Naoko perked up and rewarded me with a brilliant smile. “Thanks. I needed that. Um, this is for you. Because you’ve been so nice to me. And my mom. She didn’t really have any friends in town until you came back. She seems really happy now.”
She held out a matching set of her signature beaded bracelets and earrings. She’d used nothing but black beads, in keeping with my aesthetic, but when you held them up to the sun, there was a rainbow sheen reflecting off the darkness. They were absolutely lovely and I told her so.
“Thank you, Naoko,” I said as I put on the bracelets and switched out my hoops for the dangly earrings. “I’ll cherish them. Just like I cherish your mom’s friendship. Good luck today.”
We said goodbye and I continued wandering around to wish the rest of the girls luck, making slow progress thanks to my injured ankle and the amount of people running around backstage. I finally found Winnie and Katie Pang with Joy at the last makeshift vanity station. Winnie was adjusting Katie’s makeup and putting the finishing touches on her hairstyle, and the teen was stunning. She still had her girl-next-door cuteness (no amount of contouring could take away the sweetness of those round cheeks), but the fake lashes and upswept hairdo gave her an air of sophistication.
“Oh Katie, you’re so beautiful!” Joy sighed as she looked at her best friend. “How’s your arm? Are you feeling OK?”
Katie’s forearm was enclosed with a bright green cast, which was already covered with signatures and doodles. She flexed her fingers and glanced at her mom before answering. “Yeah, I’m fine. My hands are free, so I’m still able to perform my talent. You look beautiful too, Joy.”
“I’m not very good with makeup, but I tried. You’re lucky your mom’s so good at it.” Joy smiled, but there was no hiding the wistfulness in her voice.
Winnie’s eyes met mine, and there was a look I couldn’t read there. Was she also wondering about Joy’s absentee parents? How anyone could neglect their children, let alone a girl as sweet as Joy?
Winnie broke eye contact to look down at her watch. “You know what, we still have some time. Joy, come here and I’ll adjust your makeup. Do you want me to do anything with your hair?”
As they started discussing possible looks, I said my goodbyes and made my way back to the judges’ table, passing Ate Bernie and Joy’s sister Pinky on the way. I glanced back as they joined the trio chattering away happily as they prepared for the competition. I said a silent prayer for all of them. As long as Joy had that kind of love and support in her life, maybe she’d be OK after all.
* * *
? ? ?
The Q&A portion of the pageant, usually the bane of everyone’s pageant experience, flew by thanks to Valerie’s insightful questions, Mayor Gunderson’s skill at the mic (he was really quite charming when he allowed other people to get a word in), and of course, the contestants, who were bringing their A game now that they’d made it to the final round. Even Leslie, Sharon Randall’s wallflower friend, excelled during her interview—she seemed to have realized she didn’t have to be giggly or bubbly to play the part of a beauty queen, and her quiet thoughtfulness made me see why a girl as vivacious as Sharon Randall was her best friend.
She also showed quite a bit of bravery when asked the last question, “If you could change one thing about the Miss Teen Shady Palms Pageant, what would it be?” (Every contestant was asked this question, so Naoko got to deliver her bit of feedback herself.)
Leslie glanced at Sharon, who was just offstage, before saying, “I want this pageant to be more inclusive. Saying ‘anyone who identifies as female’ still limits it. I think if you want to create a truly modern pageant, you have to open your mind to all the other possibilities out there. Oh, and I use she/they pronouns, by the way.”
Mayor Gunderson said, “I’m not sure I understood all that, but I recognize the courage it took for you to speak your truth. Thank you, Leslie.” Leslie waved at the crowd before exiting the stage, and Mayor Gunderson continued, “What a way to wrap up the Q&A! And now for the main event: the talent portion of Miss Teen Shady Palms! Take it away, ladies! Or, um, contestants? Whatever, good luck, everyone!”
Everyone in Shady Palms lived for the talent show, but it was my least favorite part. Yeah, some of the contestants had awesome skills, but it was like Naoko said: Not everyone had a talent they could perform. It was painful to watch these girls, already at such a self-conscious age, fumbling their way through routines they’d obviously learned just for the competition. There were also some wonderfully creative performances that made me proud to be part of the pageant: Sharon Randall displayed amazing athletic ability as well as choreography in her cheerleading routine, Naoko did a traditional ikebana demonstration as well as showed how to create origami blooms that were inexpensive and lasted year-round, and Sara Colon, the teen mom who blew us away during the group interviews, recited some of her own poetry.
Each contestant had to give a brief explanation of why they were performing their chosen talent, and when it was Joy’s turn, she held up her ukulele and said, “Music is a great escape. It’s something I do only for myself. It’s fun. I don’t have to be good at it. I don’t plan on making a career of it, so it doesn’t matter how bad I am or how long it takes me to learn a new song. I might even try writing my own music someday. But I don’t want that pressure yet. For now, just the feel of the strings against my fingertips is enough.” She strummed the instrument, the pleasure radiating from her face. “Today, I’m performing Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole’s version of ‘Over the Rainbow.’ I know it’s kind of cliché now, but I’m originally from Hawaii and this song reminds me of home. And for me, home was my grandfather, who taught me to love music. So this is for you, Lolo.” Joy’s voice would never be called technically perfect, but she sang with her usual sweetness and earnestness, and the emotion of the song made its way into my heart. I didn’t even bother hiding the tears streaming down my face this time and was gratified to see that Sana was in a similar state. Beth’s eyes remained dry but riveted on the stage, a slight hitch to her breathing the only sign she was equally affected.