she continued, "there's also a dance that all the girls have to do together, and you'll need an escort for formal wear. How about for now, you'll walk with a book on your head, while you answer some questions that will be typical during these pageants. Then tomorrow you can bring a pair of heels, so that you can practice walking in them. You'll also need to figure out what you'll do for the talent portion, and you should get started on writing a speech, and you should think about who your escort should be."

"My escort?" Spinelli asked, as she was trying to balance a book on her head.

"Yes, every girl entering the pageant will have an escort with her during the formal wear. Perhaps your grandmother has one in mind, or." Gretchen once again said.

"Or what?"

"Or you could ask someone yourself."

"Right like who. Who would want to enter such a beauty pageant with me?"

The boys all look at each other, before T.J said, "one of us. We will be your escort. Right guys."

"Right." Mikey, Gus, and Vince all said.

"Gee thanks you guys, I'll think about who I can ask to be my escort."

Soon enough the rest of the day passed by, and Spinelli went home, where her pageant training and tutoring sessions would continue. She was truly counting down the days after the pageant was over.

Next chapter: The first activity.

So, that's it for 8. Hope you all enjoyed it

Please R/R, and let me know what you think

I do not own recess or its characters.

Oh, and a couple of things.

I finished 'Once an Ashley, always an Ashley.

Let me know who you think Spinelli should ask to be her escort, and what kind of questions she should get. Oh, and you are free to come with suggestions for the speech.