Charlotte and the Starlet (20 page)

When the head honcho of the JOES announced
'Charlotte Richards' as one of those who had made it
into the elite development squad, Leila's heart burst
with pride. The rube had made it, no small thanks to
Leila herself, of course. As she watched Charlotte's
dad in the stands clapping his hands raw, she felt a
pang of regret that her own mom wasn't there to see
how well she'd done.

Some of the girls who'd missed out on the JOES
were in tears. Looked like acting wasn't the only
rough game in town. A pity The Evil Three had all
made it through as well. Charlotte might have their
measure in the arena but there was a dance on tonight
and that was a different ball game entirely. The kid
was going to need all the help she could get.

It was a marvellous, still night. Insects swarmed
around the Tahitian torches that lined the driveway,
leading up to a dance floor where Thornton girls in
expensive evening wear shimmied with the boys of
Milthorp, dressed in their finest formal wear. A
tuxedoed band played on a large platform out the
front of the main building. Miss Strudworth and Mr
Graham circulated among their charges to make sure
everyone behaved themselves.

Spying Todd at the punch bowl, Rebecca flounced
over in her designer frock and addressed him like an
old friend.

'Todd! Great to see you here.' His curious
expression forced her to add, 'Rebecca. We met at
Ashleigh Rablestone's christening.'

Todd wondered what on earth she was on about.
He said he only remembered being at Ashleigh's place
for a pool party.

'That's right. The christening was when Ashleigh
drove her new four wheel drive into her swimming
pool and we all took turns sunbathing on the roof.'

Todd couldn't think of anything more moronic.
He explained he'd already left before all that stupid
stuff. Rebecca nodded like a bobbing dog on a car
dashboard.

'It was stupid, wasn't it? She should have sunk it in
the deep end. Then her parents would have thought
she'd just misplaced it.' She tutted and shook her
head.

By now Todd was wondering if Rebecca had
recently been released from some mental institution.
He smiled wanly and tried to escape her by circling
around the other side of the punch but she clung on,
asking him whether he thought fake tan was
preferable to a solarium-acquired tan. Todd ignored
her question and asked one of his own.

'Is Charlotte Richards about?'

Rebecca sighed, and shook her head.

'Charlie? She's like, such a waste of space.' At which
point her phone beeped. She checked its screen.
TIMEZUP BUTT OUT
appeared. She looked over to
see Lucinda and Emma about twenty metres away,
glaring at her. She turned back to Todd, fanning
herself.

'It's so-oo hot. I'm going to cool off down at the
creek. Feel free to join me.' She laughed before
slinking off.

Todd felt a great wave of relief. Finally free of that
...
thing
! But when he looked up, another Thornton
girl with perfect hair and wearing an expensive dress
was heading his way. Except for Charlotte, these
girls all looked like they'd been poured from the
same mould. They talked the same, too. He sighed.
Why wasn't she here?

In the stables, Leila studied Charlotte with a
thoughtful expression on her long face.

'It's not that bad.'

Charlotte flapped her arms in her hideous dress.
With no make-up and her hair tangled and lifeless on
her shoulders, she felt like an old bride dolly that had
lain for years in a shed under a pile of dusty
magazines.

'I look ridiculous.'

'Noooo,' neighed Leila, unconvincingly.

Charlotte reminded Leila she had promised she
wouldn't lie any more.

'Okay, you look like a generic cereal box when the
printer ink ran out,' confessed Leila.

'Thank you.'

'But this is where a girlfriend can help. Especially
one who's spent half her life in the make-up trailer.'

Charlotte was sceptical but Leila promised she
could deliver.

'A little foundation to start.' She put her snout into
her feedbag and emerged with a tube in her teeth.
'I took a stroll through the Ladies Restrooms during
the presentation speeches.' She passed it to Charlotte,
together with a small hand mirror. 'Now, a little on the
back of your hand, then blend.'

Charlotte did as she was told. Next Leila dipped
her tail into a small tub of blusher.

'Just a hint,' she explained, before slapping her tail
lightly across Charlotte's cheeks. She reached back
into the feedbag again and dropped a small tube of
lip-gloss into Charlotte's hand. Charlotte applied the
pale pink gloss. Leila checked her out like a doctor
looking for skin cancer.

'Perfect.' But her lip curled as she studied
Charlotte's hair. 'Now, that birds' nest. There's a big
tube on the bench. Put a dollop on your hands, turn
your head upside down and rub it through your hair.'

Charlotte did as she was told and was surprised to
find her hair was now much thicker and even curly!
She was thrilled.

'Is this what they call gel?'

'I guess. It's what the vet uses for internal
examinations.'

Charlotte managed to avoid throwing up. But only
just.

Unfortunately, there was still the sack she was
wearing. Before she could utter a word, however, Leila
had seized it in her mouth and began ripping. It
scared the daylights out of Charlotte.

'What do you think you're doing?!'

Leila spat out material. 'Keep still.' She ripped again
and again.

Charlotte couldn't see what was happening and
was frightened to look.

'Do you know what you're doing?'

'Does Stella McCartney?'

Charlotte had no idea who she might be. Leila was
talking at her again.

'Now listen up. It's a jungle out there. Those girls
will try and tear you to shreds.'

Another rip, another spit. 'You have to use wit, not
muscle. Got it?'

Charlotte shrugged. Leila finished and appraised
her work.

'How do I look?' asked Charlotte anxiously.

'Good as possible with two legs missing,' replied
Leila, using her tail to dust off a mirror hanging on
the wall.

Charlotte gasped at her reflection. Was it really
her? She couldn't believe she could look so hot.

'Told you,' said Leila smugly. 'Now go get 'em.'

Emma was having no more success with Todd than
Rebecca had. Assessing early on in their conver-sation
that Todd was the serious type, she was now
trying to impress him with her political nous,
explaining how she believed world peace could be
achieved if only everybody could be made to watch
Charmed
three times a day. She noticed his mouth
drop open.

'Wow,' he gasped.

Good, she'd finally got through. Emma was so rapt
in herself she hadn't realised that Todd's eye line was
straying over her shoulder to where Charlotte stood at
the stable entrance.

'Exactly. It's amazing. I'm amazing,' announced
Emma. And then she realised Todd was no longer
standing in front of her.

Charlotte could barely breathe. Her feet seemed
planted in concrete. Todd Greycroft was advancing
towards her. I'm not ready for this, she was thinking.
But the next thing she was lunging to meet him. Leila
had nudged her into the yard proper. Todd broke into
a handsome smile.

'Hi.'

Todd was suddenly yanked back by a determined
Emma.

'So world peace would be easy if people just weren't
so
selfish
.' She glared at Charlotte. Emma herself was
then suddenly pulled away and Lucinda stood in her
place preening.

'I couldn't agree more. Hi, Todd. I'm Lucinda.'

'Nice to meet you.'

Todd shook her hand and turned right back to
Charlotte, leaving Lucinda stunned. He started over
again.

'That was a great ride today.'

'You were there?' Charlotte hadn't seen him,
though she had looked hard.

'I had to go back to Milthorp to get ready. I tell you,
it was almost like you were talking to your horse.'

Charlotte was surprised to find herself at ease
talking with him.

'More like she was talking to me.'

Behind them Emma and Lucinda were equally
outraged.

'That little nobody!' seethed Emma.

'Who does she think she is! Boy, is she going to get
her just desserts,' hissed Lucinda, heaping ice-cream
and custard into a bowl.

'How's the ankle?' Charlotte asked.

Todd grinned. 'Good for dancing.'

Carrying the bowl heaped with custard, jelly and icecream
like it was a bomb, Lucinda zeroed in fast on
Charlotte. She pretended to trip, tossing the dessert all
over Charlotte.

'Oh, Charlotte! I'm so sorry,' she gushed, with not
an ounce of sincerity. 'I slipped.'

Charlotte balled her fists, ready to pound Lucinda.
But then she remembered Leila's advice about beating
them at their own game. She forced a smile.

'Don't worry about it, Lucinda. But I'd go easy on
those zit creams you use. They say the shakes are a
common side effect.'

She saw she'd scored. Lucinda's face contorted into
an ugly mask. She turned on her heel without a word
and left the scene. Meanwhile, Todd had whipped out
his handkerchief and started wiping the dessert off
Charlotte.

'I thought you were sweet enough already,' he
cracked.

Charlotte joined in the joke. 'Looks like dessert is
on me.'

Charlotte dipped her finger in the remnants
of custard and ate a little, making Todd laugh
more. Charlotte liked Todd. He was fun to be
around.

The retreating Lucinda found Emma waiting,
laughing at her.

'That zit-cream gag was pretty funny.'

'So's this.' Lucinda picked up a custard tart and
whacked Emma in the face with it. Emma grabbed a
handful of jelly and rubbed it in Lucinda's hair.

'You
skank
!' shouted Lucinda.