A Fair to Remember #13

by Melissa J Morgan

  “Never!” Jenna said.

  “Admit it or it’s soak city,” David sang, waving the balloon around.

  Jenna did not want to get hit with another balloon. She was already drenched and she had to be onstage right after this. Valerie was going to freak out as it was. If she showed up in even worse shape, the girl might faint.

  “Okay, fine! Fine!” Jenna shouted, throwing her hands up. “I admit it, okay? I like you, too.”

  The moment she said it, Jenna felt awful. How had she gotten into this totally horrible situation? What would Sarah think if she saw what was happening right now?

  David dropped his arm. “You do?”

  “Yeah! I do!” Jenna snapped, angry at herself. All her blood rushed to her face. “But it doesn’t matter! You’re with Sarah. And I could never do that to a friend.”

  David’s face fell. “But I told you I don’t like Sarah that way anymore.”

  Jenna felt her shoulders slump along with her heart. “It doesn’t matter. Sarah is my friend and as long as you’re with her, I can’t be around you. So please, just . . . leave me alone.”

  “You guys, this girl is really good,” Alex said, coming backstage from the wings where she had been listening to the solo singer out onstage. Watching the other performers was the only thing keeping her mind off her nerves. And off of Adam. “I think she was actually on American Idol last year. In the preliminary rounds, I mean.”

  “Well that’s not fair,” Brynn said. “Once you get on A.I., there should be some law that you can’t do local competitions anymore.”

  “Totally,” Grace agreed.

  “Where on earth is Jenna?” Valerie asked, clutching her hands together. “We’re going on in ten minutes!”

  “Maybe she and David won,” Alex suggested hopefully. “Maybe they had to pose for pictures or something.”

  “Not exactly.”

  Everyone turned around at the sound of Jenna’s voice. She had just walked in through the back door and she was soaking wet from head to toe. Her hair was a matted, dripping mess, and her pink T-shirt looked like it had just been used to wash a car.

  “What happened to you?” Alex asked, her heart going out to Jenna. The girl couldn’t have looked more miserable if she tried.

  “We lost. Big-time,” Jenna said.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry, Jenna!” Grace said. “We know how much you wanted to win that competition.”

  Grace went to hug Jenna and both Alex and Val shrieked. “Don’t!” Val said. “You’ll get all wet!”

  “Shhhh!” one of the other waiting competitors scolded them.

  Jenna and Grace stared at Val like she was nuts.

  “Sorry. It’s just that we spent all morning coming up with these costumes. They’re the only ones we’ve got,” Val said sheepishly.

  All the girls were wearing either a black T-shirt or a white T-shirt and denim bottoms—jeans, shorts, or skirts. Alyssa had found an old black-and-white paisley sheet and had asked Mr. Bloom if she could tear it up. He had no problem with it, so Alyssa had cut the sheet into strips and made headbands with them. Alex thought their outfits looked pretty cool—not at all like they had just thrown the whole thing together. But Valerie was right. If Grace’s costume got wet, there was nothing to replace it.

  “Come on,” Natalie said, hooking her arm around Jenna’s. “Let’s go get you dried off.”

  Tori grabbed Jenna’s costume and her makeup bag and followed after them to the bathroom. Alex wanted to go with them and ask Jenna if Adam had shown up for the balloon toss. She was kind of dying to know. But she figured that now was not the best time.

  A few minutes later, American Idol-girl was done with her song and bowing for her standing ovation. Jenna and the other girls returned from the bathroom and Jenna looked ten times better. Her hair was still wet, but it had been slicked back into a ponytail with her headband holding her curls in place. She wore a fitted black T-shirt and denim shorts, and Tori had brushed on some eye shadow and blush.

  “Jenna, you look great,” Val said. “There’s only one more act before ours. Is everybody ready?”

  “Yeah!” they all whispered.

  Greg, the show’s director, stepped up to them with his clipboard. “Valerie! You girls should be in the wings,” he whispered. “You’re up next.”

  Alex’s skin sizzled with nerves.

  “Okay, girls! Let’s do this!” Val said.

  Alex was about to follow the others over to the wings when a bright shaft of light hit her and she turned around. Her heart dropped straight to her toes. Adam had just walked in through the back door.

  “Alex!” he whispered. “Can I talk to you?”

  “No,” Alex said, her heart pounding. “We’re about to go on.”

  “Do you have just a second?” Adam asked. “It’s really important. You never gave me a chance to say anything yesterday and I want to explain.”

  Alex felt as if she was going to have a seriously premature heart attack. Between her fear of going out onstage and this, she was sure she was going to keel over.

  “Fine,” she whispered. “But it has to be fast.”

  Adam took her arm and gently tugged her toward the wall. “Listen, I’m really sorry if you got the idea that I only like you some of the time,” he said, his brown eyes sincere. “It’s just . . . it’s . . .”

  “What?” Alex prompted.

  “It’s my dad,” Adam admitted, looking miserable.

  Alex blinked. That was the last thing she had ever thought he would say. “Your dad?” Did Adam and Jenna’s father not like her or something?

  “Yeah. He’s everywhere,” Adam said, lifting a shoulder. “And, I don’t know, but I feel really weird whenever he’s around. You know, my girlfriend and my dad in the same place . . . I don’t know how to act around you when he’s there. It’s just . . . a little too close for comfort.”

  Alex thought back to the times that Adam had ignored her that weekend. First it was out on the porch when he’d arrived and his dad had come up behind him. Then it was when they were setting the table and his dad was there. Then it was at the gazebo when his father had been standing right next to him. And all the times he’d been nice to her, his father wasn’t anywhere nearby.

  Suddenly everything made sense. And Alex felt totally silly for jumping to conclusions.

  “So that’s why I was acting weird,” Adam told her. “I just wanted you to know.”

  He bowed his head and turned to go.

  “Adam! Wait,” Alex said.

  He turned around, a hopeful look on his face.

  “I’m so sorry,” Alex said. “I totally understand.”

  “You do?” Adam said with a smile.

  “Are you kidding?” Alex said. “I never thought about it before, but I have no idea what I would do if I had to be around you and my parents at the same time.”

  The very thought made her shudder.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t think of it,” Alex said.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” Adam replied. “So . . . will you be my girlfriend again?”

  Alex’s heart fluttered with happiness and she grinned. “Definitely.”

  “Cool. ’Cause soon we’ll be at camp and then I won’t have to worry about my dad,” Adam said. “Except, you know, on Parents’ Day.”

  They both laughed.

  “Alex! We’re on!” Valerie whispered, sticking her head around the corner.

  “I gotta go!” Alex said.

  “Hang on,” Adam said. Then he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Alex felt a warm rush go straight through her entire body. “Break a leg,” Adam told her.

  “Thanks,” Alex said.

  Then she turned and practically skipped over into the wings, joining the rest of her friends.

  “You look happy,” Natalie said.

  “We made up!” Alex announced happily. “Me and Adam. We’re back together.”

  “Yay!” Brynn cheered, throwing her arm
s around Alex.

  “That’s so great, Alex,” Alyssa said.

  “I’m really happy for you, Alex,” Jenna told her, giving her a squeeze.

  “Thanks. Know what I feel like doing right now?” Alex said.

  “What?” Tori asked.

  “Getting out there and kicking a little dance butt,” Alex said.

  The girls laughed.

  “I don’t know if that’s technically possible,” Val said.

  Alex shrugged. “Let’s do it anyway.”

  The girls all cheered and hugged and then Greg stepped out onstage and announced their act.

  “And now, give it up for the Camp Lakeview Dancers!” he cried.

  With one last encouraging grin for her friends, Alex bounded out onto the stage.

  chapter TWELVE

  Valerie grinned as she spun around and jutted out her hip, throwing herself right into the last dance sequence. Nova’s song sounded even more incredible on the huge sound system and the crowd was on its feet, clapping to the beat. Their enthusiasm psyched Valerie up even more, and she knew she was dancing her best and so was everyone else. The audience was totally loving it.

  The five judges sat at their table near the front of the crowd and they definitely looked impressed. Valerie made sure to make eye contact with them and smile as much as possible. She saw one of the women make a note on her clipboard and wondered what she was writing. Then Valerie realized she didn’t care. She was having so much fun, it didn’t matter what the judges thought. All that mattered was that she had done her best.

  Together as one, the eight friends threw their arms up, striking their last pose. The roar of the crowd was overwhelming.

  “We did it!” Natalie cheered, running over to Val for a hug.

  Val bear-hugged her back. “We so did!”

  As everyone else crowded around her, hugging and jumping up and down and squealing, Valerie couldn’t believe it. They had actually pulled it off. Even with all the insanity, they had put on a great show. She looked at Jenna, who was grinning like mad, and Alex, who was whooping and hollering. Even Grace was laughing and rosy-cheeked. Somehow they had all put their personal stuff aside and come together. Win or lose, Valerie couldn’t have been more proud. Or grateful. Her friends had known how important the talent competition was to her and they had really come through.

  “Let’s hear it for the Camp Lakeview Dancers!” Greg announced.

  The crowd cheered again, but no one cheered louder than Valerie and her friends as they jogged offstage together. It was a perfect moment—one Val knew she was going to remember forever.

  A little while later, Valerie found herself onstage again, holding hands on her left with Alex and on her right with Jenna. All the contestants were lined up under the stage lights, which seemed almost unnecessary with the sun shining the way it was. The judges were clumped together, whispering to one another, making their final decisions.

  Valerie couldn’t believe that this was it. After all that preparation, it was already over and soon they would know who had won. Then, in just over an hour, her friends would all be saying good-bye to one another again. The weekend had just blown by. Thinking about it almost made Valerie’s spirits start to droop, but then she remembered where she was and what she was doing.

  And her stomach twisted into nervous knots all over again.

  “Do you think we have a shot?” Jenna whispered.

  “Definitely,” Valerie said with confidence. “As good a shot as anyone else.”

  “I don’t know. That American Idol girl . . .” Alex said.

  “She was good, but she wasn’t all that,” Valerie replied.

  She quickly looked up and down the line of performers. Aside from the solo singer, there were ten other acts. There was a pair of tap-dancing boys a couple of years younger than Val and her friends who had been really good and had won the crowd over with their sheer cuteness. There was a juggler and a flutist and a magician and a guitarist—plus that guy who had jumped up and down on a pogo stick while reciting Shakespeare. That had just been weird.

  A few of the acts had been good, but Valerie thought the crowd had cheered louder for her and her friends than for anyone else. There was definitely a good chance they could at least place.

  “Here we go!” Tori whispered.

  Valerie’s nerves sizzled as the judges handed a slip of paper to Greg. He climbed up onstage and a buzz of excitement went through the line of contestants. The audience hushed and those who had been milling around took their seats. They shaded their eyes with their hands and pointed at various people onstage, guessing at who might have won.

  Please let it be us! Please let it be us! Valerie thought.

  “Thank you everyone for coming to this year’s Memorial Day Talent Competition!” Greg said into the microphone.

  The crowd and all the contestants applauded. Valerie didn’t realize until that moment how much her palms were sweating. She was embarrassed to hold her friends’ hands again, but they grabbed her without hesitation.

  “We had a great show this year, didn’t we?” Greg asked.

  More applause. Valerie grinned.

  “It was a rough decision for our judges, but they’ve managed to come up with a third-place, second-place, and first-place winner,” Greg said. “And I know our contestants are dying to hear the results—”

  Everyone laughed nervously.

  “So without further ado, let’s start with third place,” Greg said, glancing behind him at the contestants. “Our third-place winners are . . .”

  Winners. That means it’s a group, Valerie thought. Maybe we won third place!

  Val wasn’t sure whether to be psyched or disappointed at the idea of third.

  “Robbie and Ronnie Jackson!” Greg announced.

  The two tap dancers cheered and raced up to grab their yellow ribbons, their tap shoes clip-clopping on the stage. The audience roared for them and all the contestants clapped. Then Val found her hands clasped in Jenna’s and Alex’s again.

  Her heart pounded in her ears. She could feel all her friends trying not to jump out of their skin. Jenna’s leg bounced up and down like mad.

  “Our second-place winner is . . . Bernadette Childress!” Greg announced.

  “Yes!” Alex cheered.

  Bernadette, the solo singer, looked stunned. Valerie got the feeling that she thought she was going to win first place. So had Valerie, actually. Finally Bernadette came forward and took her red ribbon with a smile.

  “We really have a chance now,” Natalie whispered.

  “Shh! You’ll jinx it!” Grace cried.

  Valerie couldn’t have talked to save her life. She was too nervous and excited.

  “And finally, our first-place winners, who win not only blue ribbons, but get to take home this lovely trophy,” Greg said, picking up the gold and fauxmarble trophy from the table at the corner of the stage. “This year’s talent champions . . . the Camp Lakeview Dancers!”

  Valerie and all her friends screamed at the top of their lungs. The entire audience laughed. Val hugged Jenna and Alex, then everyone else in turn, before running up to claim the trophy.

  “We won! We won!” Brynn shouted over and over again.

  “Valerie! You are the best choreographer ever!” Alyssa cheered. “You did it!”

  “We all did it!” Valerie cheered.

  “Yeah we did!” Jenna shouted, thrusting her blue ribbon in the air.

  “Hey! This time we both won something!” Alex cried, high-fiving Jenna.

  “Winning is always better together,” Jenna agreed.

  Valerie beamed. It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. Alex and Jenna got to go home champions of something after all, Grace knew her history backward and forward, and Valerie had gotten to do her favorite thing—dance. Plus everyone else seemed pretty darn happy, too.

  Alyssa handed Greg her camera and asked him to take a picture of the group. Everyone gathered around the trophy as Greg held the ca
mera up.

  “Say winners!” he instructed.

  “Winners!” Valerie and her friends cried.

  Jenna sat with her seven friends out on the porch in front of the house, their bags placed all around them. Any minute now the parents and Tori’s driver would be arriving to take everyone back home. Jenna couldn’t believe how quickly the weekend had gone by. She had looked forward to it for so long and now it was already over. She also couldn’t believe everything that had happened in just a few days. Alex and Adam had broken up and gotten back together. Grace was now an expert in Civil War history. They had all choreographed, perfected, and performed a whole dance routine. And they had won first prize in the talent competition.

  Not to mention that little mutual confession of like between herself and David. Jenna squirmed in her seat just thinking about it.

  “Jenna, is something wrong?” Alyssa asked. “You’ve been quiet all afternoon.”

  “Yeah, and we won first place,” Brynn said. “Wouldn’t you usually be nonstop cheering about that?”

  Jenna looked at her friends and sighed. Maybe telling them would help. It wasn’t like she could keep it a secret. These things always had a way of getting out. After all her summers at camp, she knew that better than anyone.

  “David told me he liked me,” she confessed.

  “What!?” at least five people screeched at one time.

  “Shhhhhh!” Jenna said, looking over her shoulder. David and Adam were all the way down at the lake, but sound carried around here. “It gets worse,” she said, gulping. “I told him I liked him back.”

  Brynn and Grace lost all the color in their cheeks. Alex looked positively green. Val blew out a sigh and shook her head. Alyssa, Natalie, and Tori exchanged concerned glances.

  They all hate me. I knew it, Jenna thought.

  “You guys were right all along, okay? I admit it. But we’re not gonna do anything about it,” Jenna assured them. “I told him that Sarah is my friend and I can’t, like, go out with her boyfriend behind her back or something.”

  “What did he say?” Alyssa asked.

  “Nothing,” Jenna said miserably. “I kind of told him to stay away from me, then ran away.” She hugged her legs up to her chest and hid her face behind her knees, unable to look at them staring at her anymore. “You all think I’m a jerk now, don’t you?”