HARMONY

Friday, 3:25 P.M.

“Everything okay?” Zander asked as Stevie and I came through the loft door, dragging our heels. Between Paige’s bombed speech and Levi’s radio silence, this was turning into the worst day ever.

The guys were already in the breakfast nook, tuning their instruments. The Beat’s camcorder sat on a tripod in the kitchen, its red light flashing.

“Yup!” I said, forcing a cheery tone into my voice as I whipped off my jacket and flung it rodeo-style onto the pool table. “Annnnyway. Who’s up for a little rehearsal time?” I took my place next to Zander, and Stevie leaned against the island in the kitchen. The only way to salvage the afternoon was through a little music therapy. I wanted to lose myself in the notes like Wells had last night at the café.

Zander handed me a few pieces of sheet music. “We probably shouldn’t try new stuff before tonight, but I’ve been kicking around a new melody and I want to give it a shot. If it goes okay, maybe we can put the recording on the website. You in?”

“Do you even have to ask?” I cupped the mic in my right hand. It fit perfectly. I smiled directly into the camera lens. It might not have been a Channel M camera, but it felt good to be back in the limelight anyway. “Let’s do it.”

“I want to warm you up a little first, Kace. We’ll start here.” Without even looking at the keyboard, Nelson played a perfect chord progression. “Can I get a zing-ah?”

“Zing-ahhhhhhh.” My voice filled the loft, from the concrete floors to the high ceilings. It was powerful, strong. It was me. “Zing-AHHHHHHHHH.” Stevie looked away, pretending to be mesmerized by a photograph on the refrigerator.

“Whoa.” Zander bowed his head when I was finished. “You sound amazing.”

“Yeah, you do,” The Beat said.

I smiled. “Not that I’d mind you guys complimenting me all night, but can we get to the music?”

“Nice, Mainstream.” Kevin looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “So you’re really sticking around, huh?”

I lowered my mouth to the mic. “Try and stop me.”

“No way. You’re on a roll.” Zander’s tiny head-bob in my direction asked, You ready?

I head-bobbed back, Let’s go.

“And five, six, seven, eight!” The Beat rocked a slow rhythm, easing me into the song.

“Here you go,” Zander said. “This is you, riiiight—”

“Outside the world is gray and I listen.” My voice was soft and soulful, almost a raspy whisper. “As the minutes tick away, I’m just wishing. For the one who makes me feel like it’s all gonna be okay.”

Zander was watching me as he played. I closed my eyes. “I don’t know how she does it, it’s the way she says my name. The way she sees into my soul, and how she takes away my pain. And she tells me, sweet she whispers, that it’s all gonna be… okay.”

I felt a longing at my core as the final notes of the song evaporated, wishing I knew everything in my own life would be okay.

“Holy—” Kevin shook his head, breaking the silence in the loft. “That was—”

“I know. I know.” I tightened my grip on the mic. “Should we try it tonight?”

“For sure,” Zander said. The rest of the guys murmured their agreement.

“Aaaand…” I zeroed in on Stevie. She nibbled her thumbnail, her brow scrunched together like she was trying to drum up the best insult possible. But then her face relaxed, and she offered the slightest hint of a smile.

“It was good. But I think I know how to make it better.”

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and sighed directly into the mic. “Of course you do. Enlighten us.” I should have known better than to ask her opinion.

“Stevie. Come on.” Zander cracked his neck. “You have to admit, it was—”

“Just hear me out. I think it feels more like a duet.”

“And I’m sure you want to give it a shot?” I snapped.

She waltzed past my mic without acknowledging me. “Goose. You could do a pretty easy harmony, right? Just a few steps up, like this?” She hummed the first few bars. “Just keep it soft, so you don’t overpower her. She sounds good.” She signaled The Beat. “And five, six, seven, eight.”

Wait. What? Zander and I stared at each other in disbelief as Stevie sashayed back to the kitchen without commandeering my mic.

“You’re about to miss your cue,” she called over her shoulder.

“Yeah. Okay.” Zander abandoned his mic and joined me at mine. Our lips were millimeters apart. With every new measure, every note, we stayed in perfect harmony. Stevie was right—this song was a duet, and Zander and I were the perfect people to sing it. Together.

“I can feel it, dudes. Tonight is gonna be huge for us.” The Beat picked up his camera after our final note faded. “Say something. I want this moment on film.”

“Five bucks says this guy drops his camera before the end of the rehearsal.” Kevin smirked at the lens. “No. Ten.”

“I’ll get in on that action,” Nelson piped up.

“Say something about the show tonight, morons,” The Beat said, swinging around wildly and nearly falling backward. Zander had to grab his arm to keep him from eating concrete.

“So close.” Nelson laughed.

“I’ll say something.” Zander picked up his guitar. “Thanks to Kacey for booking this gig,” he sang to the camera. “After tonight, we might make it big. Our fans’ll demand that we write more jingles. They’ll even ask us to record a single.”

“Nerd alert.” Stevie stuffed her hands in her pockets.

“I love it,” I said, beaming at Zander over Stevie’s head.

“Actually, we should start talking about putting together an album,” Kevin agreed. “If we get good footage of the show tonight, maybe we could use it to get some paying gigs. Earn enough money to get a couple of hours in a recording studio.”

“Totally,” I said. Over on the pool table, my phone beeped in my coat pocket. I pulled it out and stopped in my tracks. There was one new voice mail from an unknown number.

I grabbed Stevie’s wrist. “Can you join me outside for a second?” I muttered urgently through a Simon Smile.

Stevie slapped my hand away. “What are you doing?”

“Chick fight!” Nelson crowed.

The Beat swung his camera in her direction. “Nice. Does anybody know if this thing has a slo-mo setting?”

“Dibs on a copy,” Kevin said quickly.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “You’re all disgusting.”

“What’s going on?” Zander asked.

“Nothing. Stevie dropped a mitten outside. We need to go get it.” I grabbed her hand, my heart racing with adrenaline.

The rest of the band stopped and looked at Stevie’s hands. Stevie’s fingerless-glove-covered hands.

“Fine. I have to talk to her.” I sighed. “In private. About… girl problems.”

“Ohhh!” Kevin and Nelson jumped back.

The Beat turned off the camera. “I’m out.”

“We’ll, uh, we’ll be here. Whenever you’re done.” Even Zander looked freaked out. “Take your time.”

“We’ll just be a second,” I yelled at the guys’ backs, then dragged Stevie outside. It couldn’t have been over forty degrees, but I barely felt the cold as I showed her the screen of my phone.

“Ohmygod.” Stevie clutched my arm. It was the first time I’d seen her lose her cool.

“Calm down. It’s probably just Mom, asking me to stop by the dry cleaner on my way home.” Still, my fingers were clumsy on the keypad as I typed in my voice mail PIN.

But when I heard the voice, I nearly dropped my phone.

“Ms. Simon? My name is Mick Williams, and I’m Levi Stone’s manager. Apologies for the last-minute call, but Mr. Stone wanted me to contact you regarding your message…”

I finished listening to the message, then blinked victoriously at Stevie.

“So… we did it.”

“Huh?”

“We did it!” I grabbed her by the shoulders. “As in, Levi Stone is coming to Marquette Middle School tonight to dedicate a song to his number one fan. And in a few hours, Channel Five will get a call from yours truly saying Levi specifically requested that Sterling Simon interview him at the school.”

There was a silent beat. Then Stevie screamed and shoved me into the chain-link fence that bordered the sidewalk. “No. You’re lying.”

Gleefully, I shook my head. “Nope. He’s gonna come in and dedicate a song to Paige. After he plays, Levi will give an exclusive interview to Mom. And do you know where she can’t be when she’s in the courtyard at Marquette?”

“On a hot-air balloon with my dad?” Her smile was all teeth.

“Bingo.”

“Nice work, Simon.” She held up her palm.

I slapped it. “You too.”

We hurried back into the loft, a huge smile on my face. In just a few hours, Mom would get a huge opportunity, Marquette would get to see Levi Stone, and I would get my family back. Just Mom, Ella, and me. The way we were supposed to be.