The day of my big solo（独唱表演） had finally arrived．It was a big event：the Spring Fling Choir Concert．My ____1____ was on the cover of the program．“Cindy Hamond …Soloist．”I couldn’t ____2____ it．Not that it was my name，but that it wasn’t Renee Swanson’s．
Renee and I had been classmates since kindergarten．She was always wherever I was and she was always ____3____ of me．The school plays？Renee would have the leads．Softball？She played first base．Dance﹣class recital needs a big finish？Renee was ____4____．The only time I ever came in ahead of Renee was at roll call（点名）．Hamond comes before Swanson．I count that as a ____5____．
The choir concert tryouts were ____6____ for me．We waited while Ms．Jenkins called us one at a time into the choir room．When Ms．Jenkins got to the H’s，my heart sped up and my whole body was shaking．When I came back，Renee smiled at me．Ms．Jenkins called her name and Renee calmly followed her．She was still ____7____ and smiling when she came out．
When Ms．Jenkins announced who____8____ the choir group，I wasn’t surprised when Renee’s name was on her list and mine wasn’t．“So，”I said under my breath，“what else is ____9____？”
Sudden clapping came．Everyone was looking at me．I’ve ____10____ something here，I thought．Ms．Jenkins looked at me，“Cindy，you will have to start ____11____ with me．The solos take extra preparation．”Solo？I got the solo？I glanced Renee smiling and giving me the thumbs﹣up sign．
Now the day had come，we filed onto the ____12____．I was front and center．The spotlight circled me in its bright light，but I ____13____ right there．I couldn’t breathe．I couldn’t think．I couldn’t sing．The note started up and then____14____ in my throat．“You can do it，Cindy，”Renee whispered．“I know you can．”I wasn’t as ____15____ as she was．
My ____16____ came again．I took a deep breath and sang out．All that came out was a rusty﹣sounding squeak（刺耳的声音）．But in that same moment，from behind me，came the pure tone of the right note．Renee gave me a gentle poke（轻戳）．My voice lifted and ____17____ hers．When the next note came，it was all me．
The rest of the solo went well．And when the concert was over，the applause was thunderous．Renee was the first to hug me．
“Thanks，Renee，”was all I ____18____ get myself to say．
Renee smiled and gave me another hug．“What are friends ____19____？”
Friends？Did she say friends？
“You’re right，”This time I hugged her，beginning to ____20____ the feeling of being her friend．