Chapter 13 - Saturday Morning
By Saturday morning, Brightwood looked like nothing was wrong.
Parents carried coffee.
Girls stretched in hallways.
Music leaked from three studios at once.
The spring showcase banners hung over the lobby in gold and white.
Emma hated how normal cruelty could look when it had money behind it.
David had sent copies of Peter’s files to the City Conservatory committee and to a state youth arts oversight office.
But neither could stop the audition that morning without formal review.
So Lily chose to dance.
Carla checked her shoes twice.
Emma checked them a third time.
Ava stayed beside Lily’s bag.
“No one touches anything,” Emma said.
Ava saluted. “Understood.”
Brooke arrived in a white warmup jacket with her name stitched in gold.
She looked at Lily and smiled.
“You actually came.”
Lily’s voice shook, but she answered. “So did you.”
Vivian followed behind Brooke.
When she saw Emma, she stopped.
“You’re banned from the building.”
“No, she isn’t,” David said from the lobby bench.
Vivian’s eyes narrowed.
He held up a temporary court filing requesting preservation of records and protection against retaliation.
“I suggest everybody behave today.”
For the first hour, they did.
Then Lily’s name was called.
She walked onto the main floor.
Three independent judges sat at a table.
Margaret Grant stood near the sound system.
Ms. Vale waited by the curtain.
Brooke watched from the wings.
The music started.
Lily moved.
Emma forgot to breathe.
The kid was extraordinary.
Not because every step was perfect.
Because every emotion showed.
Fear.
Anger.
Relief.
Defiance.
She turned once, twice, three times.
Then the music cut out.
Lily stopped.
The judges looked up.
Margaret rushed to the soundboard.
“Technical issue.”
Vivian said from the back, “Start over.”
One judge shook her head. “We score the interruption separately.”
Then the fire alarm screamed.
Sprinklers did not activate.
No smoke appeared.
But the building had to be evacuated.
As everyone rushed outside, Emma realized Ava was missing.
She turned back toward the hallway.
“Ava?”
No answer.
Then her phone rang.
Ava whispered from somewhere inside the building.
“Emma, I found the room with all the old tapes.”
May you like
A crash sounded behind her.
Then the call went dead.
