Page 17 of Disharmony

“Tiffany,” McCallister calls out. He massages his temples like this is a torturous task, and not listening to the best young singers the world has to offer. “Show me why I’m not wasting my time.”

“Gladly,” she replies, flicking her blonde locks over her shoulder with the effortless confidence of someone who’s had everything they’ve ever wanted. Unlike her friend, being in the presence of a boy band star is nothing new. She waves in his direction, like they’ve known each other for years. “Hi, Levi.”

Levi nods in acknowledgment. “’Sup.”

“She knows him,” someone whispers loudly. “You know, I heard she’s dating Zach.”

That makes sense. The only thing that would make Tiffany Lockhart’s ego bigger is dating the front man of the Lionhearts. The two of them are basically made for each other. Children of superstars always end up together, don’t they?

The music plays, and Tiffany goes into performance mode. She sings a modern take on Someone Like You by Adele, not missing a note. As well as singing, she throws in dance moves which are timed to perfection, leaving me with no doubt she already knew her allocated song before class. Something that well-choreographed couldn’t be put together in thirty minutes. I’d bet the rest of my college fund she’s been working on the piece all year in the lead up to this moment.

“Bravo!” McCallister stands and claps as she finishes. Tiffany’s entourage join in and cheer. Grudgingly, I applaud along with them. Mommy’s checkbook may have given her an advantage, but no one can deny she has talent. “Video Girl, you’re up next.”

“It’s Ash,” I say automatically.

Shit. That’s me.

McCallister’s glasses slide down to rest on the edge of his nose. He looks me up and down like he’s already planning how he could turn me into a miniature Britney Spears.

“If you want me to remember your name,” McCallister says coldly, “then you have to make me care.”

Make him care? I resist the urge to point out making him care would have been easier if he picked a song that actually allowed me to convey emotion. How can you depict any real feeling in a song about a character you can’t relate to?

As I climb the steps up the stage, I see Levi yawn and scroll through his social media feed on his phone. After all his success, he clearly thinks he’s above everyone else. Lucky for me, unlike my starstruck peers, I don’t give a shit about what the Lionhearts think about me. If I had to sing for an artist I admired, I would beg the ground to swallow me up before singing a song like this.

The song starts playing, and I start to sing. I try to replicate the original as closely as possible, despite feeling like I’m selling a shred of my soul with every word.

“Stop.” McCallister waves his hands in the air to cut me off after the first three lines. He hasn’t stopped anyone else mid-line or so close to the beginning. This is definitely not a good sign. “Let me ask you a question, Video Girl. Do you want to be here?”

My cheeks heat, and I nod. My pale complexion means I can’t hide a blush. It’s something Brick has always teased me about, and I would give him a dead arm whenever he pointed it out.

“Then show me.” McCallister slams his fist down on the table. “How can you sing a pop song and stand there as wooden as a tree?”

He has a point, but… ouch.

“I’ll go again,” I say, trying to summon some peppy energy. When Brick played in the finals, I sat in the back of the bleachers to watch his games and suffered through the cheerleaders’ dances. All I have to do is pretend to be like them. “From the top.”

McCallister flicks his wrist like a conductor, and the song starts to play once more. I take a deep breath and begin again. My face hurts as I try to sing and smile at the same time.

“No!” McCallister yells out. He flaps around his hands like a swarm of invisible bees have descended upon him this time. “No, no… NO! What aren’t you getting about this? Where is your energy? You need to bring some oomph to the stage. If you can’t do that, then you don’t deserve to be standing here. Get off my stage.”

Fuck. Am I about to become the only person in Camp Harmony history to be kicked out after less than a week? A complete scholarship failure. A fraud. Someone who never deserved their place.

I can’t allow it to happen. I need this. I have to save my summer and recover because losing everything is not an option. Across the room, a guitar propped against the wall catches my attention.

“Give me one more chance,” I plead. It’s worth the risk. “But I’ll do a different take on it this time.”

“Why should she get another chance?” Tiffany complains loudly. Two girls either side of her nod furiously in agreement. “No one else did. Just because she thinks she’s internet famous doesn’t mean she should be treated differently.”

“Internet fame is fleeting, sweetheart,” McCallister says, his judgmental gaze burning into the depths of my soul. The douchebag enjoys making others squirm. Making young people feel like shit is the only way he makes himself feel powerful. “A few minutes of fame will not make a lifetime of success—”

“Let her try,” Levi interrupts, tearing his eyes away from his cell phone for a second. He speaks quietly, but his words leave an impression. Everyone turns to stare at him, almost not believing he’s spoken. In between replying to fan mail, he must be paying attention to the unfolding situation after all. “What harm will it do to give her another chance?”

McCallister frowns, torn between continuing to tear me down and not wanting to damage his reputation by disagreeing with an influential celebrity coach. He may be in charge, but he knows the Lionhearts approval is like liquid gold.

“One more chance.” McCallister holds up his finger stiffly then turns to Levi. “But this is on you, York.”

Levi shrugs and returns to mindless scrolling again, like he couldn’t care less what McCallister says. Why did he intervene if he isn’t bothered about the outcome? His indifference pisses me off, and I want to make him listen.

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