I had a feeling that I've never felt before when they called my name.
It might have been bliss.
Or maybe achievement.
But it could have been... feeling a door open.
Now I have the One Hundred Fifty dollars.
I just have to get the role.
***
"Alright Kaimana! Yes, that's it! Step to the left... And here's the twist!" Hana said, clapping her hands to the music that played through the speaker she brought.
I moved my feet across the green back yard grass. Hana came to my house whenever she could to teach me in my back yard. I was wearing some dance shoes that I bought on discount for five dollars. They felt so much easier to dance in than my regular white sneakers.
Right foot over left foot...I turned. "This is kinda tricky..." I said with a nervous tone.
"That's okay!" Hana smiled. "Just keep practicing, you'll get it!"
I hoped that I would get it soon. Auditions for "Daydreams" are in a month, and that doesn't give me much time to perfect my dancing skills. I put my hands on my hips and kept dancing the dance moves that Hana taught me. Side step, box step, grape vine...
Hana stopped the music. "Very good job, Kaimana! Don't give up, and you can do it!" She grinned and looked at her watch. "I've got to go help some kids at a theatre workshop now. Can't have the little ones waiting. See you tomorrow!" She waved and walked out the gate with her mini speaker, locking it as she left.
I slowly sat down on the warm, green grass. I stretched my long arms into the air and yawned. Practice was so tiring. But I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the feeling that every day I practice is one step closer to my dream. I enjoyed the feeling that soon, I'll be like Hana, teaching young children who watch the show to never give up on their dream.
I dazed up at the sun, and slowly, peacefully, I began to hum my favorite song.
***
Auditions for the musical came much faster than I thought they would.
It was hard to believe it was already February. Hard to believe that the day I've been waiting for for ten years is already here. It feels like everything came up so suddenly. Maybe that's how it feels when someone auditions for something. Everything seems to happen in a matter of seconds.
I wore the same outfit that I wore for the talent competition. A flowery patterned blue, green, and white top. My least worn out or ripped up jeans. My only pair of shoes. I figured that since I won the talent competition wearing this outfit, it might bring me good luck. I need all the luck I can get, since this is my one and only chance. My one and only chance to my dream. The climax of my life.
Hana drove me to the auditions in her shiny black car. Hana's car was so cool, there were buttons on the sides of the doors that could roll the windows up and down, and it had a built in radio! It may seem pretty normal for a lot of people, but my family doesn't have a car. I don't get to ride them very often.
The car slowly stopped moving, and Hana opened the door. I opened mine, and stepped outside onto the sidewalk. I looked up at the letters that said "KIRK DOUGLAS THEATRE".
Here we go.
"Are you ready for this, Kaimana?" Hana asked me with an excited voice.
"Ready as I'll ever be," I said, smiling with my bright white teeth.
Hana put a hand on my shoulder. "I remember when I was your age, when I auditioned for this show in this very theatre. When I was asked to have the role of Aislin, I was in shock. That was one of the biggest things that's ever happened to me in my life." She sighed peacefully. "I remember at the end of the performance, the girl who plays as Aislin picks a random little girl out of the audience to sing to. That was always my favorite part. I loved the feeling that I was making others happy."
Now that we were on the subject...
"Hey, Hana?" I said to her. "That little girl was me."
Hana looked at me with eyes wide open. "...You saw the show?"
I nodded. "I remember seeing your name in the program. 'Staring Hana Waters as Aislin', it said on the cover. I remember getting chosen out of the audience, and being sang to. Because of you, I had the dream of playing as Aislin. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't even be interested in performing arts."
Hana counted her fingers, probably counting how many years went by. She slowly looked at me. "Oh my gosh, it was you." Hana answered with astonishment. "I feel like I've changed someone's life or something..."
"You have," I replied. "You inspired me to be in the performing arts, and you've taught me so much. You've made me who I am today."
Hana smiled, and gave me a hug. "I know you can do it. Now go in there and show everyone how great of an Aislin you can be!" She told me with enthusiasm.
"I will!" I said back, and ran into the Kirk Douglas Theatre with no fear at all.
***
I sat in the lobby, filling out the paper work to audition. In order to audition, you had to sing a song from "Daydreams", so I was glad. "I Won't Give Up On My Dream" is the song that I'm most familiar with. Apparently, there is also a dance section in the audition. Thank goodness Hana has been teaching me the dance for the audition. There's also a part where I have to read several lines that my chosen character says from the script. Luckily, Hana has been teaching me to act too.
I smiled as I wrote down "Aislin" as the character that I would like to audition for. Soon after I turned in the paper work, I was called up to audition. I stepped into the theatre room, and walked up the steps with confidence in myself. I looked out into the audience and saw three judges once again. Two of them were women, one with short black hair and one with curly red hair, and the last one was a man with brown hair. The women wore nice white dresses, and the man wore a black coat and tie.
"Good day, miss Karkea." The male judge greeted. He looked down at some papers, which appeared to be my paper work. "So, you're sixteen years old, and you'd like to be considered for the role of Aislin?"
"Yes sir," I answered with a smile. "I've been dreaming of having that role for years."
"Ah, it looks like you have the personality for her!" The judge laughed. "Aislin is certainly a character who wants to follow her dreams." He looked at his watch. "Well, it looks like It's time for you to sing. Good luck!" The judge turned on the speaker next to him, and the music began to play peacefully.
I can do this.
As I sang, I thought about everything that happened. The day when I was six, all those years that I ignored the people who tried to bring me down, the day of the talent competition...I sang with all the strength that I had. All the power that built up in me until this day. I gave it my all as I sang the meaningful lyrics. I moved my hands to the song, gesturing the emotion in it. Then slowly, the music faded out...
"Thank you very much, Miss Karkea," The judge said. I watched as the judges scribbled down their thoughts of the performance on a piece of paper. "Now on to the dance section. Are you familiar with the dance for the audition?"
"Yes," I answered.
The judge smiled. "Very good. Please begin the dance to the rhythm of the music the speaker is about to play." He pressed the play button on the speaker, and the music that played on Hana's speaker started playing.
Side step, side step, and now the twist... I heard Hana's voice saying the dance moves to me in my head. Apparently, a lot of people were being taught the dance moves by the actors that were in the show ten years ago. It was hard for a lot of people to learn, she told me.
Spin and jump, right, left... I continued through the rest of the dance, and smiled as I moved across the stage. Once again, the music faded out.
The male judge clapped his hands. "Very good!" He said. "Best we've seen today. Not many people got the dance. Now for the acting section. Please pick up the script book on the right corner of the stage and read a monologue or soliloquy of your choice from your chosen character." The judge told me. I walked over to the right side of the long stage, and flipped to one of Aislin's soliloquy that I was familiar with. I began to read.
"Every night I look out my dusty window. I stare at the stars, hoping that one will shoot by. I wait for a shooting star to make a wish on, to wish for my biggest dreams to come true. But now I finally have realized that if I'm waiting, then I've waited too long. I've realized that I have to chase them, because waiting will just let them pass me by. I am no longer afraid to take a chance, because that chance may be the only one I can get. So keep your flame of passion burning. Never let someone blow it out!" I spoke these words as if it were the real performance. I put power into each and every word that came out of my mouth. After I spoke the final words, the judge nodded his head, smiling.
"Great job! You put lots of power into that soliloquy. Not many people can pull off that scene," He told me. "Your audition is now over, and you'll receive the results in the mail in about a week."
I waved goodbye, and left with confidence.
***
A week later, I got a letter in the mail.
It wasn't just any letter.
I quickly opened the envelope with the words "Daydreams the musical cast results" written on the front. I slid out the bright white piece of paper and silently, excitedly, read the message at the top:
Miss Kaimana Karkea,
Thank you very much for auditioning for the musical "Daydreams". It was a pleasure to see how well you are on the stage.
Your singing was very powerful! You have a very good belt in your voice, and you know how to use it well. Not everyone can control a belty voice, so it was great to hear that you could.
I'm glad that you actually knew the dance moves for the audition. A lot of people thought that dancing wasn't very important in the musical, but it is in fact one of the things that make Daydreams such a great musical. You were very smooth with the transitions of each section of the dance, and it was great to see that you smiled the entire time.
For the acting, you did that scene very well. As I told you at the auditions, not that many people can pull off that scene. It takes someone who feels the same way as Aislin to speak that soliloquy so powerful.
I am very excited to say that you have been accepted in the musical "Daydreams". You have been given the role of...
I couldn't believe what it said.
...Aislin.
I did it.
I reached my dream.
***
It's now June, and is finally the day of the performance. After four long months of rehearsals, the climax of my childhood has arrived.
I stepped out onto the stage for the final song. I wore a long, silky white dress with diamond high heels and a diamond choker. Never in my life did I think I would look so different. I was always just average Kaimana, with nothing really pretty to wear, but now I feel like a whole new person.
I scanned through the audience for a little girl to sing to. Then someone in the fourth row on the right caught my eye: a little girl with curly black hair about five or six, wearing a pink dress with white flowers. I pointed to her with my index finger, giving her a welcoming smile. The little girl tilted her head with a confused face. A man next to her, probably her father, whispered something to her. He probably told her to go up on stage, because she started walking down the isle. I held out my hand to her, and helped her up the steps to the giant stage. I gently picked her up, and started singing her the song.
"I always thought that my dreams were too high, that I couldn't chase them no matter how hard I would try..." I softly slid my hand against her hair in a calming manner. "But now I know that I don't have to cry, just give it my all, spread my wings and fly..."
The little girl leaned her head against me, and slowly closed her eyes. She and I smiled as I sang. "You may say ‘give up’, you may say ‘just quit’, but I’ll reach my dreams no matter what you say, and I’ll never, ever regret it…" I slowly rocked her back and fourth, as if I were singing her a lullaby.
"I won’t give up…on…my…dream…"
I stepped down the stairs with gracefulness, and gently placed the little girl back in her seat. She smiled and waved goodbye to me, and I waved in return. I stepped back onto the stage for the bows. I thought about everything that happened on this journey to my dream. From that day that I saw the musical, to finding that advertisement for the auditions, the talent contest, the audition, and all the way up to this point. I bowed down, and came back up with a smile as cameras flashed across the stage.
I reached my dream.
The audience members started leaving, and I began walking backstage with the other cast members. But before I could, I heard someone call "Excuse me, Miss Karkea?"
I turned around to see a man with black hair, a clipboard in his hand.
"Miss Karkea, you have great talent!" He said.
"Thank you, that really means a lot!" I answered cheerfully.
He held out a piece of paper that read Southern California Performing Arts Theatre. "I'm opening a new theatre in Los Angeles in a few months, and I'm looking for some very talented performers. The performers who work here get paid two thousand dollars a month, and I was wondering if you would be able to work here."
I couldn't believe my ears.
"I'd love to!" I answered with lots of excitement.
"Glad to have you in the group!" He said. "My name is Jason, and I hope to see you soon!"
Now I have a teenage job to help my family, and we can get by in life easier! I couldn't wait to go home and tell my parents. But before I could, I felt a little hand grab my hand. I looked down to see the girl I sang to in the audience.
"Oh, hello there!" I greeted her, and kneeled down to her height.
"You're really pretty," the little girl said. "And you sing really pretty too!"
"Aw, thank you so much!" I smiled. "What's your name, young lady?"
"I'm Jocelyn," she said. "I like singing too! I want to be a singer just like you!"
Hearing that made me feel light hearted. "I'm sure you have a beautiful voice! Could I hear you sing a song?"
"Okay," she said, and began to sing the song I sang to her. "I always thought that my dreams were too high, that I couldn't chase them no matter how hard I would try..."
Jocelyn had such a sweet and youthful voice. It reminded me of wind chimes, a light and happy sound. Despite the fact that she was only a little girl, her voice was beautiful. I imagined her years from now, reaching her dream of being a singer. I know she can do it. She just needs a little help on her adventure to her dream.
"Do I sing good?" She asked with a worried voice.
I nodded with a smile. "You have an amazing voice! I know you can reach your dream of being a singer. You'll need a little help along the way, but everyone does!"
"Even you?" Jocelyn asked me curiously.
"Yes, even me!" I patted her head. "Don't let anything bring you down on your journey to your dream. You have real talent in you, a diamond in the rough."
The End
Note from the author: If anyone has read this, Thank you. So much. It means so much to me to know that someone is reading my story. Of course, the theme of this story is to follow your dreams. I have a wonderful friend named Jazmene who has a dream of getting on the What's Hot page on Wattpad. Please help her reach her dream by reading her story, "POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS". I hope you enjoy reading her story, and I hope you enjoyed this one!
Never give up on your dreams, everyone!