Moments || H.S

110 ; performance

I stand in the dressing room, looking at myself in the mirror as a lady does my hair. I chose a red dress that hugs my figure and stops mid-thigh. It's beautiful and I have matching red lipstick and dark eye make up. I look nothing like myself, but not in a bad way. I don't wear much make up and came here in a T-shirt and jeans, which have been discarded on the floor and replaced by this dress. 

I go on stage to do my first ever live performance in about an hour. Everyone turned up for this, August and Delilah are in the crowd watching the other performers before me and Grace is with them, hopefully getting along well. She came mainly to see Harry, but did wish me luck before heading into the crowd with my family, who like her a lot but we are yet to meet her daughter. 

"Nearly done, you look gorg!" She says, working on my tight bun and smiling. My phone dings and I lift it up from my lap, it's from Harry. 

You doing good? I'll see you in like 10 minutes once I pick out a suit. H x

I laugh, indecisive little shit. I start typing a text back

I'm nervous, but I'll be ok x 

As promised, 10 minutes later my hair is done and as I'm putting shoes on, Harry enters the dressing room in a light pink suit with silver details on the sleeves and pants. As he opens his mouth, a hand appears on his right shoulder and a big buff man speaks. 

"You can't go in there" He says deeply and Harry raises his eyebrows. 

"It's fine" I tell him, I'm dressed but even if I wasn't it wouldn't matter. 

"Are you sure?" The man asks, looking at Harry but not taking his hand off him. 

"Yes..it's fine" 

The man walks off after looking him up and down and Harry steps into the room, closing the door and inhaling through his teeth, looking at me with his eyebrows raised. 

"He was scary" He laughs, clearly wasn't expecting that to happen "You look beautiful, by the way. What songs are you doing again?"

I thank him "'home' and 'good grief' after" 

He sits on the couch, looking around the room "how come your dressing room is nicer than mine?"

"Because I'm special" I joke, sitting next to him and noticing the details on his suit more closely, birds. 

A little while later, someone knocks on the door and tells me I'm on in 15 minutes.

I wave of panic hits me and I turn to Harry with wide eyes. "I can't do it, I've never done something like this..oh my god I'm going to fuck it up and I'll never get the opportunity again and-"

"Avery" Harry interrupts me sternly "stop over thinking it. Just focus on singing. You'll be fine. Look for Gus, Grace and Lilah and you'll be fine, I promise. breath" 

"OK" I breath in deeply and when a lady with a clipboard comes to collect me, I say goodbye to Harry, who promises to watch it on the TV backstage. 

"Nervous?" The lady asks as we walk down the corridor and past doors and other people who are 50 times more famous then me. How did I end up here?  I'm used to be in an environment with stars but this is so different... I'm part of the group of people singing today, not hanging out with H. 

"A little" I lie, I'm terrified. I've been on a stage twice, first was my X-factor audition and the second was with the boys when they first stared and they were both fucking over 20 years ago. I don't even know why I haven't. Fucking teenagers have been on stage 50 times more than me. I'm a useless artist.