by Annie Bryant
“Did you have a chance to talk to Kazie and Kara-Lee yet?” Charlotte asked as if reading Katani’s mind.
Katani shook her head. Why bother? she thought. Because they’re going to find out the truth on their own soon enough.
Two hours and a bumpy bus ride later, the BSG found themselves on the most gorgeous stretch of beach any of them had ever seen. The sun glinted off the sea and white sand shaded by swaying palm trees stretched as far as they could see in each direction.
“You girls sound maravilloso!” Marisol exclaimed after the BSG’s first karaoke run-through. “I’m going to sit over here and read. Just let me know if you need anything.”
Marisol was chaperoning them today, because Mr. Madden and Andie still had to write their vows and pick out a cake. They had asked Avery at breakfast if she wanted to help them, but she just shook her head and said, “Maybe later.” Kazie also opted to go to the beach, tagging along with Kara-Lee’s family.
“We’d better practice those harmonies,” Maeve pronounced. “We’re sounding flat.” The BSG had a lot of work to do if they were going to take on the Kgirls in karaoke!
Avery stared longingly out at the water. The sky was blue, peppered with fluffy white clouds and the waves lapped gently at the warm sand under their feet. For the first time since her Dad’s marriage proposal, Avery was feeling pretty okay. Like she could forget about everything under the surface of that bright blue green water. But here they were—practicing karaoke!
“I think we sound fine,” Avery complained.
“Which is why it’s good you’re not in charge of our performance,” Maeve lectured. “Because when I said we were flat, I meant you were flat.”
“No! Not…flat! ” Avery groaned and fell over in mock horror.
“If it makes you feel any better, I can’t tell either.” Charlotte laughed and helped Avery up. It was good to see Avery being her old silly self.
“Well, Maeve’s right,” Isabel added. “Let’s try just a few more times through…we’ll have it down, Ave.”
“Then beach time?” Avery asked hopefully.
“Then beach time,” Maeve promised. “Now from the top!”
As Maeve counted them in, Charlotte glanced over to the picnic benches where Katani was practicing with the Kgirls. Has she told them yet? she wondered.
Kicked Out?
Katani spent most of her morning sitting around a picnic table discussing dance moves and karaoke outfits with Kara-Lee and Kazie. Anything to keep from revealing her embarrassing secret. But she knew she was stalling, and Kazie was growing impatient.
“None of this is gonna matter if we can’t rock out our parts.”
“Kazie’s right,” Kara-Lee said. “Let’s run it through once and then we can go back and figure out which parts we need to work on.”
Katani took a deep breath. “There’s just one thing.”
Kara-Lee and Kazie looked at Katani expectantly. Katani froze, suddenly not knowing what to say. Whether she told them the truth now or they found it out themselves, she was going to ruin everything.
“What’s up, Katani?” Kara-Lee asked.
Katani swallowed and shrugged as Kazie jumped up from the bench and cheered, “Let’s rock this thing!” But the only rock Katani wanted was a rock to crawl under!
Kara-Lee began to sing the first lines of the Nik and Sam song. Her voice was like her accent, thick and sweet. As she reached the crescendo, her voice swelled and as she finished on a high note, she nodded toward Kazie.
Kazie was just as good a singer as Kara-Lee, only her voice was different—lower, more soulful. Suddenly Katani realized they were looking at her. It’s my verse!
Katani opened her mouth, trying to remember everything Maeve had taught her. Just breathe and let the song flow. Closing her eyes, she belted out her verse, giving it everything she had.
“Even though I know it’s true
The way you feel about me,
The way I feel ’bout you,
Only three hours—
Three hours till you.”
Katani finished and opened one of her eyes. Kara-Lee and Kazie were staring at her, horrified.
“Um, was that a joke?” Kara-Lee asked gently.
“If it was, sing it for real this time,” Kazie continued. “The karaoke contest is tonight!”
Katani swallowed hard, trying hard not to cry, and looked up at her friends. “I have something to tell you.”
Kara-Lee and Kazie stared back at her. She took another deep breath and shut her eyes. “I can’t sing.”
“WHAT?” Kara-Lee and Kazie screamed in unison.
“I can’t sing. I can’t carry a tune. That? What you just heard? That’s my singing voice. That’s how I sing.”
Kazie groaned and slapped the top of the picnic table with her palms. “You’re joking. Please tell me you’re joking.”
Kara-Lee blinked once, then twice. “Why did you wait so long to tell us?”
Katani felt terrible. She had sabotaged their chances of winning the contest! “I don’t know. It’s just that…I just don’t know.”
“Well, now we can’t win,” Kazie pointed out bluntly.
Katani swallowed the lump in her throat. “I didn’t tell you ’cause I thought you might kick me out of the Kgirls.”
She looked from Kara-Lee to Kazie. Neither girl said a word. Katani felt more than embarrassed. She was guilty, ashamed, and regretful, too. I’m kicked out!
I Got You, Babe
“Maeve, I can sing this song backward and forward and in five different languages. Can we please go swimming now?” Avery groaned.
“We still need to practice our dance moves,” Maeve insisted. She spotted Chad and Will digging trenches in the sand just down the beach and started formulating a plan. “A change of scenery will make you feel better. Why don’t we move down there?” She pointed down where Chad and Will were now jumping in and out of the surf as it filled up their trench.
“Maeve, I think the only one benefiting from that change in scenery is you,” Charlotte jested as the group picked up their backpacks, towels, and extra clothing to move down the beach.
Avery watched as Chad and Will abandoned their sand moat and started trying to bodysurf. “That looks like fun,” she said wistfully.
“Just imagine how fun it’ll be when we win tonight!” Maeve reminded everyone. She caught Chad waving at her and she waved back. Good, he knows I’m here. Now time to wow him with my singing voice! “From the top!”
Maeve started to sing the first verse and turned to see if Chad was listening. But of course he was trying to dunk Will in the water! Boys! She was so annoyed, she forgot the next line and the rest of the BSG stopped singing along with her.
“Okay, one more time…,” Maeve instructed.
That’s when they heard it. A girl’s voice. She was singing the new Nik and Sam song in a way that was both sweet and strong. Maeve craned her neck to see where the voice was coming from.
It was Kara-Lee! We’ve got to make our act even better! Maeve thought. She pointed over to where the Kgirls stood. “Kara-Lee is good. Really good. And so is Kazie. So we have to be, like, better than our absolute best to beat them!”
“Kazie can sing?” Avery was astonished. Was there anything the girl couldn’t do? Other than surf, obviously. Although Avery had no doubt she could learn to surf like a pro if she tried.
“I’ll practice as long as it takes,” Avery announced, suddenly serious. There was no way she was going to let Kazie beat her!
Isabel leaned over to Charlotte. “I don’t see why we can’t all work together.”
“That’s a really good idea,” Charlotte replied. “Tell everyone.”
“Tell everyone what?” Maeve demanded.
Isabel cleared her throat. “I just thought maybe it would be a better idea to have everyone work together. Y’know, combine groups.”
Maeve and Avery looked at each other. Combine groups?
Avery shook h
er head. “No way, no how, am I working with Kazie.” Just looking over in Kazie’s direction made Avery remember her dad and Andie, and the stupid wedding that was one stupid day after today.
“But Katani’s over there, and she’s our friend too,” Charlotte reminded her. “We could help her out and we wouldn’t have to compete with Kazie and Kara-Lee. It would be…nicer.”
“Yeah, but Katani’s over there,” Avery said, “with her new club, the Kgirls. Not with us.” Avery crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Charlotte and Isabel shared a look. This was going to be so much harder than they thought.
Kgirls Need Some Khelp
Katani wasn’t kicked out of the Kgirl club, but all three of the girls were worried that they might have to drop out of the competition altogether.
“It’s no use,” Kara-Lee complained. “We sound terrible.” She sighed and slumped down on the picnic bench.
Katani felt horrible. This was all her fault! “I’m so, so sorry. You girls are fabulous! I’m the one who’s terrible. Can’t I just be the producer? Or the costumer?”
“It said on the sheet, ‘you sign up, you sing!’” Kazie reminded them.
“Maybe if we just go through it one more time?” Kara-Lee said weakly.
“Trust me, I’ve been through this before with the BSG, I don’t get any better,” Katani told her. “Singing is just not my thing.”
“We’ll make it your thing!” Kazie shouted. “Ready? Repeat after me: do-re-mi!”
BSG to the Rescue
“Okay,” Maeve relented, “I agree with Isabel and Charlotte. I vote we ask the Kgirls to join us.”
Everyone turned to Avery, who stared back at them, hands on her hips. “I don’t see why we should let them. They need us more than we need them.”
“Katani’s your friend,” Charlotte reminded her again. “Let’s do this for her!”
“Katani’s Kazie’s friend,” Avery muttered, crossing her arms.
“Avery! Being friendly is one of the things the BSG are all about,” an exasperated Isabel replied.
“But she chose them over us!” Avery yelled, not even sure what she was yelling about. She didn’t hate Katani, or even Kazie, not really! Everything was just so jumbled up. This is all Dad’s fault!
Maeve sat down in the sand next to Avery and put her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Ave, she didn’t choose anyone over us. She just met new friends. She’s allowed.”
Charlotte sat down on the other side of Avery. “We’re the ones who forced her to choose. If Katani had been hanging out with anyone else and Kara-Lee, it would have been no big deal, right?”
Charlotte felt bad. Poor Avery thought she was going on an awesome vacation with her friends and ended up smack dab in the middle of a huge family drama. But Avery was responsible for some of that drama, too.
“Ave,” Charlotte said gently, “this isn’t about Katani. It’s about you and Kazie and this whole competition thing you’ve got going.”
“You’ve always been competitive, and we like that about you,” Isabel continued. “But the stuff between you and Kazie isn’t good. She almost got hurt yesterday.”
“I know,” Avery whispered hoarsely. “We talked after…and…”
“What?” Maeve asked.
“Shhh, give her time!” Charlotte hissed.
Avery knew in her heart that her friends were right. But if she admitted they were she would have to deal with everything—with Kazie, her new stepsister. With her dad and her new stepmom. She didn’t know if she was ready to do that. It was a lot to take in, especially all at once.
But then she thought about Kazie paddling out to the break, where she was completely outclassed by the waves. While Kazie had escaped unharmed, she could have been seriously injured. Andie, too. Avery shivered. That would have been the worst thing in the world. Everything else, she’d figure out a way to deal with.
“Well, Kazie and I are cool, I think,” Avery finally admitted. “I hope. Maybe it would be a chill idea to try singing together.”
“Group hug!” chorused Isabel, Charlotte, and Maeve as they grabbed a struggling Avery.
All Together Now!
Maeve, Charlotte, Isabel, and Avery made their way across the sand toward the Kgirls’ picnic table.
“We were thinking—” Maeve began.
“Can’t you see we’re practicing?” a red-faced Kazie interrupted. Poor Katani looked ready to crawl away and hide.
Maeve took a deep breath and ignored Kazie. “Kara-Lee, the BSG would like to know if the Kgirls would like to join up and perform as a single group for the karaoke contest?”
“That’s a wonderful idea!” Kara-Lee sounded relieved, and Katani was so happy she gave Maeve a gigantic hug!
“But…,” Kazie countered, looking sideways at Avery, who shrugged and rolled her eyes.
Katani gushed, “See, I told you! These guys are the best!”
“I guess it’s okay…” a defeated Kazie muttered as the girls gathered around the picnic benches and Maeve called the meeting to order. “The first thing we’ve got to decide on is what to sing.”
“There need to be enough parts for everyone,” Kara-Lee reminded them.
“But not all of the parts have to be sung,” Katani added.
When everyone was done laughing, Avery stood up. “What about that new Janey G song?” she asked.
“BFF? I love that song!” Kara-Lee declared.
“I know some dance moves that’ll totally work!” Maeve jumped up and started rocking out, motioning for Kara-Lee to join her.
Kara-Lee mimicked Maeve’s choreography. “I like it!”
As Kara-Lee went over the dance routine with everyone, Katani pulled Maeve aside.
“We still haven’t solved my singing problem,” she whispered.
“That’s because you’re not going to sing,” Maeve replied.
“But the rules say everyone has to sing!” Katani worried.
“I know,” said Maeve. “That’s why you’re going to rap!”
“Rap? Me?”
Maeve dragged Katani over to the rest of the girls, who were still rehearsing. Maeve smiled. It’s like a Hollywood happy ending! she thought. But they hadn’t reached the end yet. There was still a karaoke contest and a wedding to get through! And if she wanted to win, she’d better get back to work.
Avery took a break and grabbed a lemonade from one of the coolers the ship’s tour guides had brought for the guests.
“Toss me one?” Kazie stood behind Avery with her hand out.
Avery tossed her a lemonade and sat down with her back to a palm tree. Kazie sat next to her.
“For once in my life, I think I totally don’t care about a contest,” Kazie admitted.
Avery snorted and took a sip of her drink. “Y’know what? Me either.”
The two girls sat in silence, watching everyone else practice. The sun was starting to go down on Lahaina.
“It’s weird to think that I’ll have a stepmom and a stepsister by tomorrow,” Avery confessed. She couldn’t believe she was telling Kazie, but who else would really understand? She’d sat with her cell phone the night before staring at her mom’s and her brother Scott’s phone numbers, and then when she finally got up the nerve and dialed Scott, his phone was off. What if they didn’t even know yet? She didn’t want to be the one to break the news!
“You think it’s weird?” Kazie interrupted her thoughts. “It’s been just my mom and me for ages. Suddenly I have a stepdad, a stepsister, and two stepbrothers!” Kazie picked up a handful of sand and let it drain through her fingers. “I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s just—”
“Weird. I know.” Avery couldn’t imagine going from having almost no family to having a family. Her brothers and her mom had always been around, and while her dad lived in Colorado, they visited each other as often as they could. And they always talked over e-mail or IM. Sometimes their schedules were crazy, but they always tried to work it out.
Sort of like this trip, she thought, and suddenly felt a rock in the pit of her stomach. She had been so upset about her dad showing up with Andie and Kazie that she hadn’t stopped to think about what her dad must have felt. Sure, she had felt left out a lot of the time, but she realized that she hadn’t even tried to meet him halfway.
“I just can’t believe it’s happening,” Kazie blurted out.
“But it is.” Avery still didn’t know how she felt about Andie and her dad getting married. But it was kind of nice to know that she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. I need to call Mom and Scott, Avery realized suddenly. ASAP. Too bad she’d left her cell phone back in the room.
“C’mon,” Avery said, standing up and wiping the sand off of her shorts. “If Drill Sergeant Maeve finds out how long we’ve been gone, we’ll be in big trouble.”
“And they say we’re competitive!” Kazie exclaimed.
“I think we’ve got it down,” Maeve said as they joined the group. “Now we only need a name! I was thinking ‘the BSG with the Kgirls!’”
“It’s a little wordy,” Kara-Lee responded. “What about ‘The Kgirls with the BSG?”’
“That’s got the same number of words,” Charlotte told her.
“It does?” Kara-Lee said, pretending not to know.
Everyone laughed, but Maeve clapped to keep their attention. “Focus! We need something that rolls off the tongue! Doesn’t our resident writer have any ideas?”
Charlotte shook her head. “Nothing comes to mind.”
“Hang on a second.” Isabel held up a hand.
Everyone turned toward her and waited.
“I have an idea,” she said with a sly smile.
CHAPTER
17
Karaoke!
Dad?” Charlotte knocked on the glass window in the infirmary. Marisol stood behind her, holding out a mask.
“Whaaa—?” Mr. Ramsey rolled over and opened his eyes. “Sweetheart!”
“Dad, are you feeling better yet?” Charlotte rushed into the room, but from the sheen of sweat on her dad’s forehead, she knew he was still sick.
