No matter how much Sydney appealed to the a cappella gods, Friday still came and with it the Bradley Academy Open House.

Like most private schools, Bradley pulled out all the stops when it came to opening its doors to prospective new students. All morning tour groups had been walking around the quad, which was decorated with welcome banners and navy and gold balloons. She’d been stopped several times by kids who had lost their group, and she had gotten stuck behind slow-moving parents carrying brochures and marveling at the school’s new turf football field. Sydney had to duck and weave around them all morning to get to class on time. Not that she could keep her mind on schoolwork.

This would be her Nightingales’ first performance as a group in public. While she and Whitney were playing nice, they disagreed on just about everything and the girls were still arguing over individual parts. What if Mercedes didn’t remember to rein in her loud voice like Sydney and she had been practicing? What if Julianna got stage fright again? What if the whole school made fun of Donna, who wouldn’t part with her Sharpie-designed Ms. Heel?

At least the song they’d been practicing sounded decent. After daily practices during lunch hour and after school, Whitney and Sydney had come up with an arrangement of the song that worked. It turned out Pearl was their hidden talent. Her beatboxing took the song to a whole new level. Now Sydney just prayed they could pull it off.

Sydney waited by the fountain outside the theater for the other girls to arrive. They were going to walk together over to the courtyard where Bradley had put up an outdoor stage. She pulled herself up on the fountain bench and swung her legs anxiously. She was a wreck, and when she felt like this only one person could calm her down.

She pulled out her phone to text Lidia and stopped herself. She still needed that reminder sometimes: You and Lidia aren’t talking. The truth was, no matter how bad Lidia had messed things up by bailing on the Nightingales, Sydney still missed her other half terribly.

She heard talking and looked up.

“Move it out, people!” Whitney said. “We’re on in twenty and I want to be ready to walk out onstage early.”

“Hi, guys!” Sydney faked enthusiasm. “Ready to wow Bradley?” Julianna looked three different shades of green. Uh-oh. Do I say something or will that make her more nervous?

“Ms. Heel is so nervous, she could throw up,” Donna said.

Sydney wasn’t sure what the appropriate response was to that. “I’m sure she’ll be fine!” She might need to borrow Ms. Heel’s imaginary barf bag and throw up in it herself.

“I still can’t remember—do we spin right or left after the first chorus?” Gabby asked.

“LEFT!” said Mercedes as Pearl said, “Right!”

Micayla sneezed. “Does anyone have a tissue? I feel like I’m getting a cold.”

“Do we have an actual answer on the spinning?” Viola pressed. “Right or left?”

Gabby burst out laughing and the other girls looked at her. “Sorry. I’m just thinking about the Kingfishers and the surprise they’ll find in their performance jackets this morning.”

Sydney paled. “Oh, Gabs, you didn’t do something, did you? Performance days are off-limits just like audition days.”

“But they went after us on audition day,” Gabby pointed out.

“Because we went after their pizzas.” Micayla sounded nasally.

Sydney was afraid to even ask. “What did you do?”

Gabby gave her a sly smile. “I might have left a carton of red ants near where they hang those gold coats they wear for performances.”

Everyone gasped.

“Gabs, you didn’t!” Viola said. “Those ants burn. They’ll know it was us.”

Gabby shrugged. “They can’t prove it.”

“Let’s just get over to the stage.” Whitney herded everyone along.

Micayla sneezed again. “Does anyone have cold medicine? I feel nauseous and I’m not nervous. I never get nervous.”

“You just need air,” Donna told her.

“We’re outside! I’m already getting air,” Micayla snapped.

Sydney snuck a glance at Julianna, who walked quietly beside her. Her normally sun-kissed skin had a definite green hue. “How are you doing?”

Julianna exhaled. “I’m fine. I think. I’ve been focusing on my breathing like you suggested. And I’m standing next to Gabby onstage and she offered to hold my hand. That seems to calm me down. I think I’ll be okay. At least I hope so.” Julianna stopped short when she saw the crowd gathered around the stage. “Wow. There’s a lot of people here.”

“Forget the people,” Sydney said, hoping she could get through to her. “Just focus on your team. We know you can do this.” Julianna swallowed hard. “If I were putting together a new team today, I’d still pick you. I want you to know that.”

Julianna managed a small smile. “Thanks.”

The noise volume increased as they reached the courtyard. There were so many students and parents packed into the area, Sydney could barely see the stage. Sydney had the lineup from Mr. Wickey so she knew the dance troupe had gone on first, then the band and then the orchestra. The choral groups were always last. Sydney stood on her tippy toes and saw the general chorus taking the stage. She wondered if Lidia was performing with them. She’d heard she’d joined, but she didn’t see her. A few seconds later, they started a decent cover of a song from The Phantom of the Opera. The Kingfishers would go on when the chorus was done.

“Come on,” Whitney said, pushing her way through the crowd with the Nightingales in tow.

Sydney followed, scanning the crowd as they walked. She knew it was silly, but part of her thought Lidia might watch their performance.

“Syd!” She turned around. “Wait up!” Griffin was waving frantically from across the crowd.

Sydney blushed, thinking of how close she’d come to kissing him at Cliff Notes. She didn’t want to be distracted before her performance. She waved and kept walking. “Ready, captain?” Sydney asked Whitney.

“Ready!” Whitney narrowed her eyes at the group. “Don’t screw this up.”

Sydney cleared her throat.

“I mean, do great out there and—ACHOO!” Whitney glared at Micayla. “Great! I’m getting your cold.” She sneezed three more times in a row.

“Have fun and sing it loud,” Sydney told the Nightingales. “Wait!” she panicked. “Where’s—oh, there’s Julianna.” Julianna didn’t look happy, but she was still there. Sydney smiled at her. “You guys have got this.”

The Kingfishers filed onto the stage from the opposite staircase. Sydney was grateful she didn’t have to see Griffin and the others close up. They’d probably try to get into the Nightingales’ heads before they took the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our next act needs no introduction,” Headmistress Sato said. “The Kingfishers have taken home more trophies than any a cappella group in this school’s history.”

The Nightingales collectively rolled their eyes.

“They tell me they’re ready to rack up more this year,” Headmistress Sato added. “Let’s hear it for the Bradley Academy Kingfishers!”

The crowd went wild. The guys walked to the edge of the stage to shake hands with students. Griffin was still trying to motion to Sydney. What was wrong with him? When onstage, “Fake it till you make it” was her motto.

“Let’s hear it for the best a cappella group on campus!” Dave shouted into the mic.

“I can’t stand them,” Whitney said through gritted teeth. Then she sneezed again.

“Guys, I don’t feel so great,” Micayla said.

“Look! They’re not wearing their gold jackets,” Gabby said with glee. “Those are their good luck charms. Let’s see how they perform without them!” She laughed. “Ooh, Dave is giving me such a look. What, Dave? Prove it!’ ” Gabby yelled at the stage.

“Please let Dave’s pitch pipe break. Please let Dave’s pitch pipe break,” Donna repeated under her breath.

“Guys, does anyone else feel dizzy?” Whitney clutched her stomach. She probably had a case of nerves too. It happened sometimes.

Dave blew into his pitch pipe and the Kingfishers kicked things off with the official Bradley Academy pledge, which they had turned into a unique rap. The crowd went wild for that one. Then they dove into a short skit about a cappella (were they acting now too?) and high-fived prospective students. Finally, they started to sing.

It took Sydney a moment to register what she was hearing. She heard the song. She knew the song. But it took her a minute to realize why it sounded so familiar.

“Wait a minute,” Gabby said, slowly realizing it too. “They’re singing our song!”

Sydney watched in horror as the guys sang and danced their way around the stage to “Turn Up the Music.” Her mouth gaped when Dave turned and winked at her.

“Our practices have been compromised!” Viola said, holding Gabby back from rushing the stage. “They stole our number!”

“How? We haven’t practiced in the theater all week,” Pearl cried.

Sydney glanced at the stage again. Griffin. There could be no other explanation. He must have come to practice to talk to her one afternoon and heard their song. But he wouldn’t have told the Kingfishers, would he?

Her heart beat wildly as she watched the guys crisscross the small stage. She had no idea how quickly they had had to throw the number together, but they were still in sync. Even their solos were stellar and included rap breakouts!

“Of all the down-and-dirty a cappella tricks!” Gabby seethed. “They’re trying to make us look like fools!”

“Which is ridiculous, because we could have done that on our own!” Pearl declared. The others nodded.

Whitney moaned. “Does anyone else feel like the ground is moving?”

Micayla weakly raised her hand. “I do.”

Sydney was too stunned to speak. Could anything else possibly go wrong right now?

“Hi, guys!” said Lidia, showing up on the side of the stage with a big pink poster board that said GO NIGHTINGALES! in block letters. “I came to cheer you on. Are you ready?”

“Go away, Lidia,” Sydney moaned.

“But I just wanted to—” Lidia started to say.

“Not now!” the other girls shouted and Lidia shrank back.

When the Kingfishers’ rendition of “Turn Up the Music” ended, the crowd went wild. Sydney felt sick. The Nightingales couldn’t get up on that stage and perform the same song as the guys. It was too humiliating.

“Ready, girls?” Headmistress Sato asked.

“What do we do? What do we do?” Donna repeated over and over.

“We have to sing a different song,” Gabby said. “We can’t sing the same one.”

“I feel sick,” Whitney said.

“Me too,” Micayla moaned.

“I know, but it’s the only song we know! It’s the one we’ve been practicing!” Donna said, her Ms. Heel hand flailing around.

“Quick! What song do we all know?” Sydney asked.

“Do you guys know the new Katy Perry?” Viola ventured.

“Not Katy Perry!” they all moaned.

“Guys? I seriously feel like the ground is moving.” Whitney was starting to look as green as Julianna.

“And now a group that needs no introduction, but will get one from me anyway,” Headmistress Sato said. “My beloved Nightingales, which many of you know I was a part of, are back and better than ever.” She consulted her cue card. “And they’re here this afternoon to sing … oh, how funny! They’re going to sing the same song the Kingfishers did. I can’t wait to hear their arrangement. Let’s give them a warm welcome.”

Sydney’s head was spinning. She adjusted her microphone on her headset as the others did the same. Whitney looked out of it, so she couldn’t rely on her co-captain for help. She needed to think of a simple song. Any song. Something classic they all knew. Her mind went to show tunes, but not everyone was a theater geek like her. They needed a classic. They needed … Britney Spears.

“Baby One More Time,” Sydney blurted out. The girls looked at her. “Do you guys know it?”

“Sort of,” said Gabby as the others said, “I think so.”

“That’s my favorite song EVER!” Donna said. “Ms. Heel and I will take lead! This is awesome! We’re already wearing school uniforms just like Brit in the video!”

Ms. Heel? There was no time to worry. “Okay, sing it!” Sydney said. “You okay with that, Whitney?” Whitney and Micayla moaned. “I think that means yes. Okay, everyone onstage!” She shooed them onto the stage. “Sing the best you can! Use the same choreography as before!” She was starting to sound hysterical.

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Viola told her.

“It doesn’t matter! Just go! Go! Go!” Sydney was shrill as she pulled Julianna onto the stage with her. “You know this one, right?” Julianna nodded. “Can you do the melody with me?”

“I think so.” Julianna’s voice was no more than a whisper.

Julianna, please don’t fail me now.

Whitney took two steps onto the stage and fell backward into Viola. Sydney couldn’t blame her for freaking out. There were a lot of people out there, including the Kingfishers, who were watching with beady eyes, and Lidia with her stupid pink sign.

Now she shows up? Now? When she can’t even help us? Sydney blinked back hot tears. She stared past the crowd and focused on the palm trees. She took a deep breath. Then she got into position. Be Britney! You are Britney! Channel Britney! she willed the group.

Then she blew into her pitch pipe. As soon as everyone heard it, they started to sing while Pearl improvised with her beatboxing. She sounded great, as usual. It was the vocals that were the problem. Everyone started the song in different parts. Sydney couldn’t hear herself over the racket. She tried to hear her own voice to attempt harmony, but Micayla cut in front of her, pushing her way to the front of the pack.

“Hit me baby, one more time!” Micayla shouted unevenly though it wasn’t the chorus. “Whoo! Whoo! Go Nightingales!” She did a split in the middle of the stage. The audience cheered, but the move threw the rest of the group off balance. Julianna crashed into Viola, who hit Gabby. Mercedes was singing way too loud while Donna’s puppet was making quite the impression on the audience. “Oh baby, baby!” Now Micayla was running, spinning, and leaping across the stage like she was in dance class. Then she stopped suddenly and clutched her stomach.

Two seconds later, she ran offstage and threw up into a trash can.

Whitney was so busy looking at Micayla, she crashed into the podium and sent it rocking almost off the stage. The audience gasped. Viola thankfully righted the podium in time.

“Keep singing!” Sydney whispered, but as she did, Whitney had a sneezing attack.

“OH BABY, BABY!” Mercedes shouted at the top of her lungs. “COME ON, NIGHTINGALES! WHO WANTS TO SPIN WITH ME?” She grabbed Donna. The two banged heads.

“Oww!” Donna cried, and stumbled off the stage.

“Don’t leave me out here alone!” Gabby cried, knocking over a mic stand. The stand hit Viola in the head and she hit the floor. Gabby quickly pulled Viola offstage to check on her. The feedback on the speaker made the audience jump.

Sydney could see Headmistress Sato on the side of the stage. “Shocked” wasn’t the word to describe the expression on her face. Mr. Wickey looked equally horrified. Lidia was in the audience. She and Sydney locked eyes and the word “failure” came to mind. Sydney wasn’t sure she could feel any worse.

Then Sydney heard laughter. She scanned the audience. It was the Kingfishers, of course. They could barely control themselves, and Sydney could hardly blame them. She, Pearl, and Julianna were the last members standing. The way things were going, Sydney expected Julianna to bail any moment now too.

Her a cappella career, along with the Nightingales, had just gone up in flames in front of the entire school.