Camp Rock by Lucy Ruggles

stage. Scanning the crowd, her eyes stopped on Connect Three’s table. She was about to shoot them a smile when she saw someone else—a glamorous woman, dressed like a movie star, taking her seat in the back row. People started to stir and crane their necks to see her as she stopped to sign autographs.
    Tess’s eyes lit up. “Mom?” she whispered, hardly believing her mother had really made it.
    Reenergized, Tess snapped to and took her opening pose. The music started, and she began her routine, singing and dancing her heart out. Her eyes were glued to her mother in the audience, as if she was performing just for her. Tess jutted her hip, threw up her arm, and then spun and turned, focusing again on her mother … who was checking her cell phone. T.J. scooted out of the row to take a call. She wasn’t even watching Tess anymore.
    Tess deflated. She tried to keep up with the
steps she’d practiced a hundred times, but her mind was elsewhere, and she missed a beat. She slipped and fell to the floor.
    Trying to take it in stride, Tess sprang back to her feet, but she couldn’t keep up. The magic was gone … and so was her mother. Letting out a strangled cry, Tess ran offstage.
    Brown took the stage once again. After all, the show had to go on. He quickly introduced the next act—Barron James, Sander Loya, and the Hasta La Vista Crew.
    The curtain opened to reveal the group, who quickly jumped into a hot reggaeton number. The crowd responded by surging to their feet. A few people held up their glow sticks, waving them into the darkening sky.
    When their song was finished, several more acts followed until Brown once again took the stage. “Well,” he said, “it looks like that’s all for tonight—”
    Suddenly, Dee ran up to him, handing him a scrap of paper. Brown read it, surprise coming over his face. “Seems like we have a last-minute addition,” he announced. “Come on up, Margaret Dupree.”
    The crowd looked at each other and shrugged, clapping. Backstage, Ella was just as confused. “Who’s Margaret?” she asked quietly.
    â€œMe,” Peggy answered, walking up to join her friend.
    Ella nodded, smiling. “Go, Margaret!” she cheered as Peggy ran onto the stage and took her place in the spotlight.
    When Peggy opened her mouth, a soulful, deep voice came out. Years of frustration at playing second fiddle to Tess poured out of her. She was amazing! She strutted up and down the stage, belting out her song with a confidence the crowd—including Connect Three—had never seen before.
    In the audience, glow sticks were going crazy. The crowd loved Peggy and her energy. Finishing the song, she took a triumphant bow. As she ran off the stage, blowing kisses at the audience, Tess called out her name.
    â€œWhat?” Peggy said, ready for a fight.
    But Tess had no fight left in her. “You were really good,” she said quietly. “And if you’re good, somebody should tell you.”
    Peggy smiled. “Thanks.”
    Turning to go, Tess threw out one more surprise. “And I’m sorry,” she said.
    â€œI know, I know,” Brown was saying from the stage, as he tried to settle the crowd still going wild from Peggy’s showstopping performance. “I guess that’s it. It’s officially the end of Final Jam. And time for our judges to go off in private and, well, judge,” he said gesturing to Connect Three. Shane, Nate, and Jason stood up and made their way to the back of the theater.
    Brown turned to leave the stage, when all of a sudden, music blared from the speakers. The crowd, which had started to get up, quickly shuffled back to their seats. Looking over at the wings, Brown saw Mitchie and Caitlyn gesturing wildly to him. Trying to hide his smile, he walked over.
    â€œIt’s the end of Final Jam,” Mitchie said when he joined them.
    â€œI hoped you would catch