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Bryce stays with us for the rest of the concert, listening attentively to every song like he might find some hidden meaning behind the lyrics.

The rest of us have fun singing and dancing and howling, and two hours pass in no time at all. Madison shows up at some point and offers to take Chase to the carnival.

When Georgina goes into her last song, I grab Bryce’s elbow and lead him away from the stage. We have to walk all the way back to the hotel and approach the stage from behind. Sophia and Kelly are waiting for me like we agreed.

I wave to the security guards. “These three are with me.”

They let us pass.

We watch the end of Georgina’s performance from the side of the stage. She looks more human from this angle, and less like an idol. From here, I can see the fatigue in her eyes, and the sweat down her back.

She thanks the crowd one more time, promises to come back some day, and waves them goodbye.

She walks toward us, and I notice the moment her eyes land on Bryce, and the sudden joy and excitement there. Maybe Bryce isn’t quite as hopeless as I thought. But she’s stopped in her tracks by two screaming teenage girls who practically jump on her, begging for her autograph.

“Easy, Sophia,” I scold, “Let her get off the stage first.”

“It’s okay,” Georgina says, grabbing Sophia’s pen and signing the shirt that she holds out to her.

I hand Georgina back the thank-you card, and she gives it to Sophia with a wink.

Then it’s Kelly’s turn, and she signs a picture for her.

And then there’s a lot of yelling coming from the crowd in front of the stage as more people scream for Georgina’s autograph.

She borrows Sophia’s pen and goes to the railing that Sophia was climbing on during the concert and starts signing anything and everything that the crowd hands her while two bodyguards stand on either side of her and push back anyone who tries to climb over.

I notice Charlotte leaning over the railing, waving a shirt that she wants Georgina to sign. She looks like such a normal person in that moment, and I don’t get the usual rush of hatred just from the sight of her.

Am I finally starting to get over the betrayal? I mean, I still don’t like her. What she did was unforgivable, and she is not the type of person that I’d ever want to associate with. But if I can look at her without crying, without hating, then am I starting to heal?

“What is this?” Sophia asks me, holding up the card. “Who’s Nina?”

Oh, Sophia! “The woman who was pretending to interview for a job for me.”

“That was Georgina? Wow, that was a great disguise. She looked old.” Then she jumps up and down and shows Kelly the card, telling her all about how she met Georgina in person at the cafe.

Georgina finishes with the autographs and comes back up on the stage, only to be ambushed by Mayor Anderson gushing over how great she was and introducing her to her friends.

“Maybe we should go,” Bryce says.

I can tell he’s getting intimidated by all the attention that Georgina is getting. And maybe it’s a good thing because if he can’t handle this, then he doesn’t need to waste her time. And yet, I don’t like seeing my friend, who’s one of the most confident people that I know, looking suddenly so self-conscious.

“If you don’t think that she’s worth the wait, then maybe you should,” I say. “I’m waiting to say my goodbye.”

Bryce doesn’t answer me. But he doesn’t move away either.

When Georgina is done with the mayor, a bodyguard approaches her.

“Your car is waiting,” he says.

Georgina finally turns toward us. “I have to go.”

I nod, feeling a sudden loss. I didn’t know her for long, but Nina and I could have been good friends.

“If you change your mind, I’m officially offering you the job if you want it.”

She laughs. “If I'm ever tired of singing, I might actually take you up on that.”