Fifteen Minutes

famous. Reality was whatever segment producers chose to air and whatever stories and photos were featured in magazines. It was whatever people chose to believe.

The judges made the obligatory comments about the other contestants, how they couldn’t compare to Zack and Zoey, how they needed to work on their diction or their style or their projection if they wanted to compete at the highest level of Fifteen Minutes. The mostly discouraged group left the stage. Zack kept his arm around Zoey as they walked off, and again the camera followed every step.

Later there were no surprises when Zack’s group was called back onstage and three of the members were sent home. Only he and Zoey remained. The two of them hugged each of the departing singers and then Zack welcomed Zoey into his arms, swinging her around in what seemed like the most beautiful celebration.

As if Chandra had never warned him at all.

REESE COULDN’T TAKE her eyes off Twitter.

That was how she knew before hearing from Zack that he’d made it through. He and Zoey. He must’ve sent out the tweet moments after hearing the news.

Fifteen Minutes wasn’t like American Idol or other singing competitions, where they kept the news about who made it through a secret. The producers welcomed the masses to jump on social media and find out before the show aired who’d made the top twenty. There would still be millions surprised by the results, people who didn’t follow the show on Twitter or Facebook.

The contestants were free to talk about the results, though this show wouldn’t air for a few weeks. Zack had tweeted earlier about his group’s win.

Sad 2 say bye 2 some of the greatest singers ever. No group like ours! Congrats to @songleader!! Gotta represent! #TopTwenty #FifteenMinutes

And of course Zoey’s tweet in response.

Still breathless. Can’t believe me and @ZackDylan are through!! This is going to be fun! #TopTwenty #FifteenMinutes

Reese read the tweets three times over that Sunday afternoon before closing out of Twitter. That was that, right? Zack had been busier than ever and his photo showed up every day on Yahoo!. The camera loved him, that’s what reporters said. Everyone had him pegged as one of the top two finishers. The guy with the Elvis good looks. The other half of Zack and Zoey—as if they were a couple.

Her Zack, the guy who had only wanted to live out his faith raising horses and helping his family and marrying her one day. The things Zack never talked about anymore. Reese had stopped by to visit Zack’s mother yesterday. The woman was worried, seeing the same changes in Zack that Reese was seeing.

“Sometimes I don’t feel like I know him anymore.” She sat across from Reese at the table on the family’s front porch. “I don’t know, maybe it’s going to his head.”

“I don’t think it’s that.” Reese defended him because she knew him. Even now she knew him. “He’s having fun. It’s a whirlwind, one public appearance after another. There’s barely any time to call home or even think about the people back in Kentucky. That’s all it is.”

Now Reese was in her parents’ barn, sitting at the top of a stack of hay bales. The only place far enough from the curious eyes of her parents. Everyone knew today was the day. Now that Zack had made it through, she had a decision to make.

The biggest one of her life.

She was about to call Ms. Coltrain when a text flashed on her phone’s screen. Like always lately, Zack tweeted his three hundred thousand followers before reaching out to her. That was okay. The producers expected that from him. Reese had to understand. She had promised to support him. Whether he noticed or not.

A quick tap on her phone and his text appeared on the screen. Baby, I made it! I’m in the top twenty! Can you believe it?

She held the phone with both hands and let her thumbs fly over the virtual keys. I saw your tweet! Congratulations, Zack. I knew you’d make it. I’m so proud of you! You and Zoey from your group. And who else made it? This wasn’t the time to talk about London or her own feelings. She had to make that decision apart from his success. She realized that now.

A minute passed and then two. Reese checked the Fifteen Minutes Facebook page. Sure enough, Zack had posted the news and already hundreds of girls had commented their approval. She checked the clock on her phone. Ten minutes. Wherever he was, whatever was happening around him, he was no longer able to text.

She would have to understand that, too. What choice did she have? This was what Zack had prayed for, what he wanted. The show had become his all-consuming passion. She could tell from his tone and see it in his eyes during interviews. God, give me wisdom. I feel like You’re leading me to London, like that’s where You want me to be. Where I can make a difference.

Even as she prayed she felt the Lord approving, giving her the green light. A thrill of excitement began to build in her. Moving to London for a year wouldn’t be the end of her and Zack. He’d be busy touring and working on his album, after all. A year was nothing. Maybe when she came back home he’d have time to talk. Maybe they’d still have something between them.

She checked the time. It was nearly nine o’clock at night in London. Reasonable enough. She dialed Ms. Coltrain’s number and waited as the phone began to ring.

“Hello?” The connection was clearer than before. “Reese?” The woman sounded enthusiastic. It was a good sign.

“Yes, ma’am.” Reese realized she was smiling. For the first time in a long time she was smiling from the inside out. “I’ve made up my mind about your offer. I’d love to move to London and work with your instructors.”

On the other end of the line, Ms. Coltrain shrieked. “Really? You don’t know what this means to us!”

Reese’s heart swelled. She was good at what she did. She would go to London and make a difference, and along the way she’d be too busy to think about Zack and his run on Fifteen Minutes and the hundreds of thousands of girls who followed his every move. Too busy to worry about what Zoey was saying on Twitter. The break would be good for her.

Ms. Coltrain was talking about how the dates had been changed some. “The best time to come would actually be September. Say the first or second week.”

That would give her more time to wrap things up with her current students. “That’ll be perfect.”

They discussed a few more details, and in very little time the plan was set. Reese hung up and slid down the stack of hay bales. Tears blurred her vision, and she blinked them back. This wasn’t how she had imagined the year. The plans she and Zack used to have were so different from the ones playing out.

She stared at her phone. Nothing. No response. She clicked her phone off. No crying, she told herself. Not for herself or for how much she missed Zack or for how uncertain things were between them. She had no time for tears. A year in London lay just ahead. She could hardly wait to tell her parents the news. Never mind what Zack was doing right now or why he was too busy for her. Her future was suddenly filled with adventure and excitement.

She was moving to London!

chapter 19

Something inside Kelly Morgan was changing. She could feel it deep inside.

Somewhere at the center of her heart a softening was happening, whether she liked it or not. She noticed it in quiet times as she watched the top twenty practice their choreography for group numbers or when she and the other judges sorted through music for the live shows.

Usually it started with a memory.

She would see herself at seven years, playing catch with her dad in the backyard. Other girls played with dolls; Kelly played catch. Back then she thought she would pitch for the Yankees one day. Her dad humored her, telling her she could do whatever she set her mind to. Then the image would change. She would be twelve,