The Hard Kind of Promise Read Online Free PDF Page A

just as mad as any other teacher.
    When Lizzie was quiet, he went on.
    "We have been asked to participate in a choral competition in Los Angeles," he said.
    Everyone started talking at once. Going to Los Angeles meant flying and staying overnight.
    "People, please!" Mr. Roche begged. "Raise your hands if you have questions."
    Jason Webb raised his hand and then, without waiting to be called on, asked, "Can we go to Disneyland?"
    Lizzie looked at Sarah and shook her head. "He is beyond heinous," she said. Then she added, "Hey, if we get to stay in a motel, do you want to be in my room?"
    "Definitely," Sarah said, feeling happy.
    Mr. Roche was rapping on his music stand with his baton.
    "If you are not quiet in the next three seconds, we will not be going to Los Angeles," he said sternly.
    Immediately everyone shut up.
    "Traveling as a chorus means that we will have to
listen
to each other. That we will have to
follow directions.
That we will have to be
respectful
of
adults
." Mr. Roche pushed his shaggy bangs off his forehead. "Do you think you can handle that?"
    Everyone said yes together. Jason Webb raised his hand.
    "Yes?" Mr. Roche said.
    "What about Disneyland?" Jason asked.
    "There isn't going to be time for Disneyland. And you all need to understand that this competition is going to mean a lot of extra rehearsal time."
    Without turning her head, Lizzie whispered, "Told you so."
    "We're going to have to meet after school and on some Saturdays," Mr. Roche said. "If you have other commitments, you're not going to be able to make rehearsals. And if you can't make rehearsals, you can't go to Los Angeles."
    Molly Worth raised her hand. "What about soccer?" she asked. "I have soccer games every Saturday."
    "Well, you're going to have to think about that, Molly," Mr. Roche said. "Chorus isn't just a class. Chorus is a commitment, and it's just as important as swim team and horseback riding and soccer and chess club."
    "There's no horseback riding here," Jason said.
    Lizzie sighed loudly. "Not at school, but some people ride horses," she said. "
God!
"
    "Shut up!" Jason said.
    Lizzie turned around. "You shut up," she said. "And shave, why don't you?"
    "That's enough!" Mr. Roche slammed his baton down again. "This is exactly what I'm talking about!
This is the kind of thing we have to deal with if you guys want to win this competition. Now, I want you to think about it. There are going to be choruses from all over the state at this competition. They are going to be very serious about doing well. And I'm asking you all: Do you want to do this? Do you want to invest time and energy into becoming the best chorus you can possibly be?"
    Lizzie looked irritated at having to agree with Jason Webb about anything, but she said yes along with everyone else.
    "All right." Mr. Roche began to riffle through a stack of papers on his stand. "I'm going to pass out information sheets for you to take home to your parents. You need to get them to sign some medical forms and permission slips. We're going to be having a bake sale and an auction in the next couple weeks. And we need chaperones!"
    "My mom hates all this stuff," Sarah said to Lizzie.
    "Ask your dad," she said.
    "He hates it, too," Sarah said. He didn't, actually, but Sarah didn't like for him to be too involved with her school stuff. Diane was always wanting to volunteer for things. She was a chef. Heading up a bake sale would be just the kind of thing she'd want to do.
    Sarah didn't like her volunteering. Diane was always trying to pretend to be her real mom.
    "Competing is a lot of work, people!" Mr. Roche said. He had a big smile on his face, as though work were really like spending a day at the beach.
    "I knew it," Lizzie said. "Except for flying and staying in a motel, this trip is going to be heinous."
    "I know," Sarah said, even though she could tell from her voice that Lizzie was just as excited as everyone else.

    "Los Angeles is right next to Hollywood," Marjorie said when