hit golf balls.â
Lexi sighed. âYouâve lost me, Herbie.â
âAnyway, R2 should have won first placeâclearly. Except that my big sister, Juliette, won an acting award the day beforeâa huge six-foot-tall gold trophy, no less.â
âAgain, Iâm lost.â
âWell, I thought, âThereâs no way I can ever compete with her,ââ Herbie continued. ââSheâs the winner in this family, not me.ââ
Lexi started to understand. âSo what happened to R2?â
âI overloaded his circuits. I doubted myself and tried to rethink all the programming right before the competition. I should have just believed in myself.â
Lexi nodded. âYouâre saying I should just believe in myself. Not worry about Ava or Meredith or anyone else.â
âPrecisely,â Herbie replied. âYou shouldnât have to live up to anyoneâs expectations except your own.â
Lexi stood up. âOkay. Iâll try.â
âAtta girl!â Herbie said, beaming. âAnd for the record, I think you are way more talented than my robot.â
âThanksâI think.â Lexi smiled. She heard Meredith giving her response to a questionâsomething about what she wanted most in the world.
âI want world peace!â Meredith said, clutching her hands to her heart. âI want an end to hunger. I want justice for all!â
In the audience, Jenna made a gagging noise. âI want to throw up. She is so phony.â
Just then, she noticed Meredithâs pageant coach in the row in front of them. Miss Jen was gesturing in the air, trying to tell Meredith something.
âWhatâs with the charades?â she whispered to Delaney.
âBeats me,â Delaney replied. âI donât speak sign language.â
The coach continued waving her arms over her head and wrapping them around her shoulders.
âI wantâ¦I wantâ¦â Meredith tried to figure out what her coachâs strange moves meant. âI want big hair? A hot-air balloon? A cashmere shawl?â
Miss Jen looked as nauseated as Jenna.
âOh! I want to give a big hug to every kid who needs one! Thatâs what I forgot!â Meredith finally got it.
The judges jotted notes as she skipped offstage. Miss Jen collapsed in her seat with a huge sigh of relief.
Lexi waited for Mr. Jim to call her number, then slowly made her way to the microphone. The host held an index card in his hand.
âLexi, here is your question: What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?â
Lexi gasped. That was it? That was the question? Nothing about politics, world peace, or global warming?
âWe didnât practice that one,â Kylie whispered to the girls. âI hope sheâs okay with it.â
âThatâs easy,â Lexi spoke confidently. âMy favorite thing to do in my spare time is make cupcakes with my best friends in our cupcake club. We have an amazing businessâin fact, we created an awesome display of one thousand cupcakes, and you can taste them at the pageant partyâ¦â She noticed Kat Grabel licking her lips. âI made the big pulled-sugar crown on top.â The crowd oohed and ahhed.
âIâm really proud of how our club has grown, and how Iâve grown too,â Lexi continued. âIf it werenât for Peace, Love, and Cupcakes, I would never have figured out how to believe in myself.â She looked at the audience and saw Herbie, who was giving her a thumbs-up.
âThank you, Lexi,â Mr. Jim said.
When it was Harleighâs turn, she cleared her throat and looked straight at the judges. âIf you could be anyone in the world, who would you be?â Mr. Jim asked her. Harleigh thought for a minute, then replied. âI would be me,â she said simply. âI donât think you should ever try to be someone youâre not. You should always be true to