SinEaster: A Novel Page 8

CHAPTER 7

  Winner Declared

  “And the winner,” said Princess Megan, “is toad-boy.”

  Deon smiled shyly while everyone looked at him. He softly said, “Thank you.”

  “Yes,” continued the Princess. “I thought it was very inspiring. It would be a good message for the children.”

  Charlee huffed. “Tadpoles are gross.”

  “Oh, please,” the Princess shot back. “Is it any grosser than your ‘red and gray’ stuff?” She looked at Deon. “Now you could have danced or maybe looked up every once in a while, but I thought the song was great. It really inspired me.”

  “To do what?” Charlee said. “To hop? To praise your knees?”

  “Maybe,” snarled the Princess. “But anyway, Deon wins first place. He now has two points. And the second place winner, is Charlee.”

  Charlee hooted, then made a face at Silvia.

  Silvia said, “How could that horror movie beat my song?”

  “Well,” said the Princess, “I’ll tell you why.” She looked at Charlee. “Because you’ve got guts.”

  “Oh,” Silvia said, “Isn’t that song just all about guts?”

  Charlee made a face at her, then snarled, “No, it was about brains.” She gave a vicious smile.

  The Princess turned to face Silvia, then said, “Charlee had the courage to write a song that was personal and that took risks. She could have written something that was bouncy and happy, or inspirational, but she chose to do the opposite. She made a song that makes you stop and think, and that’s why she now has one point. And the third place winner, is you, gummi-girl.”

  Silvia clapped enthusiastically in a purposefully inappropriate way.

  The Princess said, “I thought it was a very happy, catchy song.”

  “Yeah,” said Charlee, in an irritated voice, “just like all the other happy, catchy songs!”

  The Princess snapped back, “Yeah, I didn’t mean it as a good thing. I meant that’s the reason why the song’s such crap. I mean, toad-boy’s song was happy, but at least he tackled some pretty deep issues.”

  Silvia folded her arms and scowled.