Secondhand Wishes by Anna Staniszewski

Author:Anna Staniszewski
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

After I’d made the wish, I didn’t feel any different. So, still safely locked in the bathroom stall, I tested out a few dance moves, humming the audition song under my breath as I went. I felt good. Actually, I felt great. The wish had to be working because I was suddenly sure that I was going to nail that audition!

Still, I spent the rest of lunch running through the steps in the bathroom, just in case. Even though Cassa and I hadn’t eaten together in days, I was in no rush to see her after she’d practically yelled at me that morning. Besides, I was so jittery with nerves that I wouldn’t be able to eat before the audition anyway.

For the rest of the day, I focused on doing everything perfectly, racking up enough good energy so that the universe would have to let my audition go well. As much as I wanted to trust that the wishing stones would take care of everything for me, we didn’t exactly have a perfect track record.

By the time the final bell rang, I was feeling pretty confident. I’d aced my science quiz and answered two questions right during English and even helped a girl in the hallway find a lost water bottle that had rolled behind a trash can. Everything was set for my audition.

When I got to the auditorium, there were already a bunch of kids there running through the steps. So many kids. How was I ever going to get through to the second round of auditions next week? But I made myself take a deep breath and go write my name on the sign-up sheet. Then I went to a corner of the auditorium and did some stretches just like I’d seen in a YouTube video: jogging in place first, then doing some arm circles, knee bends, and torso twists.

After a minute, the door opened again and Marina walked in. Ugh. What was she doing here? Wasn’t it bad enough that she’d tried to steal my best friend? Now she was going to try to steal my spot in the dance club?

No way was I going to let that happen.

“Okay, everybody!” Miss Flores called out. “Let’s get started. I’ll put you into groups and each group will get up onstage and audition together. Let’s begin!”

She called out several names that didn’t include mine. I went to sit in the audience to watch the first round, which included Marina. As the music started and she began doing the steps, I had to admit that she was pretty good. Her limbs were long and graceful, and the fact that she was taller than most of the other kids made your eye immediately go to her. No doubt she’d make it to the next round. She seemed to know it too, because when the routine ended, she came off the stage with a big smile on her face. Ugh.

After Miss Flores had marked a few things on her clipboard, another group of kids went up onstage.

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