Girl vs. Boy Band (20 page)

“Teddy came over to rehearse.”

“Wish I'd been here to meet him.”

“Me too. But I can introduce y'all after the talent show on Friday night.”

Donna's reply was lost in a yawn.

“Any luck finding a replacement for Aidan?” Lark asked, although she already had a pretty good idea of the answer.

“Unfortunately, no. I called every talent scout, vocal coach, and school for the performing arts in the greater Los Angeles area. I even reached out to an agent I know in New York, but he only has a handful of clients in this age range, and they're all currently booked on Broadway.”

“I'm sorry, Mom.”

“I did have high hopes for one boy I heard about from Sacramento . . . or maybe it was Santa Monica. Anyway, he's been singing jingles for television commercials since he was six. So I got in touch with his manager . . . correction, his ‘
mom
-ager.'” Donna shook her head in exasperation. “What a nightmare! She wanted a guarantee in writing that her son would be paid double whatever Ollie and Max earn because he already has ‘professional recording credits.' I told her that the ‘Canine Crispies' dog treats jingle certainly didn't entitle him to top billing in a pop act. So
she
turned
me
down, if you can believe it! Honestly. That poor kid. Can you imagine having such a cutthroat businesswoman for a mother?”

“Hmm, let me think . . .”

Donna gave her a playful slap on the arm. “Ha-ha. Very funny!”

“I'm just kidding,” Lark said, laughing. “But seriously, what are you going to do about the band?”

“I really don't know. But I don't want you to worry. You just concentrate on the talent show and that adorable singing partner of yours, Freddy.”

“Teddy,” Lark corrected. In the next second, she sat up and shouted, “Teddy!”

“Okay, okay . . . ,” said Donna. “I'm too tired to think straight. I
meant
Teddy.”

“No, Mom, you don't understand.”

“So his name
isn't
Teddy?” asked Donna, confused.

“His name
is
Teddy . . . and
he
can replace Aidan in Abbey Road!”

Donna considered this for all of three seconds, then shook her head.

“Why not?” demanded Lark.

“Well, first of all, Teddy's never been in a band.”

“So? Neither has the boy who sings the Critter Crunchies jingle.”

“Canine Crispies.”

“Whatever.
He
didn't have any real band experience and you would have taken
him.
It's a perfect plan. Aidan and Ollie hung out with Teddy all afternoon and they got along great, plus they think he's super talented. And you should hear him on the keyboard, Mom. He's almost as good as Aidan was.”

“But isn't Teddy your age?”

“He's thirteen.”

Donna shook her head. “He's still awfully young, Lark. Ollie's fifteen, and Max is fourteen and a half. I know it doesn't sound like much, but maturity-wise, a few years can make a big difference.” She gave Lark an apologetic look. “Besides, what makes you think Teddy would want to give up his normal life to become a rock star?”

“Because this is America. That's what everybody wants!”

“Not you.”

This brought Lark up short. Her mother was right—Lark had been avoiding the spotlight her whole life. But somehow, she just knew that Teddy would welcome the opportunity.

“He's the one, Mom,” Lark insisted. “Just give him a chance.”

“Lark,” said Donna wearily, “I appreciate your help, but isn't it possible that you're just a little bit biased when it comes to Teddy? Maybe you're not exactly an impartial judge.”

“Okay, then judge for yourself,” said Lark, feeling hopeful now. She knew the minute her mother heard Teddy sing, she'd sign him in a heartbeat. “You'll hear him sing on Friday. Then you'll know I'm right.”

Donna rubbed her eyes. “About that, honey. I don't think I'm going to be able to make it Friday night. I'm planning to fly to Chicago to set up some auditions there.”

Lark blinked. “You're going to miss my talent show?” It felt like a punch to the gut.

“It wasn't an easy decision,” said Donna. “But the situation is getting desperate. And I've heard you play the guitar a million times. You said it yourself—you're not singing lead vocals, you're just playing accompaniment for Teddy. And as proud as I am of you for finding the courage to do that—”

The lie was out before Lark could stop herself. “I'm singing.”

“You're what?”

“I'm singing. I wasn't going to at first. I was just going to play backup, but after our hike and everything you said about me belonging in the spotlight, I changed my mind. It was going to be a surprise, but I'm going to sing my new song ‘Is It Just Me?' live, in front of the whole school. And I really need you to be there when I do. I swear I won't be able to get through it without you in the audience.”

Donna's tired face brightened. “Lark, that's wonderful. Well, of course I'll be there. I can go to Chicago on Saturday. I wouldn't miss your solo performance for the world.” She kissed Lark and crossed the room. “Good night, baby.”

“Good night, Mom. And thanks for changing your plans. You have no idea how much it means to me.”

Lark waited until her mother closed the bedroom door behind her. Then she turned out the light and whispered into the darkness, “And how much it's going to mean to Teddy.”

The next day at lunch, over salads and breadsticks, Lark told Mimi what she'd done.

“So let me get this straight,” said Mimi, popping a cherry tomato into her mouth. “Three weeks ago your biggest fear in the world was performing in public, but
now
you're not only accompanying Teddy in the talent show, you're also
singing a solo
?”

“Pretty much,” said Lark, taking a sip of her chocolate milk. “It was the only way I could be sure my mother would come to the show. She has to hear Teddy sing or she'll never even consider putting him in the band.”

“He's that good, huh?”

“He's terrific. The thing is, it really didn't hit me that I was actually going to be singing in front of the whole school until I saw my name on the sign-up sheet, right beneath ‘Howie Dornbaum, Magician.'”

“Hmm,” said Mimi, crunching into a green pepper. “Maybe you can ask Howie if he knows any tricks to make your stage fright disappear.”

Lark laughed in spite of her mood. “I'd rather he make
me
disappear.”

“You're going to be great,” Mimi assured her.

“I'm glad you feel that way. Because I kind of have a favor to ask you.”

“Name it,” said Mimi.

Lark smiled. “I was hoping you might be willing to put together a new video for me.”

Mimi's eyes were gleaming. “I'm listening.”

“Well, I was thinking that maybe you could put together a montage of all the videos you've ever taken of me singing.”

“No problem,” said Mimi. “But what do you want it for?”

“To use as part of my act,” Lark explained. “It would be a cool way for us to team up, to share the spotlight together. See, while I'm performing the song onstage, we can project your video montage on the big screen behind me. It'll look cool, and it might divert some of the attention away from the real
live
me singing on the stage.” She gave her friend a guilty look. “I know you wanted to enter a video in the show all along, and I really should have said yes right from the start. You're always so supportive of me, and I was wrong to let my fear ruin it for you.”

“I was a little upset at first,” Mimi admitted. “But I know you're really, truly scared. I totally understand that.”

“All the more reason for me to help you let your talent shine. So will you do it?”

“Of course! It'll be just like at a real concert, where they show the performance on the Jumbotron for the people in the cheap seats.”

“It's the caf-a-gym-a-torium,” Lark said, laughing. “
All
the seats are cheap!”

“I've already got a million ideas for special effects,” said Mimi, and Lark could practically see the wheels in her head spinning. “It'll be amazing. Your voice, my cinematic vision . . . we're gonna make an awesome team!”

Lark threw her arms around Mimi and hugged her. “We already do, Meems! We already do!”

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

The rest of the week was a blur.

The good news was that Teddy's song got better every time they practiced it.

The bad news was that Lark was getting more and more scared. Over the past few weeks she'd made significant progress toward overcoming her fear of performing in public. Playing guitar at the sing-along with Holly Rose, filling in on the keyboards after Aidan's departure, and harmonizing with Teddy on the chorus had been huge strides for her, but as the talent show approached, that newfound courage was swiftly fading. The more she imagined herself onstage in front of her classmates and their families, the more she whipped herself into a panic.

On Thursday night, Lark couldn't sleep. She lay in bed staring at the outfits she and Mimi had picked out for her to wear in the talent show: dark jeans and a simple black sweater for her performance with Teddy; faded jeans with rips in the knees and a blousy peasant top with colorful embroidery around the neckline for her solo.

“Country chic,” Mimi had deemed it. “You'll be gorgeous. We'll do your hair up. Wispy tendrils. Dangling earrings.”

And of course, her cowboy boots.

“They're going to think I'm a visitor from another planet,” Lark had protested.

“Planet Nashville,” Mimi had joked. “It all works. Trust me.”

“I do trust you,” Lark had replied. “It's having faith in myself where I run into trouble.”

It was now well after midnight, and Lark was no closer to dozing off. Tossing aside the covers, she got out of bed and slipped into her boots, then tiptoed downstairs and out the kitchen door.

It was a beautiful night, balmy and starry.
Funny
, thought Lark, settling herself on a poolside lounge chair,
the stars that twinkle over Nashville are the exact same ones that shine above Beverly Hills.

Of course, in Nashville, you couldn't see the lights of LA. From the pool patio, the city looked like an enormous constellation that had chosen to descend from the sky to sparkle here on earth.

Or maybe it hadn't chosen; maybe it had fallen! Crashed and burned!

Just like Lark was going to do tomorrow night.

She closed her eyes, trying to picture herself singing to an audience that included Alessandra Drake and her cronies. On the upside, nice kids like Emma DiGiorgio, Jessica Ferris, and Duncan Breslow would be there as well. Mr. Saunders, too. Plus the boys, Mimi and Mrs. Reese, and most importantly, her mom.

So the numbers were in her favor. More friends than enemies.

But that didn't make the prospect any less terrifying.

And speaking of terrifying, what was that shadow, moving by the pool house?

Lark's breath seized in her chest.

There was an intruder in the yard!

Trembling, Lark rose from the lounge chair and picked up the pool skimmer to use as a weapon.

But then she heard a British accent. The “intruder” was speaking into a cell phone.

“Wish I could be there with you today,” he was saying. “Eat some candy floss and rock for me.”

Max! Lark dropped the pool skimmer and nearly crumpled to the grass with relief. When he emerged from the shadows and saw her, he jumped.

“Whoa! What's this? What are you doing out at this hour?”

“I was just going to ask you the same question,” Lark shot back.

“I wanted to ring my little sister in London and I didn't want to wake anyone up, that's all. It's her thirteenth birthday today. The whole family's heading up to Brighton to celebrate, and I'm missing it.” He shook his head. “I dunno, Lark. I'm really feeling like it's time for me to go home.”