Bennett — Age 16
Students filed into the auditorium. The energy level was higher than expected considering the reason: our end-of-year talent show, Autumn Ridge High’s Got Talent.
With how cringy it was to watch our peers bumble their way through acts that were often less than impressive, I’d chalk the excitement up to a combination of it being a Friday and summer almost being here.
“Hey, Ben.”
I froze when I realized Katie Heaton was speaking to me. She was a grade above me and a cheerleader. “Hey,” I said, trying to keep it cool.
She tucked her long brown hair behind her ear. “Do you have somewhere to sit? Because if not, you’re welcome to sit with me and my friends.”
I’d planned to sit with Carson, but we hadn’t actually talked about it. Besides, I was confident Carson wouldn’t blame me for accepting Katie’s offer. If it were him, he wouldn’t hesitate a moment. “That’d be great.”
She started down a row with several of her whispering, giggling friends leading the way.
Half of the varsity football team occupied the row of seats directly behind ours, and before I could regret my choice of joining Katie, Levi, the quarterback, held out a fist to me. “Hey, Ben. Welcome to the big leagues.”
“Thanks, man,” I said, fist bumping him and doing likewise to the other guys nearby. Technically, I’d been on the varsity team this past fall, but being a sophomore and not a starter, I wasn’t officially one of the guys. Yet.
When I sat, Katie was talking to the friend on the other side of her, so I glanced around, searching for Carson again.
“Who are you looking for?” Katie asked, leaning over the armrest toward me.
“Carson Price.”
She turned in her seat, scanning the auditorium. “There he is.” She pointed toward the door. I lifted my hand, hoping to catch his eye, but he saw Tate first and made his way toward him.
“Carson’s welcome to sit with us,” Katie said.
I glanced over at him again, and this time he was looking right at me, an amused Tate clearly having alerted him to where I was. After an impressed eyebrow lift, Carson started into a slow applause.
“That’s okay,” I said, turning my attention back to Katie before she noticed. “So why aren’t you performing in the talent show?” I asked before realizing exactly what it was I was asking.
She pulled her lips inward like I’d just said the funniest thing and she was trying not to laugh.
Keith, one of the senior football players, leaned forward, slinging his arms around both of our shoulders. “Because she’s not a loser.”
I sent her an apologetic look. “I only meant you’re so talented…” Man, I was such an idiot.
“Nice recovery attempt,” Keith said with a laugh, leaning back when the lights dimmed.
Principal Stevenson stepped onto the stage, holding a microphone. “Welcome, students of Autumn Ridge High. We are so pleased to welcome you all to this year’s talent show…” The principal’s words seemed to dim as Katie leaned toward me, her lips an inch or two away from the side of my face.
“I actually thought about performing a dance with a few of my friends, but they vetoed me.”
Regardless of whether she was trying to make me feel better about my comment or not, I smiled and leaned a touch closer. “I would have liked to see that.”
She bit at her lip, then her gaze shifted forward.
Throughout the entire talent show, I could focus on little else besides Katie Heaton and how close she sat to the armrest between us. The way her foot kept brushing against mine. And the way she would smile at me whenever a performer did something cringy.
After a surprisingly entertaining magic show, the principal stepped back onto the stage.
“Wow. Wasn’t that fun? We sure have some talented students here at Autumn Ridge High.
Which brings us to our last performance—a special musical number by one of our freshmen.
The piece is…” He looked at his paper. “Sar-daaz.” He gave an uneasy chuckle. “I’m not sure I said that right.”
Someone just off stage must have said something because he leaned toward the side momentarily, then nodded. “Let’s try that again. The piece is Csárdás by Vittorio Monti.” He glanced to his right again. “Did I get it that time?” He smiled. “Wonderful. Now please welcome Maven Price to the stage.”
Maven?!
I flew forward in my seat, searching out Carson in the dim light, but his attention was on his sister.
He brought his thumb and finger to his mouth, letting off a piercing whistle.
Why hadn’t he stopped her from signing up for the talent show?
This had the potential to mark her as a loser for the rest of her high school experience.
An older woman joined her on the stage and took a seat at the piano.
Maven placed the violin beneath her chin, lifted her bow, then gave a nod to the woman, who began to play.
The first few notes of her violin caused my jaw to slacken.
She wasn’t squeaking through the music this time.
In fact, the tune was… I didn’t even know the word.
Mesmerizing, maybe? The whole auditorium seemed to fall into a stunned silence as she swayed and moved with the song.
When had she gotten so good? I mean, she was always in her room practicing when I’d go to Carson’s, but she usually came out within minutes of me arriving. And I had conveniently missed her last few concerts.
Katie gave a small exhale at my side. I looked over to find her hand pressed against her chest and a slight smile on her lips. When she noticed me looking at her, she leaned in close. “That’s Carson’s sister, right?”
“Yeah,” I whispered, trying to reconcile the mischievous girl I knew with the one up on stage, captivating an audience of rowdy high schoolers into submission.
“She’s amazing.”
Suddenly, the song seemed to change. The speed increased and the notes grew lively. Her fingers were now flying about as her bow slid back and forth in quick bursts of motion.
Several cheers broke out as she continued, and Carson’s distinct whistle sounded again.
But Maven didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes were closed, like she was lost in the music.
When the last few notes of her song echoed, then stopped, her eyes fluttered open, and she looked around as if surprised to find she wasn’t alone.
The whole auditorium erupted in cheers, and I found myself clapping as loud as anyone.
“That’s it.” Levi’s teasing voice from behind caught my attention. “I think I’m in love.”
Several of the guys laughed.
“I might go for her myself,” Keith said. “She’s way too hot for you.”
Hot? Maven?
Ha!
I mean, I guess she looked good in her short black dress with her light blond hair curled like it was. And I’d noticed recently that she’d finally grown into those massive teeth of hers. But hot? Her music had clearly put them in some kind of trance.
Maven gestured to the pianist, who gave a nod of acknowledgment with her head, before taking a bow when the applause continued. When she lifted again, she smiled and waved, her big eyes sparkling in the spotlight.
My mouth fell open.
What the crap?! Maven was hot!
“Besides,” Keith said. “It’d be fun to discover if she’s as much of an angel as she appears to be.”
“Just because your girlfriend doesn’t go to our school doesn’t mean she wouldn’t hear about your conquest,” Levi said to Keith, making several of the guys laugh again. “But I’ll gladly keep you posted on the whole angel thing.”
My hands clenched into fists, and my jaw tightened.
An irrational anger surged through me. Or maybe it was entirely rational.
That was Carson’s little sister they were talking about!
It didn’t matter if she was suddenly hot; she was still way too young and innocent to be made a conquest by guys like Keith and Levi.
There was no way I was letting either of them anywhere near Maven.