The Secret Crush (15 page)

A
s soon as Zee woke up Sunday morning, she checked her email. Still nothing from Ally! It had been two days since Zee had emailed her. Zee couldn't imagine why Ally hadn't written her back. Was she too busy with Jacques?

 

The Beans had been practicing all morning. For the first half hour of the day, the sound equipment screeched and squealed—until Marcus's brother, Samuel, moved a few cables and pushed some buttons. Missy's E-string broke in the middle of her solo, so she had to stop and put on a new one. Then a piece of the set got stuck and wouldn't budge. That time, Mrs. Carmichael was there to coax it back on track.

Finally, they were rehearsing the last ensemble number.

The boys moved low across the stage like football players avoiding their opponents.

“Watch out!”
the football players shouted at Landon in song.
“She's just a dancer!”

Zee and the girls were in the middle of a hip-hop dance, bending and waving their arms.
“No way!”
the girls responded to the boys in a musical shouting match.
“He's not the answer!”

Zee threw her arms up as part of the dance.
Riiiippp.
The seam in the side of her shirt tore. Zee rushed offstage, holding the torn seam together with her hands.

“Take a break, everyone!” Jasper shouted in a very un-Jasperlike way. “We'll pick it up there when Zee is ready.”

Mrs. Carmichael rushed over with a needle and thread.
“Lift up your arm,” she said, carefully pushing the needle back and forth without poking Zee. “There! Good as new.”

“You're the best, Mom!” Zee said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I'm so glad you were here to help out.”

“Oh?” Mrs. Carmichael said, grinning slightly. “I thought you thought I was overprotective.”

“Who me?” Zee said innocently. “What gave you that idea?”

“It doesn't really matter now, does it?” Zee's mom responded. “You'd better get back onstage or there won't be a show tonight!”

“From the top of the scene!” Jasper boomed. This time they made it to the end without a mishap. When they finished, Zee realized that she was so worried about the musical, she hadn't even thought about Landon once.

Mr. P ran his fingers through his hair, which was flipping and flopping every which way. “Come on over here for a few quick announcements,” he said, waving them over in his direction. The cast sat down in the first row of auditorium seats.

The teacher shoved his hands in the front pockets of his blue jeans and leaned against the stage. “Thanks for working so hard, everyone! I think we got all the glitches out, and the world is ready to meet the Beans.”

“Yay!” the band shouted. Their energy could have lit up the entire stage.

“Tonight I'd like you to get your costumes on—boys in the main drama room and girls in the music room—then meet me backstage thirty minutes before showtime.”

While Mr. P was speaking, Kathi turned to whisper in Zee's ear. “I forgot to tell you one thing about the costu—”

“Kathi, please let me finish what I have to say,” Mr. P interrupted her. “Then you can talk all you want.”

Kathi's mouth dropped open. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. As Kathi stared down at her hands, Zee wondered,
Is she going to cry?

Mr. P finished his speech by telling everyone to “break a leg!” and everyone started talking. But before Zee could make sure Kathi was okay, Kathi flung her bag over her shoulder and rushed out of the auditorium.

“What's the matter with her?” Jasper asked.

“I think Mr. P embarrassed her,” Zee said.

“Not hardly,” Chloe said, shocked. “She never gets embarrassed. She usually does the embarrassing.”

“I don't know,” Zee said, thinking back on all of the new things she'd learned about Kathi over the past few weeks. “She might not be who we thought.”

 

That evening, Zee's mother dropped her at the Brookdale Academy auditorium entrance an hour before the show. To save time, Zee had put on her costume and makeup at home.

“Daddy, Adam, and I will be back in time for the show,” Mrs. Carmichael told Zee.

“Get here early so you can get a good seat,” Zee said.

“Of course we will!” Mrs. Carmichael said. “Your dad and I are very proud of you.” Her eyes started to glisten from tears.

“Please don't make me cry,” Zee said. “I spent an hour on my makeup, and I don't want to have to redo it.” She hopped onto the sidewalk and blew her mother a kiss. “I love you.”

Zee walked through the auditorium and stopped to look at the amazing set that Chloe and Missy had made for the first scene—the hip-hop dance studio, complete with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a fake window that looked out onto a block of brick Los Angeles row houses. She turned to the empty seats and pictured them filled with the Beans'
families and friends.

Then Zee pushed open one of the doors that led to the music hall. A sign that read,
SHHHH
!
PLEASE TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES AND MOBILE DEVICES
hung next to it.

“Oops!” Zee said, pulling out her Sidekick and turning it off.
That would be embarrassing.
Then, with preshow butterflies in her stomach, Zee looked for her costar.

 

“That was really great!” Landon told Zee after they'd finished running through their first duet. “I just hope I don't get nervous in front of all those people and mess it up.”

“Why don't we come up with a way to help each other calm down if either of us starts to freak out?” Zee suggested.

“Like what?”

“I don't know.” Zee thought. “How about a handshake? Ally and I used to do one. We'd high-five, then low-five, then shake, and bump right shoulders together.”

“Uh…that sounds pretty complicated,” Landon told her.

“It's not. I'll show you,” Zee said. “High five. Low five.” Landon caught on easily. “Shake.” Landon took her hand. “And bump right shoulders.” They leaned toward each other.

“That's where you guys are hiding!” Kathi said before
Zee even realized anyone else had come into the hallway.

Zee dropped Landon's hand. “We weren't hiding!” she answered immediately. Even though it was true, she felt as though she'd been caught doing something wrong.

“Whatev.” Kathi shrugged. “Mr. P wants you guys onstage.”

Landon and Zee started to move. Kathi put her hand on Zee's shoulder. “Wait a sec, Zee,” she said. “There's one scene I want to talk to you about real quick—best friend to best friend.”

“Oh, okay,” Zee said. “But we should make it fast.”

“I'll let Mr. P know you guys are coming,” Landon said, rushing off toward the stage door.

Kathi watched Landon disappear, then turned to Zee. “I thought you weren't going to kiss him,” Kathi hissed accusatorily.

“What…huh…I…” Zee said, looking around frantically. “That?” She giggled nervously. “That was—”

Before Zee could say more, Kathi pushed her. She fell backward—right into an open practice room.

“Hey!” Zee shouted, hurrying to stand.
Slam!
Kathi shut the door before she could get out. Zee turned the handle, but it wouldn't budge.
Kathi must have jammed it with something,
Zee thought. She was stuck inside.

Zee pounded on the door. “Let me out!” She had to yell at the top of her lungs, because the room was soundproof.

“Not until you learn to keep your hands off Landon!” Kathi shouted back.

“Ohmylanta,” Zee groaned to herself. Then, she yelled to Kathi, “You said you were only crushing on older guys.”

“As if! I've moved on.”

“Landon and I are just friends,” Zee called out. But Kathi didn't say anything. “Kathi?” Zee raised her voice a little. “Kathi!” And louder. “Kaaaaathiiiii!”

Kathi was gone! And Zee was still locked in the room!
Don't panic,
Zee told herself, taking out her Sidekick. She texted Chloe and Jasper.

Then she waited. For nothing.

Zee tried again—to Landon. No answer. She couldn't give up. She had to get out. Next she sent the message to
Missy, Conrad, and Marcus.
Of course,
Zee realized.
No one is getting my texts because they all turned off their cell phones for the show.

The cast had, but maybe Zee's family hadn't. She quickly sent her plea to her mother, father, and Adam, then stared at the screen. No response.

“Heeeellllllp!” Zee screamed and pounded on the door.
It's no use,
she thought, sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the floor.
No one can hear me.

Zee would miss the Beans' debut. Would she be stuck in the room all night? She was desperate. Normally, Zee wasn't allowed to text Ally because it was too expensive, but Zee did the only thing she could do. She texted her anyway. She had no one else to talk to—and it was going to be a long night.

Zee didn't actually expect Ally to respond. But this time she had a good excuse—her friend was sound asleep on another continent.

Then Zee curled up into a ball and sobbed.

T
he practice room door flew open. Zee looked up from the floor. Ally towered over her in the doorway.
Ally?
Were the tears clouding Zee's eyes?

Ally reached out her hand. “Get up!”

Still in shock, Zee did. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I don't have time to explain,” Ally said. “You need to get onstage! It's three minutes to showtime!”

“But—”

“I'll explain later,” Ally told her. “Come on! You're the star of a musical.”

“Are you really here, or is this just a dream?” Zee asked, obediently following Ally down the hall and onto the stage.
All of the band members were crowded around Mr. P.

“I've got to get over there and tell Mr. P what happened,” Zee said.

Ally grabbed Zee's arm. “Wait!” she said, reaching into her purse. “I have to fix your makeup. After all that crying, you look like you've been in a prizefight.” She got out a tissue and started wiping Zee's face. Then she pulled out a tube of mascara.

“No way!” Zee said. “You have mascara in your purse? Do you get to wear makeup?”

“Yes!” Ally said. “That's one of a zillion things we have to talk about. Now hold still while I put it on.”

“I don't know where Zee is,” Kathi told the teacher while Ally applied Zee's makeup. “She seemed really scared when I went to get her. Maybe she got stage fright.”

Mr. P looked terrified. “Missy,” he said, “you'll have to go on as Lily.”

“But Zee has the costume,” Missy protested.

Mr. P wiped sweat from his forehead. “Yours will be
fine,” Mr. P said. “Places, everyone! It's showtime.”

The students scattered to get into position behind the closed curtain.

“Mr. P!” Zee shouted across the stage, then raced to her teacher's side.

“There you are! What happened?” Mr. P asked. His face looked more relieved than angry.

Zee looked at Kathi. Panicked, Kathi said, “Zee, what are—?”

“Sorry,” Zee said to Mr. P, interrupting Kathi. “I'm such a klutz. I locked myself in a practice room.” As awful as Kathi was, Zee wouldn't stoop to her level by telling on her. She wasn't interested in causing trouble.

“Am I glad you're here!” Missy said, giving Zee a hug. “I could never play Lily like you do. Break a leg!”

“I will!” Zee said. She decided not to mention whose leg she'd like to break.

 

The show was fantabsome. Everyone was in step with the choreography and in tune with the singing. Mr. Vasi filmed the entire performance, so the Beans could watch it over and over again.

After getting locked in the practice room, Zee figured she deserved an award for playing Kathi's best friend.
Conrad stole the show with his crazy sense of humor. Chloe and Marcus looked like they were having a great time. Jasper showed that he wasn't the shy kid everyone thought he was. And Missy's violin solo was so amazing it practically stopped the whole show.

And Landon? He was a great actor as well as the most gorgeous boy at Brookdale. And he and Zee had their chemistry back—even if it was just pretend.