Chapter 38

Her composite score was 91, the highest in the competition so far. With only a few acts left, it was almost certain that Yolanda from Eclara High would be the champion, barring any major upsets.
The students from Eclara High were ecstatic. As they crowded around Yolanda, they saw Queenie heading for the stage. She was wearing a stunning black and white dress, her hair swept up high to reveal a long, graceful neck. Under the lights, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
That dress…
Yolanda’s smile froze. It was from the same brand as hers, but it was a much more expensive model, one that cost over a hundred thousand dollars. She had only ever seen it on TV. How could a poor nobody like Queenie afford it?
Therefore, what she was wearing had to be a fake.
At this thought, a mocking smile returned to Yolanda’s face.
“Let’s go,” Yolanda said, tearing her eyes away.
As she passed the tech booth, she exchanged a subtle glance with the sound technician. Then, she calmly took her seat in the audience, ready to enjoy the show.
The host finished his introduction. As Queenie walked onto the stage, a small commotion rippled through the crowd, mostly compliments on her beautiful dress. “Yolanda says it’s a fake,” one of her friends whispered to those nearby, shrugging. “A fake?” Others were surprised; it looked so incredibly elegant. But since Yolanda often wore this brand, she would surely know.
“She must have heard that our Yolanda was wearing ‘The One’ and tried to copy her to steal the spotlight. But The girl sneered in disgust. “She tried to be a tiger but ended up looking like a dog. I’m embarrassed for her.”
Yolanda, who had just finished texting her parents the good news, felt the smile on her face widen. The real embarrassment was yet to come.
The lights dimmed, and a soft chime signaled the start of the music. All eyes focused on the stage. Many had seen Queenie’s powerful performance during the rehearsal, and now that she was in full costume and makeup, anticipation was at an all-time high.
“Let’s hear it for her!” Qadir, the self-appointed head of the cheer squad, shouted excitedly. Salma led the Aurora High students in a round of enthusiastic applause.
Juniper put down her phone, pushed up the brim of her cap, and fixed her clear eyes on the stage.
Everyone waited with bated breath. A minute passed. No music.
Five minutes passed. Still no music.
The audience grew restless. The host came out and announced, “Apologies, everyone. We’re experiencing a technical difficulty with the player, and the music file has been corrupted. Our staff is working on it now. We’re not sure how long it will take to fix.”
Queenie stood frozen under the spotlight, completely at a loss.
“Juniper, what do we do?” Qadir turned to her, sensing something was wrong. “What the hell? How can we be this unlucky?”
The next few acts didn’t require a music player. Why did it have to break right at her turn? How could she dance in such a massive venue without any musical accompaniment?
The thought alone was suffocating.
Juniper’s lips were pressed into a thin line, her dark expression unreadable. After a few seconds, she muttered something, stood up, and strode towards the backstage
area.
“Juniper—” Qadir called after her, utterly confused about what she was planning to do.
“This is hilarious. Why does Aurora High always make a fool of themselves like this?” the Eclara High students jeered, their voices loud enough for the Aurora students to hear.
“Weren’t they all cocky and cheerful yesterday?”
“Why aren’t they laughing now? Maybe they’re just not happy people.”
“You don’t need music for a poetry reading, so you shouldn’t need it for a dance, right?”
Laughter filled their section.
“Those Eclara High Qadir glared at them, muttering “assholes” under his breath.