The Superstar Sister (8 page)

B peeked through the curtains to see how Jason reacted to the announcement. He didn’t seem happy at all that he was still a finalist. He gritted his teeth and stormed out the side auditorium door.

He’s got something else planned
, B said to herself.
I know that look.

She took off to intercept Jason in the halls, but she didn’t get far. A hand grabbed her arm. It was Trina!

“B, come
on
,” she said. “I just finished presenting my potion and you’re up next!”

B froze. After Jason’s cruel tricks, she’d almost forgotten she was supposed to be at the M.R.S.! She thought of how hard she’d worked on her Young Witch Competition. Her potion was in her pocket.
She really wanted to win. But Dawn had been working even harder to win the talent show. If B left now, she knew Jason would try another stunt.

A squeal erupted from backstage. “That’s Dawn!” B cried. B, George, and Trina ran — to find a shocked Dawn, standing in the wings, covered in dripping paint! And there stood Jason, only a few steps away.

Trina grabbed a nearby roll of paper towels and started trying to clean Dawn up.

“Geez, Dawn, I’m so sorry,” Jason said, with a face that clearly showed otherwise. “It was an accident. I tripped.”

B leveled a pointing finger at him. “This was no accident, Jason,” she said, “and you know it.”

Jason sneered back at her. “Oh, yeah, Hornet Head? Prove it.”

“I don’t need to prove it,” B said. “I know what you did with the oil. This is the last act of sabotage from you tonight. It’s going to be a fair fight between you and my sister for the TV spot.”

“What oil?” Dawn was clearly annoyed, wiping
down her arms, while Trina cleaned off her legs. “What are you talking about, B?”

“Yeah, Wonder Wasp,” Jason sneered. “What oil? You can’t prove anything.”

George’s eyes grew wide. “Oh,” he said. “Oh. Boy, oh, boy. You want some proof?” He snapped his fingers and ran off.

“What’s going on here?” Dawn demanded. She turned to Jason and glared down at him. “Have you been trying to sabotage me?”

George came running back with Ed, who was rolling a camera. Nancy wasn’t far behind. When Nancy saw Dawn covered in paint, she gasped. “Dawn, you’ve got to get cleaned up!”

While their attention was on Dawn, Jason tried to edge away.

“What’s your hurry, Jason?” Trina said.

“Now, everyone,” George said. “Let me explain. I’ve been back here, helping Ed set up cameras and everything else. I know he’s rigged up cameras all over backstage to catch some of the silly stuff
contestants do before and after they go on. And I bet this camera here” — George pushed aside a curtain to reveal a hidden camera — “will have caught something that wasn’t so silly. Ed, can you rewind this to about half an hour ago?”

“Sure, George.” Ed rested the rolling camera onto a stack of boxes, still pointing at the group, and fiddled with the buttons on the hidden camera. Then, he angled the camera monitor so everyone could see it.

“What do you see, Nancy?” Ed said. “Looks to me like a kid in a magician’s costume, squirting two, no, three … no, four bottles of oil all over the stage!”

Now Jason really did look scared. He inched toward the door.

“Stop it right there, Jason,” B said. “Now there’s proof you were cheating.”

“That’s right,” Ed said. “That’s you, isn’t it? Yep, that’s a good shot of your face. Sabotaging the other acts, eh?”

“Is that so?” Nancy looked at Jason.

“He spilled the paint on Dawn, too,” B added.

Nancy nodded. “You, young man, are disqualified. I can’t believe you would pull rotten stunts like that. Take your props and leave the building. Security will show you out.”

“But …!” Jason protested.

“Out with you,” Nancy said. “Just wait till I tell Cliff.”

Nancy and Ed left to tell the judges about Jason. The first act began, Katie Bell with the Amazing Dancing Princess. Princess, it seemed, was the Jack Russell terrier.

But Dawn still stood there, backstage, forlorn and covered with paint. “Thanks, you guys,” she said. “Now, you go back, B. Go with Trina to do what you need to do.” She gave B a significant look, but didn’t explain more, because George was still there.

“I will in just a second,” B said. “Um, George, would you go grab some more paper towels for Dawn?”

George nodded and ran off, leaving B, Dawn, and Trina alone.

B pulled her vial of shimmering pink makeover potion from her pocket. “Use this, Dawn,” she said. “It’ll fix up your look in a hurry. I want you to win this competition.”

“But, B!” Trina protested. “You
need
your potion. You’ll be disqualified!”

“I can’t let you do this, B,” Dawn said. “I can manage on my own. Go back to the M.R.S.”

“My mind’s made up,” B said, and before Dawn could argue anymore, B uncorked her little bottle and waved it under Dawn’s nose. A sweet, perfumey scent filled the air.

Dawn took a deep breath. Her hair lifted as though a wind had blown it. The paint vanished from her clothes as though a big eraser had wiped it away, but the spell didn’t stop there. Her clothes transformed completely, until Dawn looked like a professional dancer, all set to perform in a Black Cats video. Her dark jeans became silvery pants with a faux-snakeskin finish. Her shoes turned into shiny black cowboy boots. Her T-shirt was replaced by a black tank top and an off-the-shoulder shirt
studded with sequins and rhinestones. Snazzy dark eye makeup appeared where there hadn’t been any before. Even Dawn’s nails got a new airbrushed design.

“Wow, B,” Dawn said, grinning. “I can’t believe you gave me that. That’s one powerful potion you’ve made!”

B grinned. “It looks better on you than on me.”

But that wasn’t quite true. Just breathing the scent of the potion had affected both Trina and B. They each had a cool new hairstyle. B corked her little bottle and put the rest of the potion back in her pocket. Maybe, if she was lucky, it would still have some potency. And maybe, if she was really lucky, she’d still make it to the M.R.S. in time to use it.

Just then Nancy came back to where they stood. “Wow, young lady,” she said, observing Dawn. “That was quite the quick costume change!”

Dawn grinned. “Yes, ma’am. I had a little help.”

“I should say so. Well, are you ready to go on? You’re next after Katie Bell.”

Dawn nodded.

“In that case, where’s your music?”

Dawn’s face fell. “Isn’t the CD still in the stereo? I just performed. I haven’t touched it since then.”

Nancy shook her head. “Nope. I’ve got all my sound techs looking for it.”

“I know what happened,” B said. “Jason. His final parting shot. I’ll bet he’s laughing all the way home.”

“Well, what are you going to do?” Nancy said. “Do you have another CD?”

Now any thought of getting back to the M.R.S. was gone.

“Um, sort of,” B said, before Dawn could get a word in. “Leave it to us. We’ll be ready when it’s time for Dawn to go on.”

“Huh?” Dawn said. “We will?”

B nodded at Nancy. “We’ve got another, er, version of the Black Cats album with us,” she said, and Nancy walked away.

“What’ve you got planned, B?” Dawn said. “You seem to be two steps ahead of me everywhere I go.”

“And now, for our last act,” the announcer’s voice said.
“Daaaaaawn Cicely!”

“Just go!” B cried, giving Dawn a friendly push. “Go dance, and leave the rest to us!”

Dawn headed for the opening curtain, while B and Trina huddled out of sight off in the wings.

“Do you have one more singing spell in you tonight, Trina?” B said. “I need ‘Swagger.’ Starting now!”

Trina’s eyes grew wide; then she nodded, closed her eyes, and softly began to sing the incantation of her songwriting spell. By the time Trina was in position, the music began thumping throughout the auditorium. It was “Swagger” all right, but like no one had ever heard it — a special remixed version that was even more exciting to dance to. And when the magical recording began to sing, Trina joined in, harmonizing along with her own voice.

B pulled out one of her shoelaces and whispered, “M-I-C-R-O-P-H-O-N-E,” and her shoelace became a magical mike. Trina belted out a wordless vocal that wandered over and under her own voice singing
the main melody line. The crowd went wild, and Dawn picked up on the energy, dancing like never before, adding new twists to the choreography. Every move came off like a charm, right down to the final twirl during Trina’s last line.

The crowd leaped to its feet, cheering and screaming for Dawn. B screamed and cheered, too, not caring who heard her. She thought her heart would burst right out of her chest with pride.

The judges stood and joined in Dawn’s ovation. Clifton Davro himself climbed up on the stage and put an arm around Dawn’s shoulder. “You’ve got it, Dawn Cicely,” he said. “You’ve got a place on the national television show.
You’ve got it!
”

“Okay, B,” Trina said. “It’s time now. Let’s go.” And before B could protest, Trina linked arms with her and sang a short transportation spell.

They arrived back at their couch outside the M.R.S. library. Trina, it seemed, had practiced her traveling spells more than B.

B’s mom sat there on the couch, clutching her purse and talking in worried tones with Mr. Bishop. At the sight of her daughter, she jumped up. “Where have you been, B?” she cried. “You’ve been disqualified from the competition, and you’ve worked so hard. What could possibly —”

“And now,” came Madame Mel’s magically magnified voice, interrupting what B knew was going to
be a super-duper lecture from her mom, “for the announcement of the winners!”

“Come on!” B said. “Let’s get inside to hear the results. Then I can explain everything.”

Trina, B, her mom, and Mr. Bishop scurried back inside the library. They took their seats just as Madame Mel unfolded the slip of purple parchment and read, “It is with great pleasure that I announce this year’s winner. Her singing spell and her dancing potion delighted us all. Please welcome the new Young Witch of the Year, Miss Katrina Lang!”

Trina gasped. B tackled her with a huge hug, then shooed her up and onto the stage.

Even Trina seemed nervous as she stood before the tall and imposing Madame Mel.

“May I see your bracelet, please, young lady?”

Trina held out her wrist with the silver bracelet given to every witch, that held charms representing milestones in their magical education. Trina’s carried a single charm from when she found her magic. Madame Mel chanted:

And there, on Trina’s charm bracelet, appeared a glittering silver star.

B felt her eyes grow wet. Trina deserved this award. B didn’t begrudge her that charm, not one single bit. She couldn’t be prouder of her talented, loyal friend.

“Don’t be upset with B, Mrs. Cicely,” Trina said afterward, in the lobby. “Jason Jameson tried to sabotage Dawn. B gave up her chance in the Young Witch Competition, and even donated her potion, to help Dawn with her costume after Jason dumped paint all over her.”

B’s mom’s expression changed. She grabbed B and squashed her close in a huge hug. “Did you really do that for your sister, B?” she said. “You were
doing so well in the Young Witch Competition. But you gave it all up for Dawn? Oh, honey.”

B put her arms around her mother. For a minute, then, B realized just what she had given up. In the moment, she hadn’t even questioned what she needed to do for Dawn. Had she really been doing that well in the Young Witch Competition? Could she, maybe, have had a shot at winning? That potion of hers sure did have amazing results.

But it didn’t matter. B didn’t regret her choice one bit. Seeing Dawn’s spectacular last dance was worth everything.

“Good for you, B,” Mr. Bishop said. “But Madame Mel’s not too happy with you right now. It’s never happened before that someone didn’t show up when their name was called for the final potions round. I’ll go smooth things over with her.” He smiled. “If there’s one thing she hates, it’s foul play. She’ll be proud of you for thwarting Jason. And, incidentally, I’ll make sure the school principal hears about Jason’s antics tomorrow.”

After the hubbub at the M.R.S. had died down, B’s mom invited everyone back to their home for an impromptu party. “Butterscotch ripple cheesecake with homemade peach custard at our house!” she cried, and nobody needed a second invitation. Trina and her grandmother came, along with Mr. Bishop, and when they got there they found Dawn and Mr. Cicely waiting for them. Dawn wore a silk banner draped over her shoulder, announcing “You’ve Got It!” in gold letters.

After their mom had hugged Dawn about twenty times, she started serving up dessert, and Dawn sat down at the kitchen table next to B. Trina had insisted on telling everyone what B had done, and how much she’d sacrificed to help Dawn.

Dawn’s eyes were wide. “So you missed the potions round?”

B nodded. “It’s okay. It was worth it to see you dance so well. I am really proud of my superstar sister.”

Dawn threw her arms around B. “
You’re
the superstar,” Dawn said, starting to sound a little
weepy. “I’m sorry I was so mad at you this week,” she whispered in B’s ear.

B hugged her back. “That’s okay.”

Their mom set plates of incredible dessert in front of both of them, but Dawn paid no attention to hers. “You may not have won the Young Witch Competition, but you’re the star in my book,” she said. “Here. I want you to have this. You deserve it.”

Dawn reached for her silver bracelet and removed her own star charm. She handed it to B.

B took the charm and stared at it. Only then did she realize that everyone else in the room was watching them. They burst into applause!

B hugged her sister again. “Thanks, Dawn.”

“Thank
you
,” Dawn said. “When it comes to being a great sister,
You’ve Got It!
”