Chapter 1 - A very bad idea

United States of America, a land filled with goodness, a land founded by a mix of races, cultures and dreams. And that is the main reason why it came to be known as the "Land of Opportunity" a land where anybody could get his or her sights on a dream and have all the opportunities to make it a reality.

And there is no doubt that for girls of all ages, beauty pageants are one of the things they thrive for the most and dream of the day they are in center stage being crowned as the country's most beautiful woman.

This of course was a dream shared by girls and teenagers countrywide, and in New York, 16 year old Riley Marguerite Matthews was no exception, as she laid in her bed she used her laptop to watch videos on pageants and glared at the women and teenagers that showed their intellectual and physical beauty all over the country, as she watched she fell asleep and her dreams took her to a reality where she was wearing a beautiful silver dress with a band across her chest reading "Miss USA", in front of her an announcer held an envelope.

-And now, let's announce our runner up, MISS VENEZUELA!

Crying Riley turned around and hugged the announced participant while another walked towards her to put a crown on her head.

-MISS UNIVERSE… MISS USA, RILEY MATTHEWS!

Smiling Riley waved at the public as music was heard in the background, suddenly she began to hear her name being called.

-RILEY! RILEY!

In her dream the brunette girl began to look around for the origin of the voice, suddenly, she found herself not on a stage, and not wearing a beautiful dress and a crown but in her bed and wearing her pajamas, and the origin of the voice was certain blond girl on top of her.

-Finally, I thought you'd never wake up. Go shower, your mom is making us breakfast.

As she showered Riley looked at her body, could she actually enter a beauty pageant? At 16 she had a well developed body, several times Maya Hart, her blonde best friend, had told her that while she wasn't too curvy when younger, she now had become a very attractive young woman. Her thoughts were cut by the voice of her mother, Topanga Matthews, announcing that breakfast was ready. As she ate she continued thinking about her dream and an idea began to grow in her mind. But she had to go to school and the subway trip and the chat with her best friend made her forget about that until she arrived to Abigail Adams High School and while she changed into her cheerleader uniform she heard two other girls talk about a beauty pageant that they were entering, she noticed they were checking the website on one of the girls tablet. After managing to see the site address she went to practice. That night she took her laptop and read about it.

-I can make this happen… I'm a pretty well centered girl… Maya will be so surprised when I win…

She had just finished filling and sending the application when her window opened and Maya entered carrying a bag containing chips, candy, and sodas.

-Ready for our friday night movie marathon?

-Maya that's a lot of food - she said as her friend laid beside her and began to put everything around them.

-Since when do you care?

-Since I…

But she remembered she wanted to surprise her so she restrained herself.

-Since you what honey?

-Nothing, I'll pick the first movie.

But the last thing Riley was thinking about was the movie they were watching, she was know anxious to hear back from the people at the pageant. The answer came two days later, she had been accepted as a participant and they wished to meet with her the following day. Needless to say she was beaming.

-OK, what is it? You're happier than you usually are - Maya said

-Yeah, something is going on, what is it? - Farkle Minkus, one of her friends, also asked

-Nothing, what could be happening?

Later that day and as they were leaving Abigail Adams, Maya noticed that Riley wasn't following her to the subway station.

-Aren't you coming? - she asked curiously

-My… My dad wants me to run some errands with him, I'll meet you later.

-If you say so.

As she saw her blonde best friend walk away Riley took a bus to the office of the pageant organizers, there she was greeted by a severe looking woman named Elizabeth who looked at her.

-So you said your name is Riley right?

-Yes mam'

-OK, come with me, I need you to try on a few dresses.

Riley was ushered to a dressing room where other girls were also trying night dresses for the pageants, she was handed a beautiful peach dress, yet the first thing she realized was that it was a size too small for her already slender figure.

-I think you got the size wrong, I'm one size bigger.

The woman glared at her with disdain as the other girls laughed.

-Look, this is the size used for the pageant, you either fit on it, or you're out, simple as that. You have two days to figure it out- she said severely

Riley stood there glaring at the dress in complete disbelief. One of the girls walked to her.

-You're new in this are you?

Riley nodded.

-There's no way I can fit in this dress in two days, is it?

She smiled at her

-Oh how I love novices, you're so innocent, of course there's a way.

She produced a bottle from her purse.

-Here, take this pills, instead of eating you'll take one of this and you'll drink lots of water. Believe me, you'll fit in that dress or my name ain't Lucy.

As she walked away Riley glared at the white pills in her hand, when she arrived home she was met with an incredible aroma coming from the kitchen.

-Hi Riley, I made your favorite, mac and cheese and burger - her mother announced

The brunette stood there for several seconds, her hand in her pocket playing with the pills she had been given.

-I…

To be continued...