#3 Turn Up for Real Read Free

competitor in me vanished. I grabbed her and made her cold body warm as I rubbed her bare shoulders.
    â€œYou can do this,” I shared. “Whatever they ask you, take in the question. Think of why you want this so bad and nail it.”
    We were both standing on stage. She did nail the question, and after hearing her answer the question really well, when I was asked the same one, I stuttered. She was crowned Miss Teen Charlotte, and I rushed off stage, feeling like I’d just been played.

    â€œSlade! You can’t run off the stage, sweetie. You’ve got to go congratulate the other girls,” my mother said, finding me backstage and telling me what I needed to hear, but not what I wanted her to say.
    â€œBut Mom—Dad running for mayor—his daughter winner of Miss Teen Charlotte; what a story that was supposed to be. I let him down. I let him down,” I repeated, upset.
    My mom stroked my cheek and said, “Slade, are you serious, sweetheart? We’re proud of you that you got up there. Don’t put more on yourself than what needs to be there.”
    Pulling away from her touch, I huffed, “You don’t understand. You’ve always got everything you’ve tried for.”
    â€œSweetheart, what are you talking about?” she uttered with compassion.
    â€œWhen we were at Grandma’s house this summer, she showed us the pictures. You were Miss Duke University, and then you went on to be Miss North Carolina in the Miss America pageant.”
    Placing her arm around me, she would not quit trying to encourage me. “Yes, but I didn’t win Miss America. You’re not even out of high school. You want to go to college and get in another pageant? That’s fine, and it’s absolutely nothing wrong with coming in first runner-up.”
    â€œI’m not going back out there, Mom.”
    Then the pagent director started yelling. “Where’s the first runner-up? I’ve never had that happen. Every girl knows there’s a possibility that she won’t win. She doesn’t win, and she runs off my stage.”
    â€œHere she is, Ms. Easley, ready to go back out there,” my mom said as she spun me around, pulled my gown so that it was perfect again, quickly wiped my face, and hugged me tight. He whispered, “Get your tail out there.”
    Reluctantly I walked back on stage. Though the pageant was over, all the girls were surrounding Charlotte. I hadn’t given her a hug. I hadn’t congratulated her, and I never thought I had a bad attitude. I wasn’t a good sport, but I guess until you don’t get something that you really want, you’ll never know how you’ll act. I wasn’t the only one pouting. Girls couldn’t even tell me congratulations for being first runner-up. I could hear them saying, “It should’ve been me as first runner-up. She only got that far because of her father,” but I wanted to go all of the way. Now, I had to smile at the queen coming up to me.
    â€œYou helped me, and now I’ve got the crown,” Charlotte hugged me and said. “I’m sure it’s bittersweet. So thank you.”
    â€œCongratulations.” I yanked the word out of my mouth. I said all the right things to Charlotte, but then I dashed to the corner off stage under some stairs and just balled my eyes out. I tried to keep my emotions in check, but my dream wasn’t going to be realized, and that hurt—like I’d been stabbed over and over and over again. It just felt like I was losing blood and didn’t know how to save myself. And then, I heard this husky, male, tenor voice singing the old tune “You Are So Beautiful” to me.
    I wiped my tears and looked up. The gorgeous voice equally matched the handsome face with milky way chocolate skin and curly hair.
    â€œDon’t worry that you didn’t win. You’re still beautiful to me.”
    â€œWho are you?” I