The Six | A Reverse Harem Novel | ✔️

Five

I turned toward the fifth 'hey, blue' I'd heard since walking into the school with a sense of foreboding. It was another person that I had never met, but they seemed to be excited to speak to me. With my backpack strung across one shoulder and a book clasped in my left arm, I closed my locker carefully and dipped my head as I walked to my organic chemistry class.

Renee was back.

Her bright countenance beamed through the halls as she sashayed her hips to the rhythm of whatever was pouring into her ears from her airpods. A smile opened her mouth as she saw me and she brought her hand up to wildly wave at me. Using far less gusto, I returned it before ducking into the classroom and finding my seat at the back.

She sat next to me, chucking her heavy bag to the ground as she opened her textbook to yesterday's homework page. The notebook paper was crumpled, but filled with diagrams. Our eyes met and she passed me another of her movie star smiles before speaking.

"Receive any good news today?"

Confused, I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head, no.

"Huh? I thought that would be the first thing they did this morning. I mean... you are viral, practically a global sensation. Everyone is begging for them to choose you."

"Renee," I lowered my voice and leaned towards her, "what are you talking about?"

"What do you mean? Your audition, silly."

"Audition?" I questioned, my mouth stretching the word as it came out. "What audition?"

"For Cinderella?"

I laughed, "what are you talking about?"

"You can't lie to me, or anyone else for that matter, we've all seen it. You were phenomenal."

"i don't know what you're talking about."

She sighed, flipping her smartphone out of her pocket and lighting up the screen. Her fingers flew across the mini-keys to open a new web page. Suddenly, she flipped the phone around, popped out the kickstand and turned up the volume.

"Here."

My blood ran cold as the video began to play. There, on the tiny screen, was my body standing behind the microphone on a black stage while singing. Fear shot through me as it continued to play, the song was recorded in its entirety.

Tears dripped down my cheeks as my mouth belted out the words and emotion clouded my eyes. The video was taken from the second floor of the theater, and zoomed in to my position. A slow, painful breath wheezed out of me and I deflated as the last note came out, ending the song. It was a struggle to speak.

I sat, unmoving, as the screen changed and a disembodied voice explained the video's origin. The title below the video lambasted across YouTube was 'Calderra High's Own Big Voice Cinderella', the counter was frozen at 18 million. My hands began to shake.

"H-how..." I swallowed hard, "how did this get out? The audition is sealed."

Renee chuckled, "is that what they told you? Sure, it's supposed to be, but that doesn't stop all the auditions from getting out."

"Shit. Shit. Shit." I mumbled, pushing my fingers through my dark hair. "Fuck."

"Blue?" Renee called, peering at my face. "Is everything alright?"

"I-I c-can't.... I can't... maybe..."

Immediately I went into survival mode. If I had seen the video, then the Six probably had as well. Then I had to confront the possibility of Soljourner Technologies seeing it as well. My cover would be blown sky high... is blown sky high.