A Facade

"Did you hear?" Kara leaned forward, whispering. She took a dramatic sip of chocolate milk.

"What?"

"Marissa's registering for the school talent show, and she's singing!"

"Oh my god, Kara, this isn't funny. Stop joking just to hype me- wait. Is she actually...?" Rahli's eyes widened as she stared at her best friend.

"I'm not kidding!"

"I... yeah, I still don't believe you. Marissa? Marissa Devens? The talent show? Um, those words just don't go together." She rolled her eyes, not believing the shyest girl in school would register for a talent show. She'd 100% never heard her talk, let alone sing. It must just have been a stupid rumor floating around.

"The truth is the truth, Rahli." Kara took a bite of her turkey sandwich. "Even Anita- yeah, the nerdy and pimply one- admitted it, and she only talks in facts. Just don't be so skeptical, for once." True, Kara was the school's gossip queen, (who'd start rumors about teachers divorcing and whatnot,) but hearing Anita's name made Rahli start to seriously doubt her previous thinking. What if...?

"Well, I don't care!" She shouted in a rush, clamping down her curry and rice. "It's not like she's gonna beat me to the trophy anyway. My singing skills are top-notch. Right? Right?!" The other girls at the table all nodded enthusiastically, not wanting to be put on the blacklist of the most popular girl in school.

Kara shrugged. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean she won't register. Who knows, maybe she has a really nice voice. It's not like you've actually heard her voice-"

"Ugh!" Rahli shot up, her spoon falling to the ground with a "clang" and her rice spilling out. Her ocean eyes narrowed at Kara, piercing a hole in her ego. "Are you even my friend?! Who's side are you on?!"

"I-"

"You're nothing but a fat freak with a crush on The Direction, no loyalties or limits!" Rahli exploded, the lunch ladies hurrying over. "The Direction- heck, anyone- won't even take a second glance at an ugly, acne-covered elephant like you, so get your head out of the stupid clouds and help me win the talent show! If you don't want to, fine, I'm officially unfriending you-"

"STOP SCREAMING!" The lunch lady, Donna, pulled Rahli away. "AND WIPE AWAY THAT RICE!"

---

The talent show was nearing.

Not that Rahli was worried. She'd picked a song: "Moon Child" by TBS, and practiced it over and over.

Her dad hired a famous, professional speechwriter (who wrote speeches for some U.S. presidents) to write her a "dramatic but simple, classy yet modern, elegant yet fun winning speech", and he did just that.

Her mom had went shopping with her at Chanel and got a rose dress with immense ruffles to wear at the show.

She'd practiced fake crying for the winning ceremony in front of the mirror every night.

In other words, everything was ready.

The song was ready.

The speech was ready.

The dress was ready.

The fake crying was ready.

She was ready.

---

"Rahli D'Angelo?"

She lifted up the ruffles of her dress and walked up the stairs to the stage, taking a dramatic curtsy. She spoke into the microphone. "Thank you, thank you. This is a great honor to be here today, and I just want to appreciate-"

"Rahli? Why don't you do the speech after we announce the winners?" The principal whispered in her ear. It was as if she knew Rahli'd win.

"Oh. Okay, then," She cleared her throat. "I'm going to sing "Moon Child", by TBS."

The music started.

"We're part of the moonlight, this isn't a dream..."

"The day's almost over, yeah it's no fantasy..."

"We've trudged past the snow, now let's embrace the rain..."

"It's okay to feel pain, yeah, just look at the moon, that's you, that's you, moon child."

The audience cheered wildly, and she beamed, curtsying again. She caught Kara's eye in the audience. She was sitting next to Marissa. Rahli smirked at her, tossing her extravagant dress behind her and climbing back down the stairs.

---

More people went up. Some sang, some danced, some played an instruments. One kid played the xylophone with his feet- in ice skates. Rahli yawned.

"Marissa... Marissa Devens?" The principal's face looked contorted, she seemed just as confused as everyone else.

Marissa shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, standing up. She wasn't wearing anything fancy, just the usual sweats and t-shirt. Rahli snorted.

"I'm going to be singing "Our Story" by Dawn Tia." She said, quietly. Even with the microphone, people had to lean in to hear her voice. The principal nodded encouragingly, seemingly mesmerized by Marissa speaking.

She took a deep breath. The music started.

"Even though you think it's over

Maybe it isn't for me

Maybe I still need you oh-oh

Like you needed me?

The clouds hang in the sky

All perfect and the same

But there's this one little guy

That seems like it shouldn't have came.

Our story isn't over,

Yeah, there's still one more page

A few more lines of inked love

A paragraph of sage

Our story isn't over,

Yeah, there's still one more place

Let's stay in this secret garden

'Till time passes and it's safe

Yeah, maybe I still love you

Oh-nah, maybe I still need you

'Cause maybe our story isn't over

There's still one more page..."

Her eyes opened as she breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. The audience clapped louder and louder as she bowed, awkwardly, and stepped off the stage.

"How do you do that?!" Laynie, a previous member of Rahli's gang, huddled close to her.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just... let the music carry me, you know? Imagine I'm in the song, and... I guess I just relax. Not worry about anything. Not about school or my parents..."

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for attending our annual talent show," The principal announced. "I will now reveal the winners. In first place, we have..."

Rahli held her breath. She knew Marissa beat her to it. She heard her sing, she knew how Marissa sounded- like an angel, fragile and beautiful. She knew, she knew, she knew. There was no way her Moon Child could beat Marissa's Our Story.

"...Marissa Devens, who sang "Our Story"! Congratulations, Marissa. Here, come accept your trophy." Marissa, face red as a tomato, stumbled onto the stage and mumbled thanks to the principal. "In second place, we have... Shawn Trumann, who played xylophone with his feet in skates!"

Rahli fumed. She accepted second place, but now... Shawn? Second place? Her hands clenched into fists.

"And in third place, we have Rahli D'Angelo, who sang "Moon Child!" Congratulations, Rahli."

She was handed a "3rd Place!" certificate.

"Marissa, would you like to make your speech?"

"Oh... haha..." She laughed awkwardly, fidgeting with the trophy. "I... didn't exactly expect to win, so I didn't... uh... prepare a speech..."

"It's okay," The principal smiled. "Just say it from the heart."

"Okay..." She took a deep breath. "My dad ran away with another woman, 2 years ago. It's just my mum and me now. She works as a waitress, working shifts from 7 to 9 every day. I look up to her for that. Even working that much, we're tight on money. Most days I don't have a full 3 meals. I just didn't let anyone know, because I didn't want them to pity me. A year ago, I started singing on the streets and collecting money after school. I didn't make much, but at least it was something. I was happy the first few weeks, buying chocolate bars and sodas from the convenience stores, but after that I started saving up. I have almost $250 now."

The principal wiped her eyes.

"I gave some to my mum when she needed it, and that made me really happy. I heard that the prize for the talent show was $100, and I... well, I wanted to take a chance. So I sang. And..." She laughed. "Well, I guess I won. This'll really help mum." She smiled down at the trophy. "Oh, and I want to thank my mum, who's always there for me, and Kara, my first friend in this school. You guys rock." She gave the crowd a thumbs up, and Kara smiled. "I-yeah, sorry, I didn't plan this out beforehand. I just... yeah. Okay." She ran off the stage with the trophy, embarrassed.

Kara, Laynie, and the other girls from Rahli's group hugged her. "That was soooo touching!" Laynie exclaimed.

Rahli watched, tears in her eyes.

She'd yelled at Kara and misjudged Marissa, putting up with her facade. Just now did she realize that she was the fool all along, believing Marissa was the quiet, dumb kid everyone made her out to be.

Marissa was the smart one, able to trick everyone.

And now, Rahli had to pay the price.

---

By Dahlia Tulie

**All names of artists, songs, and lyrics in this story are altered. The "Moon Child" lyrics are derived from BTS RM's Moonchild. Dawn Tia and the "Our Story" lyrics are works of my imagination. If there is an actual singer named Dawn Tia or song with lyrics very similar to that of "Our Story", please let me know and I will change it. I did not intend to copy any of their music. Thank you for reading.