Une Fleure Fanée

Week 11 Part 7 (Saturday)

     I feel the car stop and I jolt forward a bit. I must be too light to anchor myself. I smile a bit. Maybe I am light enough. I know I need to eat more, or else I'll die from being too lightweight, but the intrusive thoughts tell me not to. But maybe they aren't such a good thing.

    That's on my mind as I walk back. It's not something I've pondered over before. I follow the figures that are my Starbies mates to a big room, still in deep thought. Are intrusive thoughts good?

     "Lilly, start stretching," Mom orders and I immediately lay on my stomach as she bends down to stretch out my back.

     "Hello everybody!" I hear Ms. Abby say as I get up from the floor.

     I look up and I see Ms. Gianna and Mackenzie by her. I wave, beginning to raise my leg so I can do a tilt.

     "We have a bunch of fans waiting outside to meet you so I need everybody stretched. I need everybody ready. Be at your signs in five minutes!" Ms. Abby yells out and I nod, pinching the bridge of my nose.

     I don't know how I'm going to meet all these fans with my head pounding. I hold my head in my hands for a second before giving a kiss on the check to Mom and leaving with my friends to the main area.

     The way the signs are set up is that I can't see the audience, just a wall in front of us. We also have to be quiet so that we don't disrupt Ms. Abby while she gives her introductory speech. I curl my knees to my chest and I look at the empty seat next to me, waiting to be filled with the hundreds of fans. You don't have any fans, Lilliana. They're here for the others, and you're just here because you have to be.

     I hear a loud amount of chatter, and I plug my ears, slowly unplugging them to get adjusted to the sound. My headache is getting worse. I wish I could have some Advil or something, but I'll just have to push through this three-hour meet and greet.

     Soon, I hear the loud cheering of when Ms. Abby wheels into their eyesight. I plug my ears, and I can feel my head pulsating. Ugh. I unfurl my legs from my chest and listen to Ms. Abby's mini-speech. Maybe that will help my headache.

     Unfortunately, it does nothing to relieve my headache. After about five minutes, I see figures in a line. The meet and greet is starting. Of course, they're also accompanied with a lot of loud chatter, which makes me want to die right now on the spot.

     But I can't let the fans know that I have probably the worst headache of my life, so I put on my big smile and wave at the fans. They go down the line, stopping to take a photo with me, eventually going down the line to Ms. Abby, and taking their seats.

     The fans are very sweet and kind, and although they make my headache worse, it's a reminder to the intrusive thoughts that I do have fans, even if those fans are babies. By the end, I can barely walk, which isn't good for dancing.

    "Lilly, why are you walking so slow?" Pressley asks, slowing down to my pace, but leading me at the same time, dragging my arm.

     "I have a headache," I groan, forcing myself to catch up to her pace.

     "Well, we have two hours, so c'mon lil sis, let's go," Pressley coaxes, dragging me into our prep room.

      The moms still aren't here yet. They must be bickering about something or talking with Ms. Abby. We have the mock auditions round one, then Body and Soul and solos. After we have mock auditions round two, Thoughts and Prayers, and King of Queens. Overall, an hour or two hours more.

     "Lilly, get over here. Quick," Pressley whispers as everybody is gushing about the fans.

    My head is throbbing as I stumble to Pressley. What on Earth could she want? She puts two pills in my hand, and I stare at her. What are these?