HAZEL FINE SINGS ALONG (WATTYS 2022 Winner!)

Chapter 43: Martin, Martin, Martin

By the time Hazel was finished with Chris, Hazel barely had time to wolf down some food before it was time for tech rehearsal.

A quick check of her phone let her know that Checkers was still missing. She wanted to search for him herself, but every place she went in the hotel was a landmine that might expose someone or something from her past.

Hazel knew she'd done this to herself, that each decision she'd made along the way had brought her to this moment. What she didn't understand or appreciate was how all her bad decisions seemed to have consequences when people like Bella traipsed through the world without any direct effects.

Okay, that wasn't quite true. Bella hadn't made it to the finale, probably as a direct result of her ratting out Hazel and the Twitter campaign against her. And maybe Bella's brother was going to jail, which Hazel had some sympathy for, obviously. Though not if he was a real criminal. She still believed bad people should be put in jail.

But Bella didn't seem like she had a care in the world as she sat on the edge of the stage and gazed at Benji. Instead, she looked like this was all part of her plan, and it had come together perfectly.

And Benji? Well, Benji wouldn't look her in the eye, even though they were supposed to sing a duet together that was all about lost loves.

She'd balked when Nick had told her that morning that he'd picked "If the World Was Ending" by J.P. Saxe and Julia Michaels as their duet. She loved the song, but it was overdone. Nick had pointed out that the female part was much more challenging, and in her key, and that she'd be at an advantage over Benji, and Hazel had agreed. That didn't mean she was looking forward to the performance.

"I think we should start on opposite sides of the stage," Benji said when Hazel joined him on stage, "then walk toward one another slowly as the song culminates."

"Didn't J.P. Saxe and Julia Michaels do that when they performed at the Voice finale a couple of years ago?"

Benji's face fell. "So?"

"We should be original."

"How?"

Hazel thought about it. "Why don't we start the opposite way? With our backs to one another and then walking away. Like we'd just broken up when the earthquake happened and we're further away from each other by the time the song ends."

"You don't want to sing the song to each other at all?"

"I think it might be more powerful this way. Like we're thinking of each other because of the earthquake, but we're not together and we aren't going to be."

Benji frowned. "You sure you want to do it that way?"

"It's the truth, isn't it? It will make the performance stronger."

"All right. We can do a run through that way and see."

"Great."

"What were you thinking for costume and lighting?" Benji said.

"Maybe black and white?"

Benji raised his eyebrows. "With you in white?"

"You want to be in white?"

"What are you playing at, Hazel?"

"Nothing. I'm just trying to put on the best show we can."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"You all right, Benj?" Bella said from the sidelines. She was far enough away that it was hard for her to hear their conversation.

"Everything is a-okay." Benji turned away from Hazel. "Hey, Nick?"