"No. You can't be serious. No, no, no! Russ, you have to get better!" I exclaim over the phone. The party is tonight and our lead singer just has to go and get sick. This wasn't a simple cough and cold, it was, of course, the flu. Just our luck.

"Brynn, I can barely talk as it is. You have to tell the guys I can't make it tonight." Excuse me? He hasn't told this to anyone but me?

"Wait, what? Russ, you've got to be kidding me! I'm the only one you've told? What am I supposed to tell them? 'Sorry guys, Russ got sick, so now you're out of a gig and one thousand dollars!' Russ! Help me out! You've got to know somebody who can be our singer for tonight."

"I do know someone, but she'll never agree to do it." She? Well, maybe it would still work. Russ usually picks songs that have a low tenor voice to it, though.

"Who? Russ, give me her number, please. I'm desperate. We need a singer. It's too late to bail on Rider." It's like I can feel his smirk through the phone.

"Desperate, huh? Well, you don't have to look far. Got a mirror close by?"

"A mirror?" I ask, and then I realize what he's alluding to. Heck to the no.

He sighs, "Brynn, you have to. You have an amazing voice, I just know it. You can even wear a mask like everyone else will be. It'll be cool."

He had a point, nobody had to know who I was. But the fact was I couldn't sing. Not that I wouldn't sing, but I had never even tried to sing. How was I supposed to get up in front of a crowd filled with high class people?

Russ had already hung up by the time I realized it was my only option. We couldn't tell our bandmates, they would get freaked out and become anxious. It was best I show up and surprise them. I hope it will be a good surprise for all of us.

Quickly, I pull up the list of songs we're covering tonight. It's not like I don't know all of the lyrics by heart to every song. It's the fact that I have to memorize them and sing them too.

I'm on top of the world - Imagine Dragons

Ruin - Shawn Mendes

I lived - One Republic

Okay, time to put my voice to the test.

***

This was impossible. My voice was not going to wow anyone, and it would barely get us by. It was going to take a miracle for me to pull this off.

I grabbed my keys off my dresser and headed downstairs to the door. It was almost four o'clock, which is when Forever After was getting together to rehearse. The party was in just three hours.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kathryn comes out of nowhere, which she does quite often. It scares the living daylights out of me.

"I... I'm meeting Easton." I half-lie. She doesn't know that I'm managing a band, and if she did, I'd be told to quit. It was just another secret I had to keep from her.

"Liar." She scoffs, then grabs my wrist and pulls me over to the couch, "Sit!" I think my lunch is coming up. Between her possibly finding out my secrets and the thought of having to get up on stage, I'm bound to hurl any minute.

"Your sisters didn't get invited to Rider's party. I found the invitation he sent to you. That boy is very rich, do you know that? Why he would want to hang out with you, I have no idea. But your sisters are taking that invitation and marching right down to his mansion. You are going to stay here and clean every inch of this house. Maybe I'll pay you for it, if you do a good job." She smirks and walks out of the room to fetch the broom. If I wasn't on the verge of a break down, I would've shoved it back in her face. Instead, I took it, and started upstairs.

We all know I was not going to let my friends down. I only had a couple more years in this house and I could definitely graduate early. Kathryn Diego had nothing on me. For all the times she's thrown things at me, made me stay out of school for no reason, and man-handled me, I could report her for abuse. There's just one reason I haven't done that yet. And I'm not sure what it is.

I close my bedroom door behind me and text Easton: Major situation! Please come now! Kathryn marches into my room to see me on my bed, and snatches the phone from me. Little does she know I've already sent the message and locked my phone.

"You do not get to use this. It's a distraction from cleaning. Now, I'm going to take the girls to get their dresses, mani-pedis, and get them to that party. After that, I'm going to a party of my own. When I come back, this house needs to be spotless! If it's not, well, we'll see what kind of mood I'm in." She glares at me before shutting my door.

Wait five minutes, she'll be gone. Wait seven minutes, Easton will pull in. It was going to be a close call, but I think they'll miss each other.

My timing was off. Easton pulled up in the street and got out. I was watching from my window. Then I heard Kathryn shout from downstairs, "See you at midnight, Brynn!" I had to get Easton to hide or something. Pulling up my bedroom window, I whisper-yelled his name, making him look up.

"Hide! She can't see you!" I called out. Just as Easton dove for the bushes, Kathryn, Demi, and Scarlet closed the door behind them.

My air head step sisters held them heads high because they were on their way to the party. They thought they took the invite from me, but they were wrong. I was going to the party. Their mother may always fight their battles, but I'm not letting her get in my way.

Easton ran towards my window once they were out of sight.

"Are you coming downstairs to unlock the door? Or should I ask for you to let down your hair?" He laughs as I head for the stairs.

When I reach the bottom of the stairs and open the door, Easton rushes in. He looks like he's ready to kill someone.

"What happened, B? Russ hasn't shown up or called, and you're in a panic when you text me. What the heck is going on?" He throws his hands in the air. I feel bad for him for a split second, but then I realize I don't have time to explain.

"Russ isn't singing tonight. Kathryn is forcing me to stay in." I run around trying to think of where I placed my dress for the party. Maybe it's in my room.

Easton follows me up the steps with questions, and I can't blame him. Though, now's not the time.

"Wait. What? Russ didn't say anything! Who's going to sing now? Brynn!"

"Brynn is correct. Brynn is singing tonight. That's why I'm in a panic to find my dress and get out of here," I toss out a few clothes from my closet and sigh in despair. "She must have taken it."

"Who?" Easton asks, still very confused.

"The Wicked Witch of west. Who do you think, Easton?! Kathryn!" I exclaim, and slump down to the floor.

He's next to me in an instant, patting my back as I start to cry. I've never been so stressed in my life. How did she sneak into my room and take my dress?

"I'll text Mya to bring you a dress. Come on, there's no time to mope." He gives me a hand up and before I know it, I give him a huge hug.

"Thank you. Let's go!" We rush down the stairs with the shoes I had in mind to wear in my hand. He's already texting Mya once we get in his car. I can't help but think of how much I owe him for always being there for me. But I guess that's what friends are for.

"You know this is like a Cinderella moment, right?" He chuckles.

I grin, "That would make you my fairy god mother." I laugh louder than I should've as he pulls away from the curb.

"I think I like fairy god brother better."

When I look over at him, I realize he's everything I could ask in a brother. Kind, caring, understanding, and passionate.

"Even better." I smile.

A/N

Hello people of earth! I hope at least five people are still reading this book. So to the handful of you who have been waiting for an update, here it is! Yay!

Please keep reading, because we haven't even really started the story yet. Remember to comment, vote, and share!

Thanks,

Always, Sunny