But now, 12th grade is my very last chance to prove myself.
In ninth grade, I was placed in song dance.
To be fair, half the girls in my grade were there as well, and it should have been a blast, but all I could think of was how Baylee made it to choir and I was dumped in the nerdy song dance, with its too-cutesy steps and shapeless tunics.
My sister, Lani, in 12th grade, had the lead role in the play. My family showed up for the performance with about 30 balloons — 29 for Lani, one for me. I don’t think anyone but Ma even noticed me on stage, and during the intermission, my sister-in-law Chaykie suddenly exclaimed, “Wait, Rena, your song dance performed already?”
In tenth, I rose through the ranks to choir — acting choir, no less. My sisters, all except Lani in Israel, dutifully attended the performance, complimented my solo, and then slid back into a discussion about the play.
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