Another 2 chapters, who's excited?? ;)
Lots of drama, woohoo!!!!!!
Just a disclaimer here, I DO NOT own the song 'Only Girl (In The World)' that is owned by RHIANNA and her recording company. Likewise, I DO NOT own 'Teardrops On my Guitar', that is owned by TAYLOR SWIFT and her recording company.
Thank you all again for your support, I really appreciate it :)
Enjoy! x
“Wow. Lora, you’re amazing.” I said, softly, examining myself in the mirror. “This looks great!”
Lora, my bubbly blonde stylist smiled. “Good. I think you look great.”
I was dressed in a ‘mullet’ dress, with the back touching my mid-calf and the front brushing mid-thigh. It was a sheer pale orange silk overlay with a slightly darker orange slip underneath. The outer dress had ruffled off-the-shoulder sleeves and matching ruffles on the edge of the dress. This was paired with white gladiator sandals, metallic orange nail polish and a white ribbon in my hair. My side fringes were pulled back off my face and tied with the ribbon, with the rest of my curls cascading down my back. My makeup was neutral. The mic hovered a centimetre in front of my mouth, hooked around my ear.
“Delilah! You’re on in ten! Come to stage please.” Jill ordered; popping her head in and out of the door so fast it was almost blurred.
Taking deep breaths, I made my way to the wings on shaking legs.
I watched Coco; wearing a tight gold-sequined dress with skyscraper heels, prance across the stage.
“Want you to make me feel, like I’m the only girl in the world!” Coco sang sexily into the mic. She wasn’t half-bad, which sucked.
My breaths got shallower and raspier. I was nearing hyperventilation, when a familiar hand on my back startled me.
“Del?” Luke asked, worriedly. “Are you ok? You’re pretty pale.”
“I feel like I’m gonna be sick.” I admitted, breathlessly. “I can’t do this.”
“Here, sit down.” Luke moved a pile of cords from a plastic chair and helped me sit down. “Have some water.”
I took a small sip from the bottle he offered me.
He watched me concernedly as I put my head on my knees, screwed my eyes shut an concentrated on getting my breathing back.
Finally, I calmed down enough to sit back up and look at Luke fully. His face showed relief when I did so.
“Better?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“No worries. The first concert is always the worst. But it gets amazing once you’re up there, you’ll see. The energy of the crowd is manic, you can feed off it.”
“Like a vampire?” I wrinkled my nose.
Luke chuckled softly. “Please don’t tell me you’re a Twilight fan.”
“Alright then, I won’t tell you.” I winked.
“Delilah, you’re on in two.” Eddie instructed. “Mic ready?”
“Yep. Ready to go.” I said.
Then I looked back at Luke, my expression terrified.
He smiled softly, smoothing the worry lines on my forehead. “You’ll be brilliant, Del. You always are.”
“Thank you Canberra, and sayonara!” Coco called as she strutted offstage. “Thank god that’s over.”
I rolled my eyes, getting to my feet.
“You’re on.” Eddie shoved me towards the stage and I stumbled, flushing when Coco giggled obnoxiously.
Righting myself, I walked confidently onto the stage, waving and grinning at the audience. “Hey guys, how are we tonight?”
Loud cheers met my question and I beamed.
“Are we all ready to hear some music?”
More cheers.
“Alright.”
I walked to the middle of the stage, finding my position, and praying I didn’t trip.
The lights were so bright that the audience was complete darkness, lit up by camera flashes.
Nerves gripping me again, I looked to the wings I had just walked out of. Luke was standing there smiling, giving me a double thumbs up and mouthing: ‘Good luck!’
Turning back to the audience, I gave a dazzling smile. “This song is called Teardrops Om My Guitar, and I wrote it when I had a pointless crush on my best friend, who was sadly in love with someone else. I’m sure some of you can relate, right?”
Shouts and cheers.
“DAMN RIGHT I CAN! IT SUCKS!” Someone from the front row screamed.
I chuckled. “You got that right, sister.”
Then Ollie started strumming and I took the handheld microphone from where Coco had left it on the stand and started to sing.
“Drew looks at me,
I fake a smile so he won’t see,
That I want and I’m needing,
Everything that we could be,
I bet she’s beautiful,
That girl he talks about,
And she’s got everything that I have to live without,
Drew talks to me,
I laugh cos it’s just so funny,
And I can’t even see,
Anyone when he’s with me,
He says he’s so in love,
He’s finally got it right,
I wonder if he knows he’s all I think about at night,
He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star,
He’s the song in the car I keep singing
Don’t know why I do,
Drew walks by me,
Can he tell that I can’t breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly,
The kind of flawless I wish I could be,
She better hold him tight,
Give him all her love,
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she’s lucky cause…”
I glance sideways at Luke as I go back into the chorus.
His face is almost shocked.
He shouldn’t be shocked. I wrote this song about him and he knows it. Changing the name means nothing. This song is he and Alison all over.
“So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light
I’ll put his picture down and,
Maybe get some sleep tonight…!”
I look back out at the audience, pouring out my soul as I sing the lyrics.
“He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,
The only one that’s got enough of me to break my heart,
He’s the song in the car I keep singing,
Don’t know why I do,
He’s the time taken up, but there’s never enough,
And he’s all that I need to fall into…”
I stand up straight and steel myself for the final line.
“Drew looks at me,
I fake a smile so he won’t,
See.”
The applause and cheering lifted my spirit and I smiled.
“Thank you. Now how about something a little more lighthearted? I’m thinking a Katy Perry cover is needed here!”
This was met with more support, so I grinned and launched into Katy Perry’s recent song Part Of Me.
When my set was over, I waved goodbye to my audience, blowing kisses as I walked off stage, still on my happiness and energy high.
“That was great, Del.” Michael said, an wide smile on his face.
“Thanks.” I returned the smile.
“You sure this is your first time?” Ashton fist-bumped me. “Nice.”
I laughed. “Thanks, Ash. Break a leg or two.”
“Rendering me incapable of performing, I see how it is.”
I laughed again, squeaking as Calum pulled me into a huge hug. “Hi.”
“That was amazing. Don’t ever doubt yourself again.” Cal instructed, releasing me.
“Thank you. Good luck.”
And then I stood in front of Luke. We studied each other for a beat, our eyes locked. Then he forced a smile. “You’re an incredible performer.”
“Thanks. But that’s you, I think.”
“Luke, you’re on.” Eddie urged, shoving Luke towards the stage.
Luke turned to look at me.
I offered a smile and a wave.
He merely looked, half-raising a hand. There was an unreadable look in his blue eyes.
And then he was bounding onstage with his best friends, grinning and waving like nothing was wrong.
I didn’t have time to ponder his look as I tiptoed down the stairs, minus my mic. As soon as my feet crossed the threshold to my dressing room, Em and Jules launched themselves at me in a group hug.
“You were amazing!” Em whispered. “Amazing, amazing, amazing!”
“You were stunning!” Jules agreed. “Born for the stage!”
I laughed. “Thanks, guys. You’re the best.”
“We know.” They chorused, giving each other sly looks.
Not even bothering to let me change, Em opened a packet of gummy bears, and we spent the next hour getting hyped up on sugar and excitement.
But no amount of happiness could shake Luke’s expression out of my head. It was like it was burned there, until I could figure out what it meant.
I giggled, watching Jules catch a red gummy bear in her mouth and parade about proudly with it wedged in between her front teeth.
Suddenly. The door burst open and the four boys poured inside, there gleeful expressions turning to confusion when they saw Jules’ prize, Em’s rainbow braided plaits and the look of utter joy on my face.
Suddenly, Ashton grinned. “WELCOME TO THE TOUR!”
I don’t think the tonight’s audience cheered as loud as we did right then.