Chapter 146

Aria's POV I hated waiting backstage. Summer had been looking for me for nearly twenty minutes now. I'd promised to return in ten minutes, but here I was, still caught up with Claire, and with just one song left before my performance. Summer finally came searching for me. She didn't have to look far. Just a few steps from the rest area, she spotted Claire and me chatting in the hallway. "Why are you two just standing around here?" she asked, exasperated. Seeing Summer, I felt immediate relief. "Is it time for me to change?" I asked, giving her a meaningful wink. It was the first time I'd ever sent Summer such a signal, and for a moment she looked confused. But we'd worked together for years. After half a second's hesitation, she caught on. "Yes! The director's been asking for you. You need to change and get to the backstage area right away!" Hearing this, Claire didn't dare keep me any longer. "Then go change quickly, Aria! I'll head back to the audience seats and wait for you to come