Chapter 41

Yolanda, who had been sulking in a corner with a pale face, felt her heart lurch.
Everyone at her school had been certain she would win an award at this little gala. Ten minutes ago, she’d confidently told her family she was going to be on the news. Her mother had been so thrilled she’d already started bragging to everyone. The news of her supposed victory was probably already making the rounds in her mother’s high-society circles.
If she didn’t win…
Yolanda felt a chill run down her spine, unable to imagine the mockery she’d face from her classmates and the debutantes who already looked down on her.
“For Aurora High School, Queenie, with her dance ‘Dawn,’ total score—96.” The announcement sent the Aurora High students into a frenzy of cheers. Queenie covered her mouth in disbelief, her eyes welling up with tears.
She’d done it. She hadn’t let Aurora High down. The prize money didn’t matter, and neither did the news feature. What mattered was that she had finally silenced everyone who had ever belittled their school.
Meanwhile, Yolanda felt like she’d been doused in ice water, her mind buzzing. It was over. She was five points behind Queenie. A dance competition champion like her, losing to someone like Queenie? It was unbearable!
“Hey, how did we lose?” The students from Eclara High looked like wilted flowers, complaining amongst themselves. “We’re number one every year. What happened this time?”
“Isn’t Yolanda a dance champion? How could she lose a simple school gala?”
“And to Aurora High, of all schools. Their students are going to be insufferable now.” “This is so embarrassing!”
Unable to stand the pitying and mocking stares, Yolanda shot up from her seat and stormed out, her eyes red with fury.
As she passed Queenie, her gaze turned icy. If it weren’t for that nobody, Juniper, the one getting all the attention and the news feature would have been her.
Yolanda shot Queenie a venomous glare, a chilling smile spreading across her lips. If she couldn’t make the news, nobody else would.
…
The gala concluded with Aurora High’s solo dance taking first place, winning a ten- thousand-dollar prize and a television interview.
When Juniper returned from the restroom, she saw several reporters crowded around Salma and Queenie. After scheduling the interview and filming, the reporters left, and a few teachers from other schools immediately came over to offer their congratulations. Salma maintained a gracious smile, handling the praise with humility and speaking proudly of her students.
Juniper smiled faintly and was about to walk over when a woman approached her.
“Hello there.”
Juniper turned and recognized her as one of the judges.
“Hello,” She replied politely, stopping in her tracks.
“That was a truly wonderful performance. If you’re willing, the television station would be happy to feature both of you in the interview.”
Although Queenie’s dancing was excellent, the girl’s musical accompaniment had been the deciding factor. She was exceptionally talented.
“I’d rather not,” Juniper said, pulling her hands from her pockets. Her posture was proper, but her refusal was blunt.
“Why not?” the judge asked, surprised.
This was an interview with a major state network; countless people would see it. It was a golden opportunity for fame, and she was turning it down.
“Because I don’t want to,” Juniper replied, her beautiful face tilted up, her eyes clear and bright. Despite her polite tone, she projected an aloofness that kept people at a distance. She was stunning, with a fierce personality.
The judge found herself liking the girl even more.
“Alright then,” the judge said with a resigned smile, feeling a strange sense of familiarity, as if she’d met the girl somewhere before.
“In that case, have you ever considered a career in the entertainment industry? A celebrity friend of mine is filming a music video and needs a female lead. His name is