Chapter 18

Tiffany ends up having to atone for her past actions but perhaps not all is actually in vain.
It's a new day at school and Tiffany is busy drawing about her and Howard's basketball game in her journal. Howard enters the classroom at that moment and successfully sneaks up behind her to see what she's drawing. Even though Tiffany tries to hide it from him, he manages to divert her attention and ends up stealing the book.
Unable to get it back from him, Howard begins looking through it and wonders why she's drawing pictures of him. She passes it off as copying someone on the internet who does the same thing and he seemingly accepts it but continues looking at it anyway. Jeff eventually joins in.
As he goes deeper, the pictures get more violent, like him getting bitten by a dog and the him getting struck by lightning picture. Tiffany can no longer bear to watch and grabs her journal. Howard wants to know why he can't look at it any more and she says that the last of the drawings are actually praising him, which means they're different from what his company wants to portray. They don't have time to dispute her, though, as Professor winfield fetches Tiffany to come into her office.
She gets the shock of her life once she enters the room because her grandfather is there, Professor winfield leaves the room to allow Tiffany and her Grandpa to have their long-awaited chat.
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he manages to break the ice first, wondering why he's there but his first concern is about her appearance. He doesn't like it and demands she comes back home saying there's a limit to being rebellious. He says she stooped so low and she tells him that even though she's not under his protection and not as pretty as before, it's the first time she's able to make her own decisions and that she's very happy.
Her Grandpa isn't happy to hear that telling her she's going to hurt herself without him and she tells him he's hurting her now wondering why she can't depend on herself for a good life. He criticizes her appearance of an ordinary girl and tells her she'll never make it far in life. So she wants to prove him wrong and when he asks for a way, her eyes fall on a poster for the Miss Campus competition.
She informs him that she'll use her current image to win the contest and prove him wrong. She bargains that if she becomes the winner, she'll be able to stay in the college. However, if she loses, she'll follow his wish and go back to south yorks town. He seemingly approves of the conditions and they shake on it, each agreeing to keep their promise.
Andrew is at the table to accept applications for the contest when Tiffany visits him. He's surprised to learn that she wants to join the contest telling her it's a beauty contest. Tiffany wonders if he's only talking about external beauty and asks him what beauty is saying that true beauty is a form of beauty from within. Andrew rejects that idea saying that beauty is beauty and tells Tiffany to go back to the dorms.
Bernice comes to the table at that moment and says that ugly ducklings can be beautiful swans and that they should never stop someone who overestimates themselves since they might miss a good story. Andrew wonders if that means she's supporting her but Bernice does get her dig in saying that the only reason ugly ducklings are able to become swans is because they were swans to begin with. Tiffany doesn't back down and wonders if Bernice is in the mood to eat swan. Her minion slightly laughs at the joke and says that only toads would want to eat swans, earning her a light smack by Bernice. Still, Tiffany demands an application form from Andrew, determined to apply.
The next day at school Howard notices everyone heavily discussing something. Jeff figures that it's the list of contestants for the Miss Campus contest and Howard suggests he looks at the list since he's looking for a girlfriend.
He does manage to hear that Tiffany has been accepted into the contest by some students vowing to support her and it's those same students who cheer for her when she enters the classroom. When she sits down in her seat, she asks if Howard would write her a song for the contest but he only says that it doesn't fit her to be in the contest. Tiffany bites back that it's important to her and Howard asks her if she's even aware that people think she's a joke. Tiffany gets angry at him and proceeds to do that thing where you hit the pen in between the gaps of your fingers at a fast speed, shocking Howard.
She turns her attention to Jeff next, wanting to speak with him in private. They end up leaving together and Howard becomes curious, perhaps even a little jealous
ater that afternoon, Howard is practicing the pen thing on his own, his hand full of pen marks. He's curious as to what Tiffany asked him and he reveals that she asked for his help. Howard is surprised at that but pretends that he's actually not when Jeff questions it. Howard says that he was just thinking that she's not that pretty but Jeff notes his concern for her. That's another thing Howard tries to deny he's not.
Jeff sits down at his keyboard and begins to play a melody while practicing to play on the piano. Howard corrects the key, though, and compliments the combination of instruments in the song saying he should use them in the future. Jeff tells him that if he likes it so much then he should thank Tiffany since she was the one who thought about it and she's going to use it for the talent portion of the contest. Howard is surprised to hear that.
The two are going to practice and are moving the mandolin with Howard nagging. Tiffany leaves the room to change her clothes into the outfit she'll wear and comes back wearing a long white dress, leaving both boys stunned. She wonders what they're staring at and Howard says nothing while Jeff just clears his throat.
Howard stands in the room as they practice with Tiffany's warning that he's not to bother them because the contest is important to him and he begrudgingly accepts his fate as he stands there and listens to the two of them practice.
The two are practicing when Bernice and her gang enter. She's there to deliver a letter of complaint against him. The contents are about him helping Tiffany since he's technically a judge for the contest yet also performing with her, therefore some may think that he's being unfair. Tiffany sees that most of the people who complained are Bernice friend and calls her out on it but she asks how does she know? Plus, if the people complain, then Tiffany could be kicked out of the contest and Jeff could be removed as Student Council President.
Seeing that Tiffany is getting angry, Jeff extends a hand to comfort her and tells Bernice that the rules of the contest are approved by the principal so it may not be as serious as they're making it. He does take the blame for helping one of the contestants, and Bernice says that it'll be fine as long as he doesn't help her. Not wanting to trouble anyone, Tiffany ultimately agrees and says she's thankful for him even agreeing to help her. Jeff tells her that there is someone else who knows how to play the song but Bernice interrupts the conversation and reminds him that he almost got in trouble because of her.
That night Tiffany goes to visit Howard in his quiet place and tells him that she has something very important to ask him and explains that she needs to win first place in the contest or he won't be able to see her anymore. Howard becomes serious and asks why but Tiffany explains she currently can't say. He does wonder how he can help and Tiffany explains that she figures Howard was the person Jeff was referring to when he said someone else could play her song.
In his head, Howard doesn't want to give in too easily in terms of his pride and ends up rejecting Tiffany blaming it on his bad mood. Dejected, Tiffany accepts that answer and walks away. Howard thinks that she should've asked him again and seems upset that he let an opportunity pass by.
It's the night of the contest and Andrew is even one of the judges. We see an older woman taking selfies with Jeff as well, as hilarious as that is.
Tiffany enters the dressing room as the girls wonder if the beauty standard has dropped since they don't know how Tiffany could be selected. They do figure it would be good for them if she ended in last place, though.
Bernice arrives at that moment and the girls all run over to compliment on how pretty she looks figuring she would be the one who would win again that year. Tiffany continues eating her lunch as she briefly looks at them through the mirror. Everyone takes their seats and the hosts walk out on stage to begin the contest. We see the judges, with one of Bernice friends, Andrew, the older woman who continues to secretly take pictures of Jeff, and Jeff who hides his face from her.
The contestants finally take the stage and there's only like six of them Bernice begins her first part of the event as Tiffany notices a girl swaying. It turns out she hasn't eaten in order to lose some weight before the competition. Tiffany encourages her on.