#3 Turn Up for Real by Stephanie Perry Moore

die.

    I couldn’t believe this. Just when I thought I found a group that I fit in with—maybe not perfectly, but at least fit into—it was too good to be true. They were about to take the stage, and I wasn’t going on there with them. How were they going to adjust? When I heard their first note, the harmony with three sounded fine. They were showing me they didn’t need me at all, so I needed to get the heck out of there, and that’s what I did. I couldn’t get out of the theater because Avery stood in my way.
    â€œWait, wait, wait, let’s talk, beautiful,” he placed his arm on my shoulders and said.
    â€œAre you serious? You’re calling me beautiful, and my group just dropped me because of you,” I said, smacking his hand away.
    â€œDid you not mean the things you said? Forget them, they’re just jealous.”
    Huffing and puffing, I said, “Why would you think I want to be with someone who just broke my friend’s heart? If you made her all crazy, I’m not going to give you the chance to make me the same way. Move out of my way.”
    â€œYou need to let me explain before you just accuse me of whatever she told you. There’re two sides to every story last time I checked. Taylor Dale is a stalker. I mean, shucks, she was smothering me. I couldn’t take it. A girl looks my way, and she’s trying to fight her. I don’t call her every hour, and she’s crying. So I cut her loose. I wasn’t rude, mean, or harsh to her, but there was no way to say it to somebody who honestly wasn’t mentally all there. I mean dang, she acted like she owned me. Nobody should be in a relationship like that.”
    I rolled my eyes and looked up at the ceiling. I heard what he was saying, but it just wasn’t adding up. I mean, he was right. There were two sides to every story. How could I tell if his side was the right one? I did witness firsthand that he broke Taylor’s heart, and I wasn’t trying to break it all over again.
    â€œCome here, girl,” he said as he grabbed me and then kissed me like somebody out of a movie would.
    First it was feeling good. Heck, I never had been kissed before. I didn’t know what I was doing. But I didn’t ask for the kiss either, so I stepped back and slapped him as hard as I could.
    â€œHey! What’s going on here?” I heard Shelby ask.
    â€œYeah, what are you doing to my sister?” Sloan demanded, with all my sisters by her side.
    â€œYou need to step back,” Shelby said to him.
    He put his hands in the air. “Sorry.”
    â€œWhat’s the problem here?” Sloan asked me.
    Shaking my head, I said, “It’s a whole long story.”
    â€œWe didn’t hear you sing. Isn’t that your group up on stage?” Yuri asked, trying to move past the drama they walked in on.
    â€œYou just hit this guy. You’re supposed to be on stage with those girls. Something happened. You need to tell us now before we call the police,” Shelby said. “Is he messing with you?”
    â€œI’ve got this, y’all. Just please, please leave,” I said to my sisters.
    â€œWe’re not leaving you alone with some guy you just slapped. Obviously he was out of line or you wouldn’t have done that,” Shelby told me as her eyes locked on mine.
    â€œYou’re still here?” Dayna came up to me and said. “We kicked you out. I thought you’d be gone by now.”
    â€œKicked her out of what?” Shelby asked.
    â€œI’ll explain to y’all at home. Let’s go,” I uttered, grabbing Sloan’s hand, since she was standing near me, to leave.
    â€œYeah, you better take your sisters and leave,” Dayna called out.
    â€œExcuse me?” Sloan turned around and said.
    Fed up and pissed, I said, “Y’all just go on to the car. Let me handle this witch.”
    â€œHandle me? Whatever,” Dayna