Dream On [HS.AU]

Chapter Fifty

Halle Henry

Mick and I landed in New York two hours ago and we're already heading to this music festival. My set is in a few hours and I haven't even practiced or anything. I'm so nervous, and also incredibly sleep deprived due to how late Harry and I stayed up talking last night. Anxiety and sleep deprivation is not a great combo.

This morning when I woke up and went down to meet Mick so we could leave, I was informed that a lot of people were talking about my whole rant on the radio yesterday. It wasn't something I really thought about, but the local newspaper had the headline 'Why does it matter that I'm a woman?' and it said that a lot of girls really liked it.

That newspaper said I had 'spoke on behalf of all women' when I was ranting about the differences in how you're treated in industry as a man or woman. I never thought that much about it until now, but in New York when I went to buy a bottle of water after stepping off the plane, I saw that 'Why does it matter that I'm a woman?' was the headline of many different newspapers.

I was confused and I didn't know what to make of it all, but Mick said that this is good for me. He called someone from New York who is already at the festival, and he saw two teenage girls with white t-shirts that had 'why does it matter that I'm a woman' written in pen on them. It made me smile actually, because I never really understood just how far words can travel, or how much people truly listened to what I had to say about things.

I didn't even know people took me seriously enough to listen to me.

Before performing at the festival, I had this interview for a music channel on Television so Mick and I headed straight there from the airport, eating a late lunch/early dinner in the taxi. It's going to be a busy weekend, especially with rushing back to LA after tonight for tomorrow's music festival that Harry is performing at tonight.

We arrived late, so Mick and I took off and ran through the whole backstage area of the festival to find the crew doing the interviews, and the guy looked like he was slightly agitated we were late, so I felt really bad and apologised a million times, but he just wanted to get on with the interview.

He asked about my music, the radio show yesterday and how that has kind of spread really quickly, and of course asked about Harry. I don't mind them asking about Harry, it's just when we end up talking about Harry's career for the duration of the interview rather than my own, it begins to grow tiring.

It was over eventually, and I was rushed backstage to get my guitars ready and prepare to go out on stage. The nerves started hitting me more than ever and I couldn't stop moving. The amount my hands were shaking and the way I kept pacing back and forth was even freaking Mick out. He can deal with a lot of my shit, but not all of it.

Times like these, I wish I had my dad or Harry here to give my hands a squeeze and tell me everything will be okay.

The act on stage became off, meaning there were only minutes before it was my turn. I thought I was going to be sick, that's how nervous I was. Mick gave me a hug and a bottle of water to take on with me, but I was still so incredibly nervous. I don't know why, I always get myself into such a state before things like this, and they always go swimmingly.

With a deep breath, I walked on stage and waved to the audience cheering my name and waving back to me, and I went straight into my first song before I passed out with nerves. People were screaming the lyrics from the very first second I opened my mouth, and just like that, all nerves were gone.

Once I calmed down, I could pay attention to the crowd more and I saw girls wearing t-shirts saying 'why does it matter I'm a woman' written on it, and that really blew my mind. There were quite a few people wearing their home made t-shirts like those, screaming the lyrics back to me as they tried to push their way closer to the stage.