Will young woman from Mount Vernon become Paris Hilton's new BFF?

The most surreal moment for Vanessa Fontana came as she sat in Paris Hilton's mansion with the heiress, eating cereal and watching a musical called "Repo! The Genetic Opera," starring, yes, Hilton herself.

Sounds hot -- totally hot.

Yet that was just one of many pinch-yourself moments for Fontana, a Mount Vernon resident plucked from obscurity to compete for Hilton's friendship.

As one of 18 women on "Paris Hilton's My New BFF," the 22-year-old lived in a Los Angeles home this summer, trying to prove she had what it took to be best friends forever with the tabloid queen. The show airs Tuesday nights on MTV.

"It was an emotional roller-coaster ride at times," Fontana said. "There were things that we did that were stressful and tiring, but for the most part everything was really fun."

Fontana, who moved to Mount Vernon with her parents at age 18, was encouraged by her mother to enter the show's nationwide casting call.

"She (Vanessa) has always kind of been a ham, a type of child that likes the limelight," Colleen Fontana said of her only child. "She did drama all through high school and loved it."

Fontana was majoring in education at Skagit Valley College, but the day after submitting her info, she was called by producers. Next thing she knew, she was in the cast, an odd bunch that included a plastic-surgery loving Texan and Clark Gable's granddaughter.

"We're all characters in our own way," Fontana said.

Indeed, they all have quirks. Fontana comes off fairly well on the show, but still ends up known for crying jags and gossip.

Colleen Fontana said the portrayal of her daughter didn't bother her.

"I think personally that she kind of worked it," she said.

On the show, contestants had to live the life of a Hilton hanger-on: walk the red carpet, get makeovers, and say catty things about one another.

Take the first episode, which aired on Sept. 30. After telling on another contestant, Fontana was chosen as Hilton's "pet," meaning she had to act as the heiress' eyes and ears in the Dollhouse, where the contestants lived. Fontana was then told by a housemate that snitches get stitches.

"It's a competition," Fontana said later, "and I'm basically looking out for two people only, and that's myself and Paris."

While the show didn't involve prize money per se, it came with perks. After becoming Hilton's pet, for example, Fontana received a ring. It held 180 diamonds and a large pink sapphire. She gets asked about it regularly.

"I have the fun story of saying Paris Hilton gave it to me," she said. "They're like, 'Oh.' "

Fontana can't divulge the show's conclusion, but says she doesn't regret the experience. She still texts with Hilton almost daily, and the show has opened doors for her. She's moving to Los Angeles later this month to pursue acting.

At 22, she can wait to finish her degree in education.

"I'm going to go after all my dreams," she said. "Not everybody gets the chance."

Andy Rathbun arathbun@heraldnet.com 425-339-3455



"Paris Hilton's My New BFF"

10 p.m. Tuesdays on MTV. Read the Good Life each week for updates from Fontana on the show.