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  Miss Lewis throws her hands on her hips. “Kelsey.”

  Kelsey sits up and drops her phone onto her lap. “What? Oh, it’s finally my scene?”

  “Yes. Please join Kara and Ezra on stage.”

  “Super, it’s finally my time to shine.”

  Kara rolls her eyes to me. “Is she always like that?” she whispers.

  “Pretty much.”

  “Alrighty,” Miss Lewis says. “Cue music, cue Mrs. Potts. Cue Belle and Beast.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Kara

  Ezra and I go to opposite sides of the stage, pretending we’re walking down steps the prop team will build for us. I imagine I’m dressed in the beautiful golden ball gown Jax is most likely working on this very moment. Carter starts playing the intro to “Beauty and the Beast.”

  Ezra and I meet in the middle of the stage. I curtsy. He bows. Kelsey starts to sing.

  He stands there awkwardly, like he has no idea what to do. I’m not sure if he’s acting or really has no clue. I gently take hold of his arm and pull him closer to me. He’s hesitant, his body stiff as a board, but then he steps closer. I slowly bring a hand to his face, then sweep it upward until my fingers tangle in his medium brown straight hair. I push some of the strands out of his eyes. A heavy breath escapes his lips as our gazes connect.

  Then I take his hand and move it to my waist. It burns there. I place my hand on his shoulder, and he releases another heavy breath. Ezra’s hazel eyes are dead locked on mine, his body still as stiff as before.

  I wait for him to lead the dance, but he just stands there, his eyes totally lost in mine.

  “You’re the guy,” I whisper. “You need to lead.”

  He shakes his head like he woke up from a daydream and moves in the wrong direction.

  “Wrong way,” I laugh.

  “Oh, sorry.”

  He steps on my foot. “Ouch!”

  “Sorry,” he says again. And then he moves in the wrong direction, again.

  “Good!” Miss Lewis says. “I like the awkwardness. You guys are doing great!”

  “I’m not doing that on purpose,” he mumbles.

  I laugh again. “It’s okay. Have you ever taken dance lessons?”

  A dark expression conquers his face. “No. Never had any dance lessons.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll lead now.”

  But that’s not really helping. It’s obvious Ezra’s never danced before. He really has no idea what he’s doing. Miss Lewis tells us to dance correctly, and his eyes fill a bit with worry.

  “Don’t you want to be on Broadway?” I ask as I continue trying to lead.

  “Yeah.”

  “You should have some dance background.”

  His face clouds over again, but it’s more intense than the last time. He tightens his hold on my waist and moves in the opposite direction, sweeping me along with him.

  “Good!” Miss Lewis says. “But watch your legs, Ezra. I want nice, clean steps.”

  His face was slightly amused before, but it’s completely dark now. I know it has to do with dance lessons.

  “Try a dip,” Miss Lewis suggests.

  “I don’t know how.” His voice is rough.

  Miss Lewis shows him how to do it. His movements are a little sharp, but he’s gentle with me, making sure not to hurt me. He successfully dips me, but the scowl is still on his face.

  “Very good, very good.” Miss Lewis wears the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. Ezra releases me so fast it’s like I was on fire. “Just try to have softer movements, Ezra. And Kara, your facial expression was on par the first half, but you lost it halfway through. Remember, Belle is starting to fall in love with the Beast. Show her love. Show her vulnerability. And Kelsey, please stay behind to work on your vocals with Carter.”

  “What?”

  “You were a little pitchy. All right, I think that’s all for today. Please show up on time tomorrow. We still have loads to rehearse.”

  Kelsey shoots daggers at me like I’m somehow responsible for her mistakes. I lean over the piano and grin at Carter. “You played perfectly, as always.”

  He grins back. “Thanks. And you were amazing, as always. I think you even softened Ezra’s stone heart.”

  I glance to where Ezra is shoving his script into his backpack. There’s a lot of tension in his back and shoulders. I have no idea what happened on stage, but he’s obviously upset about something.

  “Excuse me.” Kelsey shoves me aside and glares at Carter. “Something must be wrong with Miss Lewis’s ears. I was totally on pitch.”

  “Actually, you were a little off,” Carter admits. “Want to take it from the top?”

  She bursts out laughing. “Are you serious? I don’t need practice. I was flawless.” She storms off stage.

  He frowns after her. “Some people are so stubborn. We’re trying to help her.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll spend the rest of the night holed up in her room until she gets it right. You playing tonight?”

  “Nope. Gonna be a slave to the younger sibs. Can you imagine the math Peyton’s learning? I didn’t know they taught such advanced math to thirteen year olds. And Hannah has a science test and I know Kevin’s been pushing off his homework…”

  “Want my help? I can swing by after dance class. I’ll bring pizza.”

  His face brightens. “You sure? I mean, I love my siblings to death, but they can be a handful. And um…” He shifts in his seat. “You don’t have to worry about bringing pizza…”

  I place my hand on his arm. “Don’t worry about it. My grandma is in California and I’m all alone. Believe me, the company will do me good. And,” I say with a smile. “Someone needs to help me eat the pizza pie.”

  He plays with his fingers. “Thanks, Kara. That’s very kind of you.”

  “Okay, fine!” Kelsey stomps onto the stage. “I know I wasn’t pitchy, but I need to ace that song.” She straightens her back, then glares at me. “Do you mind?”

  “We’re talking here.”

  “Are you deaf? Miss Lewis told me to stay behind with Carter. Don’t waste my time.”

  Carter does a catfight gesture, and I laugh. “See you later, Cart. And good luck, Kelsey.”

  “I don’t need luck!” she calls after me. “I’m perfect the way I am.”

  I have some time before my dance lesson, and take the bus to the nightclub Carter works at. I walk up to the bouncer, a big guy with a shaved head and tattoos all over his arms.

  “We’re not open,” he says. “And you’re underage.”

  “I need to speak to the manager.”

  “She’s busy.”

  “I have a business proposition.”

  His eyebrows rise. “A business proposition? Get lost, kid.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Stop wasting my time.”

  “Do you recognize me?” I ask. “I was here Sunday night with my grandmother.”

  He looks me over. “You weren’t. Because you’re underage and you’d have never gotten past me.” He slaps his massive chest.

  “I’m Kara Starr. I was here with my grandmother, Darla Starr. We were the entertainment for the evening.”

  His face totally changes. He studies me closely. “Annie Get your Gun? Grease?”

  “Yep.”

  “You were wonderful!” He grabs my hand and shakes it vigorously. “I snuck in to watch. I love show tunes. You and your grandmother were amazing. Damn, how she hit that note. And you singing that other song…” He snaps his gingers. “From the show my two daughters are obsessed with.”

  “Wicked.”

  “Yeah! I want to take them to see it during the summer. I hear it’s good.”

  “It’s amazing. My favorite musical.”

  He smiles brightly. “I’ll see if the boss is in.”

  That’s another thing I love about theater. You meet all kinds of fans.

  The bouncer returns a few minutes later, telling me I can go in. The
staff is preparing the club for tonight. Based on the poster on the wall, it seems they’re featuring a rock band.

  “Hi. How can I help you?”

  I smile sweetly at the owner. “Hi. My grandmother and I had a blast performing here.”

  She returns the smile. “We’d love to have you again.”

  “I’m glad, because I have a proposition for you.”

  She looks intrigued. “I’m listening.”

  “The piano player who works here. He’s amazing. I was thinking…I’d like to perform here this weekend with him. The two of us just busting out show tunes.”

  She thinks it over for a moment. “Yeah, I can do that.”

  “You’ll have to pay him more, though,” I say. “And I want you to pay him my share as well.”

  She stares at me. “You want to perform here this weekend, but give your cut to my piano player?”

  “Yes.”

  She shrugs. “Fine. If that’s what you want.”

  “Thanks. And please don’t tell him about it.”

  “Of course.”

  “And is it possible for you not to plaster my name all over the place? I’m trying to keep a low profile.”

  “Sure,” she says, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.

  I leave the nightclub with a satisfied smile. At least Carter’s family will have enough money for the next few weeks.

  Chapter Thirty

  Carter

  “But why are we cleaning up when we haven’t had dinner yet?” Mackenzie asks as she sweeps some wrappers off the kitchen floor. One is a chocolate bar. She licks the remaining chocolate off the wrapper.

  “Mackenzie, gross! Who knows how old that is?”

  “But it’s been forever since I’ve had chocolate.”

  “Carter’s friend is definitely a girl,” Hannah says from where she’s perched at the table reading a book.

  Mackenzie slams her hands on her hips. “Who says?”

  “He never brings any friends home. Not even his best friends. And he wouldn’t clean the place for a guy. So it’s definitely a girl.”

  “I agree,” Peyton says as she sweeps the floor. “Carter has a crush on someone,” she sings.

  “I heard she’s bringing pizza,” I say. “So if you guys don’t quit it—”

  “Pizza?” Mackenzie jumps in her place. “Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Is she gonna get pepperoni? I hate pepperoni! Tell her not to bring pepperoni!”

  “If you say pepperoni one more time…” Hannah mumbles.

  Maybe I shouldn’t have accepted Kara’s offer. It’s not that I’m embarrassed of my family, but we look like a zoo right now. “Can we please get the house in shape? She’ll be here any minute.”

  “Aw, isn’t that so cute,” Peyton teases. “Cart wants to impress a girl. I thought the only thing you look at is your piano keys. She must be really special.”

  Kevin walks into the kitchen, rubbing his stomach. “Did someone say pizza?”

  “Carter’s lady friend is gonna bring pizza!” Mackenzie leaps onto a kitchen chair and bounces, her wild blonde hair flying all over the place.

  “Who says lady friend? It’s girlfriend.”

  She sticks out her tongue.

  “When’s she coming?” Kevin complains. “I’m gonna die if I don’t get food now.”

  I wince. He doesn’t get how worried I am most nights, that one day one of them might actually die of starvation.

  The doorbell rings.

  “Doorbell!” Mackenzie races to the door, followed by Kevin. I hurry after them. Mackenzie rips the door open to reveal Kara standing there with two boxes of pizza.

  “Pizza!” Both Kevin and Mackenzie jump up and down. “Pizza!”

  “Did you get pepperoni?” Mackenzie asks. “I hate pepperoni.”

  I push through them and smile when I stand before her. “Hey. You made it.”

  “Sorry I’m a little late. Jax’s mom was really hard on us in dance class. I had to take a quick shower at home.”

  “You took a shower before you came?” Mackenzie asks. “Why? Did you jump into puddles and accidentally jump into one that was all muddy? That happens to me all the time and Peyton gets mad because she has to give me a bath right away instead of waiting for bedtime.”

  “She took a shower because she wants to smell good for Carter.” Kevin whacks Mackenzie’s shoulder.

  “Right. Because you’re his girlfriend. Not lady friend. The right word is girlfriend. You’re so pretty. Can we have the pizza now?”

  With a laugh, I take the boxes and lead her inside. “Sorry if they’re driving you crazy.”

  “Not at all. They’re adorable.”

  When we’re in the kitchen, I start the introductions. “Guys, this is my friend, Kara. Kara, this is my brother Kevin, and my sisters Peyton, Hannah, and Mackenzie.”

  Hannah glances up from her book for a second while Peyton gives me a face like she never expected someone like Kara to be my friend.

  I get the plastic plates and give everyone a slice of pizza. Hannah finally puts her book away so she could enjoy her pizza. Mackenzie is thrilled to discover Kara didn’t buy any of the “gross” pepperoni and gobbles down her plain cheese. I watch the kids eat, peace settling over me. Thanks to Kara, my siblings won’t go to bed hungry tonight.

  Kara smiles at Mackenzie, who’s got sauce dripping down her chin. She’s so considerate and kind. So amazing. When her eyes meet mine, she gives me a smile that makes my heart dance. It sends my blood rushing through my veins. Makes my hands grow clammy. I’ve never felt like this before.

  “So good,” Kevin says as he finishes off his crust. “Can I have more?”

  “Of course,” I say.

  With a huge grin, he grabs another slice and digs in.

  “Mackenzie,” I say, “you know the song you love from the Broadway version of Frozen?”

  “‘A Little Bit of You?’”

  I take a tissue and wipe her chin. “Yep. You know who sings Young Elsa’s songs?”

  “No, who?”

  “She’s sitting right across from you.”

  Mackenzie’s head snaps up from her pizza and she stares at Kara. “Huh?”

  Kara laughs. “I originated the role on Broadway.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “She was the first person to play the role on Broadway and she’s on the cast recording.”

  “You were on Broadway?” Peyton asks. Even Hannah blinks at her in wonder.

  Kara reaches into her jeans pocket and pulls out her phone. “I should have some pictures in here.” She flips through the images with a frown. “Or were they on my old phone?”

  “Don’t you have any on Insta?” Peyton asks.

  “No. I, um, I had to shut down all my social media accounts. Here’s one.” She passes her phone to Mackenzie, and the other kids crowd around to take a look. I crane my neck for a peek. Twelve-year-old Kara, dressed as Young Elsa, poses with the other girl who played Young Elsa, and the two girls who played Young Anna. They are all making faces at the camera.

  “Wow, two Elsas and two Annas,” Mackenzie gushes. “This one is you, right? You look so pretty! But why is your hair black now?”

  “I wore a wig.”

  “I’m gonna get the song!” Mackenzie bullets out of the room.

  “Not again,” Hannah mumbles. “If I hear that song one more time, I’ll pop a blood vessel. No offense, Kara.”

  She holds up her hand. “None taken. My sister was the same way. It’s her dream to play the role, too.”

  Mackenzie puts on the song and Hannah announces that she’s going to finish her pizza in her room. I grab her arm before she can flee. “We have a guest, Hannah. And she was nice enough to bring us dinner. Be polite.”

  Scowling, she mutters, “Fine,” and drops down in her seat.

  “Have you guys kissed yet?” Kevin asks.

  “Kevin!” I say. Kara’s pink face probably matches mine.

  “We’re not…” I sta
rt. “I mean…we’re not…” Hell, are we anything? I think about her a lot, especially when I can’t fall asleep. Whenever I’m worried about my siblings or my mom, I think about her and she always makes me feel better. But does she think about me as much as I think about her? And isn’t Jax in love with her? Now that Kara spoke to him about her stalker, they seem to bet getting along well. Only a jerk would swoop in when his best friend likes a girl.

  Kara ruffles his hair. “Curiosity killed the cat.”

  “Satisfaction brought it back.”

  “And then curiosity killed it again.”

  “And satisfaction brought it back. Remember, cats have nine lives!”

  “You’re talking too loud,” Mackenzie complains. “I can’t hear the song.”

  “What a tragedy,” Hannah mutters. She’s back to reading her book.

  I peer into the box and see six slices left. Enough for dinner tomorrow. I stand and pack away the leftovers. “Go do your homework, guys. Oh, and don’t forget to thank Kara for the pizza.”

  Mackenzie runs up to Kara and slings her arms around her waist. “Thank you so much for not bringing pepperoni pizza. Because I hate pepperoni and I would have to pick it off my pizza. And it would still have the taste of pepperoni and it would be so gross.” She tightens her arms around her. “I like you. So it’s okay if you marry Carter.” And she skips to her room.

  I laugh, totally embarrassed.

  “Thanks for the pizza,” Hannah says with a shy smile. “And you’re cool.” She walks out of the kitchen with her book.

  “Yeah, you’re cool. Thanks!” Kevin zooms out.

  Peyton collects the dirty plates. “It was cool of you to bring the pizza,” she says, flashing her a smile that matches Hannah’s. “Now I see why Carter’s been in a good mood the past two days.”

  My whole face heats up. “What are you talking about? I’m happy because all of you are healthy.”

  Peyton rolls her eyes. “Uh huh.”

  “Just go get your homework. Kara and I will help you.”

  “Ugh!” She marches out of the room.

  “You don’t have to help.” I take the paper cups from Kara. “You’ve helped a lot. I…” I swallow. “You have no idea how much.”