Trust And Hope

Chapter 13

Kids started filing into the auditorium, Lydia and Ally directing them to their spots in the choir loft.

"Hi everyone," Lydia said, smiling at the faces staring back at her from the choir loft. "I'm Miss Lydia." She motioned to a lady standing next to her. "This is Miss Katie. She'll be your choir director for the week. And these are her assistants, Miss Ally, Miss Sadie, Miss Sierra, and Miss Jazmine. Now let's get down to business. Who of you would like to try out for a solo?"

Hands went up around the auditorium.

"Good!" Lydia said encouragingly. "Those of you who'd like to audition for solos, please come down and follow me."

At this kids began filing down from the choir loft, one by one.

"Ally, stay here," Lydia said. "Jazmine, Sadie, Sierra, come with me."

We followed her to the room behind the choir loft where all of the sheet music was held, and where the choir practiced Wednesday nights.

"Take a seat, everyone," Lydia said, standing in the middle of the room. Jazmine and I stood to her right, Sierra to her left.

She glanced at Jazmine, Sierra, and me. "I'm going to go help with the others. Do you have a handle on this?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I think we're good."

Lydia gave us one last smile before walking out to go handle something else.

"Hi everyone," I said, smiling. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see another girl wander in. She had pale blonde hair draped over one side of her face, a twinkling blue eye poking out.

"Jaz, can you take over?" I whispered, leaning over to her.

Jazmine nodded and began talking.

"Hi, are you here for solo tryouts?" I asked.

The girl paused for a moment then shook her head.

"Are you lost?" I asked.

The girl shook her head again, looking at her teal tennis shoes.

"Then why are you here?" I asked.

The girl shrugged, still not saying anything. I remember those blue eyes in one picture in the notebook. Charlotte. I could recognize them anywhere. I remember Lydia saying Charlotte hadn't talked since they stopped letting her see Cici. I understood that. When they stopped letting Richelle see Eva she refused to talk as well. Richelle said she knew something was coming and couldn't put it into words. Something bad that she was dreading.

"What's your name?" I asked gently.

"Cha-Charlotte," the girl said quietly. I had to strain to hear her.

I knew it. "It's nice to meet you, Charlotte," I said. "Are you sure you don't want a solo?"

"Who says she could do the audition?" Another girl asked, walking in. She was tall, with auburn hair cascading down her back. Her blue eyes were piercing. "She's like, mute."

Charlotte said nothing.

"See?" the girl said. "She doesn't say anything. She used to when Cici was around. They used to do solos and whatever. I don't think she was any good. Neither was Cici though."

"Shut up!" Charlotte snapped suddenly. Charlotte narrowed her eyes and stepped up close to the girl.

I grabbed Charlotte's arm and pulled her back. "Let me handle it," I said.

Charlotte frowned but said nothing.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Autumn," the girl said.