Kids started filing into the auditorium, Lydia and Ally directing them to their spots in the choir loft.
"Hi everyone," Lydia said, smiling at the faces staring back at her from the choir loft. "I'm Miss Lydia." She motioned to a lady standing next to her. "This is Miss Katie. She'll be your choir director for the week. And these are her assistants, Miss Ally, Miss Sadie, Miss Sierra, and Miss Jazmine. Now let's get down to business. Who of you would like to try out for a solo?"
Hands went up around the auditorium.
"Good!" Lydia said encouragingly. "Those of you who'd like to audition for solos, please come down and follow me."
At this kids began filing down from the choir loft, one by one.
"Ally, stay here," Lydia said. "Jazmine, Sadie, Sierra, come with me."
We followed her to the room behind the choir loft where all of the sheet music was held, and where the choir practiced Wednesday nights.
"Take a seat, everyone," Lydia said, standing in the middle of the room. Jazmine and I stood to her right, Sierra to her left.
She glanced at Jazmine, Sierra, and me. "I'm going to go help with the others. Do you have a handle on this?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I think we're good."
Lydia gave us one last smile before walking out to go handle something else.
"Hi everyone," I said, smiling. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see another girl wander in. She had pale blonde hair draped over one side of her face, a twinkling blue eye poking out.
"Jaz, can you take over?" I whispered, leaning over to her.
Jazmine nodded and began talking.
"Hi, are you here for solo tryouts?" I asked.
The girl paused for a moment then shook her head.
"Are you lost?" I asked.
The girl shook her head again, looking at her teal tennis shoes.
"Then why are you here?" I asked.
The girl shrugged, still not saying anything. I remember those blue eyes in one picture in the notebook. Charlotte. I could recognize them anywhere. I remember Lydia saying Charlotte hadn't talked since they stopped letting her see Cici. I understood that. When they stopped letting Richelle see Eva she refused to talk as well. Richelle said she knew something was coming and couldn't put it into words. Something bad that she was dreading.
"What's your name?" I asked gently.
"Cha-Charlotte," the girl said quietly. I had to strain to hear her.
I knew it. "It's nice to meet you, Charlotte," I said. "Are you sure you don't want a solo?"
"Who says she could do the audition?" Another girl asked, walking in. She was tall, with auburn hair cascading down her back. Her blue eyes were piercing. "She's like, mute."
Charlotte said nothing.
"See?" the girl said. "She doesn't say anything. She used to when Cici was around. They used to do solos and whatever. I don't think she was any good. Neither was Cici though."
"Shut up!" Charlotte snapped suddenly. Charlotte narrowed her eyes and stepped up close to the girl.
I grabbed Charlotte's arm and pulled her back. "Let me handle it," I said.
Charlotte frowned but said nothing.
"What is your name?" I asked.
"Autumn," the girl said.
"Well, Autumn, that kind of thing will not be tolerated here," I said. "Never tell someone they're terrible, especially not to their face. Are we clear?"
"Yeah," the girl muttered.
"If you're going to try out for a solo, go on in," I said. "If you're not, then leave. But don't come in and harass people. Got it?"
Yeah," she muttered again, ducking her head, and walking in.
I turned my attention back to Charlotte. "Are you okay?"
Charlotte nodded silently.
"Cici's your sister?" I asked gently.
Charlotte nodded. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt anxiously. "Yeah. Cici's my sister."
"Is that why you don't want a solo?" I asked. "Cici?"
"None of your business," Charlotte said. There wasn't a hint of hostility in her voice, just something she didn't want the world to know. I could get behind that.
My home life already revolved around Richelle. I understood the want to not have your social life revolve around it.
"Do you at least want to try?" I asked.
Charlotte looked down. "I..."
"Just try?' I asked. "I'll be right here."
Charlotte sighed. "Alright. I can try."
I held out my hand for Charlotte's. "I'm right here."
Charlotte cracked a little bit of a smile and followed me.
"Hey, we're almost done," Jazmine whispered. She winced as the boy holding the microphone hit a very flat note.
"I've got one more," I whispered, motioning to Charlotte.
Jazmine nodded and took the microphone from the boy. "Thank you, Fitz. We've heard enough. Give it up for Fitz, everyone!"
Jazmine passed the microphone to Charlotte.
Charlotte took the microphone and glanced at me.
I gave her an encouraging look, urging her on. "You can do it," I mouthed.
Charlotte nodded, held up the microphone, and started singing. And man, the girl could sing. The little room was filled with her voice, reverberating around the walls and ceiling. Her voice was strong and passionate. You couldn't just hear it. You could feel it all around you.
Charlotte had a gift. Kind of like my sister.
"That was so awesome!" Sierra said excitedly as we climbed into the backseat of my parent's van.
"It was though," Jazmine said. "Little kids are actually kind of fun to be around. Who'd have thought?"
I snort. "Obviously you. But my little sister's a pain in the butt."
"So is mine," Jazmine said.
"I have two," Sierra said. "I beat both of you."
"I have an older sister," I pointed out. "She thinks she rules the world. So bossy."
"That's what all older sisters think," Jazmine said. "Younger siblings can get away with annoying their older siblings, and older siblings can get away with judging and bossing around their younger siblings. Haven't figured out what the middle child can do yet."
"The middle child can't do anything," I said, rolling my eyes.
Jazmine shrugged. "Fair."
"Jazmine, this is your stop," I said, pointing outside the car window to her house.
"Oh," Jazmine unbuckled. "Oh yeah, it is. Bye, Sadie."
"See ya, Jaz," I called after her.
The ride home was silent as we dropped off Sierra.
"Where to now?" I asked. "Hospital?"
"Nope," Mom said, turning into our street. "Richelle's home."
"Really?" I asked.
Mom nods. "Really. They're giving her a couple of months off chemo to build her strength back up before they start again. She's going to school with you guys for the first few months. Then it's back to chemo."
"She still has chemo?" I asked. "But the tumor's already gone."
"This reduces her chance of having another tumor," Mom said. "We didn't do the additional chemo with Eva, and she had another tumor just a couple of months later. We're doing it this time with Richelle."
I nod. "Probably wise. How much does it cost?"
"A lot," Mom said. "But it's worth it. We're not losing your sister. Not again."
We pulled into the driveway and got out.
I was halfway inside when my phone dinged. Richelle wanted me.
Richelle was in bed, propped up by pillows, her leg resting on a pillow. Crutches leaned against the wall, and a wheelchair sat beside her bed.
"You know we're in the same house," I said. "You don't have to text me."
"It takes less effort than yelling down the hall," Richelle said. "And it's not like I'm getting up any time soon."
"Why not?" I asked.
Richelle arched an eyebrow. "Um, because I have one leg? And it hurts."
"Oh come on," I said. "I bet you haven't gotten up all day."
"There's a reason for that," Richelle said. "Do you want to know how much getting your leg cut off hurts?"
"Just once?" I asked.
Richelle sighed. "Sadie, if I called you in here to antagonize me, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."
I sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Fine. What's up?"
Richelle shrugged. "Not that much. I'm so glad to be home."
"When's your next chemo?" I asked.
"Three months," Richelle said. "They want me up and walking before they start chemo back."
"Ah," I nodded. "Okay, I think I've got it."
Richelle nodded. "Yeah. So how was camp?"
I shrugged. "It was alright."
"Just alright?" Richelle asked.
I shrugged again and explained everything.
Richelle pursed her lips. "That's a dilemma. I hope you get it sorted out. If you just keep on with Charlotte, she'll come around eventually."
I nodded. "Yeah. Are you sure you don't wanna get up?"
"Are you going to leave me alone?" Richelle asked.
I shook my head. "Why would I do that? It's so fun annoying you."
Richelle sighed. "Fine. I'll get up if you leave me alone afterward."
"Fine," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Good," Richelle said. "Now get me the crutches."
I grabbed the crutches and held them while Richelle struggled to a sitting position. She winced, swinging her legs over the bed. I handed her the crutches, and she struggled to her feet.
"I hate these things," Richelle commented. "I had to use them for four months. At one point, you get tired of them."
"Richelle!" Mom's eyes went wide. "You're up."
"Yeah," Richelle said. She planted both tips of her crutches forward and swung her legs forward to meet them, wincing. "Sadie made me."
Richelle looked back down to focus on walking, and Mom mouthed "Good job" to me.
She let the crutches fall to the floor and she stretched out on the couch. No sooner had she sat down, than Shasta greeted her.
She sat in front of Richelle panting happily.
"Hey girl!" Richelle said excitedly, scratching her violently behind both ears.
Shasta tilted her head and her foot started thumping against the carpet happily.
When Richelle stopped petting her she jumped up beside Richelle and started licking her face.
"Stop," Richelle cried, laughing. "Shasta-Shasta stop-Shasta-" more laughter. Laughter is the best medicine, is it not?
Gagging, Richelle finally got Shasta off of her, rubbing the dog's soft head. "You're so adorable," she said. "You're the best puppy dog ever, you know that?"
Shasta sat there, completely content as Richelle rubbed her.
Shasta panted happily and gratefully. Especially when Richelle got aggressive with her rubbing.
From both Richelle and Shasta's happy faces and content expressions, I could tell pretty easily that both of them had missed this while Richelle was either in the hospital or too sick to do it for her.
To be honest, so was I. It was proof that life might actually go back to normal (whatever normal was anymore) and specifically that Richelle wouldn't end up as Eva did.
Hopefully.