Cindy at Music Camp By Teek © 2019 Chapter 12 Open Mic

“Jessica,” Cindy got out while being dragged behind Jessica.

“Jessica!” Cindy screamed.

Coming to an immediate, and complete stop, Jessica turned to face Cindy. Not prepared for the change in momentum, Cindy slammed straight into Jessica, bringing them both to the ground.

“Jessica!”

“What?”

“Jessica!”

“Okay! Okay! I get it. But Cindy . . .”

“No BUT Jessica. You promised!”

Jessica looked away from Cindy. “I did promise, didn’t I.”

“Yes, you did.”

“I’m working on it. Honest Cindy.”

“I know. It has been a week since you last dragged me off on some wild adventure. Now is not the time. You are scared. It is okay to be scared. Getting angry and running away is not how you should deal with it.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Yeah you are.”

“No, I’m not,” Jessica stood up.

“You are.”

“Am not.”

“Then prove it. Get up on stage with Samantha and me. Sing and dance with us,” Cindy said finally getting up off the ground.

“I would, but I need to practice for the solo performance in front of the judges tomorrow.”

“Pony Poop.”

“Oooooooo, strong words. Someone should wash that potty mouth of yours out with soap.”

“Well if the glass slipper fits,” Cindy retorted back.

“I’m NOT scared!”

“Then let’s go.”

“FINE!”

“Then stop pulling me in the opposite direction,” Cindy yanked at the arm grasped by Jessica.

“FINE!”

When they finally arrived at the Concert Hall, it looked like the whole camp was there. The stage was full of kids warming up their instruments. A complete orchestra was in assembly, and it even had Alfred up getting ready to conduct. The audience was chatting with each other about what they wanted to perform.

Mr. Elks borrowed Alfred’s baton and tapped on the lectern, “Okay everyone. Thank You for coming and supporting the girls. Before they get here, I think you should all practice as a group. Some of you have never played together before and many of you have never been in an orchestra this big. Good Luck.”

Alfred continued from there, “I have conducted the song, Let It Go, a couple of times before, but never with such a big orchestra. Remember, the girls are going to be singing and dancing, so we don’t want the music to drown them out. Keep it soft and gentle. They are just young Littles, probably singing for the first time with an orchestra. This is Open Mic, it doesn’t have to be perfect, but let’s try to give the girls a positive experience to remember.”

With a gesture of his baton, the orchestra started playing.

“I’m not a Little,” Jessica declared! “And I am definitely not a young Little.”

“He was talking about Samantha and me. She’s seven and everyone thinks I am younger than her.”

“Their expecting Littles, not a Tween. You two do it without me.”

“Nope,” Cindy smiled, dragging Jessica towards the stage. “We are going to do it all together, just like we did for Mrs. Elks.”

As the music played, the two of them were silently mouthing the words. When the song was done, Alfred complimented everyone and gave some pointers for improving the next time they played.

“Okay girls,” Alfred said looking over at Jessica, Samantha, and Cindy. “Are you ready?”

“No,” replied Jessica, as Cindy and Samantha, on each side of her, dragged her out onto the stage.

Mike stood up and walked up to the girls.

“Jessica,” Mike said. “You know the rules about Open Mic. These Littles, however, may not fully understand. Cindy and Samantha, Open Mic is a time to just have fun with friends and get used to being up on stage in front of an audience. Nothing has to be perfect, and the first rule is just to have fun. You didn’t get to do this yesterday, so now is your chance to be three giggling girls up on stage together having fun.”

Samantha and Cindy giggled, while Jessica rolled her eyes with a slight smile forming on her face.

“So, Let It Go girls and just have fun,” Mike returned to his seat in the orchestra.

“Okay girls,” Alfred said to the three of them. “Like Mike said, just have fun and let it go. I will try to keep the orchestra at your speed, but since we have never heard you sing, I make no guarantees. Things might be a little bumpy, but don’t worry about it.”

“We won’t Alfred,” Samantha said. “We know that this is Open Mic, and mistakes are okay.”

Alfred smiles, “You got it little one. Let’s do this.”

Alfred turns back to the orchestra and taps on the lectern with his baton.

Looking out at the audience Cindy, Samantha, and Jessica squeeze each other’s hands and smile to the audience. Cindy put the Molly doll sitting down in front of them. She stood up just as the music started.

When the music ends five minutes later, the girls hug each other, jumping up and down in a burst of giggles.

“Impressive everyone,” Mr. Elks said as he joined Alfred at the front of the stage. Looking at the orchestra, “Second time playing together, and it was almost flawless. I have just added this group to the final concert, unless anyone objects.”

Everyone on stage shook their heads back and forth. This was unheard of. Open Mic performances don’t get immediately turned into final concert performances. There was usually only one super large orchestra performance, and it was always classical music. A Disney movie song never got such an honor.

Turning back toward the girls and the audience, Mr. Elks smiled, “Now, we can just have the orchestra playing, but I am willing to have a singer go with the performance. I will not make that decision, we will have auditions for anyone interested. Our voice teacher, Mr. Lamar, will hold auditions tomorrow morning after Breakfast. I will put a sign up sheet by the entrance to the Concert Hall. To be considered, you must have taken a singing class from Mr. Lamar either this summer or a previous summer.”

A murmur erupted throughout the Concert Hall.

Turning back to the orchestra, “Before any of you leave the stage, please make sure I have your name down if you want to perform this song in the final performance. We will do one more practice session tonight after five Open Mic performances, so don’t leave the Concert Hall until after that. I will also have some practice sessions set up once we have a singer chosen.”

Looking at Jessica, Cindy, and Samantha, Mr. Elks got down to eye level with Samantha and Cindy, “You all did a wonderful job, and look at everyone who showed up to support you. I am proud of you for getting up on stage and doing that. I would like to congratulate the three of you for making it into the top ten best performer competition. Samantha and Jessica, tomorrow morning you will be doing individual performances for the judges. Cindy, the judges decided that they didn’t need to hear you play again. Your performance this morning met what they were looking for in a solo performance.”

As Mr. Elks went to get the names of the kids in the orchestra, the girls headed for a spot in the audience.

“Cindy,” Jessica asked? “What did the judges hear you do this morning? I have never heard of anyone not needing to do a solo performance on Friday.”

They came during the Woodwind Class. The rest of the kids in class had convinced Mrs. Johnson to hear me play a solo piece, wondering if I really was as good as others were saying. The judges came in while I was playing my favorite composition.”

The girls stayed until the Littles were told it was time to go back to their dorms. Jessica and Cindy escorted Samantha to her dorm. While saying good-night to each other, Samantha gave Cindy a big hug.

Whispering in Cindy’s ear, “Don’t worry about wetting the bed tonight, just wear a Pull-Up.”

Cindy stood back and looked at Samantha.

“Lots of kids do,” Samantha said in a regular voice before heading inside.

“What do lots of kids do,” Jessica asked?

“Uhhhh, nothing.”

Jessica walked with Cindy to Mr. Elks’ house, “Cindy, thanks for getting me up on stage tonight. It was scary, but fun.”

“Thanks for doing it with us,” Cindy responded. After a moment of silence, Cindy looked away from Jessica and asked, “Do you know who the other transgender kid is here at camp?”

“What?”

“Mike said there was another transgender kid at camp. I was wondering if you knew who it was?”

“Sorry, No.”

“Well, it was worth a try. It would have been nice to meet someone else who was transgender. I may never get another chance in my life.”

The girls continued in silence.

When they reached Mr. Elks house, Jessica wished Cindy a good night’s sleep, and then headed off in thought.

When Cindy picked up her nighty, she found a girl’s Goodnite underneath. It had been just under a year since she last wore a Goodnite to bed. Back then she wore boy ones, but just like the one in front of her, she knew a Goodnite, boy or girl, was just a baby Pull-Up with a different name so big kids didn’t feel like they were wearing baby training pants. She wasn’t a baby. Was she? Cindy knew that once Mom found out she was wetting during the day and at night, she would be back in actual baby diapers at night, and wearing either baby diapers or Goodnites during the day, or as Mommy called them, “baby Pull-Ups Training Pants.”

Looking down at Ariel looking back at her from the Goodnite, Cindy wasn’t sure if she should put it on or not. She figured she would never have another chance to wear a girl’s Goodnite, even if Mom put her back in Goodnites at home, they would be yucky boy’s Goodnites with some boy superhero on them. Samantha was right, lots of kids at camp wear Goodnites to bed. Not many my age, but even some her age wore Goodnites to bed every night.

“What should I do?” Cindy looked over to her bed where the Molly Doll and her stuffed Panda lay on the pillow. “Mrs. Elks said I don’t have to wear it, but . . .”

Cindy picks up the Goodnite with Ariel on it and puts it on. After getting her nighty on, she went over to play with the doll house.

“Time for bed Cindy,” Barbara said as she entered the room at 8pm.

Cindy put the doll in her hand in the doll house bed, “Nighty Night Mary Sue.”

Climbing into bed, Barbara came over and tucked under the covers Cindy, Molly, and the stuffed Panda bear.

“I noticed you chose to wear a Goodnite tonight. If you wake up wet in the middle of the night, there are more in your top dresser drawer. There are baby wipes to clean yourself up with in the top drawer in the bathroom, and just put the Goodnite in the trash under the sink in the bathroom.”

“Okay Mrs. Elks, I mean Barbara.”

“Good Night, sleep tight, and don’t let the,” Barbara put a big smile on her face as she approached Cindy with wiggling fingers. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

Cindy giggled as she was tickled right under her chin.