spell out DIVA.” She laughed again. “How perfect is that?”
Lola tipped her head back with a loud laugh. “So perfect.” When she straightened her head she met Jenna’s gaze head-on. “Especially for some people.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “Please. Do you think diva is an insult? It’s not. It just means I’m driven.”
To their surprise, Lillian nodded in agreement. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being driven.”
“Or in wanting to be famous,” Rose added.
Lola laughed. “So what are we saying? We should be proud to be divas?”
“Absolutely,” Jenna said.
Layne wrinkled her nose. “Isn’t the term a little chauvinistic?”
Rose shook her head. “Not if we’re claiming the name for ourselves.”
Lola arched a brow at Rose’s utter certainty. “Well I’ve always claimed I was a diva, but I guess you have a point.”
“Think about it,” Lillian said. “People who are driven are strong and determined.”
“They’re intimidating,” Rose added, pursing her lips in a fake scowl that made Lola laugh.
“True,” Layne said, her tone thoughtful. “Maybe being called a diva isn’t such a bad thing.”
“Shhh,” Jenna hissed, turning to face forward as the speaker began to read the section about requirements and judging criteria for vocals.
“If she thinks she’s going to win this one, she has another thing coming,” Lola hissed.
Layne patted her arm.
Lillian arched her brows as she met Rose’s gaze. “I’m really glad I’m not a singer.”
Rose laughed. “You think the dancers will be any less fierce? Think again.”
When they paid attention to the speaker again, she was wrapping up the guidelines and talking about their website where they’d be posting updates before the big competition in April.
“And this year, we’ve added something new,” the organizer said. “Along with adding a Facebook popular vote element to the applicable categories I addressed earlier, we’ve started a Facebook page specifically for the event where you can post your questions and concerns for quick answers. We encourage you all to join to stay in touch in the months leading up to the event.”
“Yeah, because that’s what I want,” Lola murmured. “To be psyched out by my competition for the next seven months.”
“Seriously,” Rose said.
“I don’t know, I think it’s kind of nice to have a place where we can ask questions about the rules,” Lillian said.
“Oh please.” Jenna sounded weary when she turned around. “Social media is just another form of distraction.”
“She has a point,” Layne said as the speaker finished and they grabbed their belongings, heading back out to drop off their official entry forms.
“Who?” Rose asked. “Jenna?”
“Ignore her,” Lola said. “She’s not into social media to begin with. The girl doesn’t even have an Instagram account.”
“Neither do I,” Layne said. “I’m just saying Jenna’s right about it being a distraction.”
“I definitely can’t afford distractions,” Lillian said under her breath.
“Neither can I,” Rose agreed. “None of us can if we hope to win.”
“And social media is the biggest distraction,” Layne concluded.
Lola scoffed. “Well, I love it. And it’s part of the competition now so we might as well embrace it. Besides, social media might be a distraction, but it’s not worse than boys.”
Layne nodded. “Fair enough. Boys are more of a distraction, especially for you, Lola.”
Rose laughed. “So what, are we supposed to close down all our online accounts and stop dating? Should I enter a nunnery while I’m at it?”
Layne laughed. “You don’t have to stop dating, just be sure you don’t . . . I don’t know . . .”
“Fall in love,” Lola suggested.
Rose’s brows arched in surprise at the L-word. “That I can definitely promise not to do.”
“Me too,” Lillian said. “I don’t have time to sleep, let alone deal with boy drama.”
“Me three,” Lola added. “There’s just too many kissable boys in the world to fall for just one.”
They laughed at Lola’s comment, but there was one among them who’d been silent.
Layne blushed. “Oh, I don’t have anything to worry about there. My love life is non-existent.”
“Then we don’t have anything standing between us and victory,” Rose said.
They’d stopped short of the desk where the organizers were collecting the forms and Jenna brushed past them, pushing Lola to the side as she beat them to the desk. “Word to the wise, ladies?” she called over her shoulder. “Keep your eye on the prize.”
Chapter One
Layne
No, no, no! This can’t be happening.
I looked down at the text from Lola again, willing the words to change. I waited for those hopeful little bubbles to appear, telling me this was all a joke. It was definitely something my best friend would find funny.