Junior Miss - Pageant Contest 2001 [updated]

Lily nodded, but she felt hollow.

The final question was not the one they’d rehearsed. The emcee, a local weatherman with a stiff wig, smiled and said, “For our top five: tell us one thing you love about yourself that has nothing to do with winning.” junior miss pageant contest 2001

Lily looked at Chloe’s bare feet, her crooked flower, her genuine, unguarded smile. For the first time all day, she felt something other than pressure. Lily nodded, but she felt hollow

Lily’s turn. Her rehearsed answer— I love my determination —felt like a lie. She looked out at the sea of parents, the tired judges, her mother’s hopeful, hungry eyes. She thought about Amelia Earhart, who disappeared into the sky and was never found. Brave, yes. But also lost. smiled and said