"Where's Mom?" Maria impatiently asked.

"Why?" asked Isabella. She knew Amy was off cleaning rooms, but she didn't want to be helpful to her 'sisters'.

"The signup forms came in the mail for the audition!" Tess said excitedly. "Maria and I are signing up…we have to tell Mom the good news!"

Isabella stood up, along with Liz. She asked, "Where are the signup forms?"

Tess and Maria looked at each other and burst out laughing. "You're signing up?!" asked Maria, trying to contain her laughter. "That's hilarious! You can't sing! And even if you could, you don't take singing lessons, so you'd have no chance!"

Isabella yelled out, "What do you mean, I can't sing?! I sound a million times better than you! And I am taking lessons!"

"Yeah right. Who's your teacher?" asked Tess, no longer laughing.

"Mr. Valenti," Liz said matter of factly. "I arranged it for her."

Maria and Tess turned very pale. They both knew Mr. Valenti was a GOOD singing trainer.

"Whatever," said Tess nonchalantly. "He's just a high school choir director!" Tess and Maria walked away, both fuming in their anger. Neither wanted to admit it out loud, but Mr. Valenti teaching Isabella pretty much meant they no longer had any chances of getting the part.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Two days later, Isabella was changing the sheets on a bed, thinking of the auditions. She had finally found the signup forms and had filled one out. She'd had two more lessons with Mr. Valenti and could already tell that she was singing much better.

As she was about to leave to clean the next room, Maria came storming in and slammed the door behind her.

"What did you do to me?" she rasped in a voice that was barely there.

"What do you mean?" asked Isabella. "And what's with your voice?"

"You know! You put something in my food or something and now I have laryngitis!"

"Maria, I didn't put anything in your food. You probably got laryngitis from yelling at me all the time."

"Shut up, bitch!" hissed Maria. Isabella took a step back, astounded by Maria's choice in words. Sure, she'd never gotten along well with her foster family, but none of them had ever called her that before!

Maria continued, "You just want me to not sing in the auditions because you know I'll win. How dare you do this to me! My mom took you in, she gave you a home, food, clothing, a job! I was a good sister to you. This is how you repay me?"

Isabella was no longer in shock. She was extremely pissed off. "Maria, get it through your thick skull, I didn't cause your laryngitis! And I would have been better off if our 'mother' hadn't taken me in! I'd prefer to live in the streets than live here! This isn't a home, it's a hotel. You and Tess and Amy aren't a family! I'm like your damn servant! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of just sitting back and taking all this crap from you! Now leave me the hell alone! I'm not the bitch, you are!"

Isabella ran out of the room, heading for her room. Liz, who'd been in the hallway and had heard everything, cast a glare at Maria and ran after Isabella. She caught up to her sitting against the wall outside her room, crying.

Liz slowly sat down next to her friend and gently hugged her. "Shh…" Liz whispered, moving some of Isabella's hair out of her face. Liz took a tissue out of her pocket and handed it to her. Isabella took it and wiped at her face. "I…I hate them all so much!" Isabella finally gasped out.

Liz just hugged her friend tighter. "I know you do, sweetie. But look on the bright side. Soon we'll get an apartment together and we can get better jobs and you'll never have to see them ever again."

Isabella continued to cry. "I just want a real family," she said when her crying had almost stopped. "I don't have anyone that loves me."

Liz turned Isabella so that she was looking right at her. "Isabella, don't you ever think that! Max and I love you so much! You're like the sister I never had!"

Isabella hugged her friend. "I know. I'm sorry I said that. I guess I meant I don't…I don't have the right kind of love. I want what you and Max have, you know? I want that magic."

"You will," said Liz. "You will because you deserve it. You deserve it more than anyone else I know."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*