You and Me (Plus Everyone In Between Us)

Mother Dearest

"Are plants sentient?" Janelle asked, looking up into the ceiling with her head in Grace's lap.

"Huh?" I asked, looking down at her.

"Like do they have thoughts?" Janelle reiterated. "Like does a plant think about being germinated and photosynthesized?"

"What brought this up?" I wondered.

"Every time she's nervous, Janny here asks hypothetical questions," Grace explained, stroking her pink hair over her forehead.

She had a reason. All the contestants were back in the backstage area we auditioned in, sending a flurry of flashbacks through my mind.

"I can't help that the first round is tomorrow," Janelle huffed. "So do plants have brains?"

I shrugged. "They're alive."

"What if they're planning world domination?" Janelle awed.

"Don't worry," Grace assured. "I'm sure they'll find you too cute to kill."

"Anyway, where were you yesterday?" Janelle suddenly asked, finally getting over her fear of sentient plants.

"Oh!" I realized. "You know Dilemma right?"

"I live in Fresno, not under a rock," Janelle corrected. "Of course I know him."

"When I was getting styled, they were filming Dilemma's new music video a couple blocks away and the girl that was supposed to be in it got mono, so they asked me to fill in."

Janelle stood up straight. "Really?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Grace asked, eyes wide.

Why didn't I? I assumed we were friends. I guess I never had anything this big happen to me. Even if I did, who would I tell? My family who seem irritated at my music, or my friends who just got high in the bathroom.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I didn't think it was a big deal."

"Dilemma is a big deal!" Janelle exclaimed.

"Don't say it out loud," I whispered then chuckled. "It was a crap song anyway. Like I can't believe people buy this and willingly listen to it."

"Did you see Andre again?" Grace asked.

"Yeah and he was as strange as ever," I explained. "I didn't talk to any of them. They were all stuck up and just didn't talk to me."

I didn't know why I just said that. They talked to me. There was nothing to hide. Nothing I wanted to hide.

I observed the room as everyone nervously waited. That girl group 5Ever rehearsed on stage. Their harmonies sounded tight. I bet they weren't going home. Five of us would be going home. I didn't know these people that well, but there was this unshared bond I suddenly felt.

I'd barely had time to go on my phone all week. But from what I saw, most people were obviously rooting for Ray. Of course, they were.

Speaking of Ray, she emerged from the backstage entrance area, huge eyeglasses covering her eyes. She took them off for a second, and her green eyes were rimmed with red.

A woman walked behind Ray, with the same green, cat eyes and face shape. She was blonde instead of brown-haired, and white instead of Black. This was probably her Mom.

I didn't realize I was staring until she stared back into me, trying to steal my soul apparently with a hard gaze. I flinched and quickly turned away. I couldn't help but wonder why she was crying anyway. I willed myself to not care. Ray probably wouldn't want me worrying about her anyway.