Rock With You: A Love Story

belle. smith.

Minutes go by. The butterflies fill my empty stomach, as I sit nervously biting my nails, staring at the floor.
Then I hear that familiar automated megaphone voice.
"Okay! All auditionee's back on Center stage please! We have our results!" Max shouts, smiling.
My ears fill with the sound of dance shoes clambering onto stage, for some reason everyone thought the faster you get there, the more likely you were to get a part.
I traipse over at a medium pace and stand on the end of the group of desperate auditionees. I fold my arms in front of me.
"Okay, so I'm gonna hand it over to Mike! Try to contain yourself ladies!" Says max, with a playful wink. Everyone begins to laugh, but I just blush and stare down at my shoes.
Michael walks up onto the front of the stage. His wild curls have now been pulled back into a low ponytail, falling down his back. He's taken off his jacket and is now just wearing his V-neck tee.
It is now much lighter and he's a lot closer, so I can see his facial features a lot better. His small, adorable nose stands so perfectly on his face. His lips begin to open, and I realise I've just been stood here with eagle eyes examining him for 2 whole minutes. I quickly blink and throw my eyes towards the other side of the arena.
"You were all so amazing, I want you to know that. Please no one get hurt if you aren't chosen. It's not because you're bad, we can just only pick 4 people. 2 singers, 2 dancers." He holds his hand to his heart and raises his eyebrows as he talks, he seems genuinely sorry that some people won't get a part.
Everyone is listening to him silently like the world depends on it. It's magical how his presence affects people. It's like a trance.
He carefully pulls out a small, crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and squints his eyes to try and read it. He holds it up to the light.
My heart is racing, now is the moment. I realise how embarrassed I'd be if I didn't get it, having to come home and tell my family and friends, after I've talked about it forever.
"Rowena Murphy? Is that what is says?" Michael questions, with a slight giggle through his sentence.
Almost instantly, a tall blonde girl steps up to the front calmly. She goes to shake Michael's hand and smiles at him.
"I'm honoured. Thank you Mr Jackson." She states, in a contained and collected mannerism.
He simply gives her a sweet smile, congratulates her and then pulls out his paper again. Rowena steps to the side of Michael, and places her hands on her hips with pride as she examines all of us.
"Hannah king!" Michael shouts. A small, brunette girl stumbles up to the front.
"I seriously got in! Yes!" She exclaims, throwing her hands in the air.
"Yes you did!" Michael says, just as excited.
Could he get any cuter?
He then announces the next winner, someone called Lucy or something. I am just concerned the last one won't be me. I run through my audition in my head, thinking where I could have gone wrong. Deep in thought, my head is hung low, staring to the ground.
A pair of big, black loafers emerge into my sight, my eyes still fixated on the floor.
I slowly look up, revealing long legs wrapped in tight, black denim. Then a loose V-neck T shirt. Then a piece of crumpled paper being held up, to cover their face.
It couldn't be? Michael didn't come up to anyone else?
He pulls down the paper, and is smiling right at me. Our faces are inches apart, I can feel his breath. He looks so beautiful up close. I gulp.
"Belle. Smith." He says almost sarcastically, beaming through this words.
I feel a huge smile cover my face, as I realise what's just happened. I'm going on tour with Michael Jackson for 16 months.
I instantly wrap my arms around him. I hug him so tight. I feel his arms on my back, as he hugs me too.
I quickly pull away, wondering if that was inappropriate, but it was my instinct reaction, he was so close and I was so relieved.
"Thank you so much, Michael." I gush with gratitude.
"More than welcome." He says, as he joyfully does a skip-walk to the front again.
"Thank you everyone for auditioning, again, you were all amazing. Don't give up!" Michael says, probably feeling so guilty.
Max escorts off all the people who didn't get a part, leaving the stage feeling so empty. It's just me, Rowena, Lucy, Hannah and Michael.
"Well congratulations!" Michael says breaking the silence, "You were so good. You are going to be rehearsing all the time and spending a lot of time with me and each other, so try not to get sick of us." He jokes.
How could anyone be sick of seeing Michael too much?
He tells us each our roles in the tour; I got a backup dancer. I'm so happy, I can't wait to break the news to my folks at home.
"You will all receive bad tour jackets soon, with your names on them." Michael tells us, using his hands as he talks. "How cools that?!"
"That's so cool!" I say excitedly, the rest of the girls have been silent this whole time.
"Thank you belle!" He says, looking at me as if to say, 'thank you for actually responding and not leaving me hanging like everyone else'.

15 Minutes Later

We are all chilling backstage having water and reading information on the tour individually. I'm on my own in the corridor as they were all talking and I wasn't really involved in their conversation.
I realise the leaflet is shaking in my hand, with excitement.
I hear the door to the empty silent corridor I was stood in crack open. I look up to see who I presumed was Max, but it was Michael.
"Hey!" He says loudly, yet friendly, before shutting the door behind him.
"Oh hi, you scared me" I smile, putting my arms down, my heartbeat speeding up.
"Sorry, that wasn't my aim." He says chuckling.
I blush and fiddle with my bracelet.
"I like that", he says gesturing to my bracelet with his hand.
"Thanks, it's my lucky bracelet. I've had it since I was 8", I say slightly embarrassed.
"That's sweet. I have a lucky stone by the door at my house that I touch everytime I go out to give me good luck, I guess I'm superstitious tool",
I look up at him, and he looks so genuine. He's smiling with his eyes, and looking into mine.
"Look, congratulations on getting the part!" He says, throwing his hands in the air.
"Yes! Thank you!" I say smiling.
He spreads his arms out for a hug, so of course I hug him.
I expect him to pull away after a few seconds, but he doesn't. His arms have a grip around my waist.
"You have so much talent" He whispered to me.
"Says you, Michael Jackson." I say, jokingly.
He pulls back out of the hug and rolls his eyes, laughing.
We carry on talking for a few minutes, and I can safely say this is the best time of my life, and we haven't even begun the tour. But I knew, it would be the best 16 months of my entire life.