A Trip Down The Memory Lane to Ashley's first pageant. I recall it being a disaster.

I had woken up with mum shouting orders to everyone while Ashley was in her room with the hairdresser.

Ash was about six years years old, so she hated staying still. I remembered the hairdresser being at the verge of tears by the end.

Mum wanted everything to be perfect. 

Levi had been forced into a suit by dad, and mum had told me to put on any one of my dresses as long as I didn't stand out as much as Ashley.

I had just decided on a plain black dress. At ten years old I had been able to learn how to put eyeliner on. I remember sneaking into mum's room at night and practicing.

"Come on, hurry up!" Mum said through gritted teeth while pointing a finger to the door.

Dad walked out first, with Levi following behind. He looked like a younger version of dad.

"Here, Amy, chew on this piece of gum. You can eat when we get back," Mum instructs. "Now suck your breath in, stand up straight and chin up. Yes, this is how I want you to be standing, especially when Ashley wins."

I held my breath in and stood up high till Mum was facing towards the staircase, waiting for Ashley. 

A sudden gasp was heard from Mum as I move aside to look past her. Ashley's strawberry blonde hair had been tied up into a bunch, her face full of pink makeup.

She looked like Barbie's twin. As for her clothing, Ashley had been wearing a frock with pink and green flowers in it.

All this made her look even more spoiled than she was before. Mum had made us all dress up well.

Behind her followed the petrified hair dresser. "Mother!" Ashley yelled in shock. "This is Baby pink, and I am not a baby! I thought I ordered for hot pink!"

I sighed at her. Ashley was very précised when it came to her favorite color, even for hot pink it had to be the perfect shade. 

"I am very well aware of the shade you ordered, honey," Mum said in a sweet voice with a hint of frustration, and emphasizing the 'honey'. "But right now our main focus is on winning, so you'll have to deal with it."

Ashley rolled her eyes and crossed her hands, not saying a word. The hair dresser passed her, trying to keep as much distance possible from Ash. 

Mum opened out her purse and handed her the cash. The lady mumbled a quick 'thank you' before rushing out of the house. I turned back to look at Ashley, knowing that the hair dresser was never coming back even if we paid her a million dollars.

"Oh dear, look at the time!" Mum exclaimed, "Come on, out of the house, now!"

I quickly rushed out. Dad was standing by the passenger door, holding it open. Obviously he hadn't done that for me, today was Ashley's special pageant. 

"That's it, dear. Perfect model walk!" Mum said behind me. She was holding Ash's dress up so she could walk properly. I got into the car, next to Levi. He was on his phone, so I had to resist the urge to glancing. at it, knowing too well how mad he would be if he caught me looking.

Fortunately, his phone began vibrating, which my eyes immediately shot up to his phone. The called ID had taken me to great surprise.

"Why is Olivia calling you?" I asked Levi. He quickly cut the call and turned to face me.

"Stop looking at my phone you creature!" Levi had raised his hand, ready to hit me.

"Amy, for God sake! Stop fighting with your brother or I'll confiscate you phone. You always crease your clothes, and this time I won't let it happen," Mum said, entering to sit besides me.

Ashley got to sit in the front because this is her big day, but it's not even her birthday! Not that I get to sit in the front on my birthday, anyways. Levi sniggered secretly. I curled my hands into fists resisting the urge to jab him with my elbow.

Levi saw what was happening, so he whispered insults under his breath, knowing how mad it would make me.

I glanced towards mum, who's head was tuned away from us, looking for something in her black Gucci designer purse. I look at dad and he is too busy focusing on the road. Quickly, I take this chance to nudge Levi hard.

Mum looked up, bringing a red jewelry box out of her purse. "Look, Ashley dear, this is what's going to make you stand out."

She opened the box and my eyes had to adjust from the brightness in the car. Dad gripped his stirring wheel tightly, obviously hating the light. Once I could see, I gasped.

Diamonds shimmered in the light, the tiara was shaped like a peacock. Ashley grinned when she saw this. "Come a little closer, will you? Ah - yes. Just take off your seatbelt." Mum ordered.

Without moving much hair - not wanting to mess up what the hair dresser did - mum slipped the tiara on. "Yes! You're such a queen!" Mum said excitedly.

Ashley giggled and faced back in front, not bothering to put her seatbelt back on. She touched her tiara now and then.

The car ride after that, thank God, was quiet. I picked on my nails, not having anything to do. Dad finally parked the car and we got out of the car one by one. 

There were already cars around with parents and their children standing out, so Ashley immediately began her model walk which her professional trainer taught her. Mum walked right besides her, doing every bit of modeling she knew.

Dad didn't seemed the least affected by this, he just glared at us, expecting us to walk on. I didn't understand why I had to be here. None of them showed up at any of my school plays, but one pageant of Ashley's and everyone dresses up.

There was a tall building, and the entrance had a big banner on the top saying 2019's Annual Kid's Pageant Show.

We entered, and inside was all black. Black curtains hid the creamy colour of the walls. The floor was covered in red carped and there was a small section that people could stand before there were red and golden barriers.

On the other side of the barriers was a ramp and chairs surrounding it. The place was pretty dark as only studio lights turned on.

Ashley and mum stood there, a few steps near the entrance, talking to a man wearing a black suit and a clipboard in his hand.

"-hm, let's see. Ashley Wilsons," Was what I heard as we walked near. "You shall be going just before Abigale, " The man said.

"In fact," He said, glancing at his watch," They should be finished with their small interview, and you're up next."

I sighed. We had just caught up but we had to walk over the barriers and behind the ramp. It was much more lighter in the room we entered. 

The carpet was floral patterned and the colour of pale yellow. There weren't any curtains covering the cream coloured paint.

"-And... Cut!" A man wearing all black said. He was sat ok n a director's chair with a clapperboard in his hand. Next to him was the cameraman, and obviously, a camera in front of him.

Despite the normal ceiling lights, more studio lights were put around a huge trunk, on which someone sat on.

A man and a baby - assuming his daughter - sat on the trunk, the baby on the man's lap.

The man got up, swinging the baby onto his hips and walking to us with a friendly smile on his face.

"Don't tell me that baby is Abigale," Ashley snorted with her eyebrows raised and crossed arms.

The man's smile faltered and he walked passed us quietly. Everyone else ignored what Ashley had just said.

"Alright," The guy in the black suit from earlier said.

"Ashley, you can sit on this trunk, there's no need to be frightened, Bob over here," He said pointing to the director,"Is just going to ask you a few questions."

"What makes you think I'm scared?" Ashley spat out. The man just shrugged and muttered,"I'm not getting paid enough for this."

I glanced at my family. Dad seemed like he would rather be outside looking for some beer to drink, whereas mum was rummaging her person for makeup she could put on her face knowing that she was going to be next.

Levi had settled himself in the corner, phone to his ear and muttering words.

"So," The director said bringing my attention back to Ashley,"You have just seen one of your opponents, how do you feel?"

"I," Ashley began,"Feel very confident that I'm going to win. And I'm definitely winning over a baby."

"Don't you feel as if you're acting overconfident?" He asked.

"Me? Overconfident? Yeah right," Ashley scoffed. "That baby can't even catwalk, anyone can see that she isn't going to win."

"Cut," The director said. "Now, will her family please come and sit next to her?"

Mum stood up straight and put on a fake smile. Dad stood next to mum. Levi rolled his eyes and sighed, coming out of his corner.

We walked to the trunk, mum immediately occupied the space next to Ashley, and dad on the other side. I rushed to sit next to mum, not wanting to be under dad's glare the whole time.

"Okay, everyone okay? Good - start!" The director said. He manly asked questions to mum, like 'do you think you're daughter will win' and 'what makes you think she will win.'

By the answers given, I wanted to say that there are many more contestants that are well-dressed and that mum shouldn't be too confident, but I knew it would just backfire on me.

I was not in the mood for being called a mood spoiler. Levi was the first to get up and go back on his phone when it was finished.

Of course, mum and dad didn't say anything to him because he wasn't bothering them. But if I did it, it wouldn't have been ladylike.

Once the questions had finished, the man in the black suit led us out again, mum whispering to me that I should spoke up louder and clearer.

It's true, you should have.

The voice in my head was right, I shouldn't have been so shy, it was just a camera. Yet, I hid behind mum as we walked through crowds of people. The loud voices and music were disturbing and I longed to back, safe, in my room.

"Alright," Someone said through the mic. "Can everyone make their way to this side of the room. All children taking part should stand on this corner of the room." He pointed towards us. "And everyone else may get seated on one of the chairs, first four are for the judges."

Mum stayed behind, whispering things to Ashely while Levi and I followed dad to get front row seats. 

"I just saw other children's outfits," Mum said sitting next to me. "Ashley is definitely winning."

Each kid came one at a time, doing their model walk as different coloured light shone on them. Many different outfits were worn - one girl had a plain black dress which was short from the front and long from the back. The inside of the dress was red, and with that there was a red belt which gave contrast.

There were two that I absolutely adored. The first one was Abigale's, she had been wearing a tulle lavender dress which looked extremely cute on her baby face. Her brown hair made her stand out really well.

The second one was another baby wearing a black tuxedo, white bow, and looked really adorable attempting to do a cat walk. Ashley did pretty well too, but the two babies got more attention from the audience.

There was silence as the judges talked in low voices. Everyone anticipated the results, hoping their child won. "Okay, the results are in," The man from before said. "And the winner is - drumroll please - Abigale Hale!"

Mum looked horrified, ready to start yelling and the first person ho dared talk to her. We didn't even get time to cheer as mum got up and left. Dad had to go snatch Ashley away as they were taking a group photos.

Even Levi knew not to be on his phone. As we walked out, the director from before was ready to interview anyone leaving. Questions were thrown at us as we quickly made our way to the car.

Mum was going to be doing a lot of yelling. I was probably going to be the one getting the most trouble for not saying it confidently that Ash was going to win.

That's cause it is your fault.