Three days before the pageant, Kalina Spectra sat alone on the steps of the pink flowered manor, and not one other contestant would rehearse with her. She had come to win the kingdom's biggest glitter-and-couture crown. But her practice walk was crooked, her turns were sloppy, and every girl she asked had said the same thing. "Sorry. We were told to stay away from the new ones." Kalina knew who did the telling. The reigning favorite had won three crowns already. This week she had whispered to every contestant that the newcomers stole ideas and started fights. The lie spread fast. Now the veterans clustered by the fountain and shut Kalina out. Alone, she could not fix her walk. Without practice, she would lose. Her fluffy dog pressed against her knee. Kalina scratched his soft ears and made herself stand up. Sitting sad on the steps would not earn her a crown. If the veterans wouldn't help, she needed a different plan. She found the other newcomers hiding behind the manor. Three girls sat on a bench, heads down, believing the rumors had ruined them too. A little panda in a frilly pastel dress clutched a rainbow flower and looked ready to cry. "They lied about all of us," Kalina said. "So we help each other. Nobody else has to." The girls stared. Then the panda handed Kalina the rainbow flower like a peace gift, and the group opened up. They set up a practice runway on the grass. Kalina walked. The others called out corrections. Her turns grew clean. A small panda on a skateboard rolled past their line and made everyone laugh, and the fear finally cracked. The favorite found them at sunset. She crossed her arms and smiled the way a cat smiles at a bird. "Cute club," she said. "Enjoy last place together." Kalina didn't flinch. "You told them we start fights. But you're the only one who came looking for one." The newcomers didn't scatter. They stood behind Kalina, shoulder to shoulder. The favorite's smile slipped. She had counted on frightened girls, not a group that helped each other. She turned and walked off without another word. By dark, Kalina had a real rehearsal team. The rumors had lost their bite. She practiced her walk until the manor lights came on, and for the first time she believed the crown was possible. But winning over the newcomers had cost her. The favorite had never been beaten in front of others before. As she left, she looked back once at Kalina, and the look was not embarrassment. It was a promise. She would not whisper next time. Kalina had a rehearsal team now, and an enemy who wanted her gone for good.