She hesitates for a second. “I know. Dr. Pafford called me into his office today.”

“What did you do?” This is huge. Dr. Pafford rarely calls students into his office. If he does, it’s usually to tell them they didn’t pass the audition to attend the next semester.

“He told me that he’d like to see me do a solo audition for the showcase.”

“HE WHAT?” I’m so shocked, the words came out too fast. I can tell Emme is taken aback by my reaction. “That’s AWESOME, EMME!” I hope I salvage it.

“You think so?” She looks at me hopefully.

They aren’t giving out invitations yet and here she’s been handed an audition by the principal. And I thought I was the one who knew how to play the game.

Well done, Emme, well done.

“I think you’d do a great job. Is that the song you’re thinking of doing?”

She looks down at the paper. “I think so. It’s still too early to tell.”

Maybe Emme isn’t as naïve as I thought. Here I thought she was an ally, but now that she’s attempting to be a singer, she’s becoming part of my competition.

This changes everything.

I exit the studio in a rush, pretending I have somewhere to go, but honestly, I can’t think clearly, being in a room with her. As I round the corner toward my locker, I see Ethan struggling with all the stuff he’s trying to shove in his backpack with only one functioning arm.

He stops as he sees me, and surprisingly approaches me.

“Have you seen Emme?”

I know I have to do something, anything to put a crack in Emme’s perfect world. To put me on top again. I’ve been fighting tooth and nail to get recognized by Dr. Pafford, but Emme gets everything handed to her. Well, I’m not going down without a fight. There are only so many spots available in the showcase. I can’t let her get one that belongs to me.

“Yeah, she’s with Tyler. They went that way.” I point to the opposite way of the studios.

The mere mention of Tyler’s name makes him frown. I can tell that I’ve hit a nerve.

“They’re celebrating. Isn’t it great about Emme?”

Ethan says nothing. My day suddenly gets a whole lot better.

“You know, that Pafford invited her to do a solo performance at the showcase. Emme’s going solo!” Ethan blinks. “Anyway, I told her I’d join them. Don’t they make the cutest couple? I think your little stunt at the concert just made them closer.”

I turn on my heel and see Carter standing there with his arms crossed.

“What are you doing?” His face is red.

“Oh, um … hey, Carter. I was just leaving!” I grab him by the elbow to walk away, but he pulls my arm off of him.

“Ethan, Emme is not with Tyler. And I don’t know why she’s talking about Emme going solo.”

I cut him off. “You don’t know anything. Emme confided in me, okay? She’s my best friend, not yours.”

Carter shakes his head. “Yeah, some best friend …”

“What’s going on, guys?” Emme approaches. She looks between us and I’m frozen. I’ve got to think fast before everybody turns on me.

“Oh, Emme!” I run up to hug her. “I’m so sorry. It’s just that I’m so excited for you, I accidentally let it slip about your solo thing. I’m so proud of you!”

She stands there. “Oh, I …” She turns toward Ethan, who looks like he’s on the verge of tears. “I was going to tell you. I just don’t know if I’m going to do it or not.”

Ethan nods. “You should definitely do it. It’s what I’ve been telling you to do all along.”

Further proof that Ethan’s trying to sabotage me. Why else would he encourage her to go solo?

“Really?” She looks at him with a blinding admiration.

I approach Carter again. “Well, we should really leave the two of them alone.”

“That’s not all you said.”

Why is Carter trying to ruin my standing with Emme?

Emme looks at him. “What?”

Carter stares me down. Emme, clearly confused, looks at Ethan. “What’s going on?”

Ethan looks down at the floor. “She said that you’re back with Tyler. Is it true?”

“What? I didn’t say … Sophie?” She looks at me, and I can tell that our friendship is teetering off a steep cliff if I don’t fix this.

I can’t have Emme hate me. Sure, I want to rattle her before the audition, but I need her song for the showcase.

“Em” — I pull her aside — “I’m so sorry. I was trying to be a good friend. I brought up Tyler to see what Ethan would say. I guess I messed everything up. I’m so sorry. But I think that maybe this gives you an opportunity to talk to Ethan and you guys can clear the air. I’m just trying to help.” I give her the best woe-is-me look I can muster.

“That’s okay,” she says softly.

I give her a big hug, apologize another gazillion times, and tell Carter we should leave them alone.

Shockingly, he agrees to go with me. But he stops as soon as we get outside.

“What was that?” He gestures toward the door.

“Simply a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. There’s bound to be some misunderstanding with all those people …”

Carter sits down on one of the stone benches that line the front entrance. “You were the only one talking.”