I looked back up abruptly as Allison walked out, with a happy look on her face. "Hope you do well!" She smiled. Whaaa?, I thought, How am I going to compete with her? The bulb was blinking with it's yellowish tone. I stepped in, still feeling down about Annabelle's encounter, seeing Sammy on his stool.
"What song are you going to make me sing this time?" I asked, trying not to sound like a kindergartener about to cry. He rolled his brownish eyes with a hint of a smile. "You're not singing this time, Susanna." "It's actually Susie, um, Susie Campbell." I said this in a much more depressing tone then when I'd told him my name last time, but I wasn't going to let him call me by my real first name again.
"Well, Susie, in this test we're asking about your personality. Your hobbies, things that you like, that kind of thing." I was confused."I thought that this was all about singing?" I said, in a question-like form. "We don't just choose what's in the voice, we choose what's in the in the heart."I guess he was trying to say something inspirational, but it didn't really come out that way.
He asked me what my favorite subject was; "Art, of course!" my favorite color; "Coral, my favorite shade of pink!", and one of my hobbies; "Singing, I guess." He laughed at this one. "Singing is your talent, Susie!" I blushed and thanked him, feeling special, but at the same time I knew that I hadn't entirely told the truth.
Singing had only been a thing I'd started doing when I saw the advertisement. I only thought my voice was good, and I didn't think that I would make it to the next level, or, at least what I found out was the next level. After a few more questions about myself, Sammy finally said, "Finished, now we can talk for a few minutes."
"Talk?" I asked, giggling in a way I never had before. "About what?" "About anything." He answered in way that sounded like he was begging to know all my secrets. "Well, Sammy," I said, exaggerating his name. "Tell me about you." He patted a spot on the floor and we sat. "My real name is Samuel," He started. "I already knew that." I said matter-a-factly. He went on. "I'm the head of the music department," "I already knew that, too, silly!" I said with my head tilted, giggling. He pretended to think really hard about what he was going to say next, then pointed up and said, "Aha!" "What?" I asked as I leaned closer. "Bendy is my favorite cartoon character!" "Booorrriiingg! He's everyone's favorite, tell me something Ex-Ci-Ting." I pronounced the word forcefully.
"Fine," He said with a pause. "the girl a few places in front of you told me that she really likes me," He said in a whisper. " she flirted with me the whole time, and she was kinda making me uncomfortable. What was her name again? A-" "Annabelle! Why would she?" I whispered to myself. "She did have a good singing voice, though..." Sammy commented. I scrunched up my face, making my nose hurt, trying to act like I wasn't hurt about all this in front of Sammy. "Just kidding!"He laughed.
"By the way, uh, do you know if there are any more semi-finals?" I asked, making myself lighten the mood. Sammy chuckled. "I assure you, ms. Susie, that this is the last tryout." The timer went off and, sadly, I had to leave his room and go home, where my depressed parents where waiting for me. I stood up and walked to the door, but before I could step out Sammy said, "See you next week." In his beautiful voice.
I left the room feeling lightheaded, but also dazed and betrayed.
I had told Annabelle that I'd liked him! Well, maybe not exactly, but at least she could tell. What was she thinking, flirting with Sammy? I told myself not to worry, because Sammy didn't even feel comfortable around her, I took a deep breath. "I can do this." I said, not addressing it to anything in particular, but motivating me. "Sammy belives in me."