HAZEL FINE SINGS ALONG (WATTYS 2022 Winner!)

Chapter 4: Break In

"This way." Hazel motioned to Zoey to follow her. They were in the back alley, near the garbage containers. Zoey was holding Checkers, looking overwhelmed. She was shorter than Hazel and ballet dancer thin. She wore her hair naturally, and it framed her face, accentuating her delicate features and soft brown eyes.

"I had a parrot growing up," Zoey said, speaking quickly. "My little sister taught her to say, 'fuck you' and my mom got rid of it. That's where my experience with animals ends."

"I hear you." Hazel was anxious to get Checkers inside. He didn't like the heat. Well, she wasn't sure about that, but she didn't like it and she wasn't covered in fur.

"Did you have pets growing up?"

"Nope," she said simply, and hoped they could move on. They walked down the alley to the service entrance Hazel had scoped our earlier. "Good, the laundry cart is still here. We can put Checkers inside, and no one will see him. We'll cover him with a stack of towels."

Zoey pulled her oversized sunglasses down from the top of her head as if they were setting off on a secret mission. Then she hoisted Checkers in the air and blew him a kiss. "Don't bark, baby. We need to smuggle you into our room so stay very quiet."

"He's a bunny, Zo."

"What does he do, then?" Zoey put Checkers in the cart and arranged fresh laundry on top of him, making sure there was space for him to breathe.

"He poops. You'll see. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"He's so cute, though."

Hazel smiled. Checkers really was the cutest. She felt guilty for her earlier thoughts about abandoning him in the parking lot.

"He's the cutest." Hazel started wheeling the cart toward the door she'd propped open from the inside with a towel from her room. "Remember, act like we're part of housekeeping."

Zoey laughed. "You're wearing cowboy boots and my jeans have rhinestones on the butt, so that's doubtful."

"You're right. Let's get a move on before someone sees us."

"Do you mind if we stop and selfie this? I've got to send a pic to Brooke."

Brooke was the girlfriend. So far Hazel knew that Brooke was lactose intolerant, could fix any car engine, and was from Nashville like Zoey.

"Fine but make it quick. We're smuggling a bunny into a no-pets hotel in a laundry cart. It's not a federal offense, but I'm pretty sure we'll be disqualified from the competition if we're caught."

Zoey tucked her phone back into her pocket. "Good point."

"What's in there?" a male voice said behind them, startling them both.

Hazel cringed as she heard Checkers scratching against the vinyl basket. She quickly covered him with more towels, praying he had enough air to breathe.

"Nothing," Hazel and Zoey said in unison, then turned and stood at attention.

It was Nick. He raised a disbelieving eyebrow and leaned to the side, trying to see behind them.

Hazel felt panicked. She didn't want to get a reputation as a "problem" and give the judges a reason to boot her off early.

"We were sneaking a cigarette," Zoey said, coming to the rescue.

"I'd have thought you girls would want to preserve your voices."

"First of all, we're women," Hazel said. "And our voices are fine."

Nick held up his hands like he was under arrest and said, "Sorry."

"What are you doing down here?" Hazel asked.

"Waiting for an amp delivery." He took a step around them and peered into the basket.

"You need a towel?" Zoey batted her eyes and suggestively bit her bottom lip. Zoey might be into girls, but you'd never know it from this performance.

"I'm good," Nick said, but he was looking at Hazel when he said it.

She felt uncomfortable under his gaze as he reached his hand into the basket. Hazel prayed he hadn't heard Checkers hopping along the bottom.

He picked up something small and held it between his fingers. "Not too sanitary, huh?" He held up a brown ball. "A Cocoa Puff. In the laundry." He started to bring it closer to his face to examine it.

"Ugh, don't touch that!" Hazel knocked Checker's poop out of his hand.

"What the—?"

"I thought you were going to eat it."

"Excuse me?"

Hazel's face burned as her heart beat at a manic pace. "I guess I overreacted. Anyway, we've got to go. See you around."

And without giving Nick a chance to protest or ask more questions, Hazel opened the door, and dragged Zoey and the laundry cart inside.

As they rushed down the hall to the service elevator, Hazel glanced over her shoulder, praying Nick wasn't following them. This wasn't the impression she needed or wanted to make in the competition, especially not with the hot musical director. As she pressed the elevator button nervously, she vowed to keep a low profile from there on out.

It was time to let her singing do the talking.