The Talent Show by Dan Gutman Page A

do that. I’m gonna feel like it’s my fault. Like I gave you the idea.”
    â€œYou didn’t,” Elke said. “I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. My mom told me that if I win the talent show, she’s going to leave my dad. We’re going to take that Hummer and drive to Los Angeles for me to try and make it as a singer and actress.”
    â€œWow,” said Richard. “She’d leave your dad if you won?”
    â€œAre you serious?” Julia asked.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œShe
told
you that?” Paul asked. “She didn’t
ask
you?”
    â€œShe
told
me,” Elke said, “and I don’t want to leave my dad.”
    â€œYour mom would actually do that?” Julia asked. “My mom would never force me to do something I didn’t want to do.”
    â€œMy mom wanted to be famous when she was younger,” Elke told them. “So when it didn’t happen, she decided that she would make
me
famous. I guess it’s almost as good.”
    â€œSo what are you going to do?” Julia asked. “How are you going to tell her you’re going to ditch the show?”
    â€œI’m not going to tell her,” Elke said. “I’m just not going to show up. I’ll send my parents to the show and tell them I’ll be there after I walk my dog. Then I won’t come. She won’t be able to do anything about it.”
    â€œShe’s gonna freak out,” Paul said.
    â€œI know,” said Elke. “But I can’t tell her. Not to her face.”
    â€œWhy don’t you just come to the talent showand sing bad on purpose?” Richard suggested. “Then you’ll lose.”
    â€œNot a bad idea, Raccoon,” Paul said.
    â€œI can’t do that,” Elke said. “I wish I could.”
    It was quiet for a minute while they let it all sink in.
    â€œHey,” Paul finally said, “if Elke ditches the talent show, one of
us
has a good chance to win it. Maybe I should just play ‘Wipeout’ after all.”
    â€œI thought you were so anxious to stick it to the Man,” Elke said.
    â€œOh, yeah,” Paul said, snapping his fingers.
    â€œWell, I know one thing for sure,” Julia whispered. “My group isn’t going to win either way. The Beach Babes are awful.”
    â€œIf I win,” Richard said, “I’m going to sell the car and give the money to
you
, Elke. Because you would have won for sure.”
    â€œThat’s sweet, Richard,” Elke said. “But if you win, you keep the prize. You will have earned it.”
    At that moment, Mrs. Marotta’s voice boomed out across the multipurpose room.
    â€œWhere is Richard Ackoon?” she hollered. “He’s up next! The Beach Babes on deck, and The BluffTones on double deck. Where is JakePerelmuter? Coleman Verburg? Let’s go, people! This is rehearsal time, not social hour!”
    Paul quickly got down on one knee and gathered Elke, Julia, and Richard around him.
    â€œOkay, whatever we said here is secret, right?” he told them. “Nothing leaves this room. Got it?”
    The four of them put their hands on top of one another’s like a team before the big game.
    â€œGot it.”

Chapter 14
    A Million-to-One Shot
    â€œAttention. Flight 117 to Los Angeles has been canceled. We regret any inconvenience… .”
    Justin Chanda was having a
bad
day.
    Oh, sure, he was a mega-selling recording artist with millions of fans, three Grammy Awards, his own clothing line, and enough money in the bank that he wouldn’t have to work another day in his life. But right now, waiting in line to buy a corn muffin in Tulsa International Airport, none of those things mattered.
    After meeting with his lawyer in New York that morning, Justin had been heading back home to California. His connecting flight to Chicago had been diverted to Oklahoma because of badweather. As he sipped a cup of