"It's a talent competition"

"It's a talent competition," he said, evidently surprised by her ignorance. "When you go farther in you should be able to find whatever you need.

Bria was already turning away before he finished, thinking it over. She'd hated the talent portion of the Beauty Contests, but they were essential to winning. She'd tried singing and dancing, but she'd also tried the unconventional.

When she'd confessed to the other girls that she didn't have a gag reflex they'd made her prove it by sticking a long sausage-like balloon down her throat until she reached the knot they'd made in the end of it (for safety's sake so she wouldn't swallow the hole thing, they'd said). The girls had laughed the entire time, taking pictures and egging her on.

"Oh look, another person for me to beat," a voice said, and Bria snapped out of her reverie to spot a raven-haired girl who must have been eighteen as well. She was alarmingly good looking as well, which immediately made Bria want to kill her. Or at least maim or sabotage her.

Instead, she put on her sweetest face and immediately acted like they were fast friends.

"Oh hello, I'm so very happy to meet you. My name is Bria Juergens, what's yours?" she asked, all bright eyes and teeth, lips curled in an automatic smile.

The girl looked a little stunned for a second, but recovered quickly, giving an equally insincere smile in return. "I'm Cat Barker," the girl said, sounding a touch smug.

"Oh, really?" Bria asked dubiously, earning a squinty look from the beautiful girl.

"Yeah. So what?"

Bria smiled wider, happy to get under her opponent's skin. "Oh it's nothing, it's just... well... dog's bark, cat's meow, you know."

The girl's face darkened, and for a moment Bria was sure she'd yell 'bitch!' or something else equally uncouth, thereby giving the victory to Bria.

"My mother's name is Kate, my dad's last name is Barker. So they named me after my mom," the girl said tightly, chin raised.

Bria held her smirk in check. Round one to her. The girl was obviously a wannabe. Saying her parents names like she did made it obvious that she thought their names should mean something to...

"Barker?" Bria asked, eyes widening in genuine astonishment. "Not..."

Cat sighed, an ages-old weariness revealing itself. "Yes, Jackson Barker."

"And Kate Knight?"

Cat nodded reluctantly while Bria fought not to jump in the air. In front of her was the daughter of two of the biggest Hollywood A-listers.

"Oh I love them!" she exclaimed, and would have prattled on breathlessly in spite of Cat's suddenly sour expression if she hadn't been interrupted