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put dishes of butter out. She didn't really look at any

of us.

"I'm as nervous as I was at my audition," I

admitted,

"Me. too," Ice said.

"I didn't have an audition," Rose revealed.

Everyone turned to her.

"What?"

"Well, not a formal one like y'all had. I mean." "How did you get into this school then?" Howard demanded, as if it was an affront to him and

his talent.

"My dance teacher at school was friendly with

Madame Senetsky's son. Edmond."

"So?" Howard pursued.

"He attended my performance and she brought

him backstage. He told me his mother permitted him

to select one student a year, and he decided to select

me,' Rose explained.

"That's not fair. I had to prepare and travel here

and wait to find out if I had been accepted or not. I

turned down the

3: Girl Ta/k Page 100

University of Southern California before

knowing," Howard moaned. "He must have had a

thing for you," he quickly decided.

"What?"

"How can you say that? You don't know how

talented she might be," Ice piped up with such

vehemence, it not only

took Howard by surprise, it

made us all widen our eyes.