Renae

Chapter Nine

"There's a singing contest starting on Friday, that's four weeks from now." Rocksan was talking with Renae, Stella and Genevieve. "I'm signing up for it. Who's signing up with me?" She inquired.
  
"I'm not doing that." Stella complained
  
"Neither am I."
  
"Nor I."
  
"Suit yourselves then, just thought you should know." Rocksan said and then walked away.
  
"There's a poster here." Renae said. She had opened her locker and a flier fell out. She picked it up. The background was purple and black. It had silhouettes of three females. One on the drum, one on the keyboard and another one with a microphone. Genevieve and Stella drew closer to look at the flier. "There's a prize. The winner(s) will receive $5000." Renae read out loud.
  
"Imagine what we could do with five thousand dollars, we could go shopping, have massages, manipedi, buy ice cream, the list is endless." Genevieve said.
  
"That's all you think about." Renae said.
  
"What?" Genevieve questioned. "As if you don't desire to have the luxury of life." Genevieve retorted.
  
"Renae, why don't you sign up?" Stella suggested.
  
"Weren't we all in agreement that we weren't interested."
  
"Yeah, that's before we discovered the prize money was so much." Genevieve said.
  
"I'm still not interested." Renae protested
  
"Why not?!" Genevieve cried.
  
"My voice isn't all that good." Renae said. "I'm only good at composing songs and playing instruments."
  
"We could form a band. I'll sing one of your songs and you'll play the piano or something else." Stella suggested.
  
"You're interested?" Renae asked a little bit surprised at what Stella had said.
  
"I'm just suggesting," she said "not trying to persuade you."
  
"Whatever." She said and then walked away.

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"What name should we use!" Genevieve asked Stella.
  
"How about Dream Girls?" Stella suggested.
  
"That can work." Genevieve said. "Dream Girls starring Renae, Stella and Genevieve." She repeated as she wrote. "Do you think Renae will be mad?" She dropped the pen attached to the signing board.
  
"She might be but we've already signed up. The board will be taken down tomorrow, we'll just tell her tomorrow. No problem"
  
"Fine. I'll listen to you, what class do you have next."

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"So, uh, I have this book, a friend," Micheal paused thinking of the relationship between him and Renae. Were they friends or two people who just happened to converse and whom he was doing a favor "said to give it to you and find out what you think." He fished out the book from his bag and handed it to her.
  
"A book?" She collected it and flipped through it. "Not bad drawings but too tacky, urgh!" She said.
  
"Tacky? They're quite um" he stopped. He was about to say 'nice' but stopped.
  
"I'll have another look at it, okay?" She suggested upon seeing his expression. "I'll get back to you tomorrow." She stood up and started for the door but then turned around. "I'm only doing this for you, alright."
  
"I know and thanks a lot." He responded.
  
Vanessa walked off out of the study hall. Although this was the study hall, for some reason few people ever really do come here to read, making this an ideal place for Vanessa and Michael to talk.
  
Another person who frequented this place and loved reading here was Renae. Though the library was quiet, it was usually crowded. Here was always peaceful and serene which made it her favorite place since she got to Rockford High.
  
She walked through the door. Luckily, she did not bump into Vanessa again. "Oh, um Micheal, you're here." she paused at the door and then continued walking. She got to the bench and sat a few feet from Micheal.
  
"About the book you asked me to give to Vanessa, I... I've given it to her." Micheal said two minutes after Renae sat down.
  
"You have?" She asked. "What did she say!" She asked again excitement beaming on her face.
  
"She said she'll take time to go through it and get back with her opinion."
  
"Oh thank you Micheal."
  
"No problem."
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"The designs are too amateur, tell this girl..."
  
"Did I say it was a girl?" Micheal cut in. He was a bit angry but he did a good job hiding it.
  
"Fine, tell this person to come to me with something better than that." She tossed the book to Micheal, stood up and turned around to go.
  
He was shocked at her behavior. He held the book tightly. What was that all about? What would he tell Renae. She'd be so sad.
  
He stood up and spoke. "You said you'd take another look at it and get back to me."
  
"I have looked at it and that's my answer." She said. "After all I did say my mind yesterday," she said "that it was tacky." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Chow"

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"What? You signed me up for the singing contest?" Renae asked Genevieve and Stella angrily.
  
"Actually, it's not a singing contest. It's not to find out who has the best voice, it's kind of like X-Factor." Genevieve replied.
  
"Isn't X-Factor a singing contest?"
  
"Um more like a singing competition." Genevieve said under her breath.
  
"Isn't that the same thing?" Renae asked.
  
"I think what Genevieve means is that the way you said 'singing contest' makes it sound...um... well... what she said." Stella said to Renae as she gestured towards Genevieve.
  
"That still doesn't justify your actions."
  
"We didn't just sign you up, we also signed up." Genevieve said.
  
"We signed as a group." Stella added.
  
"A group?" Renae asked. "What name?"
  
"Dream girls." Genevieve and Stella chorused together.
  
"Dream girls? Not bad." She said. "Well" she sighed. "If we're going to participate, we'd better start rehearsing. How about my place after school?" Renae suggested.
  
"Sure we'd love to." Genevieve said excitedly.
  
"Wait a minute, you agree?" Stella questioned.
  
"You don't want me to agree? Is that it?" Renae asked.
  
"I do, it's just, I didn't think you'd agree so fast, that's all." Stella clarified.