Dreams Do Come True: Part Two

     The air was finally clearing into spring. The winter had been a good call for Annette, since her mother never made her go outside during those hours in her room that she spend singing and getting the music down, right to the last eighth note.

     She had gone to see a professional, like Ms. Chanley had suggested. It had worked really well, but the teacher told Annette that she was more than prepared for the auditions three weeks ago.

     She bit her lip as she entered the large auditorium. Many Neopets, all of different species and colors filled the hall. There were no petpets, because the organization didn’t want distractions during the meeting. Annette had to leave her spotted snowbunny, Maggie, at home.

     Annette’s stomach did a flip-flop when she saw how serious these pets were. They all were silently looking over the music, clapping or humming the difficult rhythms. The most Annette had ever done to warm up was her scales.

     Hesitantly, she sat down in the back on one of the many seats and took out her music. She began humming the notes as she had seen the others doing, but soon gave up. She knew this music. She could do it.

     Annette’s mother was off finishing registration and after that would be attending a parent meeting.

     “Hi!” An energetic voice filled her ear. She hadn’t noticed that there was somebody sitting next to her. A Rainbow Cybunny occupied the seat that the voice had come from.

     “Hello,” Annette replied, trying to act friendly.

     “Are you practicing with the music?”

     “Somewhat.” Annette responded with a smile.

     “I’m Fae.”

     “Annette.” Annette said, shaking Fae’s outstretched paw.

     “You nervous? I’ve got butterflies in my stomach!” Fae asked, rubbing her stomach.

     “Yeah. My stomach is doing flip-flops, too.”

     “Mine too. Although it might be from those four carrot cupcakes I ate before this.” Fae giggled, and Annette followed with one.

     “I didn’t eat anything; too nervous,” Annette finished as a Royal Acara walked by. The two stopped to watch her. Although the Acara turned the corner before they could say anything, both were suddenly more nervous.

     “These guys must be really good. I mean, being Royal and all,” Fae said hesitantly.

     “I know.” Annette looked around the now-crowded room. There were plenty more Royals. There were also faerie colored, fire, and the occasional gray.

     “My dream color is Faerie.” Fae said, breaking the silence.

     “Mine is Royal. Since I’d like to be part of the Faerieland Regal Choir.” Annette nodded.

     “Really? Wow. So do I! But I’d of thought that you’d like being spotted.” Fae shrugged, joking.

     “I thought you’d like being rainbow,” Annette joked back.

     “Rainbow is okay, but I can dream, can’t I?” Fae batted her eyelashes. Annette was about to reply, but a speaker went up to the podium on the stage. Pets scurried to their seats and the speaker, who was an old, desert Kougra, continued when everything was still and silent.

     “Welcome to our student audition meeting. This afternoon, you will go to your first try-out room and perform the first page of the third piece. More selections will be randomly selected throughout the elimination process.”

     Annette sighed with relief. She could do the third piece perfectly.

     “Once I am finished,” he continued, “please file out the doors to your right into practice rooms. Please, only seven to a room.”

     The room burst into talking, but the Kougra once again silenced everyone.

     “You are allowed to do one warm-up before going in from of the judges. Now you may leave,” he concluded, and everybody began trying to squeeze through two doors. Annette and Fae wove through the crowd and raced to an empty room. There was a curtain set up between the front of the room and the back of the room, to hide the judges.

     The pair went to take up two of the seven chairs that lined the room. More Neopets filed in, one by one.

     All of them weren’t as elaborate as some of the other pets were; they were more or less plain pets. A Red Kougra, an Orange Scorchio, a Blue Lutari, and a Pink Pteri.

     A deep voice from behind the curtain began, “If you will look on the back of your chair, there is a letter on the back. We will call your letters, and you can warm-up with one scale, then proceed to sing the first page. There will be no talking during the performances, or any other time for that matter. When you exit the room, please write down your letter and name on the sign-out sheet. Letter A, you’re up.”

     Fae gulped, with Annette noticing her chair was labeled ‘A’ on the back. Annette gave her an encouraging smile, and Fae returned it, getting up.

     She began the scale, her voice almost matching the pitch of Annette’s. Annette had never heard her sing, having only met her an hour before. She was amazed, also a bit startled, about how Fae could sing. Competition was going to be tough. She could no longer in this room consider Fae a friend; but her competition.

     Annette shook her head as Fae began the music. Each pet in the room started intensely at Fae, never taking their eyes off of the colorful pet before them.

     Fae finished, and Annette gave her a thumbs-up as she turned around. Not a second later, the same deep voice came back.

     “Letter B, please step forward.” It was Annette’s time to gulp. She was sitting next to Fae, and the chairs were positioned in alphabetical order. Fae gave Annette another smile, so Annette hesitantly stepped forward.

     She imagined the piano accompaniment that went with the music in her head. No piano was allowed, so the judges could judge on voice, instead of music.

     Annette put her heart into the song, and felt her throat go hoarse after she finished. As she turned around, she noticed the amazement in all the pets’ faces, including Fae’s.

     Fae gave her a nod of amazement, and Annette relaxed. She had really tensed up during the performance.

     The five others did their song, but Annette honestly thought that her and Fae were the only ones that had enough potential to go onto the finals. After the final pet finished, they scrambled to sign out and be on their way.

     “How did you do?” her mother asked enthusiastically once Annette met up with her in the auditorium.

     “I thought I did okay...” Annette replied modestly.

     “Who’s this? A new friend?” her mother questioned, seeing Fae.

     “Mom, this is Fae. Fae, this is my mother.” She introduced the two.

     “Pleasure.” They both exchanged grins and handshakes. Fae spotted her mother, ushering her over to the other mother-daughter pair.

     “Annette, this is my mom.” Fae introduced the two, much like Annette did earlier.

     An hour later, the lists for the finalists were posted.

     “Annette... Fae... Annette... Fae...” Annette skimmed down the list.

     “Ah ha!” Fae called. “We made it!” Fae pointed to the numbers, and both Cybunnies squealed in delight.

     Even later, the same old Desert Kougra came to talk to the rest of the groups that had left.

     “Congratulations to all who made it. All of you should still be here. Now, it is time to move onto the finals. You will perform the entire first piece, but this time, your results will be sent to you by Speedy Weewoo Mailing. Now, parents can stay in here for the remainder of the time. Good luck everyone!”

     Annette and Fae scurried back to the rooms. This time, though, you couldn’t hear any of the others singing. You had to wait outside the room. Fae and Annette were once again first in line, with Annette going first this time.

     “State your name.” This time, the voice was much friendlier and happy.

     “Annette Lightfoot.” Annette sighed, immediately going into her warm-up. She finished, and her stomach began the flip-flops. This was the performance it all came down to.

     She started off the piece with an okay sound, but she barely was able to finish it.

     The easy piece, and I mess it up! She thought as she finished the last note of the song. Silently, she exited. Giving Fae and encouraging smile, she waited as Fae entered the room.

     Not minutes later, Fae came out with a large grin plastered across her colorful face.

     “I did great! I’m so glad they chose the easy one!” Fae exclaimed.

     “Yeah...” Annette responded with a depressive sigh.

     “What’s wrong?”

     “I thought I did terrible!” Annette shook her head, her ears drooping.

     “I know you did great! You’re just being modest!” Fae chuckled, and Annette smiled a little. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t. She wouldn’t know until the results came in.

     One week later, Fae was rushing up Annette’s front lawn, holding a letter up in the air.

     “Annette, Annette, ANNETTE!” she screeched, as Annette yanked open the door.

     “Fae, Fae, FAE!” Annette laughed, going outside to meet her newest friend.

     “I got accepted! To the Terror Mountain school! I got in!” Fae jumped around.

     “Congrats!” Annette hugged her friend in excitement.

     “Have you gotten your letter yet?” Fae questioned.

     “No.” Annette shook her head. She was dreading getting it. As they were speaking, a Weewoo came into sight. His wings spanned out, perching himself on Annette’s shoulder. She untied the letter off of his foot, and put a Neopoint coin in the pouch tied to his other leg.

     Fae nudged her to hurry and open the letter. Annette reached to untie the bow, and unrolled the message...

To be continued...