Sneak Peek: Harmony Blues

Hi! How was your Christmas? Was it filled with wonder and magical moments? I hope it was. But I also know that sometimes the Christmas season can fall flatter than cold saxophone. Life doesn’t stop just because the calendar says it’s December and stores are stuffed to the gills with twinkly decorations.

In Harmony Blues, Brittany’s Christmas season doesn’t turn out the way she hoped it would. It should have been extra magical, because her painting from art club was picked as one of three to be hung in the Colorado state capitol building over Christmas break. But then her parents drop some big news that shoves Brittany’s accomplishment in a dark closet. And her best friend Cammie isn’t exactly thrilled with her either.

Check out this sneak peek of Harmony Blues, and then tell me how your Christmas was!

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Brittany hurried to the bus stop, ignoring the sting of the frigid air on her ears. She hadn’t been able to find the sparkly purple knit hat that matched her scarf and gloves, and she didn’t want to take the time to look. She had to talk to Cammie. Her stomach was still in knots from the celebration disaster the night before. She rounded the corner and approached the group of kids waiting for the bus.

“Hey, Brit!” Maddie was standing close to Summer, both bouncing to keep warm. Brittany smiled and rushed over.

“Maddie told me your painting was picked, too! That is so awesome!” Summer said, her blue eyes sparkling. Her curly brown hair peeked out from underneath the hood of her faded blue ski jacket. Brittany smiled and some of the knots in her stomach loosened. How could she have forgotten about that? Her parents’ big news had totally shoved that out of her mind.

“Oh my gosh, thanks! Can you believe it?” Brittany squealed.

“Yeah I can!” Maddie said. “You really nailed the color blending on the petals of the flower. I knew you could do it.”

“Thanks to you! I would never have thought to bring in that picture to copy. Or to start with yellow. I actually added a bit of white, and that really helped.” Brittany’s words came out a mile a minute. These were all the words she was hoping to tell her parents last night. She grinned at her friends while keeping one eye on the lookout for Cammie.

“I don’t know much about art, but I really liked it when I saw it hanging in the hall at school,” Summer said. “I would totally hang it on my wall in my room! You know, to bring some class and cancel out some of the dumb kid stuff that Faye has hanging on her side of the room.”

Brittany and Maddie laughed. The mention of Summer’s little sister reminded Brittany that she might have a little sister soon. She glanced around one more time, but Cammie was nowhere to be seen.

Brittany leaned in close to the girls and lowered her voice. “You’ll never guess what my parents told me last night.” She bit her lower lip as Maddie and Summer leaned in closer. “My mom is pregnant.”

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