by D. A. Graham
“I know what each of us has to do to win,” I tell her. “Come dance with me.”
Grinning, she takes my hand.
I look at Casey, who sits across the room, wearing her earbuds so she doesn’t have to talk to us. I walk over to her and tap her on the shoulder.
She plucks out one of her earbuds. “What do you want?”
“Can you play that song through the speakers?” I ask.
She stares at me with wide, surprised eyes.
“And teach us how to dance to it,” I add.
She bursts into laughter. But then she plugs her phone into Cassandra’s speakers. Angry guitars blast through the room. Then Casey grabs me and Lark and shows us how to stomp our feet, shake our heads, and bob our bodies to the beat. After a while, I pick out the parts of the song where I should wave my hands or head bang. The song starts to sound less like noise and more like music.
When Cassandra arrives, she sees all of us stomping around like maniacs. But instead of stopping us, she joins in.
By the next elimination round, we’re ready to rock. For this challenge, we have to coordinate original choreography with a song of our choice. The three of us all picked loud rock songs to show off our new moves. Lark performs first, then Casey, and then me. We each dance around the stage with an electrifying energy. I can tell the judges are impressed with our passion—they’re smiling more and dancing along through our performances.
At the end of my song, I let out a roar into the mic: a big scream, like Casey and Delia taught me how to do. The crowd goes wild.
I’m still panting when the rest of the contestants join me on the stage. This time, I win the challenge, with Casey and Lark in second and third places!
Cassandra beams at me from her spot at the table, glowing with pride. “As the winner of tonight’s round, you’ve earned immunity for the next round! That means you’re safe from elimination.”
Whoa, I think. That brings me ahead of the other seven competitors and closer than ever to the record deal prize.
“In addition,” Xavier continues, “you get to pick one other contestant to also get immunity. Who would you like to save from the chance of elimination?” He extends a hand toward my competitors lined up next to me.
Tix hands me his microphone.
I turn and look at the other contestants. Casey crosses her arms. Asher winks. Ryan stands with his hands behind his back, looking weary. So much for the audience liking him better, huh? I think. Lark has her hands in her pockets and wears a small smile.
“I choose Lark,” I say into the mic.
As she comes up and gives me a hug, I catch Ryan’s eye. I expect him to be angry or frustrated, but he just looks sad.
Chapter
9
That night, I only get a little sleep. When I do manage to doze off, I have a nightmare about being on stage. Ryan sits at the judge’s table, with two buttons in front of him: one for yes, and one for no. Tix’s voice asks, “What do you choose, Ryan? Do you want Eve on your team?” I wake up right before Ryan makes his choice.
Guilt washes over me as I lie in the dark. I should have picked Ryan to share immunity with me, I think. But then another voice in my head pipes up, He abandoned you! I spend the rest of the night arguing with myself.
At 7:00 a.m., I trudge sleepily into the rehearsal room where Cassandra explains the next challenge. All the contestants have to perform a song from a musical. All of them except for me and Lark, that is, because we both have immunity. Instead we get to watch the challenge from the audience.
“Lucky,” Casey grumbles at us. “I hate musicals!”
***
While I’m waiting backstage on the night of the challenge, Lark rushes over to me. “Can I talk to you?” she whispers.
“Um, sure.”
She takes my hand and we exit to the hallway. Stagehands and camera crews charge past us. Lark ushers me to some vending machines in the corner.
“What’s up?” I ask.
Lark glances over her shoulder. “Eve, I’m worried about you,” she says. “You seem really stressed out.”
I sigh. I hadn’t realized it was so obvious, but we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately so I can’t say I’m surprised that she’s noticed. “Yeah, I guess I kind of am.”
“From my point of view, it looks like Ryan’s the one causing all your stress. He keeps saying these mean things about you. He’s throwing you under the bus for the sake of stardom.”
“That’s true, but . . . he’s still my friend,” I say.
“He isn’t really acting like your friend,” Lark says.
I look down at my feet.
“I’m sorry, Eve. I’m only saying this because I care about you. We’ve become good friends, haven’t we? I think we could make good partners after The Right Note is all over. What do you think?”
I frown. “You mean, like, we become a duo?”
“Yeah.” She smiles, her eyes bright. “If I win the final round, I’ll let you join my band and record an album with me. And if you win, I can join yours. We could go on tour together. We could be famous.”
I think back to my dream of Ryan choosing between the yes and no buttons.
“I’m sorry, Lark,” I say. “But I’m in a duo with Ryan. I can’t turn my back on him.”
She lets out a sigh. “Okay. But if you change your mind, let me know.”
We return backstage. Tix’s voice sounds from the other side of the curtain. As he announces the contestants’ names, we all head out into the bright lights.
Chapter
10
Casey goes home after the musical challenge. Her punk attitude and singing style has gotten a bit repetitive for the judges. She holds her head up high as the audience gives her a final cheer.
The next round had us singing without any music accompaniment. I expected Ryan to be too nervous to sing well. But during the challenge, he belted his heart out. He’s gotten a lot better at hitting the notes.
After that challenge, the remaining six contestants return backstage to wait for Blair to come interview each of us. In the darkness, I scan the rest of the group for Lark. Ryan is in the farthest corner away from me, listening to music on his phone. The other two competitors set up a card game on the floor. Asher munches on a bag of popcorn. He sees me looking at him and comes over to offer me some.
“No thanks,” I say.
“Just thought you could use some cheering up.” He throws a couple pieces into his mouth. “Figured you’d be devastated by the news.”
“What news?”
“You know, about Ryan.”
I look over at Ryan. “What are you talking about? What happened?”
“Aw, you really don’t know?” Asher grins triumphantly. “He and I are gonna be a music duo. He asked me yesterday to join him in a new band, just the two of us.”
“Just the two of you . . . ?” I repeat.
“That’s right. We decided to put aside our differences and work together to take you down.”
I peer at Asher, trying to find the joke in his face. Because this has to be a joke. But his expression is earnest. My stomach sinks.
“No way. It couldn’t . . . how could he?” I stutter. I shove past Asher and rush over to Ryan. “Ryan, did you—”
But before I can finish my question, Ryan catches my eye, turns the volume all the way up on his music, and heads for the door. He doesn’t even acknowledge that I’d been trying to talk to him.
“I really am sorry about this, Eve,” Asher says, suddenly sympathetic. “I didn’t want to take your spot in the duo from you, but Ryan insisted. And you know how great of a musician he is. How could I say no?”
My voice gets caught in my throat. How can this be happening? How can this be real? Tears form in my eyes.
“Here. Have some popcorn.” Asher grins and holds out the bag again. “It’s the least I can do.”
I burst out of the backstage area and rush through the studio, charging do
wn hallways and opening doors until I’m out of breath and tears. I push past cameramen, stagehands, and even Tix. “Watch where you’re going!” he yells after me.
I nearly bowl over Blair. She flattens herself against the wall as I sprint past her. “If you’re looking for Ryan, he went that way,” she says, pointing to the left.
I turn right instead. I yank open the door to the girl’s bathroom near the dressing room. There, I find Lark washing her hands.
“Oh, hi, Eve,” she starts, but then she sees that I’m crying.
We stare at each other while I catch my breath and try to find my voice.
“I changed my mind, Lark,” I finally wheeze. “Let’s form a duo.”
Chapter
11
At our next practice, Lark is chipper like a songbird. She tries to cheer me up by complimenting my voice. Even though we are competing as individuals, she suggests we sing a duet to practice our harmonizing, which is something I’ve never done with Ryan before. Our voices meld together beautifully. Cassandra walks in on us practicing and claps, her face full of delight. But even with the joy of singing alongside a friend—and partner—again, I feel like something’s missing. When we finish our song, I take a break and head to the bathroom to clear my mind.
My face in the mirror is paler than usual. My eyes are a flat gray, not their usual blue. I take a few deep breaths and sigh.
I splash my face with some water before leaving the bathroom. As soon as I turn down the hall to the rehearsal room, Asher and Ryan appear at the opposite end of the hallway. Ryan’s frustration is obvious even from fifty feet away. He jerks his hands around as he speaks to Asher, who just smiles, shrugs, and rolls his eyes. This only makes Ryan angrier. I hurry to get back to the room before they reach me.
As soon as I touch the doorknob, I overhear Asher say, “Go ask her yourself if you don’t believe me.” He gestures toward me.
Oh no.
Ryan stomps over to me.
“Is it true? You’re starting a duo with Lark?” he hisses.
I want to retort, And you’re starting a duo with Asher! But instead I keep my cool. “Yes, I am.”
He clenches his fists. “Then I’m going to send both of you home. You and Lark.”
“Fine. I’ll be waiting.” I cross my arms.
Asher interrupts our stare down. “Come on, Ryan,” he says. “Let’s go get ready for the challenge.”
Anxiety swells in my chest for the next hour as I rehearse. My voice falls flat and hits the wrong notes. From her chair, Lark urges me to sing stronger. My heart pounds too hard, and my hands and knees shake from stress. My voice catches in my throat and comes out like a gargle. I cough a few times and start again, but it’s still no better.
“Maybe you should take a break,” Lark suggests, gesturing to a seat.
“Good idea,” says Cassandra. “Let your voice rest for a bit.”
Suddenly, Cassandra’s phone buzzes in her pocket. She pulls it out and answers, nodding as she listens. Then her eyes widen. “Oh, I see,” she says. “Yes, well, that’s fine with me. It’s certainly interesting. Yes. All right. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll pass on the good news.”
“What’s going on?” I ask when she hangs up.
Cassandra smiles. “Tomorrow’s challenge has been called off.”
“Called off?” Lark repeats.
“What do you mean?” I frown.
“Two of the other contestants have decided to nominate themselves for a sing-off,” Cassandra explains. “Whoever loses will be going home.”
“Which two contestants?” I narrow my eyes.
Cassandra says the names I least expect. “It’ll be Asher versus Ryan.”
I make eye contact with Lark, hoping she knows something I don’t. Her brow furrows with worry, and her small mouth twists into a frown. She’s just as confused as I am.
“What’s with the long faces?” Cassandra puts her hands on her hips. “Cheer up! This means you two are automatically one step closer to the final four.”
All I can feel is dread creeping through my veins.
Then, without a word, Lark jumps to her feet and rushes to the door.
“Wait, Lark—” I start, but before I can stop her, she pushes past Cassandra and sprints down the hall. I stumble out after her, but she rounds the corner and disappears. Where is she going? I wonder.
Hoping Lark will return, Cassandra and I go back to trying to get my voice to work but to no avail. And when Lark doesn’t show up, I get more and more worried, which just makes me sound even worse.
The only thing I can think of is that Lark went to talk to Asher. Does she secretly want him to stay? Even after we talked about working together? Cassandra pats me on the shoulder, but it doesn’t help. I sweat and shake, as if I’m the one going on stage for elimination. I decide I need to talk to Ryan. I’m tired of hearing things from everyone else—I need to hear them from him. I need to know what’s going on.
***
The night of the elimination round, Asher and Ryan are already both backstage preparing for their sing-off. They stand on opposite sides of the room, Asher lounging about like a happy cat and Ryan fuming like a wild bull. Asher gives me a wave as I enter the room, but Ryan just puts his headphones on and taps at his sampler in angry silence.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I walk over to Ryan. He ignores me until I press the off button on the corner of the sampler.
He yanks the headphones off his ears. “What do you want?”
“I want to know what’s going on here,” I tell him, keeping my voice low so Asher doesn’t overhear. “What on earth are you thinking? A sing-off?”
“What, you don’t think I can beat Asher?”
“No, that’s not what I mean.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I just don’t get why you chose to challenge him.”
“Seriously?” Ryan scoffs. “He’s been trying to get me eliminated all season. You saw how he tripped me a few challenges back. He’s jealous of me. It didn’t bother me until he told me about your pact with Lark. When I got upset, he just made fun of me. That was the final straw.” Ryan huffs. “Someone like that doesn’t deserve to win The Right Note. So I challenged him to a sudden death match. Loser goes home—no shot at the grand prize.”
I turn and look back at Asher. He smirks at me.
“So . . . you and Asher aren’t forming a duo?” I ask Ryan.
“Of course not!”
“But I thought . . .” I stare past Ryan. “He lied to me.”
“What?” Ryan looks at me, confused. “Who are you talking about?”
“Asher told me that you asked him to be in a band with him after the show.” Tears burn in my eyes. “And I believed him. I thought you were screwing me over. I was so mad at you. So I told Lark I would make a band with her to get back at you. To prove I didn’t need you, just like you didn’t need me.”
Ryan’s mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Through my blurry vision, I study his shocked face. His slouching posture. His hair, which has faded from blue to gray. I realize I haven’t seen him smile in days. All because of Asher.
I whirl on my heel, my hair and jacket whipping in the air. “You tricked me,” I yell at Asher. “You made me betray my friend.”
Asher takes one look at me and his smile completely melts away. I stomp toward him and he backs up, holding up his hands to calm me down. But his eyes are full of fear. And I am full of rage.
“Wait a second,” he says. “Just hold on now.”
I don’t wait a second or hold on. I keep marching at him.
Asher trips over a pile of wires and ropes and lands on the floor. He crawls backward over the floor. “It was just part of the show! It’s a competition! I was just—”
I stand over him, furious.
“Stop!” Lark’s voice rings out across the room.
Everyone freezes. We turn and look to see her standing in the doorway.
“Eve, wait,” she says. “It isn’t Ashe
r’s fault.”
“Yes, it is. He lied to me. To us.” I gesture to Ryan.
“No, he—well, okay. Yes, he did. But it wasn’t his idea.”
“Then whose was it?” Ryan demands.
Lark takes a deep breath. She looks right at me, lips pursed, guilt and shame making her cheeks turn red.
“You?” I say in disbelief.
She lets out a huge sigh. “Hear me out, okay?” she says. “I care about you, Eve. I saw how Ryan was being a bad friend to you. I had to do something to help you. I wanted you to realize that Ryan isn’t the best partner for you.”
A lump forms in my throat.
“I am.” She pats herself on the chest. “When you turned my offer down, I had to do something to help you realize. So I asked Asher to lie to you for me. Because I couldn’t do it to your face. I couldn’t hurt you like that.”
“You have hurt me, though.” My throat clenches as I push down tears.
“I know. I’m sorry. But I did it for you, Eve.”
I shake my head. “I can’t be in a duo with someone who lies to me. The deal’s off, Lark.”
Lark slumps.
I turn away from her and look back down at Asher. “See?” he says. “It wasn’t my idea.”
“But you didn’t have to help Lark.” I cross my arms.
“And miss an opportunity to drive a wedge between you and Ryan? No way.” He stands up and brushes off his jeans. All his smug confidence has returned to him. “And it worked, too, because I’m about to send Ryan home. After him, you’re next, Eve.” He pushes past me and disappears behind the curtain.
Ryan and I look at each other. There’s still sadness and confusion in his expression, but when he sees me his eyes light up again. I take a deep breath. This might be his last time performing.
“Ryan,” I say. “I know you might not think I’m telling the truth, but I believe in you. Good luck.”
He smiles. “Thanks, Eve.”
Chapter
12
Asher sings first. The winks and smiles he throws to the crowds of screaming teenage girls are a huge hit. His voice, impressively deep and smooth, waves over the audience. He reaches down and grabs the hands of a few fans as he sings, basking in the attention. His voice sounds perfect as he hits every note, but there is something missing. Asher has no love for singing, only a desire to win, and it shows in his performance.