I guess I saw it coming. How could I not? It’s a good thing. It would be awesome if Vee and I became stepsisters. We’d have to make Megan an honorary stepsister. Maybe by then we’ll even have to include Gwynneth in on the stepsister thing too. We’ll see.
Vee sees Ethan and hurries over to him. He kisses her lightly on the cheek. Megan and I punch each other excitedly on the arms. It’s just a cheek kiss, but still. They hold hands!
Megan and I stamp our feet with the thrill of it.
“Is that Vee’s boyfriend?” Gwynneth asks us.
“It is now!” I reply
The concert starts. Gwynneth and Vee get to have the first two rows for themselves and their guests. We meet Gwynneth’s closest friends, who are on her Mathletes team. Ethan and Vee sit together, still holding hands.
Heather May is there with her camerawoman. She approaches Gwynneth and Vee and has them step out into the aisle. “You did it, girls,” she says as her camerawoman films.
“We sure did!” Vee says.
“This is my friend Olivia Howard,” Gwynneth says. It’s kind of dumb, but I have to give her cred for trying to make up for her past mistake.
There’s an opening act of kids in a band called Free Spirits from Shoreham High. They’re actually pretty good.
When they finish, the principals from the two schools get on stage. Mr. Hall, our principal, has a microphone. “We are so happy to see all you students from our two different schools here together in this terrific new performing arts center. We hope you talk and get to know each other. Because this contest has brought us together, Shoreham and Pleasant Hill districts will be sponsoring a lot more joint ventures like this. We’re so grateful to Channel 14 for bringing our two school districts together in this way.”
The crowd cheers wildly. Everyone is in such a great mood!
Mr. Hall continues once the cheers die down. “Our two winners have decided together how they want the money from concert ticket sales to be used. The Shoreham and Pleasant Hill school districts are going to invest in a mobile concussion awareness unit that will travel from school district to school district conducting concussion awareness seminars and giving out materials.”
“Let’s have our two winners come up on stage,” says Ms. Jones, the Shoreham principal.
Everyone applauds. Gwynneth and Vee hurry onto the stage, where they shake hands, and then they hug. “Is there anything you would like to say to your friends in the audience?” Ms. Jones asks them.
“Just thanks for being here,” Gwynneth says when she is handed the microphone.
Vee is never shy, so when it’s her turn it’s no surprise that she makes the most of it. “I’m so glad to have gotten to know Gwynneth Plotkin through this contest. She never gave up. I’d also like to thank my pals Lulu Vance and Megan Hardwick . . .”
Megan and I stand up and pump our fists. Everyone cheers for us. It’s the best!
“. . . and all the students at Pleasant Hill Middle who were so supportive in every way,” Vee continues. “Enjoy the show, everybody!”
The audience goes crazy with cheering. Vee and Gwynneth wave as they move to the side of the stage and stand beside Ms. Jones.
Mr. Hall steps forward with the microphone. “And now put your hands together for Boys Being Dudes!”
The audience goes absolutely berserk as Boys Being Dudes runs onto the stage. As they do, Derek, the lead singer, grabs hold of Vee’s hand and leads her to the front of the stage. Josh, the bass guitarist, takes hold of Gwynneth’s hand. “Give it up for Gwynneth and Vee!” Derek shouts into the microphone.
Megan and I shout until our throats hurt. It’s deafening. Vee is smiling from ear to ear. Gwynneth is blushing bright red, but she also grins. I would faint if I was up there—just completely faint!
Gwynneth and Vee go back off to the side as BBD starts to play. They are so awesome! Even better in person than on their recording. It takes only seconds for everyone to be on their feet, totally into it. Derek is amazing. So dreamy. Everyone is so into the band.
Especially Megan. I see her wave to one of the band members. And then I see Joe, the drummer, waving back.
Chapter 26
SO, BACK TO REALITY. The concert was a blast and a half, but now I’m back at school. Dad has decided that he’ll drive the extra forty-five minutes to work and we’ll stay right where we are. Yay! The fact that he doesn’t want to move that far from Lulu’s mom might have something to do with it, but he also wants Eric and me to be happy—which we are.
Gwynneth was sad to hear that I’m not coming to Shoreham after all, but she and I stay in touch. In fact—and this is really amazing—our Snapstreak is still going. That’s right! We Snap at least once a day! Lulu and Megan Snap with her, too.
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MiddleGradeMania.com
SUZANNE WEYN’S most recent young adult novel Bionic was published by Scholastic Press in October 2016. Her other well-known novels include the award-winning Bar Code Tattoo trilogy, the ecological thriller Empty, and Reincarnation, among many other published works. She currently teaches writing as an adjunct professor at Medgar Evers College, and at Westchester Community College.
Learn more at suzanneweynbooks.com
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Suzanne Weyn, Snapstreak
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