"Metaphorically, yes," Ginny said. "She's one of the worst stage mothers I've ever seen and believe me, I've seen my share."

Ginny glanced around the lobby to make sure no one was in earshot and then wiggled a finger at Mel indicating that she should come closer.

"For Destiny's sixteenth birthday, her mother gave her bolt-ons," Ginny whispered in a voice that still managed to carry across the lobby.

"What?" Mel asked. "What does that even mean?"

Ginny held her free hand in front of her chest and made a gesture like screwing on the lid of a jar. "You know, bolt-ons."

"A boob job?" Mel asked. "At sixteen? Is that legal?"

"Oh, please. Don't even get me started on her nose," Ginny said. "Did you see the snot locker on Brittany? That thing has been modified at least three times. There is no way that little button is Destiny's real nose."

Ginny took a swig from her water bottle while Mel processed the horror of it all.

"You're not making me feel good about being here," Mel said. "I already witnessed one case of nasty daughter and cowed mother."

"Let me guess," Ginny said. "Redheaded girl with more attitude than looks?"

"That's the one," Mel said.

"Sarah Hendricks," Ginny said. "Pageant crybaby who also happens to have a vicious mean streak and a serious lack of people-pleasing skills. She's the current bane of the pageant circuit."

"Lovely," Mel said. "Why do I feel like we've put Lupe in a viper pit?"

"Nah, there are some genuinely nice girls here, too. It's just that the nasties are more memorable." Ginny shrugged. "Our girl Lupe is going to kill, don't worry. She's the real deal."

Mel raised her eyebrows. She vowed to have a chat with Lupe at the earliest possible moment about the dangers of elective surgery and why beauty was really something beyond measure on the inside of a person and had nothing to do with her bra size, or her schnoz size for that matter.

"Ready for another walkabout?" Angie asked as she returned to the tower with an empty tray. "They are scarfing these babies up. Great idea to put the bakery name on the paper cupcake liners."

"Thanks," Mel said.

She started putting cupcakes on Angie's tray while Angie took a sip of the iced tea she'd left behind the tower. Mel was halfway done when the sound of a door slamming boomed down the hallway.

She glanced around with the rest of the people in the lobby and saw Mariel Mars stomping toward them as if she wished someone's head was beneath the spiky points of her heels.

"Ms. Mars!" a voice called after her. "Wait!"

Mel and Ginny exchanged a glance before they both leaned forward. They knew that voice. It was Joyce and she was running after Mariel.

As if aware of the lobby watching her, Mariel came to an abrupt stop and appeared to force her lips into a smile that came out more like a grimace.

"I'm sorry, Ms.-" Mariel shrugged as if Joyce's name was of no importance and continued. "I really have nothing more to say."

Joyce was breathing hard as she stopped in front of the judge.

"But these scores," Joyce said, holding a sheet of paper out to her. "They're so incredibly low. They could knock Lupe out of the first round of the competition."

"So?" Mariel asked, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder.

And that's when Mel saw it. The hellfire that was normally banked in her mother's hazel-blue eyes crackled to life. The only other time Mel had seen her mother ignite like this was when someone went after Mel or her brother, Charlie.

"So?" Joyce repeated as if talking to a half wit. "None of the other judges scored her anywhere near as low as you did."

"I have higher standards," Mariel said. She examined her manicure as if it were infinitely more interesting than the conversation she was having.

"Perhaps," Joyce said. "Or maybe you're cheating."

Nine.

"How dare you!" Mariel gasped as if she'd been struck.

"That was a bad move," Ginny said to Mel. "Now Mariel's going to have a hissy fit and her hissy fits are the stuff of legend."

"Should we call someone?" Mel asked.

"Let's wait until we see bloodshed," Ginny said. Then she smiled. "I always love to watch your mother when she gets her back up. She's just as cute as a hedgehog until she bites."

Mel moved to step forward but Angie held her back with a hand on her elbow. "I'm with Ginny on this one. 'Let us see what Squirt does flying solo.'"

"You're quoting Finding Nemo now?" Mel asked.

Angie tipped her head in the direction of the altercation and made a shushing noise.

"I will not stand for this!" Mariel sputtered. She lashed out and kicked over a nearby chair.

"Fine," Joyce said. "I'm just as happy to sit. Oh, well, I would have until you started kicking over the furniture. For goodness sake, act your age!"

"Ah!" Mariel gasped and Mel suspected she thought that was an age slam when really it was just a mom thing to say.

"I will not tolerate being called a cheater." Mariel leaned forward until her face was inches from Joyce's.

"Then make it right," Joyce said through gritted teeth. She didn't back up but rather leaned forward until the two women were nose-to-nose.

"Mrs. Cooper, Joyce," Lupe implored. "Please don't go to any trouble for me."

Mel glanced at Lupe, who had joined the ladies, and again she was struck by how lovely the young woman beneath the dyed fringe and baggy black clothes was. Today she was in a delicate floral lace sheath dress in a pretty shade of turquoise with beige open-toed pumps. She looked as if she should be strutting down the runway at a fashion show.

"Wow," Angie said, echoing Mel's thoughts exactly.

"If Oz were here right now, he'd stroke out," Mel said, and Angie nodded.

"It's no trouble, Lupe," Joyce said. She stepped back from Mariel and yanked on the lapels of her plum-colored jacket. "I have already called Cici Hastings and plan to have her go over these scores. Maybe she can shed some light on why Mariel's scores are thirty points lower than all of the other judges."

"You dare to question me?" Mariel's nostrils flared.

"When your scores are so out of whack?" Joyce asked. "You bet I do. Oh, and we'll be checking to see if you did this to every contestant or just Lupe."

Mariel stepped around Joyce. She looked Lupe over with a sneer that lifted the corner of her upper lip, making her look as vicious as a wild dog about to attack.

"You don't belong here," Mariel hissed. "Just because you combed your hair and they shoved you in a nice dress does not make you worthy of the title of Miss Sweet Tiara and you know it."

Lupe ducked her head and her curtain of thick black hair swept forward, covering her face. Shame poured off of her in waves, and Mel felt her stomach clench in sympathy. She wanted to smack the smirk right off of Mariel's face.

Angie stiffened beside her, and Mel was afraid that Angie would launch herself at Mariel. Ginny and Mel each put a hand on Angie's arms, holding her back. Much as Mel wanted to jump in as well, she knew this wasn't their fight and if it turned ugly, it would put an end to Lupe's dreams of a scholarship, which would do her no good at all.

Joyce reached out and cupped Lupe's chin. She raised the girl's head until Lupe met her gaze.

"Do not listen to her. She doesn't know what she's talking about," Joyce said. Mariel squawked in protest, but Joyce kept going, drowning her out. "They would be lucky to have a young woman like you wearing their crown. Now show me the beauty that I know is in there."

Lupe nodded and straightened her back. She blinked as if to keep back her tears and she tipped her chin up. Her smile was brave and all the more beautiful because Mel knew it was costing her on a soul level.

Mariel made a derisive snort and muttered, "Trash."

Joyce whipped around and leveled Mariel with a glare. "Do not speak to her. You don't even deserve to be in the same room with her. And mark my words, I'm going to have you removed from the panel of judges."

"You don't have that kind of power," Mariel sniped.

"She doesn't," Ginny said as she stepped forward. "But I do."

Mariel glared. "Oh, please. Now I have two dried-up old prunes coming after me? You have no power, Ginny Lobo. You're just a drunk and she's your silly sidekick. The two of you are pathetic and the only reason you're even allowed to be here is because your husband is loaded."

"Don't talk to them like that," Lupe snapped. "They're ladies while you-you're just a bitter, nasty has-been."

Mariel's eyes narrowed and she stepped forward, but Ginny and Joyce pushed Lupe behind them, blocking Mariel's path.

"You just made a powerful enemy, young lady," Mariel sneered.

"I'm not afraid of you," Lupe said. "And if you go after my friends, I'll make you pay. I swear I will."

There was the skateboarding daredevil Mel knew and loved. She and Angie went to stand with the others. Mariel now had a group of five to contend with and no one running to her side.

"You? Make me pay? Ha!" Mariel said. "I'd like to see you try it."

Lupe glared. She pushed past Ginny and Joyce.

"Make no mistake," Lupe said. "Hurt them and I'll hurt you-more."

"Are you threatening me?" Mariel asked. She spun away from them and yelled across the lobby. "Witnesses! I need witnesses! This contestant just threatened to hurt me because she didn't like her scores!"

"She did not." Joyce protested.

"I heard it, too," a voice said from across the lobby. The vomiting mom, Brittany Richards, and her daughter Destiny were at the far end of the lobby. Brittany scurried forward, giving Mariel an ingratiating smile.

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Ginny snapped. "You couldn't have heard a word she said from all the way over there."

"I have exceptional hearing," Brittany said.

Her daughter followed her, and while Brittany fussed over Mariel as if she'd been the victim of a mugging, Destiny looked as if she'd rather be anywhere but here. Mel thought the idea had distinct possibilities.

"Are you all right?" Brittany asked Mariel, loud enough for everyone within a one-hundred-yard radius to hear. "You look a bit faint."

"I'll be fine," Mariel said. Then she leaned close to their group and hissed, "This isn't over. You'll be tossed from this competition if it's the last thing I do."

Ginny stepped forward. "Try it. I double dare you."

Maybe it was the alcohol on her breath or the crazy light in her eyes, but Mariel spun away from Ginny. Brittany fell in behind her like a good little sycophantic minion, yanking Destiny behind her as she went.

"Well, shoot. I'd better find Cici first, so I can remind her of how much money I'm kicking into this shindig," Ginny said. "Come on, Lupe, Joyce, we've got some damage control to do."

"Can you control it?" Joyce asked worriedly.

"I may have Cici remind Mariel that she can be replaced. Oh, and I know just the woman, too. Anka Holland wanted very much to be a judge in the pageant. That would really chap Mariel's uppity behind."

"Who is Anka Holland?" Lupe asked.

"The bane of Mariel's existence," Ginny said. "Anka was always one step behind Mariel, always breathing down her neck on the pageant circuit. Anka managed to beat Mariel a few times, but Mariel always won the big titles. Anka is the only one who gave Mariel any competition and Mariel still hates her for it.

"Of course, Anka is no fan of Mariel's, either. I remember when Mariel took the title of Miss Glitz from Anka back in their heyday. It was not pretty. There had been some sabotage in the dressing room. Someone smeared Anka's evening gown with lipstick while Mariel's bathing suit was found to have itching powder in it. They each blamed the other but no one could prove it."

Ginny led the others away, and Mel and Angie watched them go.

"I don't know about you, but I have a really bad feeling about this," Mel said.

Angie looked thoughtful. "Agreed. There was something off about that whole scene. I mean, I got the feeling Mariel wanted Lupe to come after her."

"I did, too," Mel said. "The question is why."

Ten.

The next day, Mel was back at her cupcake tower while the judging of the swimsuit competition went on poolside. They had a pretty good vantage point from their corner of the lobby. She saw Lupe with Joyce. Lupe was wearing a robe and looked distinctly uncomfortable. Mel understood completely. This would have ranked right up there in her top worst nightmares as a teen, coming in second only to showing up naked to class.