Valentina Finds Her Voice | A Blushington Book

Chapter 10

I got home to find our house turned into Santa's workshop. Mom really outdid herself this year. I looked in the living room and saw the bare tree and the boxes of decorations. I thanked mom for waiting for me and the three of us got right to work.

We decorated a pretty good looking tree if I do say so myself. And over dinner I retold mom the same stories I'd told dad.

"Well, I'm just glad you're home and get a chance to take a break from all of that," mom said, "how about we decorate some gingerbread men?"

Holiday crafts are my jam so I agreed and dad went into his study to take some calls. Mom and I had a great time and I brought a few cookies up to my room. I unpacked my bags and read through all of the messages I had from Cassie, Grace, Isla and Jalissa.

Cassie went home to California for winter break while the twins stayed at Blushington. They promised to keep us both updated with any news. After I told them everything that happened that fateful audition, they made it their mission to provide any ounce of information they heard about the placements.

Even though I wasn't missing Blushington at the moment I did miss my friends. I chatted with them before I crawled in bed, with everyone from Florence in the temple to dad to the dean's voices playing in my head.

I spent the next few days just being lazy around the house. It kind of felt weird not having anything to do. Family wouldn't be in town until next week, so the house was very quiet. I watched a few movies, helped mom with some projects and just hung out in my room.

It was a non-stop loop of advice playing in my head so when mom asked if I wanted to go  shopping with her, I jumped at the chance. I needed to get away from my thoughts for a while. We went by a few home decor shops, the craft store and finally the grocery store.

It was in the grocery store that we ran into Rebecca and Mila; I completely forgot they worked there as cashiers and we were going through Rebecca's checkout line. I looked at mom, panic stricken and she just gave me a little smile.

My heart was beating fast, my breath was coming out shallowly and I wondered if I might have a panic attack. I hadn't spoken to either of them since the festival and now we were all giving each other the side eye.

But then I remembered I wasn't the one at fault here; this was on them. Suddenly I felt empowered. I was so sick of letting everyone just get away with things because I didn't want to make them uncomfortable.

So when it was our turn to check out my mom said hi to Rebecca and she said hi back; then turned her attention to me wondering if I'd speak.

I only said two sentences, "You and Mila owe me an apology; meet me at our secret location after work. I'll be there waiting for it."

Her eyes got so big I thought they might bug out of her head. Mila was in the next lane over so I knew she heard me as well. I was glad she was shook. That was the exact emotion I was going for.

To mom's credit she acted like nothing had happened. She thanked Rebecca for her change, took her bags and walked out.

I was on cloud nine. There was a bounce and lightness to my step that I'd not felt before. When we got into the car, we both burst out laughing and talked about their shocked faces all the way home.

The only flaw in my little performance today was I didn't know what time they got off of work. So I just waited until the afternoon and walked around the corner to the park. Our secret location consisted of a giant tree in the park whose base was hollowed out. We'd sit in there after school and have fun until the street lights came on.

It looked like I'd timed it just right because when I turned the corner I saw them both walking across the park towards the tree. When I got there I held nothing back.

"I heard you all talking about me at the fall festival, how I treated you like my peasant friends, how I wasn't loyal to our pact and how I'd basically sold out," I said through gritted teeth.

"Well, I'll have you know that life at Blushington hasn't been all high tea and macarons for me, I perservered."

I told them how I felt like I was missing out on all of the fun stuff they'd text me about, how I needed to make friends and even about my audition. I spoke so passionately, for a moment I thought they might run.

Mila spoke first, "Um who are you and where is our quiet, unassuming friend?"

Rebecca chimed in, "Yeah, where's Valentina and what have you done with her?"

I looked at them both confused and they just laughed.

"We're sorry," they both said, "don't go all ivy league on us."

"We've been trying to think of a way to apologize for leaving the way we did, but we didn't know you heard us," Rebecca said softly.

"I just felt like we weren't good enough for your fancy new life and when we all stopped talking I figured you agreed," Mila chimed in.

"Guys I've missed you like crazy. I just thought if I didn't bring it up it would take care of itself but as we can see it obviously didn't," I said, "I guess I'm working on uncaging my voice."

"Well, it's working for you," Rebecca laughed snapping her fingers in a circle.

"Yeah," Mila said, "standing up for yourself looks good on you."

We sat under that old tree for hours, laughing, catching up and reminiscing. And to think it might not have happened had I not spoken up. I went home that night full on friendship, still laughing at some of the things we talked about.

The girls said I should keep singing even if it is in a different part. I told them I'd think about it; it seemed I had a lot of things to think about.

Thanks for reading!

X B

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