Raw Talent by Jocelyn Shipley

Author:Jocelyn Shipley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459818361
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2018-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

Eleven

At lunch the next day, Jasmeer passes me a container of cookies. “My dad is still trying to perfect his sunflower design,” she says. “What do you think?”

I study them for a minute. “Hmm. I like the green leaf he added, but it looks like it would be a lot more work to mass-produce them.”

“Exactly what he figured out,” Jasmeer says. “You can have them.”

“All of them? Thanks!” I grab one and take a big bite.

“Yup. I can’t eat any more.” She chooses an apple instead. “Oh, hey, I meant to ask. Can you help with cookie sales at intermission?”

I almost choke. “No!” I take a drink. “I mean, sorry, but I can’t.”

“Why not? It would take your mind off going onstage in the second half.”

“But Maxine said that during intermission I should find a quiet place, block out everything, do some deep breathing and focus on my performance.”

“Oh,” Jasmeer says. “Okay, that makes sense.”

“And speaking of Maxine, did you give her my message?” I waited and waited last night, but she didn’t call.

Jasmeer pats my arm. “She was still out when I went to bed, so I put a note under her door,” she says. “Don’t worry—she’ll call. And you’re going to be fine. You know that, right?”

No. I’ll probably be throwing up in the washroom at intermission. That’s if I’m still going to sing. “I don’t know, actually. Maybe I should go find Vanessa right now and take my name off the list.”

“Whoa! Don’t say that. Don’t even think it!”

“Well, it’s hard not to imagine the worst. I mean, the Sweetland Singers are on right before me.”

“Huh? So what?”

I didn’t mean to mention them. But now I can’t stop myself from telling Jasmeer the story of my failed audition. She listens without interrupting. When I’m done she says, “But that was years ago. And isn’t Maxine helping you work through your anxiety? I thought you said your coaching was going great.”

“Yeah, it is. But—”

Just then a group of girls surrounds us. Girls who’ve never spoken to me before. They’re all talking at once.

“Hey, are you Paisley?”

“Are you the girl Maxine Gaston is coaching?”

“You must be really good!”

“Can’t wait to hear you sing!”

They must have seen Cadence’s post. My mouth goes dry and my legs go wobbly. “Let’s get out of here,” I say to Jasmeer. We pack up our lunch stuff and try to escape. But the girls follow us.

“How’d you get Maxine to coach you?”

“What’s it like working with her?”

Jasmeer turns and faces the pack. “Paisley has no statement to make at this time. Please respect her privacy.”

“Thanks,” I say, the two of us laughing as we exit the cafeteria. “You’re hired.”

“Done. And my advice as your new manager? Forget everything but your singing.”

“I know,” I say. “I’ll try.”

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