Star of Silver Spires (11 page)

But once I was playing the piano and I'd started singing, the same thing happened as when I'd performed it for my friends in the practice room. I felt the song kind of taking me over, and I didn't come back to reality for ages – in fact not until a sudden burst of clapping made me jump. It was the best sound in the world and was even lovelier than the week before because I thought it lasted longer.

I didn't care what happened after that. The other bands were all so brilliant, and people stamped as well as cheered for Demonstrate and for Bella. Especially Demonstrate, which surprised me. I'd guessed Bella would get the biggest cheers, but her song didn't seem quite so popular as the one she did in the first round. I actually didn't think this second song was as good as her other one either, although I still loved it, because she's got such a beautiful voice and she's a great performer. In fact I couldn't help feeling sorry for Contemporary Counterpoint, who came after her, because their sound was much more classical and I didn't think the audience appreciated it as much.

When it was finally time for the vote, I was completely relaxed. It was my friends who were all wound up. “You're very calm, Mamma Mia,” said Georgie.

“That's because I'm not bothered any more. I know I won't get through, but I'm just glad I've done it, and I'm definitely going to carry on singing and composing, whatever Mrs. Roach says!”

“Go, Mia!” said Katy.

And the others laughed and agreed that I had a great attitude. But in fact I wasn't feeling quite so brave inside. If only I could make Mrs. Roach understand that I still love classical music and I always will, but composing and singing pop songs counts too. I sighed. I'd never be able to convince her. She was just too set in her ways.

I voted for Bella again, and as I was handing my voting card along the line, my phone vibrated and I saw that I had a text from Mum.

Dying 2 know – hows it going?

I texted back:
Just votin. Don't hold breath!

When I'd pressed the send key, I glanced up and saw Bella was standing there.

“I adored your song, Mia!”

“Oh…thank you.”

“In fact I voted for you!”

“Oh…well actually, I voted for you!”

“You have to be quite brave to write something in a completely different style, don't you?”

I nodded, knowing what she meant.

“What do you mean, ‘brave'?” asked Katy, tuning in.

“Well, you know, if everyone loved what you did first time round, you kind of worry that they might not like it if you do something completely different, don't you?”

“So why did
you
do something different then?” Katy wanted to know.

But my phone vibrated just then and I was reading Mum's reply, so I didn't hear how Bella answered.

Good luck with votes. Let me know. Dad found that song by the way. He's put CD in post. X

Something tightened up inside me like a gasp, and my face must have shown what I was feeling, because Georgie's arm was round me in a flash. “What? What's happened? You look awful!”

I glanced up and noticed Bella had gone, thank goodness. “Oh…nothing. I suddenly…felt a big rush of nerves, that's all.”

Georgie laughed and patted me on the back. “No need for nerves when you get praise from the great goddess Bella, Mamma Mia!” Then she flopped back into her seat, staring fixedly at the closed curtains, and said, “Come on! I want to hear the votes!” When the curtains immediately began to open, the others all laughed as though Georgie had performed a magic trick, so no one noticed my straight face.

Miss York said she was about to announce the three successful acts, and my friends all held hands again. Georgie squeezed so tightly I had to ask her if she'd mind letting go a bit. I also reminded her that it was pointless doing any squeezing or praying or finger-crossing or anything, because there was no way I'd be voted through.

Miss York spoke in her best presenter's voice, as though she was on a reality TV show. “So the first act to go through to the final is…” The pause was making the audience break out in nervous giggles, and whenever one person giggled that set someone else off. “…Demonstrate!”

“I don't know how I'm going to bear all this tension!” I heard Grace tell Jess excitedly.

I shivered.
Me neither.
I couldn't get Mum's text out of my head.
Dad found that song by the way…

She didn't text,
Dad thinks he's found that song.
No.

Miss York was about to announce another successful finalist. It felt as though my heartbeat was the only sound breaking the silence in the auditorium. I knew it would be Bella. But I couldn't work out in my mind how I should feel about that. I still didn't know for sure whether she'd cheated. And anyway, I hadn't even recognized her song this week…

“Next up…”

I made myself turn my brain off from all its confusing thoughts.

“Don't make us wait so long!” called out one of the teachers from the back. “We're all having heart attacks back here!”

The audience erupted with laughter.

“Okay, here it comes… Bella!”

And in a flash the laughter changed to an enormous cheer, but Miss York put her hand up and the cheer sank back into a tense silence. It had been obvious that Bella and Demonstrate would get through, but who would be the third act? Personally, I guessed The Craze. Of the remaining acts, they'd got the loudest cheer before.

Miss York scarcely paused for breath this time. “The last act to go through is…Mia Roberts!”

I gasped and felt tingles all over my whole body, but they were quickly crushed in Georgie's big hug. “Mia! You're such a star!” And as the clapping went on around me, I sat up on the highest cloud again, with nothing in my mind except how lucky and happy I was.

“So what are you going to sing for the final?” my friends asked excitedly in the interval.

I just needed to check that they all agreed with me. “Which one is better?” I asked them.

“The one you've just done!” they said.

And I nodded. I knew they were right.

Demonstrate, Bella and I had to go into the green room with Miss York. Mrs. Harrison, Mr. Ray and Mam'zelle Clemence were there too. They all congratulated us on being in the final round, then Miss York reminded us that the winning act was to be entered for the audition to
Stars in the Wings.
“It's a huge honour,” she said, smiling warmly. “Whoever gets chosen from Silver Spires will find themselves amongst the best singer/songwriters of your age in the whole of the UK.”

“Well that would be you then, Bella!” said one of the Demonstrate girls. And while the others laughed, the anxious thoughts came rushing back through my head, no matter how much I tried to force them away because I so hated being wound up by them.

Bella shook her head modestly and said, “No, no, don't say that! It could be any of us!”

“Well, we'll soon see,” said Miss York. “Now, let me just make a note of which songs you're all going to sing. You can either choose the same one you sang tonight, or go back to the one you did last week.”

“We're going to do the same one,” said one of the Demonstrate band members.

“Me too,” I told Miss York and she wrote it down. Then I held my breath and crossed my fingers that Bella would also choose the one she'd sung tonight. That would mean I wouldn't have to worry any more. Surely it wouldn't matter that she'd cheated in the first round, as long as it wasn't that song that won her the audition for
Stars in the Wings.

I watched her as she narrowed her eyes in thought. “Er…I think I'll go back to my other song,” she said, and I felt an icy shiver run down my spine.

“Are you all right, Mia? You look a bit pale,” said Mrs. Harrison.

“Yes, I'm fine!” I smiled and tried to look as bright and breezy as the words of my “friendship” song, but I couldn't make my anxiety go away, and I knew I'd never be able to sing such an upbeat song feeling like I did. “Actually, Miss York, could I change my mind about my song. I think I'd rather sing the one I sang last time.”

“Are you sure, Mia?”

I nodded, and was aware of everyone looking at me.

“Okay, that's fine. Now, we've put your names in this tin and I'm going to ask Mrs. Harrison to pick out one of the bits of paper to see who's going to sing first…”

Mrs. Harrison unscrewed her piece of paper and read out, “Demonstrate!”

“Mr. Ray, would you do the honours now, please.”

I waited tensely for Mr. Ray, and when he said, “Bella!” my heart sank. I didn't want to sing straight after Bella. I really didn't.

“So, Mia, you're last.” Miss York smiled. “Now you're all free to go and join your friends. And, girls,” she added, as we started to move towards the door, “you've been voted the most popular of all the acts, so just enjoy yourselves. No need to be nervous!”

We all thanked her and went off into the auditorium.

Of course, Georgie and the others wanted to know the order we were singing in, and they seemed to feel sorry for me having to wait till the end, but what I guessed they were really thinking was that the audience might lose interest after Bella. I was a bit nervous about what I had to say next, because I wasn't sure my friends were going to be very impressed, but I plucked up my courage. “Er…by the way, I decided to sing the ‘goodbye' song.”

“Oh no!” said Georgie.

“Why?” asked Naomi and Katy, at exactly the same moment.

“For a change,” was all I could think of to say.

Georgie tipped her head to one side and gave me her fond-mother-getting-a-bit-impatient-now look. “You're mad!”

I knew she was right, but my mood had changed too much. I'd never be able to sing an upbeat song now.

“No, I think it's fine,” said Naomi. “Mia should sing whatever she feels like singing.”

“But I don't get why you changed your mind,” said Georgie.

I shrugged. “Just did.”

“She's here! It's starting!” squeaked Katy, as the curtains opened and there stood Miss York.

First she checked that everyone had been given a second voting card. Then she told the audience the same thing she'd told us contestants in the green room, and it was obvious from the silence that everyone was very impressed with the thought of someone from Silver Spires trying out for such an important national concert. I found myself sinking into my seat as she talked, but then I shot back up again when Demonstrate went back onstage and began to sing, because it was so loud and had a really good beat. It was true that they were singing the same song as before, but it sounded completely different and I was really impressed with the way they must have got this second version ready in case they got through to the final. The audience actually stood up and started dancing – even some of the teachers.

Nobody moved a muscle when Bella sang though, because I suppose people had forgotten how beautiful her other song was. Her voice rang round the auditorium: “
I'm looking for the star that's going to show me how to get to you.
” But inside my head all I could hear was,
You paint a golden circle round your dreams to keep them safe inside.
My insides knotted. I was more sure than ever that this was Dad's song. But I mustn't think about it. I mustn't.

When she finished, the audience rose to its feet. They loved her.

“Mia, you'll be brilliant,” Georgie suddenly whispered. She must have noticed how stressed out I was and thought I was just nervous about singing after Bella. But it was so much more than that.

I walked as quickly as I could to the stage and the piano. My legs weren't shaking any more, but my mouth was dry. The tension and the nervousness had left my body and I just felt…flat. Yes, I think that was the word. I announced the title of my song, then started to sing it. It was coming out slower than usual and the words were almost catching in my throat, because the flatness was sinking into sadness. I was thinking about Mum and Dad, but not just about saying goodbye to them. I found I was actually imagining I'd had my scholarship taken away and, in my mind, the look on Mum's face was heartbreaking.

The moment I finished, I stood up, and tried to smile at the audience as they clapped. Then I left the stage, feeling quite relieved that I'd managed to get through the song, and that the whole thing would be over very soon. But the clapping went on for ages, and my flat spirits couldn't help buzzing and bubbling just a teeny bit.

“You were absolutely the best ever!” said Grace, leaning over Georgie as I sat down, and I stared at her as though she was crazy, because that really wasn't true.

“The best ever!” echoed Katy.

“Such a good idea singing the ‘goodbye' song,” said Naomi.

“The way you sang it was incredible,” said Jess. “We all completely get why you decided to go back to that one now.”

Georgie didn't say anything, but when I looked at her I saw she had tears in her eyes, and that moved me even more than what the others were saying. I felt a lump in my throat. Maybe I didn't want this contest to be over after all. Then Miss York was back onstage, telling us it was time to cast our final votes.

“You sounded so sad when you were singing,” said Georgie. “Were you thinking about your mum and dad?”

I nodded. “I was thinking how upset they'd be if I had my scholarship taken away from me for not practising enough.”

“Well, that's not going to happen,” said Naomi, leaning across Georgie. “You've only had a little blip with your practice because of this contest. Surely Mrs. Roach will understand that. And anyway, Miss York is Head of Music and
she
thinks you're great!”