Previously: "After school today I'm helping Monique practice for the pageant."

"Sounds interesting. Is it okay if I come watch?"

"Sure."

I was glad that she wanted to come because Hector had basketball practice, so he wouldn't be there to support me. Well, around Monique he isn't all that supportive, but knowing he's nearby makes me feel like I have a friend on my side. In the same way, having Deena around will help me not feel so alone.

Pageant practice was held in the auditorium. Deena came as promised, and she even brought Techie with her. She sat next to me and explained that Techie's her ride home until she gets her own car, so he had to come along. I don't understand how he could be so comfortable around her when any other girl makes him queezy. But Deena does have that breezy personality that can cross boundaries. I wish I could be more like that.

Also in the audience was Yvette, Matt with his camera, some girls from the dance and cheer leading squads, and their friends. It was a lot of people, considering that everyone was there only to see Monique.

Monique strutted out onto the stage holding a microphone in her slender hands.

"Hey, everyone," she said.

The girls cheered for her. The guys whistled. And Monique took it all with a graceful smile.

"Thanks so much for coming. I won't be able to win this competition without your support. To start off, I'd like to announce that I've finally decided on a talent."

I remembered Monique saying that she wanted to do something no one expected from her. The thought made my hands clamp down on the arms of my seat. Everyone, brace yourselves.

"I've decided to sing and dance."

That auditorium got dead quiet. No one said a thing. I've seen Monique dance before, but I've never heard her sing, and there's nothing quite as scary as the unknown.

Monique went on to say, "I've already chosen the song; it's TruHeart's remake of "Tomorrow". Yvette and I worked on the choreography last night. So now I'm going to do it for you, and at the end, tell me what you think."

Then she called Yvette to bring the mini-boom box to the stage. Following a short set up, she was ready. The red light on Matt's video camera was on. Yvette pushed play.

Monique sang "Tomorrow," adding drama by holding the microphone close and passionately closing her eyes. She looked beautiful, as usual. But her voice--the song was in a totally different key. Also TruHeart's version of "Tomorrow" is pretty fast; she was lagging behind the tempo. At the really cool techno-rock interlude, she did this great dance, raising my hopes a little. However, once the interlude was over and she started singing again, it was worse than when she first started!

I started picking at my nails because I couldn't stand looking at that performance anymore. Not to sound like an American Idol judge, but it was 100 percent pure torture. And when the song ended, there was an even more embarrassing silence.

Then Monique had the nerve to ask, "So did everyone like it?"

It was a delayed reaction. Yvette was the first to speak up. She said, "It was great."

One girl in the audience said, "I liked the dance."

Soon everyone was agreeing that her act was pretty good. Even Matt was like, "I got some really captivating shots."

I so could not stand it. If everyone tells Monique that she was great, she would believe it without question, and then she'd go on to sing in front of the entire school to her ultimate humiliation. Then the school newspaper would come out the next day with the headline, "Monique Forrester Sings Like a Goat." Sorry, but her voice quality isn't all that great, and she does have this tremor that reminds me of a goat. Goats are cute, but they can't sing.

I glanced at Deena and Techie. Techie was impassive as normal, but Deena caught my eyes and raised her eyebrows like she was saying, "Did these people see the same performance I did?"

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to go along with everyone else. So when Monique pointed at me from the stage and asked, "Allena, what'd you think?" I had not choice but to tell the truth. She wasn't going to like hearing it, but I'd rather see her angry with me now than everyone laughing at her later.

So I said, "It really wasn't the best."

At that moment, all the compliments decayed into mumbling mess. Even Matt admitted, "Well, it could use a retake..."

Monique maintained her plastic smile, but I could tell she was upset from the dark turn of her eyes and the sharpness of her voice when she asked me what was wrong with it.

"Um, the pitch was a little off key, but if you practice some, it could get better."

In reality, it would have taken a miracle of biblical proportions for her to improve, but I had to be somewhat positive. Deena even added, "This is only practice for the pageant. You'll improve if you keep trying."

Although her advice was good, Monique ignored Deena. Her complete focus was on me, because I'm the only one who didn't lie to her. Unfortunately.

"Allena, you think you know everything, don't you?"

"No, I was just trying to--"

"Since you're such an expert, why don't you come up here and sing it yourself?"

"Whaaat?"

"Come and sing it!"

I held on tighter to my seat.

"NO!"

"Why not? You're afraid of hearing what other people think besides yourself?"

"No, I was only..."

Monique stepped off stage and came down to where I was sitting.

"...trying to help."

She handed me the wireless microphone. The next thing I knew, I was standing on stage being blinded by the lights.