talk to the other competitors without her, even just to wish them luck. I guess that was the trouble with being a sidekick for so long, it made flying solo feel weird.
Though I knew I could do this alone, I was really glad I didn’t have to. Wyatt was here with me. Well, currently he was in the green room getting me a cup of tea to soothe my tense vocal cords.
We’d driven in together this morning and already run through our songs once. We were as ready as we’d ever be.
I did my best to calm my nerves as I glanced around backstage. I was standing about as far away from the curtain as possible. I’d already made the mistake of peeking out to take a look at the crowd. I hadn’t expected the performing arts center to be so crowded. But my quick glance through the curtains showed the seats were starting to fill up.
The only thing I had going for me was that the singer/songwriter category was one of the first groups to compete. We’d already gotten a rundown of the schedule with the day’s event coordinator so now all that was left to do was wait.
Thankfully, I was third in the songwriter lineup. I felt like that was a pretty good spot. Not first, not last. Just enough time to chew my nails down to nubs.
I pulled in a steadying breath as people rushed around me finishing up last minute things like testing lights and putting X’s of tape on the floor so each of us knew where to stand when we took the stage for the results.
I looked at the clock on the wall. In a few more minutes I’d be walking onto that stage and taking a stab at my future. Winning this scholarship could open a lot of doors for me. First of all, it would help me afford college, and not just any college, but one where I could major in music.
I tried not to let the overwhelming pressure get to me. But just as I was repeating my calming mantra, Jenna appeared. I sighed, wondering if she was part shark. I swore the girl could sense weakness.
“Hey, Layne,” Jenna said. “So, Lola really didn’t show, huh? I knew she didn’t have what it takes. What a coward.”
“She’s not a coward,” I shot back. “She’s sick.”
“Ah, yes. How convenient.”
Just then Wyatt walked up, carrying the hot tea I’d requested. “Hey,” he greeted, placing an arm around my shoulder after handing me the tea. “Who’s this?”
“This is Jenna,” I said. “She was just leaving.”
Jenna huffed a little laugh. “Good luck. You’re gonna need it,” she added under her breath.
Wyatt cocked an eyebrow at me. “What was that about?”
“That was Lola’s nemesis. We don’t like her.”
He grinned, nodding like the good boyfriend he was. “Noted.”
I sipped my tea as Wyatt eyed our competition. “What about her?” he asked, a mischievous grin carving his lips as he pointed to a blonde nearby. “Do we like her?”
My eyes caught on a dancer nervously chewing her fingernails. It was Lillian Preston. I’d seen her warming up earlier, without her partner, which explained the nerves.
I didn’t really know Lillian that well, but we’d met at registration and had chatted a bit in the Diva Squad group. She was gorgeous. One of those girls who just looked like she was born to be a prima ballerina. But the routine I’d seen her doing during warmups was anything but ballet. It looked incredible though. I loved that she was just going for it. Her routine was different than what I’d been expecting. I’m sure it would surprise a lot of people.
I looked adoringly at Wyatt—sometimes, different was good.
“We like her,” I finally answered.
“Okay,” he seemed to like this game, and so did I. Plus, I needed the distraction right now. “What about her?” he asked pointing to Rose Parson.
Her hair looked different from the last time I saw her, but she was just as stunning as I remembered. She had star quality written all over her. Of all the Diva Squad, I connected with her the most and was really rooting for her to win in her category. But if for some reason she didn’t, I still had every faith that I’d end up seeing her name on the big screen one day.
“That’s Rose,” I said to Wyatt. “We like her, too.”
He laughed. “Where’s your competitive spirit, Penny Layne?”