I won the talent show, and I didn’t even mean to enter.
B let the thought sink in.
I even beat Dawn.
Jumping jinxes. This couldn’t be happening.
But Dawn had earned her spot through talent and lots of hard work. B’s accidental gig was based solely on magic — that, and Mozart’s crazy personality. She had to put a stop to this somehow.
“Nancy? You still back there?” It was Clifton Davro’s voice. At any second the director would return from her phone call. There was only one thing to do.
“C-H-A-N-G-E,” she whispered, staring at her name on the page. B’s name faded from view as though an invisible hand had scrubbed it out with an eraser, stroke by stroke. But before a new name could appear, the door opened, and Nancy ran back through, looking flustered. B retreated out of sight just in time. Nancy snatched the clipboard off the table and hurried back out to the microphone.
“Each of you kids did a great job, and you should be very proud of yourselves for having the courage to audition,” she said. “Let’s have a big round of applause for all our contestants!”
Everyone clapped, then stopped, eager to hear the results.
“I’m pleased to announce our winners,” she said. “These are the names of the contestants who will represent your city on Friday night, where they’ll compete with the winners from nearby cities for just one place on our live TV show. When I call your name, please come up onstage. The contestants who will be progressing are …” There was a drumroll sound, then a pause while Nancy looked confused. She shrugged and announced, “Jason Jameson and Dawn Cicely!”
Jason came running up to the stage, shaking his hands over his head like a boxing champion. Dawn followed after, with several of her high school friends cheering for her. They stood side by side and bowed to the audience.
Clifton Davro peered over the top of his shades. “Um, Nancy, are you sure you read the right names?”
Nancy checked her clipboard.
“That’s right, Cliff,” she said. “According to the point scores you judges gave, these are our winners.”
Clifton Davro shot a confused look at his fellow judges, then smiled and said, “Well, then, congratulations! You did a fantastic job, and you’re going on to Friday’s finals. The best act from that will be on the TV show. See you then. That’s a wrap.” He rose and turned to leave.
B tiptoed away quickly, in case any of the judges or contestants left by the stage door near where she stood. She needed to get Mozart back to his cage.
When she left Mr. Bishop’s room after refreshing Mozart’s water, she headed for George’s locker. She found him there, stuffing his jumbled escapologist ropes and padlocks inside without really looking at what he was doing.
“Hey, George,” B said. “I thought you did great.”
“Ha.” George didn’t look up. “I was a disaster.”
“No, you weren’t. It was a really original idea. It was only because Jason swiped it from you that it didn’t go over so well.”
George closed his locker. “I looked like an idiot. Where did Jason get his hands on a straitjacket, anyway? And that cupboard? Man!”
“He wasn’t so impressive,” B said. “There’s no way Jenny Springbranch was just a volunteer. She probably slipped him the keys to his handcuffs. I don’t see why the judges chose him as the winner.”
George looked at B for the first time since she’d shown up, but he still wasn’t smiling. “Your act was better than his,” he said. “How come you didn’t tell me you were entering the competition?”
George wiped his glasses on his sweatshirt. “Well, it doesn’t matter. You did great.”
They left the school with their backpacks and started walking home. B explained everything that had happened, from Mozart begging to see the auditions to Nancy giving her the hat.
George laughed at last. “This could only happen to you, B.”
“And then when Mozart started singing, I just wanted to disappear.”
“That song was hilarious,” George said. “But the best part by far was Mozart telling off Jason. Mozart deserves to win the contest.”
“Next time we have a conversation — which, if I have any sense, won’t be anytime soon — I’ll be sure to tell him.”