As happy as I was in the hotel, I am just as unhappy now. And I am not the only one who is unhappy. Mary Ann is unhappy too. In fact, if there was a list called the Unhappy List, both of our names would be on it.

Here’s why:

When we first got to Fran’s studio, everything was perfect.

A nice man named Ernesto gave us all a tour of the set.

We got to go backstage.

We saw the sewing room.

We saw Fran’s dressing room.

We got to walk through the photo gallery of Fran’s most fashionable looks.

We even got to have chocolate-covered strawberries and fresh-squeezed orange juice in Fran’s personal snack lounge.

Everything was perfect until Ernesto took us to meet Fran’s assistant, Holiday. We went with our moms to Holiday’s office to discuss “show day details.”

That was when everything went from perfect to NOT.

First, Holiday explained what would happen on the day of the show. She talked about where I would need to be and what I would need to do. My mom asked lots of questions. I shifted around in my chair and tried to listen while Holiday went over the details.

Wardrobe.

Fitting.

Stage.

Model.

Dream outfit.

I tried to focus while Holiday explained that I would have to be backstage early. Mom, Colleen, and Mary Ann would all have front row seats in the audience. I even heard her say something about giving them special backstage passes for after the show.

But as exciting as it all was, it was hard to focus on what Holiday was saying when I had something of my own to say. I crossed my toes that what I was about to say would work.

When Holiday stopped talking, I started.

I explained to Holiday how Mary Ann and I are lifelong best friends. I told her how we worked on our designs together and how we entered the contest together. I told her that we like to do everything together and that we would like to be on the Fashion Fran show. TOGETHER!

I thought I said it all very convincingly.

Even Mary Ann gave me a look like I had done a good job.

So I smiled and waited for Holiday to say something like, “I get it. I’ve got a lifelong best friend too. If we won a contest to be on TV, we’d want to do it together too. Not a problem. You girls will be adorable together on TV.”

But that’s not what Holiday said.

All she said was, “Sorry, girls. Mallory won the contest.” As if it was something we should’ve already known.

Then she pushed her chair back from her desk. She took a deep breath and looked at her watch like what I was saying was not something she had time to deal with.

My mom and Colleen looked at each other and shook their heads. They apologized to Holiday and said something about how they hadn’t known I would ask such a thing.

At that point, I gave Mary Ann an I-don’t-know-what-else-to-do look.

Mary Ann gave me a make-your-sad-puppy-face look.

I made it.

But it didn’t work.

That’s when I tried dabbing my eyes like the idea of Mary Ann not going on the show with me was enough to make me cry.

Even Mary Ann looked like she was going to cry.

But that didn’t work either.

Holiday just shook her head. “Girls, only Mallory can go on the show. It wouldn’t be fair to everyone else who entered the contest if we bent the rules. I’m sorry, but modeling on Fashion Fran is not something the two of you will be able to do together.”

Then Holiday looked at her watch again and stood up. Our moms stood up too. I knew it meant the meeting was over.

But Mary Ann and I just slumped down in our chairs and looked at each other.

Like I said, both of our names belonged on the Unhappy List.