Leona Hillenburg wrote out the solution to an equation furiously, her wrist felt like it was going to break off. It didn’t help that her PEMDAS professor was worked up and circling her like a hawk. Neither of them particularly wanted to be there on a Sunday afternoon but Leona had to make up her midterm somehow.

She took a pause and made a small groan of frustration before erasing a mistake she caught in her numbers.

“You know, you could be a little more grateful,” Professor Carr chided, “I didn’t have to let you make this midterm up.”

“I know, thank you,” she mumbled sheepishly and kept writing, making sure to add a cough in for good measure.

She had told him she had been too ill to come take her midterm the Thursday before. She really had skipped it because it was the same time that the only audition for ‘SimNation Idol’ in Kashmire was being held.

Leona had always been ambitious when it came to making a name for herself concerning music. Her instrument was her voice and she was a damn fine singer. While she didn’t want to fail out of university, her priority was to take every chance she could to achieve her goal.


Professor Carr wandered around the desk. He erased some markings on the board that looked like some students had come into the lecture hall after hours to play a game of tic-tac-toe.


Leona did the math in her head for the last equation. It was an advanced string of operations. She flexed her brain, calculating the math and everything around her seemed to melt away as she focused. Why was she even taking mathematics? Did it do anything to advance her skills as a singer? No. It was because she had always been good at it and her parents encouraged her to get a degree ‘just in case.’ She hated to think that she could fail at her dreams of becoming a professional singer.

Then the answer to the equation came to her as she finished up the last formula.

“Done,” she chirped out with relief and set down the pencil.


Professor Carr whisked the booklet up and grabbed his coffee, “Leona, may I see you in my office before you leave?”

She didn’t see why she needed to go to his office. She was right there in the lecture hall and she was growing impatient. She had a meeting at noon she couldn’t miss. Nevertheless, she followed the professor to his office in the same building. It was a small space but had enough room to fit a couple of cozy chairs, a bookshelf, and a desk.

He dropped her test booklet on his desk, took a long drink from his coffee container, and then turned around to face her before setting it down. He had a distasteful look of smugness about him.

“Is there anything else you need?” she finally asked.

“Despite your lack of commitment to my class, it’s undeniable that you have a knack for numbers, you could really take off in this area—even run equations for the SSU robotics programming team.”

Leona didn’t want to have anything to do with the robotics program. Her old flame, Antoine Thackery, was brilliant with robotics and the math that went with it. He was one of the few people who really understood her but he was gone now. He had since graduated and was off halfway across the world giving talks and demonstrations on the advancements he’d made. Robotics had taken him away from her indefinitely and though she had always thought her friend Illyana was ridiculous for her overdramatic grudges, Leona couldn’t help but to have one for those damned robotics projects.

“Are you done lecturing me, sir?” she nearly snapped.

Professor Carr frowned, “I know you weren’t sick on Thursday.”

She couldn’t hide her surprised stare, yet still acted like she didn’t know what he was talking about and kept silent.

“Someone uploaded your SimNation Idol audition to social media,” he went on, “and I’d hate to see you waste your potential. Now, I could automatically fail you for missing your test for no valid reason but that doesn’t benefit anyone.”

She frowned, so he thought she was wasting her time trying to amount to something? What the hells did he know? She didn’t understand what he wanted from her and he could see it plain on her face.

“Join the robotics program, run their equations and I will give this the grade it deserves.”

Carr was the faculty advisor for the robotics program. Of course, he could stand to benefit greatly if she joined and her formulas proved to be an asset to the team. There were prestigious college-level robotics competitions and now that Antoine had left the college scene, victory was anyone’s game.

Leona filled her cheeks with air in frustration, still a frown of contempt pasted on her face. If she failed the midterm, then she’d go on probation. She had missed a lot of work due to chasing auditions her agent had told her about. She was barely scraping by.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” she let out her breath, sending a curl of hair blowing outward. “Where and when do they meet?”

“Saturday Nights, six o’clock in the engineering facility” he replied.

Really? They have nothing better to do on a Saturday night than sit around and play with robots? She thought with annoyance but then supposed any college student had their own way of going out to socialize and have fun but robotics didn’t fit her idea of fun.

She gave a curt nod, obviously displeased about the deal, but it was her only option to stay off probation at the moment, “All right.”

“Have a good day. See you tomorrow,” Professor Carr said dismissively and Leona wasted no time in leaving the building and the professor behind.


Joe’s Boxcar Diner was an unassuming little establishment in King’s Station, a section of Scandalica City that contained mostly food-related businesses. It was lunchtime and there was already a line of hungry patrons waiting to be seated. Leona wasn’t there for food, though; it was excitement, not hunger that rumbled in the pit of her stomach. She scanned the room and found her agent already had secured a small table.

Naomi Drake was as shrewd a negotiator as any talent agent. The woman had told Leona to meet her at this diner because she had some news, hopefully regarding an audition or a new gig. Naomi was in the middle of reapplying her lipstick in a hand mirror when Leona approached the table. Her dark eyes roamed upward and she smiled in greeting, “Hey there, how did the SimNation Idol audition go?”

“It was fine, they seemed really impressed anyway,” Leona replied then threw up her arms, reminded of the advice Naomi had given her when she told her that her midterm was the same day, “But my professor found out that I skipped my midterm to do it and now I have to join the robotics program or else he’ll fail me.”


Naomi laughed and put her lipstick back into the purse at her side, “That’s a drag. I got some good news for you, though. You better sit down, girl.”

Leona promptly took a seat and sat forward with interest, “So what’s up? What did you want to meet about?”

“I didn’t tell you sooner because I didn’t want to get your hopes up but I heard Edric King’s reps were looking for a fresh-faced back-up singer for his show in Pandora. I took the initiative and submitted your demo the other week and well, they called this morning and they want you!”

Leona’s smile momentarily faltered—she wouldn’t be center stage but—at least it was a start! Edric King was a big deal. He had two top 20 hits, was played on the radio, he sold albums and performed at concerts. In fact, she bet that a bunch of teenage girls had posters of him plastered on their walls at this very moment.

“That’s great! So is it just a one-time thing? Or will I have to tour with him?"

"It’s a trial basis. If they like you enough, I can negotiate a deal. Either way, this is a good boost to your career.”


Leona leaned back in her seat, put her arms up and nodded in agreement. Wow. Singing with Edric King. That really was an opportunity! The more she thought about it, the less she worried about how she was regulated to the background. If she impressed anyone else, it would open more doors for her. She didn’t even care to ask how much she could be paid. Naomi would make sure she got the money and take her own cut either way. The money didn’t matter to Leona as much as the chance to make progress in her singing career.

“So when is it? The concert in Pandora?” Leona asked.

Naomi swiped through her phone calendar, “It’s next Saturday night at the Sunset Amphitheater, he takes the stage at nine-thirty. I’d advise you make a trip out of it and try the casino down there. Also, the six-hour drive there and back in a day is no fun.”

Leona nodded but then suddenly felt an awful nagging at the back of her mind. The robotics program met on Saturday nights. Plumbobs, what an inconvenient time for a stupid extra-curricular group to meet! She grew furious thinking about it. There was no way she was going to throw away this chance! If she made it–if this was the last nudge she needed before she took off–then it wouldn’t matter if she were in college or not.

"I’ll do it,” she said resolutely.

There were certain logistics to work out still, Leona realized as she was heading back to her apartment on the SSU campus. Transportation was something of an issue. The bus took twice as long and could get expensive for out-of-city destinations like Pandora, the desert town in southernmost Kashmire.

Leona didn’t even have her driver’s license, she grew up in the city where she walked nearly everywhere. llyana, had a Jeep, though….

An idea struck Leona then and she called her two best friends to invite them over and break the amazing news.


Alarie Thackery sat on Leona’s bed and Illyana Sanchez was perched on the microphone speaker, both young women wondering what Leona was going to say. They wondered what was so important to have them come over and be left in suspense.

Leona closed the door behind her and turned around, looking as if she was going to burst with happiness. “Edric King wants me as a backup singer at his show next weekend!”

Alarie squealed and she and Leona were suddenly in a tizzy of excitement.

“Who?” Illyana asked. She didn’t listen to the pop station that often and was out of the loop, looking a bit dismayed.

“You must be living under a rock,” Alarie snorted, and leaned forward in amusement, “Everyone knows who Edric King is. He’s that hot pop singer guy with the hair.”

“Well congratulations then,” Illyana rolled her eyes, more at Alarie than Leona. She really was happy for Leona now that she understood who she was going to sing with. She probably had heard him on the radio at one point, and just didn’t know it was his song. Illyana’s cheer was still very subtle, though. Leona could tell Illyana was still bummed about the break-up. That was the other reason Leona wanted her there.

“So, I thought…maybe we could all go down there next week and have a girl's weekend or something since it’s Fall break,” Leona said, testing the idea.

Alarie perked up, visibly concurring it was a great idea.


Illyana looked…hesitant until realization dawned on her, “Do you just want me along so I can drive you?”

“No..well yes, I would like you to drive but I would pay for gas and the hotel room” Leona admitted, “Also, I think it’ll be good for you. It’s warm and sunny down in Pandora. Plus you could get lucky and try your hand at the casino.”

“Or you could get lucky and snag yourself a rebound,” Alarie wasn’t one to mince words and went straight to the point as she leaned back onto Leona’s bed. Illyana could benefit from taking her mind off Adam and focusing on someone else, if only for a few days. Pandora was not without a myriad of high rollers—young businessmen and professionals who came to gamble on the weekends from the big cities of Kashmire.

Illyana mulled it over, still looking hesitant, but finally nodded with a small smile, “Fine, I’ll drive you guys there. What kind of friend would I be if I left you high and dry?”


Alarie and Leona returned the smile and then looked at each other knowingly; the next weekend was going to be unforgettable.