Chapter one


Patrisha Gonzalo and her little gang of snobs, Emily Smith, and Gena Shillalah giggle as Arabella Evagene scuttles by. "Look at that sorry excuse for a human!" Scoffs Patrisha. "Yeah! Her hair is, like, totally gross!" Adds Emily. Patrisha glances back at her, "Emily. What

Have I told you about talking? I HATE that accent of yours!" Their voices fade as Ara slinks to class. Biting back tears, she takes her seat in Mr. Shepard's class.
"All right class! I want all of you to get acquainted to each other. But first... a POP QUIZ!" There was a collective groan in the classroom. "I see you all are exited." Mr. Shepard says sarcastically. While everyone else sluggishly get out a pencil and paper, Ara smiles. She loves quizzes. And because of it, people call her 'The Bookworm'. She doesn't really mind THAT name though. It's the OTHER names that hurt her. Such as, 'Frizzy Ditzy' because of her clumsiness and the hair on her head that acts like it's Medusa's head, and 'Bad Clothes Betty'. Her name isn't even Betty! Ara shakes her head and pours gleefully into her quiz.
The lunch bell rang, as soon as the last person finished their quiz. Everyone bolted for the door. Ara was the last one out of the classroom. She walked to the cafeteria slowly, but when she reached the doors leading to it, she felt a hand land on her shoulder. She squeaked and swung around, to find Elise Black crowing with laughter. Ara frowned at her best friend, "I hope you choke on your carrot sticks! You retched, retched child!" Elise stopped laughing immediately. "M-My dog, Bozo, just choked on a bone this morning and died! Ara was shocked and was immediately sorry. "I'm so sorry Elise! I didn't know!" Elise started to sob, "And all I wanted to do was to forget about it and try to have some fun with my best friend in the whole w-world!" Ara felt Horrible.

"Elise! I'm so-" Her weeping turned into quiet laughter. Then out right chortling. "I can't believe you fell for that!" Ara's face got so red that she looked like a tomato. Elise saw this and tried to make amends, while wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "Look Ara, I'm sorry. It's just that, your just so gullible!

" She started laughing again. Ara turned around with a huff and stormed away... Elise was on the floor now.

* * *

"Would that be all sir?" The cute waitress asked. Zeno Bolivand answered, "No thank you. Tea will be all." Nicholas Odell, Zeno's best friend since they were both four, exclaims, "Did you see that? She likes you! You gonna have a go at her, mate?" Zeno looked at him. "You, of all people should know that I'll be leaving today for America. Or did you think that the reason we aren't in school is because we're skipping class?" The waitress came back to the front counter with a steaming (unusually small for us Americans,) paper cup of hot tea. "Thank you." "Anytime. Come back soon!" Nick glared at his best friend. "Oh yes. Your leaving me." "Now don't be like that-" Zeno tried to explain. "Your leaving me for dead!" "Wait a min-" "ALL IS LOST FOR THIS WORTHLESS WORM!!!" Everyone in the parking lot was looking at the squabbling friends. Zeno took the top of his tea. Nick had his arms around a couple coming out of Tea Time. "He doesn't care. Care for his first and best friend in the whole world!" Zeno had calmly walked up behind him and proceeded to pour his hot tea down his shirt. "AHHHH!!!" Nick lurched forward, patting his scorched back.
About fifteen minutes later, they both were sitting in the car, racing for the airport. Nick was forever scowling, while Zeno was so smug, that he looked like a Cheshire cat. Nick voiced this, and was rewarded with a punch in the side with the pleasant words, "Shut up you bloody pig."


Chapter 2


Arabella was intrigued. Someone was coming to Phoenix High. All the way from England! It was her favorite country. Which was slightly understandable. Since she lived in Phoenix, California.
She thought about it all morning. And finally, in homeroom, he came. "Class, this is Zeno Bolivand." "Hi." The new student said with a flick of the hand. He had soft blond hair that hangs stylishly over one eye. And his eyes were fascinating shade of violet. "Please, take the seat next to Arabella's. As the incredibly hot guy walks to the desk I'm thinking: Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my! This is the BEST day of my LIFE!

"Hi." Ara practically melts. He has the most SEXIEST accent in the WORLD!!!

"Hi yourself. And welcome to America" Zeno chuckles at that. "I hope I'll be welcomed at your school." Oh he was more that welcomed. Girls crowded around him. Even some guys.

* * *

For the next few days, Zeno made A LOT of friends. Plus, everyone comes to him when they have a problem with their homework. But, 5 weeks after he comes to America, Arabella Evagene, the cute girl that was the very first person to welcome him, came to him in gym. "Oh, Hi! I haven't seen you since the first day of school. What gives me this honor?" Ara giggles. "Oh! Right. Um... my big brother is hosting a sing off in downtown. Specifically at the River Walk. And he wanted to ask as many people as possible to come... will you?"
The 5 guys that were talking to him before were looking at him expectantly. "Come on Zeno! It'll be fun!" "Yeah! I'll go if you do!" Zeno looks at the bunch of excited boys. Then at Ara. A big smile spreads across his face. "Well don't let me keep you. I'm in." "Yeah!" Everyone yells. "My mother said that I have a good voice. Lets see if anyone else thinks so." It has begun.


Chapter 3


Ara yawns hugely. She had to get up really

early to help her brother with the sing off preparations. "I know, I know. Your tired and you don't think I need any help." Ara rolls her eyes. "Can I go now? I want to get properly dressed." She looked down at herself. Her whole attire was for sleeping. When her brother, Rafael, got her out of bed, she was too tired to get dressed. "Fine. But when you get back, I want you to give out more brochures." Finally. As she trudged the 4 blocks home, she considered participating this year. Nah.

She thought. They're all just being nice. I don't sound good.

When she got home, she checked her phone for messages, and noticed that she had three. She played them in order. "Hi sweetie! I've gone to the store. If you two are hungry, I have cold pasta in the fridge." Two: "Hi Ara! It's Elise. Girl, where are you? We're all waiting for you to come down here and help out with these brochures!" She could hear murmuring in the background. But the third one was from Zeno. "Hey Ara, I just called to ask you if you wanted to sing with me at the sing off? I know it's a bit late, but I heard you singing in the girls bathroom at school. Let me know in a bit, k? Bye." She couldn't believe it... he knew her phone number! But, she couldn't. She had serious stage fright. Now she felt crushed. She'll have to tell him no. But just as she was reaching for the call button, her brother barged into the hallway. "Come on

Ara! we'll be late!" He started to drag her to her room. "But, but, but..." "No but's! We have to go

!" She hung her head in defeat.
When they got back, everyone was ready. Her brother hopped up on the stage in from of the growing audience. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the annual Sing Off!" There was thundering applause. Her brother always had a way with people. "Aaaand first off is... Jack Domearo!" A scrawny kid scrambled up from back stage. Yeaaaah... he was horrible. The crowd booed and threw things they found off of the floor at him. Cups, paper balls, ...a cat?! Ooh! That's gonna leave a mark... A few other people sang. Even her brother. Then finally, Zeno came up on stage. He looked confused and a little hurt. But as soon as he started singing, his whole demeanor changed. He looked so confident that she almost went up there with him. The crowd went wild. He was amazing! "Myyyy heart's a stereo..."
When he finished the crowd was sad to see him leave. He was too, but the rules said that you can only sing one song. As the last person left the stage Rafael went up. "Okay! Let's see who this year's winner is! The winner is... Zeno Bolivand!!!" The crowd cheered. As Zeno went on stage, he looked so happy. After he got the trophy, and was getting off the stage, he caught my eye. He started to make a beeline strait for me, but just then, a camera crew ran up and shoved a microphone in his face. "Hello, this is John Micheals here with the new singing sensation, Zeno Bolivand! How does it feel to be famous?" Zeno was shocked. "I, I, I-" "I hear you! Well that's all for now. I'm John Micheals and this is The Truth." After that, a bunch of official looking people came up to him pushing him into a limousine. Zeno Bolivand was famous.


Chapter 4

Impressum

Texte: Author
Bildmaterialien: Illistrator
Lektorat: Markes Gildsmith
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 24.02.2012

Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Widmung:
She's just a nobody. And he's a super star.