Valentina Finds Her Voice | A Blushington Book

Chapter 13

This semester felt completely different to me. I didn't take anything for granted. Even if I felt like I already knew something, I made sure to study it with intensity. We were nearing the end of January and the thing that kept me up most was proving myself at the revue.

I had every faith in myself but knew I would need some help to truly show dean Simulson what I could do. So I went to Ms. Czerwonsky and asked what I should do.

"If you want to train as an alto maybe you should ask an alto to tutor you," she replied to my query.

"Fine, who would be willing and who would you recommend," I asked?

"Perhaps you should ask one of the girls who call themselves the gifted six," she said nonchalantly. "There are a couple of altos in their group."

Looking up to the sky I couldn't believe my ears. Not only were these girls upperclassmen, but they'd given me nothing but jabs and insults since I arrived.

Just when I thought this semester was looking brighter, I basically had to go and ask some of the meanest girls here for help. I sighed and decided singing with my true voice was worth any embarrassment they might attempt to put me through.

I said a hasty thanks and went in search of a group of girls I'd planned to avoid at all costs. They weren't difficult to find. They always practiced together in swan hall inside the theater. Taking a deep breath and reminding myself that it was worth it, I opened the door and stepped inside.

They immediately stopped singing and all turned to acknowledge my intrusion. Glancing around nervously I offered a sheepish grin and small hi. Clearing my throat I spoke again but at a normal level this time.

"Um hi, sorry to interrupt but Ms. Czerwonsky said that I should ask if one of you could mentor me as I train to sing contralto," I spat out quickly.

No one moved.

One eternity later, the obvious leader of the group, stepped up to me, circled me and finally spoke.

"You've come to the right place," Priya said.

She was the same 5'5'' as me but seemed to tower over me somehow. Her jet back hair was cut into an angular bob and shook chicly against her mocha skin as she spoke.

"If Ms. Czerwonsky recommended you to come to us then she must believe you can be what you think you already are," she continued, "but I will be the judge of that."

She proceeded to monologue about the virtues of singing alto, how not everyone was born or could be trained to do it and that if she felt I wasn't serious enough about it; she'd show me the door.

"Well, I am serious and ready to learn," I answered back.

"Great," she said a little too cheerily, "we begin tomorrow bright and early."

"Thanks for being so cool about this Priya," I said with relief.

"It's no problem. Let's see if you're still thanking me when we're finished," she replied.

Walking back to my dorm I wasn't sure what to think. I was glad she agreed to help; she truly is a talented alto. But I was nervous because behind her smiles there appeared to be veiled threats.

Well, I could handle whatever she chose to bring. There was no way I was giving up.

Thanks for reading!

X B

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