“Woooooooooo-hoooooooooooooooooo!” Layne hooted in Claire’s ear as Syd led a stumbling chain of costumed third-graders across the Westchester Community Theater stage for their fourth bow. The applause in the small theater reached a frenzied pitch, making Claire hear a buzzing sound. And she’d lost all feeling in her neck sometime between “Tonight” and “I Feel Pretty,” since as VIP guests of the director, Claire, Layne, and Cara had gotten to sit in the front row, tilting their heads back at a 90-degree angle for the production.
On the other side of Layne, Cara leaned forward in her seat, her blond waves skimming her knees. “Aren’t they adorable?” she called, her cheeks flushed from the stale warmth that hovered over the creaky theater seats.
Claire nodded. To her right, a middle-aged man holding a blinking camcorder turned and smiled proudly.
“THAT’S MY GIRL!” he yelled, waving a cellophane-wrapped bouquet of roses at the herd of little girls on stage.
Congratulations, mouthed Claire politely. She let her eyes dart down to her cell, which had been resting on her left thigh ever since she’d taken her seat. No calls, no texts… not even a Twitter update or a Facebook posting. She yanked up the sleeves on her hoodie, needing some air.
It wasn’t like calling Massie again would make her pick up. And by now, Claire was too exhausted and confused to figure out why her friend wasn’t responding. Was she mad that Claire had hung with Syd and Cara last night? Too busy having fun with Landon to answer? Or just generally hurt that Claire had been looking for friends outside the Pretty Committee?
The applause started to settle, and Claire shook the ringing from her ears. Looking perfectly at home under the white-hot theater lights, Syd was holding a bouquet of flowers and a program. She waited for the shouts of proud parents to die down, then spoke into the lapel mic on her black cowl-neck sweater. Claire craned her neck again, staring up Syd’s oval-shaped nostrils.
“Thanks to everyone for supporting this year’s production.” Syd’s voice boomed throughout the theater, commanding the audience’s attention. “We hope you enjoyed the show. Just a couple notes, and then we’ll wrap up. Don’t forget, opening night for the main-stage show Beauty and the Beast is coming up, so get your tickets. And auditions for the spring musical, Little Shop of Horrors, will be held in—”
“Daddy loves you, Michelle!” the stage dad next to Claire called out.
A giggle rippled through the audience. On stage, Michelle widened her eyes in humiliation and ran to hide behind Syd.
“… will be held in two weeks,” Syd smiled into her shoulder, swatting the little girl’s head with a program. “Thanks, and have a great afternoon.” The kids took another bow and a dusty-smelling velvet curtain careened from the rafters, sweeping across the stage.
If Claire had a mic of her own, she would have sprinted to the Block Estate to explain everything at top volume. How she’d never meant to hurt Massie or the Pretty Committee. How the upgrade had made her feel like she had no other choice but to find friends who accepted her, eighth-grade crush and all.
But most of all, Claire wanted Massie to know that hanging with Syd and Cara was starting to make her change her mind about having older friends. That maybe Massie had been right, after—
“So what’re we doing after?” Layne said, interrupting her thoughts. Claire hadn’t even noticed Layne standing over her, clogging the aisle as parents jostled to get to the steps that led up to the stage.
Cara shrugged, flicking a piece of blond hair away from her eyes. “Wanna go see a movie?”
“Meh.” Layne didn’t look enthused.
Claire checked her phone again.
“Girls!” Syd hurried out from behind the curtain and eased onto the stage, swinging her legs over the edge and depositing an armful of bouquets next to her. “So… ?” Her baby blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Inspired,” Layne decided grandly.
“Couldn’t have been cuter.” Cara fanned herself with a folded program.
“Totally.” Claire nodded, wishing Massie wasn’t hogging all her attention from somewhere across town.
Syd bowed dramatically. When she swung upright again, she pushed a brunette lock behind her ear and looked at Claire.
“So whadja think?” she prompted with a kind smile.
I think I’ve had enough drama to last me a lifetime. Claire used her palm as a visor to shield her eyes from the beaming stage lights. “About… ?”
“Little Shop auditions! You in?”
“I’m definitely thinking about it.” Claire sideswiped her bangs.
“I still have to find a song,” Cara announced. “I’ll probably do ‘Suddenly Seymour.’” She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and broke into song in the middle of the crowded theater. In seconds, Layne and Cara joined in. Even Claire sang along, relaxing into her chair a little: “Suddenly Seymour! Is standing beside you! You don’t need no makeup! Don’t have to preteeeeeeend!”
“You know it!” Cara grinned. “Cool.”
Claire nodded. “It’s one of the songs on my show tunes karaoke mach—” She cut herself off, hoping the parents’ chatter and the slapping of little-kid feet up and down the aisles had drowned her out.
But Syd and Cara didn’t roll their eyes at her or shoot her down with a snappy comeback. Instead, they leaned forward in excitement, chattering at the same time.
“You have a karaoke machine!” Cara gasped. “No way! I’ve always wanted one of those!”
“Can we go try it out?” Syd plucked her lapel mic from her collar. “Like, now?”
“I call first song!” Layne smacked the stage with her palm.
Claire burst into relieved laughter. This was definitely not the reception she’d been expecting. She’d only mentioned singing karaoke to the PC one time since moving to Westchester, and it had been her last. The Pretty Committee had shot it down with the speed and precision of a highly trained firing squad. Massie pinky-swore up and down that the word karaoke was Japanese for LBR. Alicia said if anybody at OCD ever found out Claire even brought it up, she’d be forced to move to Spain to live with her cousins, as part of the Westchester Protection Program. Kristen said she’d rather be playing soccer, and Dylan had come down with bad sushi poisoning.
“CLAIRE!” Layne, Cara, and Syd yelled, bringing her back. “Let’s go!”
Syd jumped off the stage, landing with a thud next to Claire. “I can have my stuff together in five. Meet you outside.” She hurried off to the dressing rooms, belting the second verse to “Suddenly Seymour” at the top of her lungs.
“’Kay.” Claire laughed, feeling the girls’ enthusiasm start to wash away her bad mood.
Layne grabbed Claire’s wrist and jerked her to standing. “Hurry it up, Chuck!”
“Coming!” Claire followed Layne and Cara down the theater aisle toward the exit. Maybe now she could finally leave the drama behind.