Tales From a Not-So-Talented Pop Star

by Rachel Renée Russell

  I was praying that he wouldn’t mention that bug extermination fiasco.

  But he did!

  Apparently, my parents had run into Principal Winston and his wife at that restaurant last Sunday. He and Dad had chatted and then arranged a meeting for next Saturday to evaluate the WCD bug problem.

  Thank goodness my dad had NOT gotten fired after all. I was SO relieved!

  I never thought in a million years I’d actually be happy he was the WCD exterminator.

  But more than anything, I’m SUPERgrateful that Dad arranged my scholarship. I guess I didn’t really appreciate it until I thought I had lost it.

  Anyway, I already know the ONLY bugs Dad and Principal Winston are going to find at WCD are in a jar in MacKenzie’s locker.

  But I’ve learned my lesson the hard way, courtesy of MacKenzie.

  I will NEVER, EVER stick my nose in my dad’s business again! And that’s a PROMISE!

  So I just kept my big mouth shut about the WCD bugs.

  After we’d changed out of our band T-shirts, Chloe, Zoey, and Violet went back to the dressing rooms to pack up the rest of our stuff.

  Brandon and I sat in the second row of the auditorium, which was now pretty much empty.

  He told me that renaming our band Actually, I’m Not Really Sure Yet at the last moment was pure genius.

  But I admitted that it was my grandma who had given me the idea.

  He also said he was really proud of me and that I was such a good singer, I could be a star.

  I was like, yeah right, a not-so-talented pop star!

  So, we were just sitting there facing each other, and he kind of stared at me for what seemed like FOREVER.

  I blushed and my stomach got all fluttery inside.

  OMG! I just HATE it when he does that to me.

  Then I smiled. And he smiled back at me with this sort of shy look on his face.

  I almost FREAKED when Brandon kind of leaned forward a little until we were, like, three inches apart.

  My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.

  Because for a second I thought that maybe he was going to … you know …!!!

  SQUEEEEEEEEEEE ☺!!!

  But that’s when Brianna suddenly popped up from the row right behind us and leaned over our seats and shoved her fist right in Brandon’s face and shouted:

  “WHAT’S UP, DUDE? MEET MISS PENELOPE! SHE WAS BORNED FROM A PEN! AND SHE SAYS YOU HAVE COOTIES!!”

  I could NOT believe Brianna actually did that.

  OMG! I was SO embarrassed.

  But mostly I felt SUPERGIGGLY and INSANELY HAPPY because everything had worked out.

  So I grabbed Miss Penelope and gave her a big, fat, sloppy kiss.

  Which totally grossed her out.

  “Her” being Brianna, not Miss Penelope.

  And of course Brandon and I both cracked up.

  I guess he knows by now that I’m just weird like that.

  OMG!

  I am SUCH a DORK!!

  ☺!!

  Rachel Renée Russell is an attorney who prefers writing tween books to legal briefs. (Mainly because books are a lot more fun and pajamas and bunny slippers aren’t allowed in court.)

  She has raised two daughters and lived to tell about it. Her hobbies include growing purple flowers and doing totally useless crafts (like, for example, making a microwave oven out of Popsicle sticks, glue, and glitter). Rachel lives in northern Virginia with a spoiled pet Yorkie who terrorizes her daily by climbing on top of a computer cabinet and pelting her with stuffed animals while she writes. And, yes, Rachel considers herself a total Dork.