“Okay, I’m ready if you guys are,” I said, handing the girl holding a flute my talent show sign-up sheet. “Here. Pass it on when you’re done.”
The girl pushed her hair behind her ear and smiled.
“Hey, are you practicing, too?” she asked. “Well, as soon as a few more band members come, we’re good. Sorry to bother you.”
“Bother?” I repeated. “Excuse me, aren’t you participating in the talent show?”
“Yes. Why? Are you not?” she asked.
“No. I mean, I am in the talent show. Are you playing the flute? My band will rock with a lovely, soft blow.”
“Your band?” She cocked her head to the side. “You’re joining? What’s your name?”
“Mary.”
“Strange. Are you new? I didn’t see your name on my sign-up sheet. Oh, wait, I didn’t give it to you yet!” She handed me her sign-up sheet.
“Aren’t you joining my band?” I asked.
She laughed.
“No,” she replied. “I’m part of Splashing Tale Wonders, not your band. What’s your band name?”
“I haven’t chosen one yet . . .”
Soon, three band players rushed in, and everyone filed out of the room. I glanced at the clock. 4:08. 4:13. 4:15. I pulled out my phone as it chimed.
Sasha: Mary, are you putting a band together for the talent show?
Mary: Yes. Why?
Sasha: I really want that free scholarship prize. If I’m in your band, will you help me get it?
My heart sank. She only wanted to come into my dorky band for a scholarship? So not happening.
Mary: I mean, no, I’m not. I changed my mind. I have too much schoolwork, homework, and work. Too many classes too.
Sasha: You’re the best dancer & singer in the school. It wouldn’t hurt to be in my band, then, right? Come on, aren’t you a true friend?
Mary: Sorry.
When the school bell rang, I rushed outside, shouldering my backpack. Violet walked up to me.
“Mary, are you still entering the talent show?” she asked. “You’re so talented, and I really want to be in the talent show with you. Please? I bet John would be in it too.”
“You want to be in my band?” I asked, my eyes growing wide. “No way! Really? You’re going to ask John? Isn’t he the most talented drum player in the school? No way he’d want to hang out dorkily with me!”
Violet shrugged.
“He said he’s dying to rock in any band that’s entering the talent show!” she exclaimed, giving me jazz hands.
“Sure, I’ll come back in,” I agreed. “What should we call ourselves? Oh, I’ve got one! Break-Dancing Bookworms! It sounds so cute, right?”
“I love it!” Violet yelled, giving me a high five. “I bet I could get a few other friends to join, if it’s okay with you.”
“Sure, we can practice in the band room tomorrow during all lunch recesses for two weeks!”
***
My mom, when I got home, said, “Mary, darling, your aunt, Sienna, is getting married in a week! Maybe you could skip lunch on Thursday, next week, to come? Your lunch is three hours, anyways, and the wedding will only take two.”
“Thursday?” I asked. “Like, during next week? One week before the talent show?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Well, Violet and John and I and some other friends are starting a band for the talent show,” I explained. “We’re practicing every day from tomorrow, including Thursday, during lunch recess.”
“You have to go, even if you lead the band.”
The next day, Violet got Chloe and Zoey, her best friends, to join. John got Jessica, a girl crushing on him, to join.
“Violet, me, Chloe, Zoey, John, and Jessica!” I cheered. “Wait, we need at least two more boys!”
“Well, I know someone who’s an excellent bass guitar player and a good violin player. Can they join? Of course they’re boys,” John said.
“Sure,” I responded. “Can you ask them to come to our band practice today? Tell them we’re Break-Dancing Bookworms.”
During lunch, Sasha marched over to my lunch table angrily.
“I thought you weren’t putting together a band,” she said. “Mia, one of my friends who’s just joining your band, told me that Violet, Marcus, Tim, and Sam are just joining your band, too. Why did you lie?”
“W-w-well, Sasha, I thought about it at the last minute,” I stammered. “I mean, Violet asked me if I was still putting together a band because she wanted to hang out with me. I have a really cute idea for Break-Dancing Bookworms! We’re going to write a song about books and libraries! We’re going to wear fuzzy, purple outfits and carry books! I think Mia and Sam could be in my band.”
“I already talked them out of your band,” she snapped. “Good luck. I’m putting together a dance group. We’re dancing to “It Ain’t Me.” Hmm . . . my group is going to be called . . . Dance Of The Death.”
I scrunched up my nose. “You mean, dances that dead people do?” I asked. “No one would ever join.”
“Fine. Sashie’s Dancies!” Sasha replied. “It rhymes.”
I told my band about the wedding, and they understood.
Finally, two weeks later, the day of the talent show on Saturday came. I was a nervous wreck, and my friends and I were sweating bullets. We reviewed our song during the talent show warm-ups.
Library is a wonderful thing,
l-l-l-library, l-l-l-library.
Books ’n’ , books ’n’, books ’n’ library.
Reading helps your brain
understand more things.
It comes all to reading, all to reading, reading is the free-time fill-up.
Get funny books, read all day
Nothing, not even games can get in the way
of books.
Books, books, books ’n’ books.
Wonderful reading, never regret
reading all day, morning to night.
It’s fun, get learning, never ever think you’re wrong.
Books, books, books ’n’ books.
Out of the world, yeah, out of the world, yeah
we could read forever, yeah.
Why regret reading, why regret reading, that’s the reason
you’re smart.
Why are you you, yeah, why are you you, yeah
maybe soon you’ll be in a book.
Get famous, happy, all comes to why your brains work
and reading just did all the work . . . ’cause of books.
Books are such a wonderful thing.
I smiled. “Perfect! What do you guys think?”
“Awesome!” Tim said happily, strumming his bass guitar. “You know what? I think we do stand a chance to win.”
“Sashie’s Dancies are so lame!” Frank, Sam’s replacement, added. He was playing the regular guitar.
Chloe and Zoey were dancers and singers, and Violet was on the keyboard. I was a dancer and singer, too.
We were first up.
“Now, a band made up of Chloe, Zoey, Mary, Violet, John, Frank, Tim, and Jessica . . . BREAK-DANCING BOOKWORMS!!!”
My band and I took our places and sang the song again.
“Library is a wonderful thing,
l-l-l-library, l-l-l-library.
Books ’n’ , books ’n’, books ’n’ library.
Reading helps your brain
understand more things…”
“That was awesome, guys! Please, step off the stage, and Sashie’s Dances are next. Over.”
Finally, it was over.
“Do you guys think we won?” I asked. “Sasha’s group was super good.”
“And the winner is . . . Sashie’s Dancies! Losers, report to the gym.”
“I knew it!” I said sadly. “We were going to lose.”
Not so quick! My group got second place, and our very own TV channel! Sasha’s group only got a TV news section, but I got that too.