7813mp+Norman+Rockwell+Story

Pageant Princess By Mira Patla

As Lucy picked up the magazine FabFashion, she looked sadly into the mirror, wishing she looked like the model on the front cover.

As a girl, Lucy had always wanted to be a model. She just thought she wasn’t good enough. She wanted long black hair, like Tiana Romero on the first page of the magazine. She wanted to have a perfect face and be the most famous model in the world.

“I’ll never look like her. I wish I could just wake up and look like her one day...”

“Lucy!” her mother called for the third time. “Everyone is waiting for you to come downstairs! We have a big surprise for you!”

Lucy’s mother knew how much she wanted to be a model when she grew up. She wanted Lucy to live her dream and believe in that she could do it.

Lucy rushed downstairs, her dress flying up as she did. She loved surprises.

“I’m here, mother!” Lucy exclaimed excitedly. “I’m here for the big surprise!”

Lucy’s mother was waiting on the couch with a big smile, next to Lucy’s older sister, who was very supportive of Lucy’s dream. “Mother, can I tell Lucy? After all, it was partly my idea,” Even though her mother didn’t answer, Miranda, Lucy’s older sister went on to tell Lucy what the surprise was. “Lucy, we signed you up for a pageant!”

“Really?” Lucy said with big eyes. “You know that I’ve always wanted to be in a pageant! I don’t know how to thank you. Oh, wait, I know! I’ll win!”

“Slow down, honey. Don’t get too excited yet.” Lucy’s mother said slowly. “You have to audition to make it. This is a different type of pageant. This is where you’re on a team and you have an opponent.”

“Thank you so much, mother!” Lucy screamed with tears in her eyes. Her father came home, and she immediately told him the news.

“That’s awesome! Congratulations, Lucky Lucy!” said Lucy’s dad, calling her by her nickname.

Three weeks later as Lucy and her mother were waiting...

“Lucy Stiller?” the loudspeaker boomed.

“Sweetie, you're up,” Lucy’s mother said.

“Good luck Lucy!” Miranda said, beaming.

Lucy could feel butterflies filling up her stomach by the second. Her sweaty palms slowly let the CD with her song on it slip out of her hand. Lucy walked into the judge’s room. Immediately when she walked into the room she felt better. The judges smiled at her.

The room was a colorful room with pictures from other pageant girls all over the walls. It was a very welcoming room.

“Hi, sweetie. What’s your name and how old are you?” one of the judges asked, a welcoming smile on her face. “You can call me Mary.”

“Lucy, and I’m seven.” Lucy replied.

“Okay, well, all that’s left for you to do is show us your moves!” one of the other judges exclaimed.

Lucy played the music and got started. She walked behind the curtains, then back out waving to the judges. She walked to one side of the stage and back. Then, on her way to the other side of the stage, she did three cartwheels and a somersault. She finished her performance off with a split and her hands up in the air.

“Great job!” congratulated Mary. “Well, I added up all of our scores, and sorry to say this, but you didn’t make the Little Tikes team.” Lucy ran out of the room without waiting for the judge to finish what she was going to say. She had tears in her eyes when she saw her mother.

“Ohhh.. no.” Lucy’s mother said. “It’s okay, Lucy. We’ll find a different pageant place.”

“No mother! I’m never going to do this ever again! I know I’m never gonna make it!” Lucy cried to her mother. Right then, Mary, one of the judges came running out to Lucy. Lucy’s mother gave her a dirty look.

“Sweetie, you didn’t make the Little Tike’s team, but you made it to the Baby Dolphins!” Mary exclaimed.

“The Baby Dolphins?” Lucy said, confused. “I bet that’s a level behind the Little Tikes.”

“Nope,” Mary said, “but it’s a level ahead!”

“See, Lucy?” Miranda screamed excitedly, “I KNEW you would make it!”

In the next few months, Lucy won competitions left and right and started moving two levels up every year.

Seventeen years later... Lucy Stiller is now the number one model in America and her coach and hero, Tiana Romero, is now inspired by Lucy.

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