Eli POV.
All my fears disappeared the second the music started. Once again, I was whisked away to some place, where it was just me, and music. Nothing else could get there, unless I let it, and I never did.
When I started singing, however, I heard cheers from around me and I lifted the veil of my world just enough to see the whole room standing up and dancing along to my music. My music for fuck's sake. A huge grin grew on my lips and I started going even harder.
I went for some high notes and added new things on the go, getting some cheers from the people whose professional opinions I valued most in the world. It was insane seeing all those legends listening to me, and actually liking it.
The stage was pretty simple for me compared to some of the other artists. I had the band, some gold accents to match my outfit, and maybe, just maybe, some fire because, in the end, I am a pyromaniac bitch.
"Thank you so much for making this jacket light," I said as I got off stage to a cheering Jess.
"I knew you'd appreciate it," she said and kissed me.
"What about the lipstick?" I asked raising my eyebrow.
"Who cares, the photos have already been taken," they said and kissed me again.
We finally got to our seats and they were fucking next to ACDC. I was trying so hard not to freak out, but, when Brian Johnson said hi to me, I squealed like a schoolgirl. They all heard me and started laughing. I couldn't help but laugh along at my stupid mouth.
"Hi, I'm a huge fan," I said trying to explain myself.
"We are too, that was really cool," fucking Angus Young said.
I talked with fucking ACDC for a long time, without shitting myself, which I think is an amazing achievement.
The second it turned to commercial break, everyone ran over to the bar, and we weren't an exception.
We took shots and Jess took a red wine, while I got a whiskey. Not on rocks, never on rocks, if I wanted watery stuff I'd get water. Of course, I didn't say that, I said: If possible, please no ice. Like the pussy I am.
While we were at the bar, I looked around a bit, and then spotted Jacob Collier standing next to me. What I tell you, I almost fainted, I fucking mean it. This man is the music God.
"Hi, I just wanted to say, I'm a huge fan," I said after a small pep talk from Jess.
"Wow, that's so cool! You know I really love that song, Maybe I'm Crazy. How did you get those sound effects? I've been trying to find them, but I can't," he said, and that really got me worked up.
Jacob Collier, my biggest musical idol of all time, was asking me about my work.
"It was just a mixture of things I recorded in the streets, while I walked and shit," I explained trying not to freak out.
For the entire commercial break, we talked about tricks and mixes, that we used in our songs and shared things we had found out about different programs or instruments. I told him about some videos and songs, that I thought he would like, and a few days later, he actually DMed me saying, that he loved them.
"And the winner for Album of the Year goes to... "
It was at that moment, that it hit me. There was a chance that I could actually win. I think the cameras caught that moment perfectly, since the next day it was a fucking meme.
"Young and Damned for Hell Calls!" the host called out and suddenly all cameras were on me.
I froze in my place and got once again locked in that space in my head, where I always went to in order to figure things out.
I only woke up from it, when Jess shook my shoulder. I looked around at everyone cheering for me, and Jess smiling widely.
"Get up you idiot," Jess said and basically pushed me up.
I wobbled up onto the stage and hugged the presenter. I don't even remember who it was, that's how shocked I was.
I took a deep breath and took a second just to think about what I was going to say.
"Hi," I started. You could hear the smile in my voice so much, that I heard a few laughs from the audience. Everyone was smiling at me, and it felt really weird.
"I- I don't know what to say, this is just so huge," I said looking at the golden gramophone in my hand.
"That's what she said," I whispered under my breath almost as a reflex. That got the whole room laughing and it eased me up a bit.
"Yeah, I guess there isn't much more to say than thank you so much. I can't believe, that I'm here today, so thank you for that," I said before everyone started clapping for me.
"I'm so happy for you!" Jess squealed as I sat down.
"I don't think this is real," I said still in a trance.
"believe it, baby," Jess said kissing my cheek and turning her attention back onto the stage.
I don't think it was until I got called on stage for the fourth time that night, for the best new artist, that it actually hit me.
I got back onto that stage with each and every one of my idols standing up, uploading the fact, that I got recognition for my work.
"Shiiiit," I started once again getting a laugh.
"Over the evening I've actually had some time to think about what I wanted to say," I said looking at the carving on the award.
"Music is something special for everyone in this room," I said getting a round of applause.
"For me it's life. When I say, I never would have though I would be here tonight, it isn't just this place or this room."
"For me, music is the thing, that kept me alive, and I wouldn't be here without it, on so many levels, so I want to thank each and every one of you for letting me share that with you," I said leaving the room in cheers. I could swear I saw a couple of tears.
"Especially I want to thank my amazing family, whose probably watching this at home, so I won't be saying anything else about them so it won't get to their heads. Also, I want to thank my amazing friends and my even greater girlfriend, who keeps me together, and hasn't missed a single show of mine ever since we met."
"Then I want to thank all of you, and everyone at home for listening to my bullshit," I chuckled.
"And everyone who has ever listened to my music. Thank you so much for allowing me to be here tonight," I ended and left the stage.
I knew the cameras followed me to my seat, but apparently, Jess didn't care, and when I got close, they got up and kissed me. I heard a wave of aws coming from around us, mainly from ACDC, but that's just a sidenote.
"Hello to you too," I said as we pulled away.
"I love you," she just said as we sat down. They shied away from people's looks, but I just threw my arm around her shoulders and looked proud as ever, making them smile and roll her eyes at me.
"Now this is getting ridiculous," I said with a shocked face, as I was called on stage for the sixth time. I heard a few chuckles around me as I got back up onto the stage.
"Yeah, this is a bit awkward since I already poured my heart out," I said earning a few laughs.
"Welp, I guess there isn't much else to do," I shrugged and took off my mask.
Which, by the way, is the most me way to reveal my identity, on a whim, not thinking about it for even a whole second. It might have been the dumbest idea I had ever had, but I guess, there was no going back anymore.
I heard a round of gasps and shocked laughs and saw stunned faces all around the room. That was before the cameras started clicking so I just smiled since I couldn't stop. That night was too good for that.
"So yeah, thank you so fucking much, this means a lot to me," I said and did a little bow.
It took everyone a few seconds to start clapping since, I guess they were still in shock, but when they did, it was amazing. Everyone and I mean everyone was standing up and cheering. I seriously couldn't stop myself from laughing, I had to cover my mouth with the back of my hand to try to stop it.
When I got back to my seat, Jess was still looking as shocked as ever. Before unfreezing and grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm really fucking proud of you," they said as I sat down.
"Yeah... I think I'm going to regret this tomorrow, but who the fuck cares," I said to her, and heard some people around us chuckle at that.
"How many whiskeys did you drink," someone from my side asked, and made me laugh once again.
"What's your name?" an interview yelled from the crowd, after the show.
"Well, I can't make your lives too boring now can I?" I joked.
"What made you decide to take your mask off tonight?"
"I really don't know how my brain works," I responded with a dead serious face.
I had my arms full with six fucking Grammys as I posed for even more pictures.
"How do you feel now, that your face is out in the open?"
"I feel very naked," I responded while nodding my head.
"What's next? What's the next step for Young and Damned?"
"New music. I ain't stopping now," I said with a smile.
As we were riding to the afterparty, my phone was blowing up with people from school I hardly even knew and random people I didn't even remember.
"Great," I huffed and put my phone on silent. Then I turned to Jess who was still smiling like crazy and kissed their knuckles.
This was going to be very weird.
There were a few numbers, that didn't mute, even with my sound turned off, and those numbers belonged to my wonderful brothers.
"You got six Grammys you amazing bitch!" Diego screamed from the phone so loud I had to pull it away from my ear.
"And you took your mask off! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I didn't know myself," I said switching the call to facetime.
"Hi, Diego!" Jess called.
"Jess!" Diego yelled as he saw they were with me.
"The outfits are amazing!" he exclaimed making both of us smile.
"It's what everyone would be talking about if my sibby over there hadn't stolen the show," he said rolling his eyes.
"Okay, I'm hanging up now," I joked.
"I actually have to go before Ida realizes I'm still up," Diego said like he was just then remembering that tiny little thing.
"I'm pretty sure she knows," I said rubbing my ear, earning a laugh from Jess.
After Diego, my brothers called.
"Congratulations!" They all yelled at the same time.
"We watched the whole thing. First your performance, then the speeches, and then you took your mask off! It was really your night," Matteo said clearly impressed.
"Lorenzo cried at your speech!" Antonio yelled making me laugh.
"Yes, I did and I'm not ashamed of it. If Taylor Swift can cry about it, I can too," Enzo declared.
"Whatever you say," Antonio teased.
"Taylor swift cried?" I asked in disbelief.
"She really wasn't the only one," Jess said with a grin.
"Seriously?" I asked once again, not ready to believe it.
The whole night we danced and drank and I got to talk with so many amazingly talented people, that my head was spinning, and not from the alcohol. I even talked about a few collaborations, before everyone got too tipsy to talk about business.
Lorenzo was right. During the party, Taylor Swift came up to me and asked to hug me. Then she told me, how I had moved her and how she might have cried a bit. We then talked for a while about how we write lyrics and melodies because she is a fucking writer genius.
When we finally got back to the hotel, Gabriele was already there and he too wanted to go over the whole night with me. Apparently, he had been with his friends watching it, and when I took my mask off he jumped up and screamed:
"That's my sibling suckaas!" Which was a side of my brothers I didn't know about. The drunk side™