red hot | grayson dolan

twenty

Matthew peeks his head in. "You're ready to go on."

"I'm coming." I look back at Grayson.

"Good luck, babe. I'll see you up there soon." He says while walking out with me.

I nod my head and get ushered out of the room. Mick and the rest of my team approach me, and give me encouraging words. They're so proud, and it's nice to know I have a great support system with me at all times.

"You're going to do amazing, Avery. Have fun and enjoy." Mick says after hugging me.

"And don't forget this." Nancy, my assistant, hands me a microphone.

"Thank you guys for everything." I smile and inhale a breath, suddenly feeling a rush of confidence take over me.

They help me into my little box under the stage, knowing I'm going to emerge from it. The lights in The Forum dim, and I hear thousands of screams. I clear my throat, and stand up straight. I place the microphone in front of me and get ready.

Within seconds, I'm being pushed upward, and the lights shine on me. The second the crowd sees me, they scream even louder. Wow, this is an incredible sight.

The music begins, and I start singing the first few lines of my lead single, Not Like Her. Once my eyes get adjusted to the bright lights, I can see people in the crowd singing my lyrics.

I strut up the stage, and my backup dancers follow me. I hit a high note once I reach the end of the catwalk, and everyone begins clapping. I spin around as I continue to sing, gripping onto my microphone.

Luckily, I remember my little dance routine. I sway my hips back and forth and walk to the other side of the stage. Leaning forward, I grab onto a few hands that were reaching out to me.

Girls jump up and down and yell out my words, and I can feel my heart racing. I continue to sing, and a genuine smile forms on my face.

When my first song ends, I strike a pose and everyone screams. I smile brightly and giggle, looking around the entire arena. Even up at the very top, people are screaming for me.

"Good evening, Inglewood. Welcome to the Angels and Demons U.S Tour." I say into the microphone, smiling wide. Everyone screams as loud as they can.

"As most of you know, Inglewood is my hometown, so this is a dream come true for me. I'm so excited to kick off this tour at the beautiful Forum! We're going to have a blast." I do a little happy dance and spin around again, letting the excitement get the best of me.

My eyes suddenly find my parents in the pit, along with Lily. They're waving to me with big smiles and holding up a sign that says WE LOVE U AVERY.

"My parents are also here tonight. Hi, Mom and Dad." I wave to them, and my mother starts crying. She's holding her hand over her mouth and Lily begins to comfort her. I try not to get emotional, so I quickly blow them a kiss.

"Thank you all for spending your Wednesday night with us. You guys have been incredible, and Red Hot and I couldn't be more grateful for all of your support." I state, and they scream even louder.

"Now, another thing you may know is that my debut album is being recorded right now. However, you guys have been loving the singles that I've been putting out. I'm happy to announce the next song that I will be singing tonight is Rollercoaster Love."

The screams are unbelievable, and I automatically begin dancing along and singing to my upbeat disco track. My heart is pounding, but I'm doing it. I'm getting through my first show on tour, at my dream venue.