Mackenzie Blue (18 page)

“That was great!” an eighth-grade boy said.

“You're an inspiration,” one of the perfect-hair girls from the first day of school told her.

Chloe, Jasper, Marcus, and Landon found her. Of course, Kathi and Jen were nowhere around.
Phew!

“You were amazing! Totally the best!” Chloe gushed.

“Good show!” Jasper said. “That was definitely worth putting my book down for!”

Landon punched Zee in the shoulder. “Awesome!” he said. Then he held up his phone and took her picture. “I'm going to show everyone when you get famous.” It wasn't long before Mr. P and Zee's parents arrived with Chloe's mom. Mrs. Carmichael was clutching a tissue.

Mr. P looked at Zee. “It's nice to see a few friendly faces after you perform, isn't it?”

Zee could barely breathe, let alone answer her teacher. Her mother had her and Adam in a group hug that had somehow turned into a Zee squash. “My babies,” Mrs. Carmichael said, finally releasing her children to breathe again.

 

At the end of the audition, John Rock tore open the envelope in his hand. “The winner…of the…Los Angeles Region
Teen Sing
…is…”

The next morning, Zee did a double-take as she walked into music class. She nearly didn't recognize the man at the front of the room. Mr. P looked like he'd gotten a great night's sleep for the first time since school had started. Actually it looked like he'd gotten an entire makeover. His hair was carefully groomed, the bags under his eyes had disappeared, and his button-down shirt was neatly tucked into his ironed dress pants.

“What's going on?” Zee asked suspiciously, walking sideways to her seat. She didn't take her eyes off Mr. P.

“Nothing,” Mr. P answered. “Why?”

Zee decided it would be inappropriate to tell Mr. P that it looked like a secret government squad of spa technicians had reprogrammed him. “No reason.”

Chloe was already there. She looked at Zee and shrugged, then said, “I still think you're way better than Carina.”

“You even wrote your own song,” Jasper added.

“Yeah, but Carina does have an incredible voice,” Zee pointed out.

“By the time you're a junior, yours will be even better,” Marcus said.

Zee smiled. “I hope so.”

Brrrrng!
At the sound of the first-period bell, Mr. P stepped to the front of his class. He took a deep breath. “I have big news for everyone.” Big news? Zee thought about seeing him near Chloe's mom the night before. A knot tightened in Zee's stomach, and the worst thought bounced into her head. Was Mr. P about to say good-bye? Did he look better now because he was happy to be leaving?

What was Zee going to do without him? He was the one who had made her want to keep going when she was ready to give up. She blurted out, “Did you get fired?” Immediately, she slapped her hand across her mouth, afraid more words might escape if she didn't.

Mr. P laughed. “No,” he said calmly. “This is good news. Actually,
great
news.” Every student's eyes were locked on him. Even Kathi seemed interested in what he was about to say. “I was really impressed with the performances I saw last night. And I know that even those of you who didn't compete have a lot of musical talent.”

The curious kids looked at one another. No one knew what Mr. P was going to say next. “A lot of people offered suggestions to make this class the best it can be,” he continued. “I listened to their ideas, and they listened to mine. We collaborated to come up with a solution. And now I want
you to collaborate.” What was Mr. P trying to say? Zee wondered. “You're going to be a band.”

“I thought we already were,” Kathi said.

Mr. P nodded. “A different kind of band.”

“Like a marching band?” Marcus asked. “Because it would be hard to march with a piano.”

“And a cello,” Chloe said, giggling.

“No, you're going to be a rock band. You'll play your instruments—and sing.”

Kathi twisted up her face. “A
rock
band? But—”

Mr. P held up his hand and cut her off. “We'll also focus on the fundamentals of music—scales, études, whatever it takes. When I went to Juilliard—”

“You went to Juilliard?” Kathi cut him off this time. She was clearly impressed with Mr. P's credentials.

Everyone was. The class buzzed with excitement. Zee's musical career really was beginning.