Finding Ourselves (Camren)

Chapter Four

I was staring at her, with her eyes still closed she felt the music running through her body, she was in the zone. I placed my right hand on her left knee and asked, "are we performing today?" She paused and took out her headphones, "I'm not sure, I'm just used to preparing myself to preform at any given moment." My hands began to shake, the thought of having to preform mortified me. But I looked back at the advice I gave to Danica last night. I had to act like I've done this plenty of times, but having Camila and now Crystal both having to witness my performance made my nerves skyrocket beyond my comfort zone.

Camila then grabbed my hand and said to me, "Good luck, Lauren." Her surprising yet comforting gesture settled my nerves down a little. I then felt a kick on the back of my chair, I turned around only to find, Crystal. She looked at me with her intimidating blue eyes, I felt my chest caving in, but I was going to continue to act like she didn't phase me, when it reality she sort of did. Crystal mouthed to me, "Lauren the loser, I hope you freeze up there." I just rolled my eyes and turned to Camila, her fingers still intwined with mine, started to rub the top of my hand with the pad of her thumb. "You'll do fine, Lo." She gave me a warm smile. "Thanks, Camz." I said as I nodded.

A man boarded the stage with a microphone in his hand announced, "Welcome Golden Voices vocalists, to your first annual initiation performance! My leg began to bounce out of nerves, I then heard Danica whisper, "fuck, I couldn't find you! It's dark as hell in here!" I looked at Danica, then to Camila. Camila was staring briefly at the girl beside me, "Hi, Danica." Camila whispered. Danica smiled and waved, she then noticed our hands joined together, but then looked away as she saw Camila looking at her with a stare. "I'll just sit over there, good luck guys." Danica whispered.

Camila smiled and held onto my hand, she continued the comforting rub to my hand as the man kept talking. "As you know, you're all here to improve your voices, as well as hoping to find a future with singing. So we're gonna ask if all of you are okay with performing something today." He chuckled and continued, "never mind, I'm not asking you..I'm telling you." Everyone in the audience began to laugh, I was too nervous to laugh..so instead I gripped on to Camila's hand tighter in hope of security. She whispered, "You're okay, Lo. Trust me."

"As you can all see, you've been assigned numbers, I will call you up by your individual numbers and then you will preform any song. Also, don't be afraid of judgement here, we're all a team. We're building each other up as vocalists..and young women." I felt another kick at my chair, "yeah, everyone except Jauregui." Crystal laughed. I felt Camila release my hand, "will you just shut the fuck up already? Your voice might make me wanna bang my head up against the wall." Camila said in my defense. She was so hot defending me, her eyes squinted in anger and her lips started to curl. Crystal rolled her eyes at Camila and said, "who are you? Lesbo Lauren's bodyguard? I'd might do the same after I see your performance."

Camila began to breathe heavily and shook her fists, "First of all, bitch..I might have to smash your head in myse-" I stopped her before she could finish. "Camz, please..focus." She sighed and looked back at Crystal, "This isn't over, bitch." She said. I looked down at my number and realized I was number 20, I then looked at Camila's and realized she was number 22.

"Alright ladies, may I please present act number one to the stage?" The flamboyant man said into the microphone. I then saw a young girl walk on stage, she had a microphone in her hand, she pushed up her glasses and said, "hi, my name is Yune..it's pronounced yoo-knee." The girl protested into the microphone. The man laughed and said, "okay, well..what will you be performing for us today, Yune?" She smiled and put the microphone up to her lips,"I will be singing, Paris nights and New York Mornings by, Corrine Bailey Rae."

"Alright sweetheart, whenever you're ready." The music began and I saw the young girl use the tip of her fingers to tap her thighs with the beat of the music. She then let out a small breath and began to sing.