chapter 6

“Why don’t you ever sing?” Sadie asked me, still rocking along to the flowing music.

“I don’t know, Sadie,” I shrugged, “I guess I get a little embarrassed to sing in front of people. You know how I am,” Sadie nodded. She knew what lengths I would go to, to avoid getting up in front of a classroom. Those prying eyes, the unending stares... I shuddered at the thought. I hadn’t gotten up in front of the class since seventh grade.

“You might want to think about breaking out of that, you know,” she said softly. “Even I haven’t heard you sing. How do you think that makes me feel?” Delilah quietly switched off the radio. The car was filled with silence.

“I don’t know, Sadie. I guess I’ll sing for you soon,” I said reluctantly, “I just hate the idea of people staring at you, judging you based on your appearance. I hate the possibility that someone will have a bad opinion of me...” A single tear ran down my cheek. I’m sure Peter hated me, and he was one of the people I needed to like me the most.

Sadie pulled me in for a hug.

“There, there,” she soothed, “that’s just going to happen, Eve. Some people are not going to like you for who you are and that’s something you’ll never be able to change. But, I promise, for someone as likable as you, the people that like you probably far outnumber the ones that don’t,” Delilah nodded in agreement.

“Look, we’re there!” Delilah shouted. It was a huge dome-like building, crowded as could be. We eased to the front where the doors were. A huge sign saying Valet was there, deliciously tempting us. We wouldn’t have to search endlessly for a parking space. But right underneath the alluring word...

“Twenty-five dollars!” We shrieked in unison. I quickly searched my pockets.

“I have fifteen,” I announced.

“I have five,” Delilah said.

“I have...” Sadie murmured, “four.”

“WHAT!?” Me and Delilah screeched in dismay. Now, we were going to have to drive all the way back to the parking lot and….

“Ty,” she finished.

“You have forty dollars?” I asked wonderingly, “Wow, Sadie, you’re a lifesaver,”

“I know,” she said smugly. We paid the handsome valet guy, who was obviously enchanted by Delilah.

“Here,” Delilah slipped him a pink note, and quickly joined us inside the big double doors.

“What did you give him?” we asked.

“My number,” she said slyly.

“Wow,” I said, awed by Delilah’s ability to bewitch any guy she meets. Delilah touched my arm.

“You could charm anyone you wanted to too,” she noted. “You have the looks. Did you see that other valet man staring at you?”

“I gave that guy her number,” Sadie said triumphantly.

“What???” “Just kidding,” Sadie laughed at my furious expression. “Come on, let’s find our seats.” I followed her, fuming.

The inside of the dome was colossal; the stage in the middle of a mass of seats. People were everywhere, either lounging in the comfy plush seats or talking to a group of people. There were a ton of girls our age there, and plenty below.

“Wow,” I said, “this place is big.”

“Dex has a lot of fans,” Delilah said simply. We continued in silence until we reached our seats. They were really close to the front, only a few rows back from the stage.