“How did she get famous, anyway?” I asked.

“She had to drop out of college when she got pregnant and started working a bunch of small jobs. Wherever she went she was singing, so naturally she was singing while cleaning tables in a diner as well.”

Now the lilt in her voice was definitely pride. “It just so happened that this one guy who she later found out worked for a record label was having dinner there. He heard her and was pretty impressed. He asked for her number and a few weeks later my mom got an invitation to record a demo track. After that, it all went pretty quickly.”

“Wow,” I muttered. “I thought that kind of stuff only happens in movies.”

“Right?” Noelle chuckled. “It was insane how quickly everything changed after that. Before, we were living in Brooklyn, in a tiny apartment with water damage and then all of a sudden we moved into a fucking penthouse in Manhattan and there were bodyguards following us everywhere.”

“Coming to Seven Hills was a pretty big downgrade then, huh?” I laughed.

Noelle shook her head, suddenly serious. “No. It was the best decision I ever could have made.”

Smiling, I linked my pinky fingers with hers where it was resting between us on the seat, concealed by her body. “I think so too.”

About half an hour later, Westbridge came into view. It wasn’t a castle like Seven Hills, but probably just as old, with a weathered brick façade and a tall iron gate that opened for us. Noelle was the first one to jump out of the bus, quickly followed by the rest of the team and the cheerleaders. Seth, Jasper, and I trailed after them at a more leisurely pace.

° ° °

One of Westbridge’s players waited for us inside the entrance hall of the old building and asked for the players to follow him to the changing rooms. While the rest of the team hurried after him, Noelle hung back for a moment.

“Good luck,” I said and pulled her into a quick hug.

“Thank you. I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered before she let go of me.

Ruffling her hair, Jasper said, “Bonne chance, Daniels. I’d say break a leg, but I’m afraid you’d take that too literally.”

“I sprained my ankle one time and this is what I get,” Noelle huffed. “See you after the game.”

With that she turned around, jogging after the rest of the team as they disappeared down the hallway. Seth, Jasper, and I followed Mrs. Whitworth and Miss Pepperman to the stand, where we managed to find seats in one of the first rows.

The game went by in a blur. At first it seemed like Westbridge were well on their way to winning, but as the minutes ticked by, Seven Hills slowly but surely gained the upper hand.

“Seven Hills takes the lead again, thanks to another three-pointer by Noelle Daniels,” the nasal-sounding announcer said.

“Come on, Westbridge, we’ve got two minutes left to turn this thing around!”