Kissing the Shy Guy - Stephanie Street Page 0,24

through a pile of music as he talked.

For the next thirty minutes, we went back and forth discussing the pros and cons of each song, most of them written by Asher. There were twenty-six shows in nine weeks.

“We do these until we know each note and lyric backward and forward. And we do them again. Then, we add more,” Asher said. The rest of us nodded our agreement. Jordan kept silent at his side. Asher was destined for greatness in the music industry, even if we weren’t. I wondered if their relationship would weather what was coming. Thank goodness I didn’t have a girlfriend to worry about. My life was complicated enough as it was.

10

Jenna

"Mom! You didn't forget, did you?" I stopped short at the sight of my mother. She had her purse over her shoulder and car keys in hand. I'd just gotten home from school.

Mom's head jerked up. "What are you talking about?"

"Mom! My concert is tonight. It's been on the calendar for weeks." I felt it building, the urge to scream and cry at the same time. Years of experience dealing with my mother had me going from zero to pissed in a split-second flat.

Mom's eyes darted to the family calendar, the one she'd posted a few years ago when my social life became a thing. If it wasn't on the calendar, it wasn't happening—that's what she'd said. Except the rules never seemed to apply to her.

Mom's eyes and lips pinched. "I volunteered to help with the charity carnival next month. There's a committee planning meeting tonight. I can't reschedule. And I'm meeting with Mrs. Brough," she glanced at her watch. "In ten minutes for coffee to go over the fundraiser budget for summer school supplies for inner-city kids."

I really was going to explode. "Mom, it's on the calendar!"

"Jenna, I'm sorry. I can't back out. I'm in charge of the planning meeting. I have to be there." She rechecked her watch, obviously anxious to get away to her precious meetings.

"But what about my concert?" I knew I was whining, but I felt justified. This was my last concert ever at Lakeview High, and she was going to miss it. I wanted her to be there for me. I wanted her to be proud of me.

Mom sighed. "The charity carnival is to help kids who don't have money for school lunches. It's important."

It was important. I wasn't. Not news to me, but it still stung. And I did believe helping kids was a good cause. I just didn't understand why she was always so concerned about other people and not her own family.

"Besides, I've been to several of your concerts. I know you'll do great. I'll text Dad to make sure he can make it. He can record it on his phone. I'll watch it when I get back."

"This is the last concert of my high school career." Hot tears rose in my eyes, but Mom didn't notice.

"I love you. Good luck and I'll see you tonight." She brushed a quick kiss across my cheek before rushing out the door and calling over her shoulder. "Melly's at a friend's. Dad can pick her up on the way to the concert." And she was gone.

I trudged up the stairs to get ready for the concert. Robotically, I showered, fixed my hair and makeup, and got dressed in a white button-down shirt and black pencil skirt. Slipping my feet into a pair of low booties, I tried to psych myself up. Dad and Melly would be there for me, and that would just have to be enough.

I checked my phone before leaving the house. I had a text from Dad saying that he and Melly would see me at the concert. And one from Mom to wish me luck again.

It blew my mind that tonight would be the last time I sang in a high school concert. For the past four years, choir and drama had been my life. And this was it, the last one.

I'd had the same feeling last fall when we'd performed Oklahoma!, but that had been months ago with most of my senior year still before me. This time, we were only weeks from graduation—the end was near. And so was my future.

How would that look if I didn't win the DIVA scholarship? What would I do if I couldn't get Adam to help me?

Adam was a nice guy, but that didn't mean he'd help me out of the kindness of his heart. No. There had