They both gasped. They exchanged glances. “Ada and I are both trying for the Collings-worth Prize,” Whitney said. They glared at me. They didn’t even try to hide their feelings.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I guess we’ll be competing against one another.”
“Guess we will,” Ada muttered.
“If I don’t win it, I won’t be able to go to college,” I said. I don’t know why I told them that. It was very personal. I guess I was trying to make them my friends.
The Collingsworth Music Scholarship is a statewide scholarship. It includes singing and academics. You have to have a really good grade point average to apply.
I’m a good student, and I know how to get good grades. But sometimes I clutch at test time. I didn’t do that well on my SATs.
My singing is the one thing I’m confident about. I hoped I was good enough to win the scholarship. Otherwise, I’d have to get a job after high school.
Ada and Whitney were still frowning at me. “Only two students can be sent from each high school,” Ada said. “We can only send two kids to compete at the state level.”
“I know,” I said. I didn’t know what else to say. Of course it meant that all three of us couldn’t win.
I glanced at my watch. “I’m really late,” I said. “Can you direct me to the music room?”
They kept staring at me, letting me know they didn’t like me. Ada rubbed her shoulder. “It still hurts from the other night,” she said. “Something is pulled. I have to have X-rays.”
“I’m sorry,” I told her. Then I added, “I didn’t push you. I would never do anything like that.”
She didn’t reply to that. Instead, she pointed down the hall. “Keep going that way to the end. You’ll find it.”
“Thanks,” I said. I turned and hurried off.
“Good luck,” Whitney called, totally sarcastic.
“Yeah, good luck,” Ada shouted. “Break a leg!”
12
The school was emptying. Kids were going home. I jogged down the long hall, dodging a group of cheerleaders carrying silver batons.
I thought about Ada and Whitney. What a shame we’d be competing for the scholarship prize. I realized I’d never win them over as friends.
I could tell they really believed I pushed Ada down those stairs. Is that what everyone in school believes?
How unlucky to start out life at Shadyside High with everyone suspecting me. And all because of a misunderstanding.
I tried to force those thoughts from my mind. I had to keep cool and concentrate on impressing Ms. Watson. Making friends was not as important as winning the money to go to college.
Ms. Watson was a tall woman, young and very pretty, with shiny, blue eyes, high cheekbones like a model, and light blond hair pulled back in a French braid. She wore a pale blue turtleneck over tight, charcoal slacks that showed off her long legs.
As I entered, she looked up from her desk, where she was sorting through a stack of sheet music. She had a killer smile. “Are you Dana?”
I nodded. “Yes. Sorry, I’m late. I couldn’t find this room.”
She crossed the room and shook hands with me. She was at least a head taller than me! I barely came up to her shoulders. “Your first day?” she asked.
“It seems like ten days,” I replied. “I spent most of the day totally lost.”
“Well, come over here.” She led the way to her desk. She had a music stand set up beside it. “You certainly come highly recommended. What’s-his-name—Mr. Margolis? He couldn’t stop praising you in his letter.”
“He’s really nice,” I said. Hearing my old music teacher’s name gave me a pang of homesickness.
Ms. Watson picked up the letter from her desk. “This is an impressive list of singing awards, Dana. Did you bring music with you?”
“No. I have some things memorized,” I said. My throat tightened. I suddenly felt cold, nervous. The feeling I always have before singing.
“I have a song from The Vagabond King,” I told her. “You know. The operetta. And I have a Bach piece we used to use as a warm-up.”
“Excellent,” Ms. Watson said, flashing me that smile again. I want the name of her teeth-whitener, I thought. She motioned me to the music stand and took a seat behind her desk. “Anytime you’re ready, Dana.”
I cleared my throat. As I turned to the front of the room, I saw something move in the doorway. The classroom door was open a little more than a crack. I could see a person standing there. And I recognized her by her red hair.
Ada.
Hiding there. Spying on me from the hall.
I took a deep breath. Anger pushed away all my nervousness.