Eleven years ago, I was in the same place as I am currently. After working so hard on my dreams, I was selected to represent my country in the Eurovision song contest.
In 2012, it wasn't as well known as it is nowadays and recently there are plenty of ways to promote yourself, something that wasn't so easy years ago for the contestants.
I was very young and passionate when I participated for the first time, I was around twenty years old, which made it easy for my career flourish.
I didn't win the Eurovision that year though, I returned to my home country with newfound inspiration and determination.
So over the years, I poured my heart and soul into creating new music and releasing albums.
With the time, an irreplaceable fan base around me was created, something I'm very thankful for.
Despite the success, my connection with Eurovision never really broke, until I decided to come back again.
When I got the opportunity to work with my team to participate after all those years, I definitely took it and never let it go. With that, I ended up being selected for the second time.
Everything was so different, people were thousand times more interested and involved in the contest.
As I stepped inside the arena days before the semifinals started, the silence was loud and peaceful nostalgia took over the place, I missed it.
My journey in Baku was not even close to what I was living in Liverpool, but similar feelings were there, such as excitement, anxiety, courage. All them necessary.
An interesting coincidence was when I searched for the other participants, there was someone I knew from many, many years ago who was supposedly competing to enter in the contest as well.
Loreen, the winner of the edition I participated back then.
Seems like the destiny wanted our paths to meet again, maybe this time was my chance to win against her.
Though, I didn't search more about it when all the official participants came out since I had in mind it was all just speculations like it usually is.
Flying to Liverpool was the first step and the most important one for me to understand it was all real, I was there with the objective to make history once again.
My heart was tight on my chest, I felt surrounded by so much love and support.
This year it was feeling truly special.
But there is also pressure, a lot of pressure.
I want to exceed people's expectations, I knew I improved a lot, but there's no way to know what people want from me and my performance.
So this year I told myself not to focus on winning but to try to do my best and just enjoy the journey.
As I stood there waiting for my turn to rehearse the performance, reminding myself to pay attention to the music and to let my passion for this guide me through the rehearsals.
As I first walked on stage, I felt a sudden surge of adrenaline. The bright lights made me shine as the music surrounded me.
I start becoming more comfortable with the floor I was waking in, the lighting, and the sound. As a result, my nerves started going away as my confidence grew.
It was an amazing performance and it had everything to go well, I could finally breathe.
"Bella, come here."- my team called me.
I got out of stage and ran to them.
"Okay, you're doing an amazing job but the technicians are saying you're walking too fast when the light comes on, you gotta wait for it to be totally projected."- my manager spoke, with her notebook and pen in her hands. A man from the production team just nodded vigorously.
"Okay, sure. Besides that?"- I nodded.
"Besides that, everything looks amazing."- she smiled.
"I think you're done for today!"- the man looked at me and my team.
"Right, see you tomorrow! Thanks!"- I took a sip of my water and leaded backstage to rest a little bit while the others rehearsed as well.
I was changing clothes when I heard a knock on the door, it was my manager again.
Valery has been with me for so long, she helped me during the Eurovision preparation in 2012 and since then continued working with me, we're inseparable now. We share something I like to call a sisterly friendship.
"Bella, I think there's someone you may know out there."- she had a surprised expression on her face.
"Who?"- I turned around, adjusting my T-shirt down.
"Remember 2012?"- Valery leaned on the door frame.
"Of course I do."- I rolled my eyes.
"Remember who won?"- she entered and started whispering.
"Yes I do, Valery. What's the matter already?"- I widened my eyes, annoyed by all the suspense.
"She's here. Loreen."- she also widened her eyes.
"Oh, I read that she wanted to come back, but from that to really coming is a big step. Are you sure?"- I completely stopped what I was doing.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's her. Look, I searched on Google too. It's really her."- she handed me her phone.
"Loreen returns to Eurovision with her new single, 'Tattoo'".
Yeah, she was definitely back.
What would be the probability of two singers from the exact same Eurovision coming back after the same years and both being selected? It was definitely a scary coincidence.
I didn't answer though, I just sat on my chair and frowned.
"Are you concerned?"- Valery sat on the table in front of me and crossed her arms.
"No, but she still won back then. Her song was amazing, I won't lie. But I don't know if her new song is as good as Euphoria."- I sighed.
"Well, i don't wanna be destructive but it is most definitely good. But yours is too."
"Just the final will decide, I'm confident with my song and performance so we'll see..."
"Yeah, that's right, you'll do well. I'll leave you alone now so you can have some more time to relax. See you."- and she left the room.
I instantly brought my hands to my head.
Loreen coming back with a good song was not the problem at all, the problem was her.
I don't hate her, nor love her, we just had a few unfinished business left behind that no one is aware of. Maybe this is the sign it's finally time to finish it.
_____
Hey everyone,
In case you didn't read my other Loreen fanfic go check it out too :) in case you did, welcome back!
The plot of this story may seem partially similar to the previous one, because it's also based on Eurovision but I promise there's a lot more to unpack in this one!
Enjoy your reading, the fanfic had just begun and I hope y'all like it ;)
~M
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Until We Meet Again- (loreen)
Fanfiction(Loreen x fem oc) Bella watched her walking on stage to win the prize everyone else around wanted. Eleven years later, the same face was now there again, competing against her, just like years ago. Will they be able to fix what they left in the past...
