The Secret Singer

Chapter 5

**Picture: Teen Chris Hemsworth as Noah**

Stephanie's POV

Have you ever seen one of those videos where a lion paces back and forth in his cage, obviously frustrated, but you just watch cautiously because you know there's nothing you can do?

Well that's how I feel sitting on the stage of the school's auditorium as Amy paces back and forth angrily. Finally, I decide just can't take it anymore.

"ALRIGHT!!" I yell at her as she stopped suddenly and stared at me like I'M the one losing my mind. "Can you please tell me what's wrong? You're going to wear a hole on this stage and it's not even carpet!"

She sighs and looks at me with little flecks of anger still in her dark eyes.

"So you know how I have dance class first period, right?" She says. I nod. Dancing is Amy's dream and absolute ambition. She puts in long hours every day to practice, and maintains a very healthy lifestyle to keep doing it. She is the best in her class and always had been.

"Okay, so Collin's friend Noah enrolled with him in school and he's this big shot dancer. And he got put in the same period dancing class as me. Anyway, the big showcase is coming up and Mrs. Stanton picked partners, so I have to do it with him. And you know what he says?" She asks.

"What?" I ask worriedly. Her eyes suddenly start to swim in tears.

"He asked if he could please change partners because he needed a professional for a partner!" She answers angrily.

"NO!" I gasp, outraged for my friend. Amy was the epitome of professionalism. If anything switching partners would guarantee that Noah got a certified fan girl.

Amy sniffs and says "That's not all, though, because now Mrs. Stanton keeps looking at me like I'm going to do something stupid, and the popular girls that know absolutely nothing about true dancing just look at me and snicker. The reputation I've had for years as a respected and talented dancer is down the drain Steph!"

I shake my head in anger and put my arms around my best friend. How can Collin be so sweet, yet his best friend be such a jerk? Or maybe Collin WAS a jerk and he just pretended to be sweet because he thought I would sue him for what happened this morning.

The more I think about it, the more true it seems, and the angrier I get. But no, I am not going to let them ruin the rest of my day, nor Amy's.

I looked at her, took a deep breath and said "Look, we can't let those two jerks ruin our day. The fact is you are the best dancer in your class, and by the time Noah realizes this he'll have switched partners, and it'll be too late. So, clean yourself up and get ready for the class that's coming in. I'm going to the back to get ready. Okay?"

Amy nodded and a determined glint shone in her obsidian eyes. She hugged me and walked over to the bathroom to get cleaned up before the students arrived.

Every weekday Amy held a class for dancers looking to practice and get tips. It also served as a way to get some service learning credit, which would help her get her service learning diploma.

Every other day, instead of using the stereo as background music, I would go to the back where no one could see me and sing into the speakers. It was a way for me to sing and use my talent without anyone but Amy and I knowing.

I got into my position with my hoodie up in case someone wandered back here by mistake and caught me singing. I loved to sing and write music, but I didn't need other people knowing of my talent and telling me what to do with it.

I watched from my hiding place as Amy welcomed everyone and stretched them out. Once she was done, she went to the stereo to put the karaoke music on, signaling me to start.

I closed my eyes as the opening lines to "tell me something I don't know" by Selena Gomez came on, and started singing.

Everybody tells me that it's so hard to make it
It's so hard to break in
There's no way to fake it
Everybody tells me that it's wrong what I'm feelin'
And I shouldn't believe in
The dreams that I'm dreamin'

I hear it every day
I hear it all the time
I'm never gonna amount too much
But they're never gonna change my mind, no

[2x]
Tell me, Tell me, Tell me
Something I don't know, Something I don't know
Something I don't know

Like how many inches in a mile
What it takes to make you smile
Get you not to treat me like a child, baby

Tell me, Tell me, Tell me
Something I don't know, Something I don't know
Something I don't know

Tell me, Tell me something I don't know
Tell me, Tell me something I don't know

Everybody tells me I don't know what I'm doing
The life I'm pursuing
The odds I'll be losing
Everybody tells me that it's one in a million, no
One in a billion, oh
One in a zillion

I hear it every day
I hear it all the time
I'm never gonna amount too much
But they're never gonna change my mind, no

[2x]
Tell me, Tell me, Tell me
Something I don't know, Something I don't know
Something I don't know

Like how many inches in a mile
What it takes to make you smile
Get you not to treat me like a child, baby

Tell me, Tell me, Tell me
Something I don't know, Something I don't know
Something I don't know

[2x]
Tell me, Tell me, Tell me
Something I don't know, Something I don't know
Something I don't know

Like how many inches in a mile
What it takes to make you smile
Get you not to treat me like a child, baby

[3x]
Tell me, Tell me, Tell me
Something I don't know, Something I don't know
Something I don't know

Tell me"

I stopped and opened my eyes, blushing at the applause I heard from Amy's students. I laughed softly and whispered softly "for you mom."

A/N: SCANDALOUS!!! Why was Noah so mean? Do you think Collin is really a jerk? What will Amy do next?? Hmmm.... comment, vote, and share guys!! Toodles!

P.s. the picture at the top is of a teen chris hemsworth who ive chosen for Noah! :-D