Glitter Girl (14 page)

“OMG! This is the most sick, swaggiest, hardcore partay evah!” shouted Zoe, throwing out all the slang she could manage in one breath.

“Yeah, it's like totally eviscerated!” agreed Darcy who had read that word in a book somewhere and thought it sounded cool. The fact that in reality it meant the act of removing the intestines of an animal was unimportant to her. Just as everything else was at that moment except the magnificently organized chaos around her.

“Kat, don't you think this is totally off the chain?” Zoe asked rhetorically because she was sure Kat absolutely did think so. How could she not?

Truth was, standing there in the backstage area of the Glitter Girl launch party, Kat should have been waaaaay more excited than she was. After all, the junior high gym had been positively transformed. The job that had been half underway when they snuck into the gym on Thursday was now complete, and no expense had been spared. A comedian was on stage right now, warming up the crowd before the live show started on TeenZone in a few minutes.

Yep, Kat had every reason to be excited. But her encounter with Kyle in the driveway a few hours earlier kept nagging at her and left her seriously bummed out as she peeked out of a break in a huge black curtain that she and the other Alpha Girls were hidden behind. It didn't help that all the other Alpha Girls seemed to be so into winning that nobody was speaking to each other.

Beyond the curtain, there were millions of sparkling lights, a shiny leopard-print floor, and a huge mirrored stage with a backdrop of thousands of bright pink bulbs that flashed the words “Glitter Girl” in ten-foot-high letters. As the comedian left the stage to the applause of the gathered throng, the house band tore into some earsplitting music. Its bass was turned up so loud that Kat could actually feel her internal organs vibrate to the rhythm.

A whole section in the middle of the gym floor was roped off to make room for a platform with a giant mixing board and the biggest video cameras Kat had ever laid eyes on. There was a crew of fifteen guys in black, wearing headsets and all running frantically around. One of them was operating a camera suspended on a big, black pole that could swing freely back and forth over the heads of the audience in front of the stage. In fact, Kat could see the images it was capturing on the
ginormous
hi-def monitors that hung on either side of the stage.

“OMG squared! That was Gomez Endicott!” Zoe jumped up and down as the celebrity blogger's face flashed across the screen, pores and all. “I can't believe Chelsea pulled off getting him here!”

Kat wasn't surprised. After all, Chelsea reminded her a lot of those super wedding planners on TV, with her smartphones and Bluetooth and organizer and the nice way she seemed to order everyone around. Kat didn't think there was a whole lot that Chelsea couldn't pull off. Although she
was
surprised Chelsea had somehow managed to get rid of the cheesy, sweaty stench of B.O. that hit you whenever you walked into the gym. Kudos for that at least, Chelsea!

“Look at all those people!” shouted Kat's mother, coming up behind her and giving her an air kiss on the side of her cheek to avoid messing up Kat's makeup. Or maybe she was avoiding messing up hers. Kat couldn't be sure. “And they're all here to see you!”

“Not just me, Mom,” Kat said, pointing to the other forty-nine potential “Glitter Girls” who were anxiously milling around backstage. Like Kat, they were all sporting various Glitter Girl looks. And at least six of them were wearing that same stupid engineer's cap she had on. Kat wasn't going to wear it, but Chelsea insisted. In fact, she practically demanded it. It was almost as if she was trying to make some sort of point. Kat peeked out at the sea of girls crowding the gymnasium who'd come for the launch. Hundreds and hundreds of them. And they were dressed just like her too.

Or
am
I
dressed
like
them?
It was a troubling thought that led Kat to remember what Jules had said to her about selling out and losing her sense of herself. Which in turn led Kat to think about Jules and the birthday party Kat wasn't at, and what Jules was doing at that very moment. And all that led inevitably to a sudden, guilty lurch in the pit of Kat's stomach.

• • •

“
Huzzah
!
”

The two o'clock joust had just ended and Sir Roderick, he of the black and gold colors, had come out the victor. Which was cool because Jules and her party of birthday revelers happened to be sitting in his section and therefore he was their knight to root for. Jules looked down the benches and could see the cheering faces of those who had come to celebrate the anniversary of her birth. And it was a darn good turnout. All her Shakespeare and Math Club friends were there, as was Ms. Donovan, who looked great in the Ophelia costume she'd gotten from the high school. Jules thought it was cool of her to come, considering that she was a teacher and already had given up most of the hours in her week to be with her students. She certainly wasn't obligated to spend her Saturday with them too. Of course, she would have been at the Faire anyway, given that she volunteered every season, and Jules got the sense it was the highlight of her year.

Naturally Jules's parents were there because, well, they were her parents and
were
obligated. Although her dad had actually gotten into the spirit of the day by putting on a colorful jester's hat and talking in a weird accent that was more leprechaun than anything remotely British. But everyone in their group thought it was hysterically funny and kept egging him on. Normally, Jules would have thought it was funny too, but she simply wasn't feeling too festive at the moment. Yeah, she was excited to turn fourteen. And yeah, she was celebrating with her friends and family in her absolute favorite place on Earth.

But she wasn't exactly sure why she was having trouble laughing at her dad's goofiness. Or why she couldn't muster an appetite for the giant Tofurkey leg she'd bought at Ye Vegan Vestibule. She had been carrying the oversized hunk of protein around for the last half hour, despite the fact that she hadn't yet had lunch. She convinced herself that her lack of appetite and enthusiasm had nothing to do with Kat not being there.

In fact, she had convinced herself it was
better
that Kat wasn't there, because then she'd be worried the whole time whether Kat would be bored. And she'd feel obligated to stick by Kat's side instead of enjoying her own self (which she wasn't doing anyway). Yep. She'd convinced herself 100 percent absolutely that the reason she was feeling so bummed had nothing to do with Kat.

But then when she was over playing a ring-tossing game called quoits at one of the booths, her heart lurched because she could have sworn she saw Kat outside the Pendragon Costumes tent. But when the girl turned around, she was much too short and her hair had too many highlights to be Kat. Jules felt a wave of disappointment when she realized that yes, the fact that Kat chose Glitter Girl over her party was bothering her a load more than she was admitting to herself. It was stupid to even think for an instant that Kat would miraculously show up. That only happened in movies and books. Not in life.

Jules blinked back the tears as Audrey Turner from Math Club grabbed her by her Tofurkey-clutching hand and pulled her over to look at some pewter dragons on sale at one of the vendor booths. And as Audrey “oohed” and “ahhed” over the fine craftsmanship of the pieces, Jules pretended to care.

• • •

Don't wanna study. Don't wanna sleep.

Wanna
party, party wild, party free and deep.

Platform
shoes, designer clothes,

I'ma text and tweet tweet tweet

Cuz
I'm livin' large, I'm livin' in charge,

I'm livin' the teen dream! Sweet!

Jessica Aguirre sang to a screaming audience of teen girls as she paraded in her metallic boots across the mirrored stage. She was wearing the teeniest belly shirt and the shortest short shorts allowed by law. Her hair was wild and her eyes were completely encircled in kohl-black makeup. And she was really good. Well, Kat assumed that she was good. Her voice was being filtered through an auto-tuner, and by the time it came out of the speakers, it sounded about as much like a human female voice as R2-D2 from
Star
Wars.

But the beat was infectious, and Kat couldn't help but get caught up in the moment, clapping and dancing along with the crowd. And forgetting all about the sameness of everyone around her.

“All right, ladies, get ready. The big moment is at hand.”

It was Chelsea, who had been running around in cool control, shouting orders and double- and triple-checking absolutely everything.

“I want all fifty of my Glitter Girls lined up alphabetically by state like I showed you at rehearsal. As soon as Jessica finishes her number, you'll walk out onstage and take your marks. Then I'll be announcing
the
winner
. Now, I know you all have excellent acceptance speeches because, well, I wrote them. But just remember if you get called, a Glitter Girl carries herself with poise and elegance above all others—er, I mean, else. Above all else.”

Kat felt a pang of nervousness and excitement because she could have sworn when Chelsea had said “the winner” she looked directly at Kat. Could it be possible? Or was it just her imagination?

“It's you!” said Zoe, grabbing her arm hard and whispering in her ear. “You're going to win! Did you see that? She looked right at you when she said ‘the winner'! OMG cubed! My BFF is going to be the Face of Glitter Girl! And to think you almost didn't come! Good thing I got Jules out of the picture or you would have missed the most awesomest opportunity of your life.”

It took a moment, but then Kat's excitement began to fade as Zoe's words slowly sunk in.

“What did you say?” Kat asked.

“You're going to win!” repeated Zoe.

“No. The part about you getting Jules out of the picture.”

Suddenly realizing she'd said too much, Zoe's eyes went wide. Kind of like a deer caught in the headlights of an eighteen-wheeler bearing down at 100 miles per hour.

“Uh, well…” Zoe stammered.

Jessica ended her song to deafening cheers and Chelsea took the stage. But Kat was only vaguely aware. Her attention was on Zoe.

“Don't be mad, okay? But I was the one who sent the video to Jules. But we did it for your own good!” she added quickly.

“We? Darcy was in on this too?”

“Puh-lease. As if.”

They looked over at Darcy who was staring at a garbage can that read “WASTE PLEASE” and looking really confused.

“Then who?” demanded Kat.

Kat saw Zoe's eyes flick onto the stage and at Chelsea. She was introducing Gregory Remoulet to a nice round of applause from the audience. Kat looked back at Zoe.

“Chelsea was in on it?” asked Kat, feeling completely blindsided.

“Yeah. She's the one who took the video.”

“
What?
”

“But she did it for your own good. She told me so! She took me out for some shopping and we had a talk about your future. And she said how Jules was going to ruin everything for you, and did I want that? And of course I said no. And then she gave me the video and told me what to do. And we agreed that it was for the best.”

“Psst! Move it!”

Kat turned to look behind her. It was the girl from Iowa giving her a shove toward the stage. Kat realized many of the Glitter Girl hopefuls were already out onstage and she was holding up the rest of the line.

Not knowing what else to do, Kat walked out and took her place, with the pushy girl from Iowa on her heels. Chelsea shot an irritated look at the two of them for causing the delay. The girl from Iowa whispered angrily, “You better not have ruined this for me!”

But Kat wasn't even listening. She was still in shock over what she had just learned.

So Chelsea Ambrose was the one behind her fallout with Jules. She actually planned it! She knew Chelsea was single-minded, but Kat had never imagined she would stoop so low as to ruin a friendship. And in such a mean and sneaky way. Showing up at the school and taking her on that shopping trip and pretending to care. She'd deliberately set Kat up and deliberately made Kat hurt a totally trusting and caring human being. Her best friend, in fact, who had never done anything underhanded or nasty in their entire friendship.

The lights dimmed and four or five brilliant spotlights scanned the girls as dramatic music played in the background to build up the suspense. Chelsea was still at the microphone. Kat focused on her. While the other girls were feeling excitement and anticipation, all she could feel was hurt and betrayal. She stared daggers at Chelsea as she went on with her speech.

But Kat realized it wasn't just Chelsea that she was mad at. After all, it
was
Chelsea's job to make sure the whole Glitter Girl thing went smoothly. That's what was important to her. How could Kat expect her to care about anything else? Anyway, she didn't even really know Kat, except as the girl who delivered big sales, the Alpha Girl.

And Kat had let herself get totally caught up in it. For what? Popularity? Fame? Sure that all sounded exciting. But what was the cost? Not only did she lose her best friend, but she had also lost a sense of herself and who she was. Kat suddenly felt really angry. Not at Chelsea and not at Zoe. But at herself, for losing sight of what was important.

Chelsea had arrived at the big moment. With a dramatic flourish, she opened one of those fancy envelopes like they have at the Academy Awards and said, “And the winner of the all-expenses-paid trip to New York, where she will participate in a photo shoot that will make her the Face of Glitter Girl is…Kat Connors from right here in Indiana!”