✤ SOLO

Chapter Thirty-one

  This is it. The moment everyone has been waiting for, that I have been waiting for.

The final round. I'm currently backstage peering through the curtain to see the judges at the high table. The audience are much today, I guess they are all eager to see who will get a record deal. My hands get sweaty, I don't think I'm ready for this.

"Hey," Will says behind me and I stop peeping to face him.

"Hi."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lie.

"You're not, you're sweating all over." He laughs.

"I'm nervous." I admit.

"You'd do fine, just picture everybody naked." He says and I give him an incredulous look, "I'm sorry. I'm being facetious. You'll be awesome, but for now we need you behind the piano." He says and he pats my shoulder before leaving.

I use this time to chant my motivational lines, then I see James approaching me and I smile seeing Jenny beside him.

"Why didn't you tell me, you joined the competition?" She asks me with a frown, "I heard it from him, out of all people." She points to James.

"Jenny! I'm so sorry, it all happened suddenly." I say with a pout.

"It's okay. I'm too happy for you to stay mad at you." She pulls me into a hug and I hug her back. "Go get them champ." She whispers in my ear and I smile before pulling away. "Well I'm needed back there." She points behind her and I see Sebastian waiting. Dirty girl! "I'll see ya later. Bye James!" She says and leaves.

"So this is it?." James says after a while.

"Yes, I guess." I reply nervously.

"You'll do good." He assures me.

"Thank you." I say.

"For what?." He gives me a confused look.

"For this." I gesticulate. "I wouldn't have made it without you."

"Oh, I'm sure you would." He chuckles, "you know why?.." I shake my head no. "...because it's your time." He says and pats my head.

What is with this guys and their patting?.

"Thanks." I smile.

"Now go do what you do." He pushes me to the stage as I hear Will's voice on the Microphone, welcoming the audience. I walk to the piano and take my seat behind it.

Will rounds up his introduction and calls the first contestant which happens to be Riley. I give her a thumbs up before she starts singing.

After all the contestants has sang their song. Will came back on stage with the answer of the judges.

"WESTBROOK HIGH what's up?!" He yells and the audience shouts. "This term has been hectic don't you think?" Everyone shouts 'yeah'. "But it's all gonna end now. I have the winner's name here in my hand." He raises the card and everyone 'whoots'

"As you all know, the winner today will be walking away with a record deal from jinx records!" He announces and everyone cheers, "so the winner tonight is...." The dramatic long pause begins and I roll my eyes. ".....Summer Willows!" He roars and the crowd cheers. I glance at Jenny to see if she was mad, but she just shrugs.

Summer runs to the stage crying and embraces Will  and he gives her the award. Everyone claps.

"Hold on." Will says after Summer leaves the stage, "we have one more performance tonight."

OH NO! I'm not ready! I can't do this now.

I start trembling in my chair and William continues, "it's no other than our pianists, Maria Colton!" He announces and the crowd shouts.

"Maria Colton.." Will urges me but I stay rooted.

" Go Maria!" Jenny cheers from the other side and James joins her.

I close my eyes to block out all the bad thoughts and I collect the mic from Will. He gives me a supportive smile before leaving the stage. I fix the mic on the piano.

I don't have time to think of which song I should sing out of my songs, so I sing the only song that is on my mind and describes my situation.

"Um.." I say into the Microphone, "I'm gonna sing Wondering, from high school musical: the musical: the series..." I say .

"Get on with it!" Someone shouts from the audience.

I ignore the impatient person, I mean they are all impatient including the judges. I look around and see Tiana in the audience.

What the hell is she doing here?!.

She gives me a thumbs up and smiles at me. I smile back, feeling better already. That's what I need, a family here to support me.

I play the beginning part of the song.

Wondering by Olivia Roderigo and Julia Lester.

Seems like a part of me will always have to lose
Every single time I have to choose
Swore that it felt right, but was I wrong
Is this where I'm supposed to be at all?
I don't have the answers not today
It's like nothing makes the questions go away
What would I give to see if the grass was greener
On the other side of all I've had and lost
Would it be enough, or would I still be wondering.
If I could go back and change the past
Be a little braver than I had
And bet against the odds
Would I still be lost?
Even if I woke up in my dreams
Would there still be something I'm missing
If I had everything would it mean everything
To me?

I skip Olivia Roderigo's part and move to the last verse.

Maybe I should turn around and take the other road
Or maybe I'm just looking for what I already know
I'm just wondering.

I sing the chorus over again and round up. I stop and everyone start clapping and cheering. I bow and run out of the stage, I bump into Jenny who has her hand ready for me and envelopes me into a hug and u hug back, feeling safe and I don't let go.

"You can let go now!." She chokes out.

To be continued......
I've always wanted to write that.
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😘

Hannah