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find a place where she could get out of that silly skirt. Instead she sat down, straightened herself, and nodded at the girl.
    “Go ahead, please.”
    A few painful seconds passed while the girl cleared her throat and glanced around the sanctuary. Then with her eyes focused on Katy’s, she began. “Hi. My name’s Maria Pullman. I’m thir
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    FORGIVEN
    teen years old and I’ll be singing ‘Part of Your World’ from The Little Mermaid.”
    Maria’s first few bars were shaky, but after that, the song filled the sanctuary, growing and building and leaving a smile on the girl’s face as she finished.
    As soon as the song ended, the CKT kids were on their feet, cheering for a girl most of them probably didn’t know. Two fa thers ran up and helped her off the stage, easing her down the stairs, where she fell into the arms of her mother and made her way slowly up the aisle and out of the sanctuary.
    “Well—” Katy turned to Rhonda—”nothing will surprise me after that.”
    “She gets a callback, right?” Rhonda had her pen poised over her own scoring sheet.
    “Absolutely.” Katy looked over her shoulder, and somewhere near the back Stanley stood and waved at her. She gave a weak wave in return and looked at Rhonda.
    “Manly Stanley’s watching my every move.” She lowered her chin. “Whadya do, tell him I had a thing for RSPers?”
    Rhonda giggled. “RPSers. And I told him you liked guys with talent.”
    “Thanks.” Katy elbowed her friend. “Coffee on you tonight.” Tim Reed was first up in the next set of ten and gave a flawless audition. After four more singers, it was time for the new boy, the one the girls were fussing over. He had loose brown curls that hung just over his ears, and he was tall, built like a college quarterback.
    “Hi.” He nodded at Katy and Rhonda. His speaking voice was so strong and smooth, Katy had no doubt the kid could sing. When he smiled, two dimples appeared beneath his bright blue eyes. “My name’s Bryan Smythe. I’m sixteen, and I’ll be singing ‘King of New York’ from Newsies.”
    From behind her, Katy could hear several girls squeal.
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    KAREN KINGSBURY
    Rhonda tapped her beneath the table and uttered a low, “Please.”
    Katy kept herself from rolling her eyes. It was always difficult when a cute new boy came into CKT. The girls stayed distracted for weeks before getting focused on the production. She settled back in her chair and waited. As soon as Bryan began singing, Katy had to work to keep her mouth closed. No wonder the girls couldn’t keep quiet. The kid had a Josh Groban voice that could stop traffic in New York City.
    When he was finished, Katy thanked him, turned toward the girls, and fanned herself. Several of them burst into laughter. “What?” She tried to look surprised. “It’s hot in here!” The girls laughed again, and Katy gave them a silly, knowing look. She loved this part, playing with them, meeting them at their level.
    The next three groups made it up and off the platform over the next hour. Bailey and Connor Flanigan, the kids whose family Katy lived with, both turned in their best auditions ever. It made callbacks easier when the kids clearly earned a second audition. No one could ever accuse Katy of playing favorites. In the next set of ten, four more girls sang “Part of Your World.”
    By the time the last girl announced it as her song, Katy cracked her neck, first one way then the other. “What’s the deal
    with the mermaid songs?” she whispered to Rhonda.
    “I feel like I’m growing fins.”
    “If you do—” Katy covered her mouth to keep from laughing out loud—”don’t go onstage.”
    Rhonda smiled, and they directed their attention toward the front of the room.
    One of the older boys who had played key parts in several plays was up next.
    This time, though, he couldn’t seem to find his place in the song. Twice he asked if he could start over, and both times Katy said yes. The song was “Music of the