Undercover Star

♪ Twenty ♪

"I have another super exciting announcement today!" Summer told us at practice the next morning. "As you all know, the big party is coming up. This year, I was asked if we would want to perform there."

Excitement chatter came about around me, but I was in the dark.

"What party?" I asked, completely confused. I hadn't heard a word about it before.

Summer grinned at me. "Every year our town has a huge party at the beginning of summer. The whole town gets together. We dance, eat, and have a great time. The music is always amazing, and this year is going to be even better."

I nodded. It sounded like fun. I was excited to perform there, too, as long as I was still there. Scratch that. I was going to make sure I was still there. I wouldn't want to miss the biggest party of the year.

"The party is already two weeks from this Saturday," Summer went on, quieting the chatter. "So we are going to have to practice more. I am beginning to get the songs together, but Jesse and I will get them fully picked in the next week."

"This is going to be great!" Nancy cried. "I'm so proud of us."

"I wonder who I'm going to ask to the dance," Marie wondered aloud.

Vincent smiled as he rolled his eyes. "I'm free that day."

Marie looked at him. "Huh. I guess you'll have to do as my date."

We laughed. The more I thought about the party, the more excited I got. I could tell it was going to be amazing just by how happy everyone was about it. I couldn't wait to be part of it this year.

"Well, let's run through all the songs and then Jesse can do I Can Only Imagine," Summer said. "I can't wait until everyone hears. Especially your dad."

"Yeah," I said uncertainly. "That should be interesting."

She nodded and smiled. Obviously, she didn't know Rich, or she would have a totally different outlook on the situation. I had made him mad so many times before that this could be the final straw. I wasn't going to let him ship me out yet, though.

After we ran through my song, the practice was over. I was even more nervous than ever, knowing that my solo was set in stone. It would be too difficult to get out of it now.

***

"So, tell me more about this party," I said to Summer as we left the church.

"It's the best day of the year next to holidays," she replied. "It's like a school dance, but for the whole town. Every year, a small group gets together and sets it up secretly in the town hall. No one but them sees the decorations until that night."

"Sounds great," I told her.

"It really is," she said, nodding. "I'm hoping to make this year one of the best ones yet. I mean, we're performing, I'm setting up. I just want to make it amazing."

"Woah, you're in on the secret?" I asked amused. "You have to tell me what the theme is!"

"I cant," she said, smiling and shaking her head. "You can't know unless you're on the team."

"Can I join then?" I asked. "I'm a really good decorator."

She looked at me, and I grinned. She saw right through me. I didn't have a creative bone in me for things like that. When I went to parties, the decorations simply blended in with everything else.

"We actually do need some more help," she said hesitatnly. "But I don't want you to have too much on your plate. You're already doing a lot of helping around here."