Author's Note: This is my last article under the username Sam1213. I'll be using a new account, Wicked777, for my stories after this one.
"I'm Summer."
She looked at me as if I were insane. Apparently she decided I wasn't, because after a moment she smiled a little and answered. "My name's Kathy."
I realized that I hadn't thought this through. What was I supposed to say?
Kathy broke the silence first. "So . . . you got in first row. You must be really happy."
"Me? Yeah right!" I lifted a hand to my mouth. Was that out loud?
Kathy actually giggled. "Why are you in choir then? Everybody here wants to be in the first row."
I was too prepared for this question. I had been listing the answers in my head since this whole thing started. "I don't," I whispered. "It's just . . . Ms. Wang kinda singled me out, and I didn't know how to answer, so I just . . . "
Her forehead was crumpled with sympathy. It was surprising, how easy it was to talk to somebody I barely knew, when my own best friend seemed like a stranger.
"What about you?" I asked. "Why are you here?"
Her answer was just as ready as mine. "I want to be a singer. I want to have an album and a band and live performances. It sounds kind of . . . " She paused, searching for the right word. "Unrealistic. But it's been my dream since I gave up on the clarinet."
"When was that?"
"Last week."
After school that day, Grace came over. We sat on the floor of my room, drinking hot chocolate and decorating the inside of my old notebook with doodles and writing. It had been a hobby of ours for the last three years.
"How are the costumes coming?"
Grace looked up from her drawing -- one of a girl in a long, colorful dress and a black scarf -- and replied happily. "Really well. You know how I used to always make outfits only for hanging out?"
"Yeah."
"I've decided to broaden my horizons." The way she said the last three words was as if she was quoting someone. "I think I'm going to start designing for every occasion."
"Sounds great!" Inside, I was screaming for my old friend to come back.
The next day Ms. Wang handed out the lyrics to what we were going to perform. Three whole songs. Fantastic.
"I want these memorized by the end of the week! She sat at the piano and played the tunes to all three songs. They were easy -- just the same rhythm over and over.
When she was gone, we started practicing our lines. The first row had more to sing than the second, but I worked with Kathy anyway. She helped me out, and I helped her too. Her voice was amazing -- I don't know how I didn't notice it before. It was strong and rich, and light. She was especially good with the high notes. Right in the middle of one of the songs, she burst out laughing.
"What?" I said, confused.
"It's the same garbage over and over! I mean 'happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy holidays'? We get it! The holidays are happy! Can we move on with our lives already?!" Then we both started laughing.
Then, like in one of those dramatic holiday movies, it started snowing outside. Kathy and I rushed to the windows to watch, and as other kids noticed, they joined us, until even the teachers were gazing outside in awe.
For the first time, I was glad to be in a choir.
