The only downside to signing up was the fact Kaley had to attend the talent show committee meeting after school. She dreaded it for the rest of the afternoon but still showed up in the auditorium just as she was supposed to.
Not many people had signed up to help out, only another three besides Kaley. Most people wanted to enter the competition and have their shot at winning the thousand dollars. Being behind the scenes didn’t pay anything.
Kaley listened to the instructions and details of the show, volunteering to work the sound for the performers. It only required her to press a few buttons and meant she didn’t have to be anywhere near the audience. She could do that.
The organizer, Mrs. Petrovski, ran through their duties before fleeing to leave the school grounds for the day. Kaley lingered a little longer, watching the people rehearse on the stage.
Some of the performers were terrible, but some really shone. Kaley had to admit it but Abigail and her friends were actually one of the better ones. The three of them were doing a singing routine, relying on their good looks and popularity rather than choreography and originality.
When they were all finished and the auditorium was completely empty, Kaley approached the stage. The school’s musical instruments were still in their cases just offstage. Discarded by the band earlier and ready for another rehearsal the following day.
Impulsively, Kaley grabbed one of the guitars from its case and slid the strap over her head. The guitar was tuned but not nearly as nice as the one she had at home.
Without thinking, Kaley walked to the middle of the stage and looked out over the empty rows of seats. It was like a spooky ghost theater but she didn’t mind. The only way she could do this was with nobody filling the seats.
Her fingers strummed notes until they turned into a tune. It took her a moment to work out that she was playing ‘Neon Lights’ by Demi Lovato. It was a slow version, bringing the upbeat song down to a ballad.
She started humming along before switching to singing the words. She was quiet at first but as she got into the song her voice grew louder. Her feet tapped out the beat, keeping time and making sure she stuck to the rhythm her fingers had started.
Her voice echoed around the empty room, picking up all the nuances of her singing. For a moment Kaley forgot it was actually her singing and enjoyed the sound she was making. She liked the way the guitar vibrated in her hands, the way it produced music so beautiful even though it was made with a few ordinary steel strings.
When the song ended, Kaley’s heart was beating like a drum and the room was too silent all of a sudden. She could imagine all the seats being filled with people that were standing and applauding for her. She pictured herself taking a bow, thanking everyone for being a great audience, and then leaving the stage on a high.
In the next moment, her shoulders slumped. It was just a silly dream, something she would never be able to do for real. The audience wouldn’t be so kind to her, they would only clap politely and wait for the next act to take to the stage.
Somewhere in the distance, a door closed.
Kaley’s heartbeat kicked up a notch. There was nobody in the auditorium before. She made certain of it otherwise she would never have stepped onto the stage.
It had to be the wind, she tried to reassure herself. It couldn’t have been anything more than a breeze making the door close. It just had to be that. The alternatives were too traumatic to think about.
She quickly picked up her bag and left the guitar in its case before rushing out of there. She didn’t stop until she was home. By that stage, she had almost convinced herself there was nobody in the auditorium with her.
And even if there was, it had to be the janitor or someone else who didn’t care about hearing her singing. She needed to stop worrying about it, she continually scolded herself.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Georgie said by way of greeting. Mother Barbie always had a way with words.
“No ghost. Just wanted to get home,” Kaley replied, slumping down on the chair in the living room. Georgie was engrossed in the soaps but gave her daughter her full attention.
“Why are you late?”
“I signed up for the talent show committee. We had a meeting.”
“Oh. So you’re not going to enter the show then?” Georgie’s forehead wrinkled with dislike. She always harbored dreams of Kaley being the next superstar, even though she didn’t even know about her talents.
Kaley sighed, why couldn’t their school have come up with another event for raising funds? She would have baked her butt off if they’d gone with a bake sale. “No, I don’t have any talent. Who wants to stand up in front of all those people, anyway?”
“You might have fun. And I’m sure you’re not completely untalented. You are my daughter, after all.”
“What’s your talent that I should have inherited?” Kaley asked, mainly to distract Georgie from the topic. Mother Barbie loved talking about herself and it was something Kaley used to her advantage quite often.
“I can sing like nobody’s business.”
“Yeah? Show me.”
Georgie didn’t need any further encouragement. She broke out into song, something Kaley couldn’t place. Whatever the song was, Georgie sung it with passion and gusto, making all her facial expressions exaggerated and dramatic.
Kaley felt like laughing but she didn’t, because her mother was better than good. She was great, something Kaley had never known about her before. Wherever this voice was coming from, it was a beautiful place.
She wished she was able to sing with that same unabashed enthusiasm. Georgie didn’t care who listened or who watched, she wanted her voice to be heard. If only Kaley could muster up the same courage.
It was rare for Kaley to wish she was more like her mother, but this was one of those moments. She wanted her confidence, her ability to share her story with anyone and not worry about what they would think about it.
That was the ultimate.
The few weeks that passed afterwards went by in a blur. Kaley turned up to the technical run-throughs of the talent show while the others all chatted excitedly about their performance.
Kaley didn’t say a word to anyone about her deep desire to perform. It was a crazy dream to think she could stand up in front of the whole school – plus parents and teachers – and share her music.
It was the day before the talent show when Kaley found herself in Harvey’s backyard. She was stuffed in a box, waiting for her cue to spring out.
“Abracadabra,” Harvey said loudly. He had finally decided on a magic show for the contest.
Kaley jumped out of the box and tried to look like a beautiful assistant. All she felt was awkward as her arms flailed about. “Ta-da!”
“What do you think?” Harvey asked. He’d shown her the entire routine, encompassing everything from pulling a stuffed toy rabbit from a hat to sawing his assistant in half.
It wasn’t great, but Kaley would never tell him that. Friends encouraged, they only told the truth if there was a good chance for public humiliation. And Harvey wasn’t that bad.
Plus, his little magic act was adorable. It made Kaley laugh at times and she could never say a mean word to Harvey. While all the other guys at school were coming up with singing routines or ways to show off their muscles, Harvey was doing magic.
He was magic, Kaley thought.
“It’s good,” she said. “Maybe you have a shot at winning the cash. What would you do with a thousand dollars?”
Harvey didn’t even have to think about it. “I’d buy my mom a new washing machine. She keeps complaining about the old one breaking down. My stepdad has tried to fix it but now it leaks too.”
“I hope you win then.”
“Me too.”
Only one more day and they would find out.
Chapter 5
Secret Songs Page 4