Page 82 of I'll Be the One

“You deserveeverything!” Lana says. “Thanks for giving Tiffany and me a final moment to shine. It was so fun.”

“Definitely a good way to spend our last night in LA,” adds Tiffany.

“You guys are leaving tomorrow?” I feel a sudden wave of sadness as I realize the full implications of this competition ending. I’ll see Imani again in Korea, and I’ll hang out with Henry here in LA, but when will I see Lana and Tiffany again?

“Aw, don’t be sad!” Lana says. “Not on your big day, at least. NorCal really isn’t that far from LA. You should visit us in the Bay Area when you have the chance! You can just stay with your dad, right?”

I nod and hug them even more tightly, making promises to see them again.

Clarissa and Rebecca ambush me the moment I exit backstage, crying and cheering.

“OH MY GOD!” exclaims Rebecca, while Clarissa screams, “Queen!”

Clarissa gets so excited that she almost whacks me with the bouquet of pink flowers that she and Rebecca brought me. I laugh, my body shaking from both relief and whatever’s left of my adrenaline from performing onstage.

We’re in a tight group hug when someone clears his throat behind us. I don’t even have to look to know who it is. My friends’ wide-eyed expressions say it all.

“Hey,” Henry says. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Henry Cho.”

I always thought Clarissa would scream and completely lose it when she finally met Henry, but what actually happens is a bit more concerning. She just stands there, her face white as a sheet. Rebecca’s not faring any better, but she manages to snapout of it and say, “Sorry you lost. I thought you were really great, though.”

Henry shrugs good-naturedly. “Imani was way, way better. She totally deserves it. And I had fun, which is more than I could have ever expected from all of this.”

My friends look puzzled, but I know exactly what he means. And I’m really happy for him. Henry came into this competition because he was angry at someone but came out of it truly enjoying himself.

Henry’s eyes focus on me then, and his gaze softens. He approaches me, and I let go of my friends so Henry can wrap me in a big hug.

“Hey, you,” he whispers. “Congratulations. See? I knew you’d win.”

It’s only when I see my friends’ shocked reactions over Henry’s shoulder that I realize I forgot to tell them a very important detail.

“Oops.” I let go of Henry and give my friends a nervous smile. “Um, yeah, so... surprise! You guys were right. Henry and I are dating now... for real. It’s not just for the show.”

“Skye!” Clarissa yells, at the same time Rebecca asks, “Since when?”

And then, I can’t help it. I laugh until tears come out of my eyes.

The house is quiet when I walk through the front door. The lights are out, so I have no way of knowing if anyone’s evenhome. Which is weird, since it’s past ten. Mom’s usually home by now.

“Mom?” I call out. It occurs to me that she might not respond, even if she’s home. She went back to giving me the silent treatment after our fight at the dinner table.

Of course, I knew I couldn’t expect the same kind of recognition that Dad gave me earlier from Mom, but still, I expected...something.

In the end, I find Mom out in the garden, tending to the bushes. I don’t question why she’s gardening when it’s pitch-dark and cold. It’s pretty obvious from the timing that she’s trying to avoid me.

At first, I think she didn’t hear me approach. But then she says, “So, you did it.”

Her voice is strangely flat, and for a second, I wonder if I should turn back and hope she goes back to ignoring me again. A cold shoulder is better than whatever bitter words she might have for me after my win.

“Y-yeah,” I say, and I hate how my voice breaks. But I can’t help it. I’m all tensed up around her, unsure what to expect next.

“I saw your performance. You did a great job.”

“Thanks.”

I don’t let my guard down. I’m still waiting for a “but.”

But that dress was very unflattering on you.

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