Chapter 48

Sitting out in the audience the four people here to support Leah cheered a little extra as they watched her leave the stage after playing her heart out, Chuck less so than the other three. He didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to the boy that was dating his feminized brother and he really didn’t want to interact with Megan’s niece Bailey considering what had happened to her. He checked the time on his phone, he would love to spend time watching a beauty pageant if he had a beer in hand and all the girls weren’t teenagers. Seeing his brother literally strut on stage, popping his hip to the side like he was the same as the other girls here bothered him.

Leaning forward in her seat Candi looked across the little group here to support Leah. She lightly touched her hands in a prayer motion to her lips. “Oh my god, she was sooo goooood! She has to win, right?”

“I think so, it isn’t like she is up against the two of you, so no real competition.” Jeremy flashed both Bailey and Candi a smile.

“Is it like wise to flirt with two girls when your girlfriend’s Dad is right next to you?” At Candi’s words, Jeremy’s eyes bugged out, he slowly turned to look at the man next to him. He let out a sigh of relief that there wasn’t a **** glare pointed in his direction, the man was just looking at his phone.

He then felt a slap on his knee when Candi reached past Bailey. “We couldn’t like win anyways, I don’t think they would let either of us choose shopping or makeup for our talent.” Bailey rolled his eyes at the idea that shopping was a talent, let alone one he had.

“I like don’t know, Candi you could always sing.” Candi narrowed her eyes at her best friend, pushing her cheeks out a little in irritation from the teasing, both keenly aware the music teacher they had went to had made it clear that wasn’t something she should be pursuing. “Besides like Leah did like amazing…” Bailey was actually surprised just how good his old friend did. Liam had never mentioned he played an instrument, let alone doing it so well. “But… this is her first pageant and…” Bailey looked around at the rather large audience, or at least larger than anything he expected. He was about to continue when Candi snapped her fingers a few times.

“No zoning out in the middle of a sentence. If you don’t think she will win, how about we make a bet on it?”

“Hey, hey you two. We are here to support her, no betting against my girlfriend.” Bailey rolled his eyes, his feelings about Liam or Leah were complicated right now, but it really didn’t seem reasonable for the first competition he or she… went to would crown her the winner.

“It is a bet.” Bailey said with a grin, wondering what he was going to make his friend do when he won.

“Really? Come on!” Jeremy said almost pleading with them to not make the wager, like he was trying to talk Bailey out of betraying her friend.

“Relax, Mr. Knight in shining armor. She wants Leah to like, win as much as me, but we always bet on things. The loser has to do whatever the winner wants for five minutes and after Leah wins, I will make my little sister here sing over the rainbow while Leah plays, so that I can upload it to youtube. She hates it when I record her singing.” Candi giggled a little just thinking about it. “Oh, oh, oh! We can even get both of you to dress up like Dorthy!”

“Oh, so it really is all in good fun.” Jeremy smiled, while Bailey crossed his arms grumbling about Candi not knowing what fun was, not giving a thought to how the pose emphasized his girlish assets.

Soon the talent portion was over, bringing them to the interview portain. All the contestants were brought on stage, each one coming forward to introduce themselves and answer three questions. Chuck smiled broadly when it was his brother's turn to come up, while Megan wasn’t here to make sure he was fulfilling his part of the bargain he had no way of knowing if she would ask her niece about how he handled the day. He saw Liam coming forward, his updo had changed so most of his hair was behind his head in a bun, a few curled strands of hair escaped. He was sure it was to get the desired look and not a mistake on Megan’s part, no way would she let that happen. Like Liam’s hair the outfit had changed as well, leaving Liam in a charcoal gray pencil skirt that came down just past his knees, a short sleeved sky blue silk blouse that had a bow instead of a collar and a pair of medium high stiletto heels in a matching color to the blouse.

“Hi everyone!” Most of the girls that came before Liam had been more formal, and while his brother wasn’t a formal kind of person he wasn’t a bubbly girl waving her hand like she was trying to make friends either. This person felt less and less like his brother over the course of the punishment, he had been telling himself that was part of the point. To punish him and make him a better person, he was to be a girl for the summer he just never expected… this.

“I’m like Leah Megan Summers and I have to say this is my first pageant and I’m so excited to be here, thank you all for having me! My platform, like many of the other wonderful people competing is about helping others through volunteering. I have been working at my local hospital three days a week and I have to tell you that everyone there really do only want the best for the patients and to help them. It has been a pleasure to ease the burden of these heroes, and I do mean heroes. Anyone who dedicates their lives to making us all healthy are like truly that!” Leah stood there on stange, feet together and hands held together in front of her as she waited for the first question.

“Contestant, first question. If you could break one rule, what would that be?” Leah couldn’t see the person speaking to look in their direction, so she gave a large smile, showing off her braces. Miss Megan had said not to be afraid to show them off, it wasn’t something to be embarrassed about, the fact she had them and competed in something like this would show she was willing to be brave and would do what they needed to in order to improve.

“I would… I would totally break the law and feed the homeless. No one should be making rules so be cruel, as a ah.. As a society we can be better, we should be better.” She gave a small nod of her head to punctuate the end of her sentence.

“Contestant, second question. What would you do if you won today?” Miss Megan had made her watch tens of videos on pageant interview questions and this one one they had prepared for.

“I got to play music for everyone today and it was like the first time I got to do that for an audience. If I won, I would like to visit the children’s wards in the hospitals in my area. To share with them my love for music and to help lift them up and I would work with the hospital I volunteer at to try and use these visits to help encourage more people to help their community.”

“Contestant, third question.” Leah took a deep breath, giving answers to a faceless void was more than intimidating. She had no way of knowing if people liked her answers or if she had already failed. “What is the most important thing parents should tell their children?” The question wasn’t one Leah was prepared for and thinking back she didn’t have a lot to draw upon other than examples from her father on what not to do. Her mother was just a normal person like any other, but she had been gone so long that thinking of specific things she might have said were mostly a blur.

“Parents have a job to care for their children, a job they are not given enough credit for, but like… if the rule is I can only can say one thing. Well now I wish I answered differently to the breaking one rule question.” Leah smirked hearing a few chuckles in the audience. “With just one, I would say parents should make sure their children know they believe in them. Belief is like such a small word, but when someone you know tells you how they believe in you…” Leah paused trying to keep the tears that wanted to well up in her eyes in control. “It is like just one of those things that you feel deep inside of you, making you feel lighter like their belief makes you feel lighter.”

Chuck made a snapping sound with his tongue, hearing the drivel his brother just spouted. He shook his head and pulled out his phone to send a text message. When he got the reply he wanted he leaned over to whisper to the three next to him. “Hey, I have to head out. I’m feeling under the weather and it wont wait. When this is all over let Megan know and ask her to keep… Leah over at her house tonight. I would but…” He waggled his cell phone in the air. “Phone is dead. You can do that for me right?” When they agreed he made his exit from the building, turning his screen back on to call an uber. It was going to be an expensive ride home, but he just couldn’t take any of this anymore. Megan had been foolish enough to already unlock him from the horrible contraption and with both her and Liam busy this was the perfect time to get done what he needed to.

In the back, soon as Leah got off the stage, Megan gave her a big smile and a hug. “Are you still happy?”

“Did… did I do okay?”

“You did better than I could have expected, what you said was touching.”

“Then I’m happy.” Leah gave her a big smile before ushered back to the changing room for the next part of the contest. Everything seemed to be going so fast, not just today, but her life. Things have been changing, she had been fighting them because they were wrong, but if she was honest with herself somethings just felt right, like pieces of a puzzle. Leah was so much in her head that she didn’t notice the spot next to her had been cleared out while she had been on stage, except for an envelope with the name Leah written in large flowing print.

“Looks like Brooke and her daughter left you a card Leah.” Megan handed over the envelope, watching Leah slide her nail along the seal. It only took a second before Leah handed the card to her to read. The front had the image of sunflowers, saying “Wishing you the best!” She thought the card was a nice gesture considering what happened earlier, but reading the inside of the card revealed more of just who they were as people.

“Wishing you the best of luck today, people like yourself of no other merit only have luck to go on, so I hope you have plenty. Best wishes -Aspen”

Megan tossed it into the trash where she thought it and the people who left it belonged. “Ignore them, the bitches are just trying to get in your head.”

“It's okay, I like get it. Tear people down to make yourself feel better, people do that.” Leah said thinking about more than a few times she had put people down. “It like isn’t getting to me.” Megan nodded slightly, giving Leah a tight smile, easily seeing the card had shaken her confidence. “Remember what I told you, focus on the things that make you happy. You can do this.”

The next segment of the contest was physical fitness, while Miss America had cut the swimsuit portion of the competition, many other pageants simply renamed the segment, and as the girls came on stage in their swimsuits and heels Jeremy’s eyes went wide as his teenage labido started really paying attention to what he was looking at. He wasn’t so pure that his eyes didn’t drink in the images of the other girls, but still his main focus was his girlfriend. Her hair had been let down from before, hanging free and he could swear her she looked directly at him as she came onto stage. She had on a maroon bikini, with a matching sash covering her swim suit’s bottom for a little more modesty in the outfit that showed off much of her pale skin. He smiled at the seashell choker, finding it amusing that his girl found a way to accessorize a bikini as she strode out in front in her pointed toe high heels, striking a pose with her hands on her hips, giving a coy smile to the audience before turning back around to get back in line with the other contestants.

“God I hope she comes home with me tonight.” Jeremy said with a mixture of lust and admiration for Leah.

“I’m sure you would like that, but I think we are all like going out together after all this.” Bailey clearly saw Leah like everyone else, but knowing that was actually Liam didn’t change what he saw. On stage, in a bikini with breasts just as large as his own… that he did not want to think deeper about was a confident looking girl, not the smug dick he had down for years. Aunt Megan had said this was what Liam wanted to be, and that didn’t make any sense to him, but it was hard to deny what he was seeing. Bailey wanted to still be angry at him, but that had been receding. It was like trying to hold onto water at the beach as the water pulled back, the anger just wasn’t there like it was before.

“Oh, okay. I hope you all have fun then.” He didn’t realize they had plans and felt foolish for getting his hopes up of celebrating today with Leah.

“Jeremy, don't like be silly. You can totally come out with all of us too. Far as I’m like thinking you can always come out with us, even if Leah isn’t around. You are friend too.” Jeremy looked into Candi’s green eyes, feeling some of his unease wash away, but at the same time a small voice in the back of his head told him he didn’t deserve this, that they were just taking pity on him. He did his best to ignore that voice and just try to be happy and be in the moment.

The last section of the competition was the evening wear. For this Leah had her hair back into an updo, she changed out all her jewelry for a few pieces of fake diamonds. A fake diamond encrusted thick bracelet onto her right wrist, a fake diamond necklace, chandelier earrings with fake diamonds at their center. She had on a long deep blue sleeveless, sweetheart neckline dress. No one could see the six inch stiletto single sole silver heels under the gown; they were the tallest heels Leah had ever worn and brought her up to six feet tall. Seeing her Jeremy felt his breath get caught in his chest, when she walked down the stage to show off how she looked and posed it was like the world was moving in slow motion with the song simply irresistible playing through his mind. They had all been told to hold applause till the end, but he couldn’t help bringing his hand up to his mouth and whistling to the girl he loved.

Getting back in the row with the other girls Leah had the biggest blush on her cheeks after hearing the whistle, cat calling or things like that were not encouraged in life, but hearing it made her feel appreciated in that moment. She tried to hold onto that feeling as they got ready to declare the winners. As the host of the event came onto the stage Leah started to hear her heart beating in her ears again, feeling more and more foolish by the second for even trying this. Miss Megan said she had to do it, but that was so long ago at this point. She was sure if she had asked to go home at any point she could have. Instead she was lined up with girls, real girls, she didn’t belong here, she was nothing but a fraud. Really she had been a fraud her whole life, this was just one more event in a long string of them. She didn’t deserve anyone believing in her, not Miss Megan, not Daddy, not Bailey, not Candi, not.. Not Jeremy. All of this was going through her mind, wanting to be anywhere, but right there on stage when she felt someone bump her shoulder. The girl to the left through clenched teeth was trying to tell her something. “That's you girl, get up there.”

Sure enough the announcer was turned with his arm outstretched in her direction, so she slowly took a few small steps forward, making sure to be careful in the incredibly high heels and taking just a few glances around to make sure someone else wasn’t walking forward. “Here she is everyone our first runner up! Everyone give a hand to Miss Leah Summers!” The outpouring of applause made Leah’s eyes well up with tears. She had been so stuck in her own head that she hadn’t even noticed two other girls had already been called forward for fourth and third place. The announcer's words finally hit her, first runner up… that meant she won second place. As the sash was already being put on her before it all really hit home and a smile large enough to cause her cheek to be sore if she kept it up too long came to her face.

Spending the next few minutes beaming out her smile to the audience Leah paid no real attention to the announcement for who became the winner. She was happy for them, this entire event was nerve racking on a level she never could have imagined, but she was just living a place of bliss earning what she did.

Like it was some sort of drama on television, something changed after the winner had been crowned. A judge came on stage and spoke to the announcer quietly, then a few woman came on stage to talk to the crowned winner. It was enough to pull Leah out of her own mind, trying to figure out what was going on, if this was just something that happened at pageants like this or if it was something else. When the girl was taken backstage and the crown was brought back forward she knew it had to be something else.

“I’m sorry for the confusion everyone.” The announcer spoke into his microphone. “Unfortunately Britney has been disqualified, it seems she was nineteen when she signed up, but since then she has turned twenty. Therefore is not eligible to be in this pageant. Fear not, she is not walking away with nothing, we recognize the effort she has put in today, she just cannot wear the crown. So that means Leah Summers, step forward! Congratulations on winning today!”

“What!?” Leah looked behind her to see if the girl that was taken backstage was coming back out, to see if this was some sort of joke or prank, but the only thing she saw was the friendly clapping of the other contestants. Stepping forward once more Leah had her sash replaced, a crown put on her head and roses put into her hands.

To win a beauty pageant was what some girls dreamed of, it never was for Leah, but this moment felt like validation as euphoria took over. That same smile came to her face, as she reached up and touched the crown placed around her hair. It felt real, the applause seemed real and as the announcer listed off what she had won she wasn’t sure this could be real. That all of this could really happen to her.

“Leah as today’s winner you gain a significant prize, including. Eligibility for the Miss Teen Nevada pageant, One year of haircare from Eric Vout, Rev Hair Studio, One year on location hairstyling from Booking Hare, that will come in handy with a contract with MMG Model and Talent Management, paired nicely with the one year on location makeup services from Dana Rockwell’s Artistry, an assortment of products from Prosper Beauty.” The announcer moved to the other side of Leah giving her a little wink before looking back to the crowd.

“We don’t play around here, because there is more. A custom gold and diamond official ring will be given to her and all the winners today, but Leah here will also be getting a matching necklace all from RW Fine Jewelry.” The list of things kept going on and on, it wasn’t till backstage that Miss Megan was able to break it all down from a long list. They offered a five thousand dollar voucher to a local plastic surgery clinic, a two thousand dollar voucher to a clothing store in Vegas called Gold Fleece, a professional photoshoot and one years tuition to Hollins University, a prestigious women's college so long as she graduated high school. The list was incredible and see it all Leah could see why girls worked so hard to win.

Putting the list down after it was handed to her Leah slowly shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around what just happened. “Miss Megan… did I really win!?”

“You did sweetheart.” Leah leap from the chair she had sat in, almost immediately losing her balance in the incredibly high heels as she wrapped her arms around the person who made all of this possible.

“Thank you for believing in me.” The words came out in a strangled whisper as Leah fought through the tears that no longer were able to be kept at bay. Megan hugged Leah back, feeling proud and happy, all feelings and thoughts of if she had done the right thing leaving her. As she fully accepted that Leah was inside of Liam all along, she was just buried deep enough that no one knew.