The It Girl (25 page)

The more difficult part was still to come. It was now or never.

“Before they come and set up, I wanted to give something to Jess. So here it is.” I stood in silence for a moment as everyone waited expectantly. I closed my eyes, pretended that I wasn't about to do what I was about to do, and then took another deep breath.

And then I, Anna Huntley, in front of grades six to eight at the Beatus dance, without backing music or any kind of help except a microphone, started singing the title song “Fame” from
Fame the Musical
.

SPONTANEOUSLY SINGING IN PUBLIC: MOVIES
versus Real Life

1. In movies, everyone usually smiles widely, acknowledging how endearing you are. They know that you're making a big gesture.
In real life, no one smiles sweetly at you. They look at you like you're a crazy person and beg you to stop just with their eyes.

2. In movies, everyone else joins in. It becomes a wonderful, spontaneous moment of community, euphoria, and affection for those around you, strangers and all.
In real life, no one joins in. You continue to sing the entire theme song to
Fame the Musical
on your own.

3. In movies, the person you're singing to runs
up and hugs you/joins in with you/cries poignant tears of gratitude.
In real life, the person you're singing to, aka Jess Delby, doesn't do any of the above but instead just starts laughing.

4. In movies, the boy it has taken you all this time to realize you are meant to be with looks at you with love.
In real life, the boy you think you are meant to be with, aka Connor Lawrence, looks a bit shocked. And not in a good way.

5. In movies, at the end of the song, everyone applauds you, and there is so much happiness and goodwill that no matter what happens, you, and all those around you who have witnessed this heart-rending and inspirational gesture, know everything is going to be okay.
In real life, at the end of the song it is still silent. You nod. Say, “Well that's that. I'm going to leave the stage now,” and then you walk off, tripping over your dress as you go. You wonder whether your idea to win back your friends has not only failed but made you lose your dignity as well. You are right to wonder this. It most likely is true.

It was the worst experience of my life. And that includes the time I went on the rapids ride in that water park. Why anyone enjoys being hurled about uncontrollably in water and feeling like they're drowning the entire time is a mystery to me.

It felt like the post-performance silence went on forever. It did go on for a quite a bit, until Marianne ushered in On the Rox and the hall immediately erupted, distracted by the super famous band on stage.

I was shoved to the side as whooping and screaming students literally clambered past each other, trying to get to the front—Brendan Dakers among them, having had plenty of crowd-pushing practice. Tom Kyzer asked everyone to be quiet and then said, “We're here to give you an exclusive performance.” The crowd went wild. “But not too long—we can only play a few songs and then we have to hit the road.”

Which, you know, kind of took the magic out of the whole thing but whatever. The drummer crashed the cymbals, and they rocketed into their first song of the set.

I craned my neck, looking for Jess among the crowd, but it turned out I was looking in the wrong direction, because she crept up on me from behind, grabbing my arm and spinning me around, crying she was laughing so hard. “What on earth were you THINKING?”

“In case you didn't notice,”
I said, still very red in the face from my recent humiliation, “I did that for your benefit.”

“Well, I have to say you were right. You're a terrible performer. I mean
terrible
.” She smiled.

“Jess, I need to explain about what happened—”

“Don't worry about it.” Jess cut me off gently. “Danny talked me through your deranged reasoning. I get what happened and, you know, this totally makes up for the whole show thing. You brought them to my
school
. Oh and your set was interesting too,” she snorted.

“Well, I can't take credit for the band really.” I nodded toward Marianne, who Tom Kyzer seemed to be directing all of the song at. “I think the lead singer has a thing for her.”

“I think you may be right.”

“So, are we . . . okay?” I asked carefully.

“After that display of derangement? Are you kidding? You are a much better entertainer than that guy in the chicken suit who lived next door to Danny.” She went quiet, and we both stood there awkwardly, smiling goofily. “Forgiven and forgotten.”

“I'm really happy we're best friends again,” I blurted out. “I mean, friends. I mean, I hope best friends. Either is good!”

“Good to know my
best
friend is still as weird as ever.” She
rolled her eyes. Then she looked coy. “Now, more important matters. Guess who won the raffle and will be spending her spring break with Brendan's mom learning all there is to know about photography.”

“You're joking!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening as she beamed back at me. “Jess! That's amazing! When did you find out?”

“They made the announcement at the beginning of the dance. I don't think you were here yet. Why were you late anyway? Did Dog hide your shoe again? Anyway, I owe it all to you for getting those tickets in the first place. I'm so excited!” She grinned mischievously. “Don't worry though, I'll remember you when I'm famous.”

“Good to know you're still as witty as ever.” She glanced over my shoulder, and I followed her eyeline to Connor, who was loitering a few feet away, holding what looked like his sketchbook. Seriously. Only Connor would bring a sketchbook to a school dance.

“So . . . um . . . ,” I began, not sure where I was going and suddenly feeling as flustered as I had been up on the stage. “You and Connor, did you come together?”

“What, here? Sort of. Danny organized it.”

“Oh right.” I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. “You guys go really well together. I'm really happy for you.”

“Who goes really well together? Anna, of all people, you should know that Danny and I really are just friends. Seriously, his hair is unmanageable, and I don't look for that in a guy.”

“I mean . . . you and Connor,” I said, trying a bright smile.

“Me and Connor?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, Anna. Connor and
I
aren't together.”

“What? But you just said that you came here together.”

“No, no.” She chuckled. “Sorry, misunderstanding. Connor and I came here together along with a group of about seven people. We all met at Danny's house before, you know, so we could all come in the same cars.”

“So you guys . . .”

“Me and Connor? HA!” She shook her head in amusement. “He is such a nerd. No thanks.” She glanced over my shoulder again. “Plus I think his interest lies elsewhere. Uh, I'm going to go get a drink. You want one?”

“Sure! I'll come.” But she winked and ran off before I could follow. “Jess, wait for m—”

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Connor smiling at me. “Hey.”

“Hi, Connor.” My heart leaped into my mouth.

“I wanted to say sorry for being, you know, weird in detention.”

“No, I deserved it.” I sighed. “I was stupid about . . . um . . . well, everything.”

“Sorry anyway,” he said. I acknowledged it with a nod. “Nice singing by the way. I think your career may lie on the stage.”

“You're hilarious—I don't think so somehow.”

“Well, if your Broadway career doesn't work out, then maybe you can live off the royalties from this.” He held the sketchbook out toward me. I took it, and he looked down at his feet. “It's not finished or anything; it's a small thing. I thought it might cheer you up maybe. I felt bad about things, and I figured you've had a tough time recently.”

Confused, I opened the sketchbook. It was a comic strip, and at the top of the page was the title: “THE AMAZING IT GIRL, Book One.”

“What is this?”

“It's the comic strip I've been working on for the past few weeks. That's why I didn't want to show you—I wanted you to see it when it was finished. Or partly finished anyway.”

I brushed my finger across the girl in the first box. “Is this . . . ?”

“Inspired by you,” he said, blushing furiously. “I've been waiting for a good idea for my first graphic novel. Everyone
thinks she's ordinary, but she's a superhero. Saving London from evil—or from pigeons at least.” He smirked.

I studied the drawings in amazement, admiring each strip and all the effort that had gone into it. The Amazing It Girl, or Ember, as she is known to her friends, is a redheaded celebrity who spends the first few strips arguing with her agent over which charity galas to attend, ignoring her stylist's pleas to wear dresses rather than T-shirts and jeans, and going for lunches with her best friend and chauffeur, Harper.

I turned the page eagerly.

When they're at a party held at an exclusive jewelry exhibit, Ember discovers a conspiracy to steal some of the most precious stones in the world. She chases the two masked robbers into an alleyway behind the building and partakes in hand-to-hand combat, knocking both of them out with no trouble at all and returning the jewels to their rightful places before anyone notices they're missing.

“You see, she's got super strength,” Connor explained hurriedly, leaning in to point at specific moments in the strip. “And super speed. There's a whole backstory to her powers obviously, and she'll develop them further, but that will all become clear in the next few issues. And, um, well, it's you.”

I didn't know what to say, I was so overwhelmed. “Connor . . .”

On the Rox finished their song, and the hall exploded with applause. They went straight into a slow number.

“It needs a lot of work,” he said quickly. “Anyway.” He took the sketchbook from me and placed it carefully on one of the tables. “Let's put that down for a minute.”

“Why?”

“So we can dance. Obviously.”

Connor smiled at me and held out his hand. I took it and let him lead me to the middle of the room. Almost everyone had paired up and were swaying together. Jess looked very entertained with Max as her partner as he attempted to do some
Dirty Dancing
–type lifts but eventually gave up and stuck to the original sway. Even Marianne was involved—she had come to Danny's rescue. He looked like he had won the lottery.

Connor put his hand on my waist and pulled me in toward him, leaving me to nervously put my arms around his neck. Suddenly I was slow dancing with Connor Lawrence. I was slow dancing with a BOY. I don't think I breathed for the entire song; I mean he was really close and he smelled really nice and he had created a COMIC STRIP for me.

I sure had moved on from my dancing-with-a-balloon days.

When On the Rox struck up their last song, which was a
lot more upbeat, we found ourselves squashed in the middle of the crowd. Jess was suddenly bopping next to us, and she grabbed our hands and pulled both of us back through everyone to the side of the hall where Marianne and Danny were and there was plenty of space.

“Much better away from the front. We have room to maneuver here,” she said, brushing her hair off her face.

Danny was dancing wildly with Marianne. In fact, Marianne was busy passing on her wisdom of a very familiar dance move. “I don't think I'm doing it right, Danny.” She spotted me and called over. “Anna, show us how the Octopus is done!”

I glanced nervously at Connor. “Um . . .”

“The Octopus?” Connor snorted. I froze, preparing to be mocked. Turns out I needn't have worried. “Bet it's nothing compared to my signature move: the Meerkat. Step aside, ladies, things are about to get serious.”

•  •  •

At the end of the night I was so hot from all the dancing I was glad to be ushered out with our coats into the cold by Mrs. Ginnwell and Ms. Duke. We all lingered in the parking lot as students mingled among the clusters of parents, trying to find their ride home. Marianne had sensibly avoided this crush and left earlier with the band. Outside, Jess was the first
to leave, giving me a really big hug and promising she would call the next day to discuss all the details of the dance. Danny was next to spot his parents' car and, yawning loudly, he gave me a wink and said good-bye, leaving just me and Connor.

He broke the silence first. “So, Spidey, what are your thoughts on your first Beatus dance?”

“Pretty great.” I grinned. “I thought you didn't do too badly with your dancing. Room for improvement of course.”

“How generous of you, thank you.” He laughed. “You weren't all that awful yourself.”

I smiled up at him. We were standing so close to each other and his head was bent ever so slightly down toward me that for one moment my heart stopped as I thought that he might—

“ANASTASIA HUNTLEY! Hurry up, would you? I just had an idea for my composite armor chapter!”

I glared at Dad as he stood grumpily at the gates, rattling his car keys in the air.

“I guess I'd better go.” I sighed. “Connor, about the comic book—it's genius. I'm so excited to see how it ends.”

He pushed my hair back from my face (spoiled slightly by the fact that it was still sweaty from all the dance moves) and smiled. “Me too.”

ANNA HUNTLEY's LIFE GOALS

REDRAFT 1

Compiled with (unwelcome) commentary by Jess Delby

Spring Break 2016

1. Be a better person, a better friend, and now, having been thrown into the public eye, a good role model.

I think the first step you should take toward this goal is to give your best friend's number to the drummer in On the Rox. Just a small suggestion.