Chapter 4

After that day, I became popular. Every student wanted to ask me about William and Emily, and even after I only gave them one or two words, they never thought I was rude. Instead, they decided I was aloof and mysterious, the way a Carter should be.

Samantha helped me deal with them, pulling out her class president authority to tell everyone to leave me alone so I could rest and study.

My stuttering stayed hidden.

I wasn't trying to hide it on purpose. I just didn't want them putting on their judging glasses and seeing me differently because of it.

When the summer showcase came around, my homeroom teacher, Alice Rowe, asked if I wanted to perform. I shook my head quickly.

Alice looked surprised. She said, "William and Emily are always so active in social events. I thought you'd be the same way.

"Media outlets cover all the Riverside showcases, and directors from film and art schools attend too. A lot of entertainment industry talent comes from Riverside, so the performance slots are incredibly competitive."

I kept shaking my head. Maybe they all assumed I was some carefully groomed Carter princess, but I wasn't. I had no special talents and couldn't perform on stage.

When I left the office, Samantha suddenly appeared beside me.

"Juliana, can you help me? I want to perform on stage. I can play piano."

I stared at her without saying anything.

"Juliana, listen to me," Samantha said, and her voice dropped lower.

She said, "I know you have a speech problem. You're not cold or quiet by choice. You just don't want people making fun of your stutter. If you recommend me to Ms. Rowe, I swear I'll keep your secret forever, whether it works out or not. Deal?"

Frustration crashed over me like a wave, and I pressed my lips together tight. When had I given myself away?

I twisted the corner of my shirt between my fingers and thought for a moment, then nodded at Samantha before turning to find Alice.

"Ms. Rowe, I want to recommend Samantha." I managed to get out, and my face burned hot with embarrassment by the time I finished.

Alice knew about my condition and reached out to gently pat my head. "Juliana, sweetie, you have such a lovely voice. Will you come talk to me more often?"

I stood there frozen, my face still red.

Alice said, "Samantha already came to me herself, and now you're recommending her too. I'll definitely consider it. Go get ready for class, okay?"

Samantha was waiting for me on the way back to the classroom, and her eyes lit up when she saw me. "Juliana, how'd it go? What did Ms. Rowe say?"

She already knew about my stutter, so there was no point hiding it anymore.

I stammered, "She said she will think about it."

I kept my head down and missed the flash of disdain in Samantha's eyes.

She jumped up excitedly. "Thank you, Juliana! I'm declaring right now that you're my best friend at Riverside."

I had a friend? The word sparked a tiny flame of happiness in my chest.

Samantha got her wish and joined the performance, and she kept her promise too, sticking to my side like a bodyguard. Whenever a classmate tried to talk to me for more than a few seconds, she'd chase them off with a few sharp words.

After a while, she was the only one left around me, and all the other students started avoiding me completely.

A few times, she told me her parents were busy and couldn't pick her up, and she asked if my family's driver could give her a ride home.

I figured it was no big deal and my driver probably wouldn't mind, so I said yes.

I never stopped to think about what all these little favors might mean to Samantha or what she might be doing with them.

Then one day, William and Emily showed up at our classroom door with ice-cold expressions on their faces.

"Who's been going around saying my little sister is a naive idiot with too much money?" William's voice cut through the hallway chatter.

Samantha's hand froze halfway into my pocket where she'd been reaching for chocolate, and she whipped around to look at them with panic written all over her face.