Hey, guys! I am so sorry for pulling a vanishing act for the last 2 weeks; I had to make up a lot of schoolwork and was banned from going online. But I'm back now, and except this chapter as an apology/Christmas present. As always, I don't own Digimon or Camp Rock.
In the kitchen the next day, Sapphire and Yolie blew up balloons for that night's theme party in silence. Tanya entered, holding a large cookie with a hole in the center.
"Do these look like records?" she asked hopefully.
"Huh?" Sapphire grunted, confused.
"I mean, CDs," Tanya corrected herself for the 21st Century. "Do these cookies look like CDs? I wanna make sure they look authentic next to my 'Quarter-Note Cupcakes'."
"Everything looks great, Tanya!" Yolie reassured her as she tied off another balloon.
"These theme nights are the busiest," Tanya said, shaking her head. "Oh! I better go get the ice cream." She rushed off, leaving the two girls alone again. They both maintained their awkward silence, until Sapphire finally broke.
"Did you sign up for Final Jam?" she asked. Yolie nodded.
"So what are you going to do?" Yolie looked suspiciously at Sapphire. "This is freaking me out. Why are we talking?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'm slumming," Sapphire said teasingly. She reached out and popped one of Yolie's balloons. Sapphire laughed. "Or maybe I wanted to set you up for that."
"Hey!" Yolie cried, but her scowl had softened into a smile. She grabbed a balloon and whacked Sapphire over the head. There was a brief, stunned pause before both girls burst into laughter and began whacking each other on the head and arms with the inflated balloons. They finally settled into contented giggles. Then, Yolie surprised Sapphire by saying, "It's fun being friends with Mimi."
"How would you know?" Sapphire asked.
"Because I was friends with Mimi," Yolie explained. Catching Sapphire's skeptical look, she went on. "I know. Hard to believe."
"More like impossible. What happened?" Yolie gave a heavy sigh.
"Mimi doesn't like competition and she felt I was," she explained. "With her, there can only be one star-herself. I know it's cool being her friend. I mean, she can make you feel so important. And she's popular, but so what?"
"Oh, come on." Sapphire rolled her eyes. "Being popular is so not a 'so what.'"
"No," Yolie admitted. "There are perks."
"Like. . .like. . ." Sapphire tried to think of one.
"Like singing backup for Mimi all the time," Yolie offered. "Like never getting to say what you really feel. Oh, and those exciting shorts outfits?" she laughed. "Those were real high points. You're right. Sell your soul."
Sapphire halfheartedly hit Yolie with a balloon. But Yolie made some good points. Was being popular worth all of Mimi's heckling?
"Hey," Yolie said. "I'm on your side." Sapphire smiled and then noticed the time on the wall clock.
"Shoot!" she exclaimed. "I was supposed to meet-" Yolie raised an eyebrow.
"We're practicing for Final Jam," Sapphire said defensively.
Yolie made a mock flourish. "Of course. Her Highness awaits." Sapphire grabbed her things and guiltily headed to meet Mimi and the girls. Yolie's words were ringing in her ears.
Matt was also practicing. He'd been writing in his room all day. Since he'd heard that girl's song outside the mess hall, he couldn't shake it. Absentmindedly, he began to strum the song on his guitar. His strumming was interrupted by the loud shrill of his cell phone. The caller ID told him it was Izzy. Putting the phone to his ear, he heard the sounds of splashing and shrieking. His band mates were obviously enjoying themselves poolside.
"So, how's my birdhouse coming?" Tai asked over the speakerphone. Matt rolled his eyes. He was not in the mood for this.
"Guys-" he began.
"Sorry," Izzy and Tai said in unison. Another girl shrieked in the background and Matt winced. It was nothing like the soothing sounds of his mystery girl. Suddenly, Izzy's words from the limo came back to him, and a smile spread across Matt's face.
"About me recording with a camper-" he began.
"You gotta do it, Matt," Izzy said. "No go-backs."
"Actually, I've been thinking," Matt went on, much to his band mate's surprise. "And I think it's cool."
"Are you feeling okay?" Izzy asked. "Are you getting too much sun?"
"I'm fine," Matt said. "And remember, whoever wins, no go-backs." Matt hung up before the guys could answer.
"Now, I just have to find that girl from the mess hall," he said aloud to himself. Glancing out the room's window, he saw Ken practicing a dance move. Hmm. . .maybe he could help. Matt headed outside and made his way over to Ken.
"Hey, buddy," Matt said. "You wanna do me a favor?"
Moments later, Ken was whispering Matt's message into a girl's ear.
"The girl with the voice," he said mysteriously. Nodding excitedly, she immediately rushed to tell her friends. By afternoon, the rumor mill was working at full tilt. Matt smiled as he walked past a group of whispering campers. His plan was working. He would get to the bottom of the mystery voice-even if it meant using his rock-star pull. If 'the voice' knew Matt was looking for her, she would have to come to him, right?
But then, out of nowhere a girl ran up, stopping abruptly in front of him and belting out the words to his first hit song. She finished the chorus and looked at him hopefully. Matt smiled but shook his head. Nope, not her. Another girl approached, this one with an operatic voice. Again, Matt shook his head.
Soon, a line had formed in front of Matt. It seemed every girl at Camp Rock was trying out. They all wanted to be 'the girl with the voice'. Sapphire and Yolie, leaving the mess hall, stood and watched all the nervous girls practice their scales and warm up their voices.
"Aren't you going to get in line?" Yolie teased.
"It's not me." Sapphire shook her head emphatically. "He's never heard me sing."
How could he have? She asked silently. I don't have the guts to get up in front-I'm always just backup.
To Matt's dismay, the tryouts continued. In the middle of the night, Matt was abruptly awakened by the sound of singing outside his window. The next day, working on his laptop in the mess hall, an instant message popped up with a streaming like of Ella singing. But none of these voices were the one, and Matt was beginning to get discouraged.
Again, guys, I'm sorry about the unscheduled break. I promise, after Christmas, I'll write a chapter or 2 a week on the dot. In the meantime, a merry Christmas to all, and to all an excellent winter break! :)
