“Leanne, I just asked your friend who authorized the use of this...prop?” She flipped through the pages in a clipboard. “Props are against rule twenty-four. Didn’t you read the rule booklet?”
“They probably don’t even have one,” Mrs.McLaughlin added.
“We don’t have a prop,” I said. “Our frame was approved by a judge.”
Vintage Dress Lady kicked the cast-iron base with her satin pumps. “This is a prop. It’s used to enhance the sculpture instead of being a part of the frame.”
“I have the booklet right here,” Rowan said, pulling a brochure out of his back pocket. “Props are accessories. Like an umbrella or a hat. This isn’t an accessory; it’spartof the frame.”
Vintage Dress tilted her head in a patronizing gesture. “The judges should be the one to decide that. Come, Melanie. Who knows what these kids told Albert when he inspected the frame? Let’s speak to him ourselves. I’m sure this isn’t—”
“Are we allowed to defend ourselves?” Leanne interrupted. “Or, just because the Bakewell desperate housewives have it in for us, we have to roll over and cower.”
“Leanne!” the woman said. “The disrespect! I don’t understand why anyone calls you one of Bakewell’s brightest young students.”
Mrs.McLaughlin tutted past her partner-in-privilege and waved a finger at me instead of Leanne. “I’ll have you know that the Bloom is a long-standing tradition in Bakewell. Long beforeyouarrived. If it was up to me, outsiders wouldn’t even be allowed to enter.”
Rowan’s jaw twitched. “There is no residency requirement for the Bloom. There never has been. And all of us, other than Tahira, have lived here our whole lives.”
Mrs.McLaughlin just glared. Why did she have it in for me? Was this because her daughter saw me as competition? Or because I was dating Rowan?
I pointed to one of the other entries. “That team’s rabbit sculpture has a whole chair in it. Your own daughter is using a...” I glanced over to Addison’s and Cameron’s... “What is that exactly?”
“It’s a wrought iron headboard,” Mrs.McLaughlin said. “But those are theirframes. This is a prop because it will be visible in your finished design.”
Leanne, Mrs.McLaughlin, and Vintage Dress Lady continued arguing the semantics of a prop versus a frame while other contestants wandered over to see what the commotion was.
I rubbed my temples, stepping away from the crowd. Rowan was by my side in seconds. He put his hand on my lower back.
“You okay?”
I nodded, looking into his eyes for strength. “This is my fault.”
“No. They’re doing this because they’reintimidatedby you. By us. Seeing us succeed makes them feel like we’re taking their spot.”
I smiled. “You sound like your father.”
“The design is spectacular, Tahira. Honestly, I don’t even care if they find some silly loophole to disqualify us. They’ll look closed minded, and we’ll look brilliant. We’re still the ones shining.”
He was right. “We always shine,” I whispered.
He wrapped me in a hug, and I sank into it.
“And now look at those two!” Mrs.McLaughlin shrieked. Rowan and I pulled apart to see her pointing and frowning at us.
“What now?” Rowan asked, rolling his eyes.
“They’re not taking any of this seriously. I don’t know how we can allow these hormonal teenagers—”
“Mom, just shut up.” Addison had arrived at our little three-ring circus.
“Addie, go back to your station. This isn’t about you.”
Addison blinked, looking at Rowan and me. “Mom, thisisabout me. You’re my mother, and you’re embarrassing me. All this is because part of their frame is visible?”
Vintage Dress pointed to her clipboard again. “It’s against rule—”
“Why don’t you just cover it up?” Addison said to our team but mostly to Rowan.
