Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury Page A

moved slowly back to her seat and joined her voice with the others around her. Mr. Hawkins could at least give Holden a chance.
    She focused on her solo, but even so she sang it with less passion. Not because she was angry at Mr. Hawkins or because she hadn’t gotten her way, but because she couldn’t stop thinking about Holden. The way he looked in the doorway, taking in the music, swaying to the song. And the words on the card he’d shown her.
I see.
Maybe he showed that card more often than others because he really could see. More than any of them knew.
    The possibility grew in Ella’s heart, and by the time they finished the first hour of rehearsal, she’d made up her mind. She wasn’t going to give up. If Holden wanted to listen to them sing, he would get his chance.
    I F THE FIRST REHEARSAL WAS ANY INDICATION OF THE SPRING production, Manny Hawkins figured he better start looking for a job. The board had called him in the week before school started and told him the situation.
    “The drama department isn’t bringing in enough money.” Board resident Tom Banks looked like a former basketball player. Good chance Banks had never seen a musical in his life. “We’ve cut your budget. There will be no fall production and no winter review.”
    The only remaining show at Fulton this year would be the spring musical. Banks thought that would give the department a better chance of success. Manny wanted to tell him he’d have a better chance of success playing the lottery.
    Fulton High was about sports, not spring productions. Football, not famous musicals. Manny couldn’t fathom what it would take to hit the mark. Maybe if they brought in teen sensation Justin Bieber as the Beast or Zac Efron as Gaston. Otherwise the kids would rally around the spring production about the same way they rallied around the math lab. The only way they’d make enough on the spring musical was if they held it on the football field and promised a game for the same price.
    The cast was on another break, so Manny looked over his rehearsal schedule. It might seem like they had a lot of rehearsal time, since the play wasn’t until after spring break. But there were no after-school rehearsals until two weeks before the show. And they’d have to work out sets and blocking and the sound system all before then.
    That meant, including breaks for Christmas and holidays, they had about a hundred and twenty hours of rehearsal time until the show opened. Not much. Especially when this was his last chance to pull off a masterpiece. On top of that, Ella Reynolds didn’t seem nearly as excited as he’d hoped she’d be. She was very good, but if she didn’t get passionate about her role, the show would flop for sure.
    He was barely through the schedule when Ella walked up. He knew before she opened her mouth that this was about the autistic kid. He turned to face her and crossed his arms. “Yes?”
    Ella lifted her chin. “I’d like you to reconsider about Holden.” “The boy with autism?”
    “Yes.” She pointed to the doorway. “Didn’t you see him? He loved hearing us sing. Why couldn’t he stay and listen?”
    “I told you why. This play is very serious, Miss Reynolds. The drama department doesn’t have long to prove itself.”
    “Maybe we prove ourselves by being kind to kids like him.” Ella hesitated, as if she didn’t quite understand. “I mean, how does that hurt us?”
    Manny felt the fight leave him. Ella was a pretty girl, blonde hair, green eyes, with an all-American look. She had promised to dye her hair brown for the role the week before they opened. But none of that would serve the character of Belle as much as the passion in her eyes right now. “You feel very strongly about this, don’t you?”
    Ella’s expression softened a little, but her eyes burned bright with intensity. “Yes, sir.”
    He thought about the autistic kid. Ella was right. He couldn’t do much harm. If he became disruptive, he’d have to leave