My hand barely shook when I handed the choir instructor my form. Though I had to forge my father’s signature countless times over the years, I never felt any less guilty for it. Mrs. Matthews seemed like she was on edge as she gathered the last few permission slips. Forged parent signatures seemed to be the last thing on her mind.

Choir competition this year was held at another high school that was around twenty minutes away by bus. Last year we didn’t even place. Mrs. Matthews claimed that it was because the judges felt sympathy for the small, new choir from a high school that had just been built that year. She was quite competitive.

“Alright, on the bus, I want all the girls seated on the left and the boys on the right. We’re going to do a few warm-ups on the way there, so don’t forget to bring the small water bottles with you,” Mrs. Matthews instructed.

“I thought we weren’t allowed to eat or drink anything on the bus,” one of the students countered.

“I have a bag with me to recycle the bottles, the bus driver isn’t going to say a darn thing,” she responded.

We boarded the bus in relative silence. Leo didn’t hesitate to sit next to me, and the butterflies in my stomach immediately erupted in a flutter. I clutched my music folder to my chest and tried not to stare at him for too long. He gave me a small smile in greeting and my eyes were drawn to his dimples.

Leo must have been adorable as a baby. 

I frowned and shook my head to clear away such silly thoughts.

“Nervous to compete?”

I glanced back up at him. “A bit,” I fibbed. The nervousness I felt was due to his proximity, not the competition. “Is this your first time?”

“No, I competed in my old high school,” Leo responded. “But, since I’ve only been a part of this group for a few months, I don’t want to let everyone down.”

“Last year we didn’t even place,” I replied. “Believe me, the bar for us is really low. You’ll be fine.” 

The smile he gave me that time wasn’t the usual, friendly smile. It was the same smile of budding excitement that was on Zoey’s face when we first became friends; a smile of camaraderie. A real smile.

“Thanks, I needed that,” the amber-eyed youth admitted.

For a moment, I became lost in the hue of his eyes. They reminded me of autumnal leaves as they changed color. I briefly wondered if anyone else in his family had the same eye color.

I didn’t have the chance to ask. Mrs. Matthews began coaxing us into warm-ups. While Leo’s speaking voice was deep, his singing voice was an even lower rumble that sent chills up my spine. I was stricken with the desire to hear his singing voice alone, with no distractions or other people..I mean, other voices.. around.

Just as the year before, our group was ushered from one room to another, each with judges testing us on different levels. We usually made it to the top ten. Unlike in other school districts, recognition was only given to the top three. By the time we were prepped to go on stage, I felt the excitement kick in. This was the second to last competition that Zoey and I would participate in before graduation. 

Every year, the group was slightly different. Our Seniors would graduate and newcomers were introduced. But, the one constant was Zoey being there with me. After a few final warm-ups, I caught Leo’s gaze and gave him two thumbs up. From his grin and shake of his head I wondered if he thought me silly. Either way, the distraction would be enough for him to keep it together when we stepped out on stage.

As usual, the lights were so bright and hot that they reminded me of the midday sun. I lifted my hand to shield my eyes as I glanced up, and for a moment, I saw the deep russet hue of Triple-D’S skin tone instead of my own. Pushing past the shudder of feeling haunted, I took my assigned place on stage.

My stomach quivered only a little bit as everyone filed in. But, when Mrs.Mathews began to direct us, the rest was partial muscle memory and the thrill of singing with the group. Our voices filled up the stage. During my pauses, I listened for the nearby Zoey and Leo in the back. In spite of the nerves, I felt we did rather well.

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