When we got back in the room, Krystal was singing in a high, beautiful, clear voice that echoed around the tiny room. Mrs. Gallagher quickly shut the door behind us. "We don't want to distract her." she mumbled in my ear. She seemed happy now that daughter was getting the proper appreciation. I guess that she really isn't that bad. She just wanted her daughter to be happy. Krystal had this amazingly large smile pasted on her face and just looking at her, I felt her happiness surge through me. She had some sort of "karma" or something along those lines.
"You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors, it's the morning of your very first day…" she started a new song and starts dancing, spinning around the room like a fairy.
"Cause when you're fifteen and someone tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them…" she continued, not realizing how true those words are. This song always reminded me of Josh, who was my first boyfriend, my first kiss, and my first normal relationship with anyone.
"When all you wanted was to be wanted, wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now." she exploded into the bridge, almost knocking me over with the power of her voice.
"Chameleon. Do you copy?" Zach said in my comms unit.
I quickly walked into the corner and responded quietly, "Of course. Her bathroom is de-bugged but we haven't had a chance to check the actual dressing room because there's always someone there."
"Well, the director is asking me to tell all of the actresses to get down to the stage now. Could you do that for me?" he begs.
"Sure, Shadow. Will do. The director looked toasty to Duchess and me." I finished, turning to look at the room again. Krystal was just finishing her song. "That was the director's assistant. They want you onstage in 5." I said offhand so Mrs. Gallagher would get right to work.
"Are you ready, honey?" she almost pleaded with her daughter.
"Of course. This is my destiny." The girl was wise beyond her years replied proudly as she wrapped herself in a robe and strode out of the room, barefoot.
Joan followed at her heels like a puppy and her mother followed a couple paces behind. Once Bex had looked out the door, I went from door to door, informing the other children that they were needed. Then we (Bex and I) walked back into the dressing room and checked everything for bugs. We found 2 cameras, one behind the vanity mirror and one in the corner, close to the ceiling. There were also 4 bugs that we immediately removed and placed in other rooms before smashing them.
Then we sat on the chaise and talked to Solomon. "Wise Guy, we have all bugs and cams gone out of star's dressing room." Bex reported smugly.
"Good lob, Duchess. Chameleon, we need you to convince Mrs. Gallagher to send Krystal to our school." Mr. Solomon buzzed in.
"But sir- That's not possible." I complained.
"Yes it is. Figure out how to do it now or else…"
"Sir, what I was trying to say is we need to get Krystal's heart set on going to Gallagher. Mrs. Gallagher will do whatever she can to make sure that Krystal is safe, happy, and appreciated." I snap back at him.
"Meow!" Grant laughed. I heard a crack and I thought Macey had hit him upside the head before,
"Gotcha!" Anna Fetterman cackled like a hyena. I laughed gently but then sprang to my feet as the door banged open. Laura ran in first, followed closely by Joan and Krystal. Krystal was dragged over to her closet, from where she yelled "Help!" back at Bex and I. I immediately run over to the girls who are tearing through the closet.
"What do you need?" I begged, needing to know.
Laura crawled to the back of the closet and shouted back at us without turning, "We need a black three-piece pantsuit." Bex immediately turned to the top rack and started ripping through the fabric. I followed Laura to the back and on my way; I got hit in the face with a silky piece of fabric. I flashed on my flashlight to see that I had run into what we needed. I pulled it off the hanger and ran out into the dressing room.
The suit was a beautiful suit with a silvery-gray silk blouse, a jet-black cotton blazer, and a dark gray wool skirt. We quickly got Krystal dressed before going back to the makeup table to fix her hair. Laura and Bex piled it on top of her head while Joan looked for a pair of strappy black wedges with a little gold beading. She teetered around in those to get the feel of them while her friends went to report that Krystal was ready soon.
"Hey, can I call you Kris?" I asked tentatively, acting like Karina. Krystal nodded stiffly.
"Okay. Um, what school do you go to?" I continued, turning to the mirror to pat a hair back into place while sizing up her reaction.
She slouched slightly and her 1000-watt smile was diminished.
"St. Charles," she mumbled.
"Oh, do you not like it?" I asked as if I was Tina because Karina was a great gossiper.
"I hate it. I get teased every day for being smart and creative. I nearly have to lie about everything. I hate boys." she seethed.
She just gave me the perfect line! "Why not go to an all-girls school?"
"Well…" she considered.
"I go to an all-girls school in Virginia." I beamed. "It's called Gallagher Academy for Outstanding Young Women. We are all excelled in our classes and it is the best institute of its kind in the world. It was created by Gillian Gallagher because in the 1800-s because Gillian wanted to create a place where girls didn't have to be distracted by men.' Thank you Grant! I silently praised that he told me why Jacob Blackthorne created his school.
"That sounds awesome! Wait, do you mean that everyone there is a super-genius?" she bubbled, straightening up and placing the smile back onto her beautiful face.
"Of course." I said sincerely, taking one of her hands in both of mine.
"Chameleon, the director needs Krystal NOW!" Zach screamed in my earpiece. I flinched then pulled Krystal by her hand into the hallway where she tore from my grasp and ran away, laughing manically. I followed after her reflexively and when we reached the stage, I saw the entire cast lying down on the ground with the red curtain drawn, breathing at the same time so it felt like the floor was breathing. The floor actually shook when they breathed in. It was amazing.