Brady grinned. “Only if you’re going to get your head out of your ass and fight for her.”
“Yeah, I am.”
I raced home and barged into the house.
Dad came out from the living room looking frantic. “Is everything okay?”
“It will be, but I wondered if I could ask you for a huge favor?” I had no idea if this would work, but I was going to try. Ayla was worth it.
And she needed to know it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ayla
I didn’t dare eat dinner before my performance. I might be used to being on the stage, but that didn’t mean I was immune to preshow jitters. Sucking in a deep breath, I grabbed my purse.
“I’m heading out now,” I hollered.
Mom came into the living room, her hair half-curled. “Daddy and I will be in the front row.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“Ayla?”
“Yeah.”
“Break a leg, kiddo. You’re going to be amazing, I just know it.” Mom gave me a big hug.
“How could she not be good? This is my daughter we’re talking about,” Dad said. He had on his green, white, and orange argyle sweater.
With a snort, I hugged him, too. “Now you’re sounding cocky, old man.”
“Well, I have to brag you up. Besides, I know you came from good stock. Knock ’em dead, sweetheart.”
After saying good-bye, I headed out the door and hopped in my bug car. It didn’t take long to get to the school. I parked then went in the back door and straight to hair and makeup.
“Ayla, you need to get moving,” Mrs. Parkins said. “You, Dre, and Tom are first up for hair and makeup. Put your first-scene costume on under this robe.” She handed me a long, fluffy white housecoat that looked like something I’d find in a hotel room.
Chloe came in wearing green leggings and a long green shirt. Her hands and face had green paint on them, too. She was the plant Audrey II and would be inside a giant puppet, however, Mrs. Parkins wanted her painted just in case some part of the mechanism didn’t work. As always, she looked perfect.
One of the stagehands brought in my first dress, which looked like something from the fifties. The red and white polka dots made me think of the connect-the-dots I used to do as a kid. Once I had the costume on, I moved over to the chair in front of the mirror.
“How you holding up?” Chloe plopped down in the seat beside mine as Mrs. Barbarelli worked on my hair.
“The nerves are definitely kicking in. Hopefully I don’t spew.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You always feel like this before a show, and I never once saw you barf on anyone.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” I teased.
“Only if Jenna Lee is in the audience.”
“Don’t tempt me.” After my hair was finished, Mrs. Hopper came over with her makeup case and got to work on me.
More voices sounded around me as the rest of the cast arrived. Dre came into the dressing room to show me how he looked in full costume, although it was pretty much the same as in dress rehearsal, only his face held a lot more excitement. He wore a plaid shirt with a navy button-up sweater and dark pants. He even had a pair of thick, nerdy glasses on.
“So, what do you think?” He spun in a circle beside me.
“You’re fabulous.”
“You too. Look at that dress and hair.” He grabbed my hand and spun me around. “Get ready to sing your ass off tonight. There’s quite a crowd out there.”
“Really?” My eyes widened.
“Yeah. We might actually end up with a full house.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Ask Chloe.” He nodded.
“There were quite a few people already lining up when I was in the lobby earlier. This will definitely be the biggest crowd we’ve ever performed for. Ever since you tried running for president, I think you’ve made people notice you.”
“Oh my God, we might actually earn enough money for new scripts,” I said. “Too bad the same couldn’t be said for the newspaper. May it rest in peace.” I still held out hope that maybe I could find some way to earn funding for it to go back into print.
“Fifteen minutes, people,” Kevin Harper called out as he came down the hall. “Let’s get a move on.”
Making sure I had my props, I took a deep breath.
“Hey, Ayla, you ready for me to be your bad boyfriend?” Tom, wearing his dentist outfit, grinned.
“Yeah, but only because I know Chloe and Dre get to kill you.” I laughed.
Who knew a musical about a killer plant could be so fun?
A few minutes later, after we were miked up, we took our spots. We weren’t in the first number, “Little Shop of Horrors,” so we stood stage right. Then the narrator came on, followed by the piano music. Lights came up, and the curtain swung open.
With a big smile, I watched as the others danced out onto stage in front of a storefront. It’d be a few minutes before I came out.
Sucking in a deep breath, I wiped my sweaty palms on my dress. Once the others came offstage, it was our time to go on. Dre and I went to our designated spots. The extras and chorus repositioned themselves as the next number began.
As I glanced over the audience, I wanted to cry. We had a full house. And in the front row were my parents, beaming at me. But it was the people next to them that caught my eye as I strutted across the stage. There was Brady, Mr. Pressler, some of the other basketball team guys…
And Luke.
I turned my attention to the back of the room, trying to find a focal point as my singing part came up. When I ended my section, Dre started his part.
The storefronts looked so realistic. Our tech crew and set designers had done awesome jobs. Dre and I joined each other center stage to sing together.
When the number ended, we once more rushed offstage to get changed and get ready for the next parts.
For the next two hours, we performed. Speaking, singing, dancing…until it came to my big number with Dre, “Suddenly Seymour.”
He held my hand as we went out on stage together. He started the song first, using a kerchief to wipe away my fake tears. He took my hand, leading me to the front of the stage. His fingers traced my cheek. Then it was my turn to sing.
I belted the song, letting my voice fill the room. My gaze drifted down to see Luke smiling at me. I quickly turned back to Dre, not wanting to screw up in front of this many people.
What was he doing here? Okay, I knew Landon had a small part, but was that why he was here? Of course it is. Don’t be stupid. You broke his heart. Closing my eyes, I pretended I was singing the song to him. Suddenly, I felt tears really streaming down my face. This time when I looked at Dre, he nodded his approval, mouthing the word “yes.”
No matter what, I was leaving it all out on the stage tonight. Everything inside me came to the surface—the emotions and everything I’d experienced these last couple of weeks, I put it into my character, who was broken in her own way.
When we did our last scene of the night, we came out onto the stage with the full cast to sing the finale. Once we finished, the crowd was on their feet clapping and screaming. For long minutes, it went on.
The curtain came down, and we got ready for the curtain call. The chorus went out first, followed by the actors in minor roles. Then it was Chloe, Tom, me, and Dre.
When we came out, people tossed flowers on the stage. I curtsied.
After the curtain closed for the last time, Chloe caught my arm. “Hey, Ayla, promise you won’t be mad at me?”
“Of course I won’t, but what’s going on?”
“I kind of told Brady about the whole Jenna thing, who in turn told Luke about it. I felt they had the right to know.”
“Wait, is that why he’s here?” My heart skidded into my rib cage and rolled around.
“Maybe. But I thought he deserved to know the truth and to make his own decision on how you guys proceed.” She patted my
arm and went backstage.
I headed for the stairs, but a hand caught my arm and spun me around.
I gasped when I saw Luke standing there. He held out a bouquet of flowers to me. “You were amazing, Ayla.”
My cheeks burned. “Thank you.”
“So, there’s someone I want you to meet.” He gestured to a woman standing next to us. “This is Esther Carpenter. She works for the Larkin Ridge Herald.”
The woman smiled at me. “I’m a friend of the Presslers, and Luke here showed me some of the articles you’ve done for your school paper. They’re really quite brilliant. You’ve got a knack for capturing human emotions. He also told me that your school paper was recently forced to fold due to funding issues.”
“I—yes, it was.”
She smiled. “Well, I’m here to present you and your newspaper staff with an offer. We need some freelance writers to cover local high school activities. We’d love to have you write for us.”
“Oh. My. God. Are you serious?”
“Quite. And because we want to nurture the seeds of talent, the Larkin Ridge Herald will sponsor and fund your school paper. I’ve already written a check, which Principal Fairchild has accepted.”
My heart beat out of control. “I—I don’t know how to thank you.” I glanced between her and Luke, my eyes welling.
She smiled. “No thanks necessary, just promise to have a full-length version of your piece on sex trafficking emailed over to me by this Sunday.” She handed me her card then walked away.
“Luke, I…I can’t ever repay you…” I turned to him.
“You don’t have to,” he said, gathering me into his arms. As soon as my head rested against his chest, I felt like I’d come home. His familiar scent of cologne washed over me. “I’ve missed you.”
Tears blurred my vision. “I’ve missed you, too. I’m so sorry about all this. I should’ve told you about Jenna. But I didn’t want you to lose out on the University of Michigan or go to jail or something.”
“I know. Chloe told me and Brady. And yes, you should’ve talked to me. God, I felt like my life had fallen apart after you broke up with me. I couldn’t figure out why or what I did wrong.”
I glanced at him, caressing his face. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Trust me. I’ve never felt like this for anyone in my life, Luke. I love you.”
He rested his head against mine. “I love you, too.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Well, I’ve already taken care of part of it. I came clean to my dad and grandparents about the statues in the park. And since it was my family who funded them, they formally apologized to the town council, or rather, I did. My family didn’t press charges nor did the council. Basically I’m going to keep my job at Crusty’s to pay to fix everything. Brady, of course, is helping out. Jack is denying it ever happened, but I have a feeling if Dad tells his parents, he’ll be doing his part, too.”
“So the thing with Jenna?”
“It doesn’t matter—even if she shares the video now, nothing will be done. Of course, everyone would find out I was behind it, but since no one’s pressing charges, my future in basketball is still good, I won’t go to jail, and it won’t go on my permanent record.”
A sigh of relief escaped my lips. “This was my fault to begin with. I was going to delete the video then never did. And Jenna found it on my phone. I feel so freaking stupid.”
“Look, I’m not mad anymore. At least not at you. Jenna knew the only way she could beat you was to find some dirt on you or find a way to get me out of the picture. She’s an asshole. An asshole we won’t have to deal with anymore.”
“So…what about us?”
“Well, I was kind of hoping we could be more than friends. I mean, I’d be willing to get you a pizza from Crusty’s.”
“Throw in an order of cheesy garlic bread and I’m in.” I laughed, clutching his face in my hands. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Luke Pressler. My un-fake boyfriend.
“Ew, do you guys have to do that?” Landon asked from behind me.
“Yes,” Luke said. “Guys kiss their girlfriends, buddy.”
“Girlfriend? You guys are back together?” He tugged on my arm.
I pulled away from Luke and glanced at his brother. “Yeah, he kind of offered me a pizza, and I couldn’t say no to that.”
Landon giggled. “That means we can play video games together again. And maybe you and me can be in another play together, too.”
“I’d like that. So, do you forgive me?” I quirked an eyebrow.
He gave me one of his gap-toothed grins. “Yes. Besides, it was hard to stay mad at you.”
“Why don’t we get out of here?” Luke grabbed one of my hands, while Landon grabbed the other. We finally made our way down into the crowd.
“Thank God you two are back together. If I had to watch Luke sulk for one more day, I might’ve had to slam my head in a locker,” Brady said.
“Hey, I didn’t sulk that much,” he said.
“Yes, he did,” several of his friends said in unison.
“Fine, I sulked.”
“Well, now you don’t have to anymore,” I said.
He squeezed my fingers. “So, I thought maybe we could hang out in the tree house for a while tonight.”
“Yeah? And what would we do up there?” I rested my head against his shoulder.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe eat some of your pizza, then kiss, then eat some more…I don’t know, the possibilities are endless.”
I laughed, holding tight to him. “Yeah, they are. So, do you think I’ll have to blackmail you into kissing me again?”
“Absolutely not.” He bent down, his lips brushing mine.
“I might have to ride home with Dad,” Landon said. “I don’t think I can watch you kiss all night.”
“Someday, you’re gonna wanna kiss someone, too, just wait,” Luke said.
“No, I won’t.”
“You want to bet?” Luke said.
I groaned. “No, don’t you dare.”
But Landon stuck out his hand. “I bet you fifty dollars I won’t kiss a girl in high school.”
With a laugh I rustled his hair. Little did he know, I hadn’t ever thought I’d kiss someone in high school, either, let alone blackmail them into being my boyfriend. He had a lot to learn, but for now, I’d let him believe what he wanted.
“Ready to go?” Luke said.
“Yeah. But just so you know, I’m calling dibs on the cheesy bread.”
“Fine, but only if I get dibs on first kiss when we get to the tree house.”
“Hmm…I’ll have to think about it,” I teased. But I knew there’d be no thinking. Luke Pressler would kiss me and I’d eat his cheesy bread. It’s how we did things.
Epilogue
Ayla
December
“Ayla, will you grab the mail?” Mom hollered when I walked through the door after school.
“Sure.” I hurried through the snow, out to the mailbox, and pulled the stack out. I sorted through it. Oh, God. It’d come. A letter from Columbia University. I squealed and raced back inside.
Okay, what if it was a letter declining my admittance? Or what if it was a letter saying I got in?
“What are you screaming about?” Mom said.
I held up the envelope. “This.”
“Are you going to open it?”
I blushed. “Actually, I wondered if you’d mind if I went to Luke’s to do it?”
Mom smiled knowingly. “It’s fine, but you better call me as soon as you know.”
Grabbing my keys and the envelope, I headed out to my car. I drove over to the Presslers’ house, if you could call it that. It was so freaking huge. I was surprised to see Luke, Landon, and their dad in the front yard having a snowball fight.
There were huge forts built in the snow. A snowball sailed over my car and hit Mr. Pressler in the arm. Once I parked, I hopped out.
“Ayla, you’re just in time for our snowbal
l fight. Me and Dad are beating Luke.”
“That’s because I was outnumbered.” Luke hurried over to me. “I didn’t know you were coming over…but I can use the help if you want to join my team.”
I laughed. “Sure.” It was awesome seeing how well things were going for Luke. His dad had really stepped up for them. As he should have.
Luke still worked at Crusty’s, although he didn’t have to worry about food or babysitters or any of that stuff anymore.
“But before I join Luke’s team, can I steal him inside for just a second?” I asked.
Mr. Pressler nodded. “Yeah. I actually thought about having Mrs. Magnon, our cook, make us some hot chocolate—that way we can warm up some before we start again.”
Luke took my hand and led me inside. “So, what’s going on?”
“This.” I handed him my unopened envelope.
“Um, you haven’t opened it yet?”
“No. I was too scared. Well, that, and I wanted you to be here when I did.” He tried to give it back to me. “Actually, can you open it for me? If it’s bad news, just tell me…I can handle it.” I chewed my bottom lip, holding onto the edge of his coat.
Luke ripped it open and pulled the letter out. He frowned.
“Oh, God, it’s bad news, isn’t it? I didn’t get in.”
“Actually”—he grinned—“it says, ‘Dear Ms. Ayla Hawkins, we’d like to extend our congratulations on your acceptance to Columbia University…’”
“What? Oh. My. God,” I screamed, throwing myself into his arms. “I got in. I really got in.”
“I never doubted you for a minute.” He picked me up and swung me around. “You’re brilliant and beautiful and creative.”
He kissed me, and for a moment, I forgot all about Columbia. It was just me and Luke. Heat spiraled through me as his fingers tangled in my curls.
“You know, none of this would’ve been possible without you,” I said. Because Esther had put in a good word for me with one of the board members at Columbia—and I never would’ve met Esther had Luke not talked to her and showed her my work.
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