“Okay,” said Vijay, backing off. “But maybe we can at least check out some music after? I mean, we can’t just go up onstage and expect to do a break dance number! We have to plan it all out first and then put in lots of time practicing. You know what they say? They say, ‘Practice makes perfect!’ ”

“Well, we’ll still have a week after the test… ”

“Derek, you know all those other kids will be doing stuff they’ve done for years. We are probably the only ones making up our act from scratch!”

“I know. But—”

“Look, don’t worry,” Vijay said. “We are both super-good dancers. We just have to figure out what we’re going to do—and then, of course, practice doing it over and over and over again. If we do that, we are sure to win the contest!”

“Mmm,” said Derek. “No pressure, right?”

Vijay laughed. “You are very funny. So what do you say about this weekend? We can figure out our routine, pick out our music… ”

“Uh… sure,” Derek said, eager to change the subject. “But right now we need to get back to work.”

Being in the talent show was all well and good, but not if it meant having to listen to Gary’s mocking Jar-El voice for the rest of the semester!

“We were on page twenty-three, at the top. One fourth of one fourth equals… ”

The phone rang. Derek got up from the kitchen table to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me!”

“Hey, Dave, what’s up?”

“When are you free to get together and practice, man? We can use the court at my house this weekend. What do you say?”

Dave lived in a big house with a pool, a golf hole—and, best of all, a tricked-out sports court. And his family had their own personal driver, named Chase, who also served as Dave’s guardian whenever his parents were away on business—which was a lot.

“Sure thing! I’ll talk to my parents.” Derek looked over at Vijay, who was waiting expectantly for him to get off the phone—and he suddenly realized he had a problem. “Uh, listen, Dave, I’m kind of busy right now. Can we talk about it tomorrow?”

He didn’t mention to Dave that Vijay was in the room with him. Nor did he say anything that would clue Vijay in to what he and Dave were talking about.

Vijay and Dave were his two best friends—but sometimes it was hard not to make one of them feel like Derek was favoring the other.

“Oh, okay,” said Dave. “Talk to you later, then!”

“What was that all about?” Vijay asked after Derek hung up. “He sounded pretty excited.”

Derek gave a casual shrug. “Basketball tryouts over at the Y.”

“Oh. Yeah, that is pretty cool.” Vijay smiled, but they both knew that basketball wasn’t his sport.