Standing in the Spotlight

Cosette

       No no no! This can't happen! I'm not Auto tuned. I'm reading the school newspaper when all of the sudden I see the title Cosette Degray Auto tuned?!? I am not! I can feel the stares of all the kids in the hallway. Who would make up a story like this? And just like that it hit me. Elizabeth Rose. I always knew she was totally jealous of my talent but this is taking it too far.
      "Hey Cosette! Or is your name a lie just like your voice?" Hadley Harper mocks. "Everyone is talking about you. And I mean everyone. If I were you I would never want to show my face at this school again."
        "Just leave me alone, Hadley. I don't want any drama." I respond but she obviously didn't care.
        "Well if you didn't want drama then why did you lie and say you could sing?" It took all of my power not to slap her right then and there. Instead I got my books and walked away. And she's following me. Of course. "Even auto tuned you sound bad so trying to cover up the truth was pointless." I hold my head up and walk to my first class, Algebra 2.
"Cosette!"  Shelby shouts and runs toward me.
"Oh hi Shelby. How was your summer?" I ask smoothing down my tulle skirt.
"Fine. But have you seen this?" Shelby asks as she shoves the newpaper in front of my face.
"Yes. My life is over," I reply with a sigh and push the newspaper aside," And you know what? Once I find Elizabeth Rose I'm going to give her a piece of my mind."
"That's so smart Cosette. What are you going to do?" 
"I have no idea yet but I'll think of something," I reply and take a seat next to Shelby.
"I wonder what we are gonna learn in this class?" Shelby asks while she bounces up and down in her seat.
"Um Algebra 2. Shouldn't you know from first semester? Wait are you even in this class? Aren't you a freshmen?" I never know what's going through her mind.
"Oh yea! See you in choir!" Shelby hops out of her chair and practically dances away.
"Uh hey is this seat taken?" An unfamiliar voice asks me. I turn around and see a guy I recognized from somewhere but I couldn't quite remember. Oh he was the lead in the winter play I suddenly recall.
"Yeah. I mean no. Uh no that's seat is not taken," Ew I'm so awkward, " You're in theatre right?" He just nods but doesn't say anything.
"I'm Cosette Degray, president of choir," I say with a smile.
"I know." The guy replies and my eyes widen," I mean I know because of the newspaper this morning was about you. Sorry about whoever did that."
"Oh. Yea it's horrible and I'm going to talk to them about it. It legit ruined my life," I reply.
"Well anyway I'm Ash Hunter,"The guy, Ash, says and I smile. How is it that it's second semester and I'm just now meeting him?
"We also have chemistry together," Ash says and I turn to him. We do?
"Oh yea. We do I'm it's been a long break," I lie. I pull out my algebra 2 spiral, textbook, and a pencil.
"So what did you do for winter break?" I ask Ash.
"Nothing much. Just celebrated Christmas at home," Ash replies and gets out his textbook.
"Oh my family and I went to Paris. It was really cool even got to see the Eiffel Tower," I reply and look down. Probably shouldn't have said that.
"Cool," Ash replies and he smiles.
"Attention class! Up here!" Mr. Fisher says and I direct my attention to him.

I spent all day looking for Elizabeth Rose but she was avoiding me. We even have second period together and I didn't even see her. Now I sit through Music Theory hearing my teacher drown on and on.
"I need to go to the restroom may I be excused?" I ask and Mrs. Lane nods then writes me a pass. I leave the music theory classroom and head my way to the Journalism classroom. Once I arrive I knock on the door and a boy opens the door.
"Excuse me I need to speak with the editor of the newspaper," I politely tell him then bat my eyelashes at him.
"C-come in," he says and I walk into the busy classroom.
"Jennifer where is the lunch calendar at on this draft? Oh wait there isn't one. I told you to fix it and Tyler I need you to meet with that artist today," Elizabeth Rose commands orders as she checks stuff off her list. I take a deep breath and walk over to her.
"There's the front page. Figured you would come around sooner or later, a bunch of your little roadies already did. So let me guess you want me to apologize then recall a perfectly good newspaper because you didn't get your way," She says and mocks crying.
"Not to that extend but yes, sorta. It's rude to me and my talent," I respond.
"And you telling me to recall the newspapers isn't being rude to my talent?" She fires back," How do you even know I wrote it, I'm just the editor."
"Ok well who wrote that gossip column?"
"Well that's for me to know and you to find out," Elizabeth Rose shoots back with a smirk," Bye, nice seeing you." I slowly turn around and march out of the room just as she calls another order. I slowly walk back to the music theory room in defeat.
I can't stand Elizabeth Rose. She's so sly sometimes.
Soon I'm back in the music theory room listening to my teacher drone on and on.
"Miss DeGray, you're need in the front office," Mr. Fisher commands and I stand up then sling my backpack on my shoulder. I walk to the atrium where the front office is and see Elizabeth Rose sitting in a seat.
"Oh great they asked for diva too," She says and I scowl. I take a seat and wait patiently.
"Elizabeth Rose your brother, Charlie McKay, is here to talk to you," Ms. Elkins tells her and I see her face light up.
"Wait a minute, your brother is Charlie McKay as in the current Jack Kelly in the new revival of Newsies. He's played Fieryo in Wicked, he was ensemble for the revival of Fiddler on the Roof, he's outstanding. Is it true he tried out for Hamilton?" I ask Elizabeth Rose, fangirling over Charlie McKay. I have to admit I do have a thing for showtunes.
"This is exactly why I never tell anyone," She says then walks into the office.
"Cosette DeGray, your friend Sienna Young is here," Ms. Elkins tells me and I groan. Soon dyed brown hair with rainbow underneath pops out from the office.
"Bestie!!!!! Cosette, I've missed you!!!!" Sienna squeals then gives me a hug.
"Hey Sienna," I say and give her a light pat," It's only been a day how can you miss me?" Sienna was my best friend in 6th grade. I wanted to become distant in 7th because she got clingy and was constantly by me telling me what to do and what not to. I thought Spotlight I could escape her but I couldn't. Last semester alone she visited about 50 times.
"You're my best friend duh. I wish I could be here. It's so cool I would be a great theatre person," She says in awe.
"Sienna you've never acted before," I point out.
"You don't know that you don't know everything about me Cosette. I'm a great actress but Spotlight just can't accept it," she frowns.
"Or you just can't be accepted," I mumble.
"So are you glad to see me. My mom said I could come here almost every week," Sienna squeals.
"Oh yay," I unenthusiastically add.
"Well I'm going to head to your dorm room. See you later!" She adds then walks off towards the dorms. I walk into the front office and look at the newpaper stand which is full of the fake gossip columns.
"Bye Charlie," Elizabeth Rose say and she hugs her brother then joins me.
"So where were we? Ahh yes you drooling over my brother which is gross cause we are 10 years apart," She says with a smirk.
"Unless you can gather up 30 million dollars in afraid this will be Spotlight's last year. Running a school isn't cheap it's 52 million dollars, Francis. Your boosters and grants aren't enough," a voice says and soon a young business man comes out then promptly leaves.
"Spotlight is going to close down?" Elizabeth Rose ask breaking the silence.
"We have to do something. We can't go down without a fight," I tell her.
"I'm sorry did you just say we? We are barely even friends," She replies.
"Lizzy Rose listen to me. You're an amazing writer and I'm a great singer. If we combined our talents with some other peers we might have a chance at coming up with a plan to save Spotlight," I plead with her.
"Fine just don't tell that Sienna chick about it she's annoying," Elizabeth Rose says and I smile and shake her hand.
"See you later Lizzy Rose," I say as she walks away.
"Never said you could call me that," she shouts as turns the corner.
It's weird how your enemies can become your allies instantly, it was like in a snap Elizabeth Rose and I went from wanting to kill each other to saving the school.