Chapter Text
Six-year-old Hailey Banks sat on her father’s shoulders, marveling at the spectacle rolling down Main Street during the annual Oceanside Parade. She loved the floats and marching bands, but nothing captivated her more than the tiara atop the pageant winner’s head, shimmering under the summer sun. As the convertible rolled past, the teen in the back flashed a radiant smile, waving to the crowd with the elegance of royalty.
…And at that moment, Hailey Banks knew what she wanted more than anything in the world…
Present
“Mmmmm…” Hailey hummed as she tore into a double-decker makeshift sandwich, its condiments and juices dripping down her chin.
“So good…” her best friend, Scott, hummed in agreement from across the booth, equally messy as he ripped into his sandwich.
UF Doughs may not have been gourmet, but it was hard to beat the free lunch buffet thanks to Scott’s mom. The lunchtime crowd had cleared out, leaving only a few diners and the sound of the overhead TV and arcade machines.
Beta, Hailey’s plush AI companion, emerged from her yellow backpack on the table. Though accustomed to their eating habits, he still grimaced as he watched the teens devour their meal.
“If you two are done mauling your food, can we get back to the list?”
Hailey wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Okay. What’s next?”
Beta’s screen scrolled before landing on a list item. “The next most optimal item is… Number one: Win the crown at the Miss Teen Oceanside Pageant.”
Scott’s brow creased. “A beauty pageant?”
Hailey froze. For a second, she was six again, drawn in by the glimmer of the crown. But when reality set in, she was once again a fourteen-year-old girl who shied away from the spotlight.
She let out a nervous laugh. “That can’t be the next list item, Beta.”
“Hailey, my calculations are never wrong...”
Scott grinned. “Wow, I didn’t know you were into pageants!”
“I’m not!” Hailey huffed. “I wrote it when I was six! I thought the winner looked like a real-life princess. I didn’t know anything about pageants...”
Scott laughed, recalling a memory. “Oh yeah, you were obsessed with princesses for, like, a year. You even started talking with a funny accent—”
“It was a British accent, Scott!” she snapped, crossing her arms. “But that doesn’t matter because there’s no way I’m doing this.”
Beta groaned loudly, stepping forward. “Not this again! Do I need to remind you what happens if this—or any list item—is left incomplete?”
Hailey rolled her eyes. “I know, Beta. But why this one? Can’t it wait?”
Before Beta could respond, a commercial blared from the TV playing behind them.
“Think you’ve got what it takes to be Miss Teen Oceanside? Sign up today. Applications are now being accepted.”
Beta crossed his plush arms smugly. “As I said, my calculations are never wrong.”
Hailey’s stomach dropped. She could already picture herself stumbling on stage in front of everyone.
She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. “No, no. I-I can’t,” she whispered.
Scott got up and slid to her side of the booth. “Come on, Hailes. It’s gotta be easier than teaching animals to play the piano…and a lot less painful.”
Hailey bit her lip, holding in her giggle despite herself.
He smiled, shrugging. “Give it a shot. And whatever happens…we’ve got your back.”
She looked at Beta, then at Scott’s encouraging face and sighed. “Okay…I’ll try.”
…But there was no way they’d actually pick her…right?