Chapter 11 - THE SHOWCASE
The district showcase auditorium held eight hundred people.
Backstage, Westbridge stood in two rows.
Chloe wore a plain choir robe.
No captain pin.
Elias wore white.
He was terrified.
Mr. Harrison approached.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Elias stared.
Harrison smiled.
“Means you're paying attention.”
The curtain opened.
Westbridge began.
No dramatic revenge song.
No solo about overcoming bullying.
Just the selected program.
Elias sang center.
Chloe sang three positions behind.
Halfway through second piece, Elias heard her harmony.
Strong.
Beautiful.
For one instant, the conflict disappeared inside music.
That hurt in a strange way.
Because Chloe was talented.
She did not need to destroy him to be good.
After final chord, applause rose.
Westbridge did not win first place.
They placed second.
Chloe cried backstage.
Elias thought she cried because loss.
Then she said:
“We sounded good.”
He nodded.
“We did.”
No reconciliation.
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