Turnover: Ugly Duckling

Episode Four

Inside The Glamour girls lounge Elaine sitting on a couch idly scrolling her phone, scoffs her faces twisting as she threw her phone to the table

“Look at this. Another post about Mercedes.

At this point, she doesn’t breathe… she performs.” she scoffed and Sarah chuckled dryly, the humiliation of earlier still playing through

“She needs the attention. It’s the only thing keeping her relevant.” she said clenching her fist looking provoked, angry, jealous

Joanna sighed

“Relevance doesn’t draw crowds like that girls she's a force.” she said glancing up from her system glasses on

“People don’t obsess over something that’s empty.”

Elaine retorted rolling her eyes in disdain

“Oh please. People obsess over illusions all the time.

Pretty face, tragic aura, a little mystery…” Joanna scoffed “...it doesn’t take much to fool a crowd.” Sarah got up angrily

“And Delaney barking at anyone who gets too close doesn’t help.

She acts like Mercedes is some untouchable goddess.” she said and Elaine laughed softly making Sarah flare up “Why the f**k are you laughing? I'm serious here that b***h humiliated me, that f*****g Delany called me a fake Royal… who doesn't know she's just second option if not that Esperanza is terminally ill she'll be only a forgotten princess” she roared and Elaine scoffed “Delaney isn’t protecting her,

She’s clinging to relevance before it disappears she knows she needs support to gain the throne smoothly but she chose the wrong side.”

Joanna removed her glasses fully revealing the deep red sinister eyes, she has since at birth

“And the third one… Tania Montana’s daughter.” she said tilting her head slightly

“Media backing, public sympathy, curated narratives…” she said a tinge of amusement in her eyes

“They didn’t just build an image. They built a shield, and I must say them bitches are freaking smart tight connections but Mercedes only has a rich father, Delaney a troubled Empire and Tania, she's the real force here.”

Sarah sat down her voice tightening

“I’m tired of it.

Everywhere you turn, it’s her name, her face, her voice…” she said then cuts herself off, jaw clenched in anger

“She’s not even that special.”

Elaine leaned forward, eyes glinting with mischief

“Then let’s prove it.” she suggested

Joanna smiles calm and precisely

“We don’t attack her directly.” she said and Sarah brow's furrowed

“Why not?”

“Because right now, she wins that fight.” Joanna said and paused slightly

“So we take away the one place she can’t afford to lose.”

Elaine smile widened as she caught on

“The concert.” she said and Joanna nodded

“Exactly.”

Sarah leaned in

“What are you thinking?” she asked eyes open in anticipation

Joanna’s voice lowered

“Her entire image depends on perfection.

Control. Presence. Impact.” she said as she tapped the table slightly

“We disrupt all three.”

Elaine stood up and performed a twirl excitedly

“Sound cuts mid-performance… lights flicker… maybe even a little panic in the crowd…” she suggested then grinned “Let’s see how ‘untouchable’ she looks when she’s standing in silence.”

Sarah leans back looking satisfied

“And her dog Delaney?” she asked and Elaine shrugged

“Well she’ll talk. She always does find who to blame try to minimize damage upon her friend’s reputation.” she said then smirked

“But this time, she’ll sound desperate, senseless.”

Joanna smiled looking at her friends with pride

“And the media princess?” she asked and Elaine waved her hand dismissively

“We feed her news she can’t control.”

“A narrative that turns before she can spin it.”

Sarah gives a quiet, dangerous smile

“So the audience watches her fall… in real time.” She said but Joanna shook her head

“Nah.” she said with a devilish smirk “They turn on her in real time.

Elaine cackled softly, sounding amused

“She built herself up so high…

I almost feel bad watching her drop.”

“I don’t care I just want her never to rise, no one can overshadow my Theo” Sarah said and Joanna smiled faintly

“By the end of that night… Mercedes won’t look powerful.” She said then paused and continued

“She’ll look like a girl who got lucky…

and finally ran out of it.”