"Damn, I don't like this," Bethany tells you. ''Yeah, I'm so scared,'' you say and she nods in agreement. ''Me too,''
The boys don't seem their relaxed selves as well. Maybe they're nervous as well, which would prove that they're actual humans.
You've already spotted some familiar faces in the crowd of people, but you refuse to think about performing in front of them. You can't back out of this anymore, you'll have to go up there tonight and play your song for all those people.
Luckily you're with your friends, which could make it all a little less bad. Being up there with them is going to be so much more awesome than on your own. You would never dare to go up there on your own, the idea only is terrifying already.
''We're going to rock this,'' Luke says. ''Don't worry,'' you smile at his optimism, which soon fades when the lights start to blink. Not much later one of the camp leaders shows up on stage, together with Andrea.
''Hello everybody! Welcome to the final performance night of this camp! As you all know you'll have to pack your things tomorrow, that will be the end of this camp. This is why we're all together now, to make this final evening an amazing evening. Each one of you will be performing tonight with you band, you get the opportunity to play the song you've created for this night.
As you might know it's not only about playing it well, or just how good the song is. No, it's also about how you've formed a band together, and trust. We hope you're all excited, because we definitely are!'' Andrea tells you all. The crowd starts to cheer and you smile a bit.
''Our judges for tonight are... Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Smith and I. We'll be judging you on all of the points I've just recalled. Don't worry, you're all winners to us so we won't be too harsh on you,'' she adds with a wink.
''So, if everyone's ready... Why don't we start? We'll sit down behind our desks, let the first band begin!'' You've all got a specific order in which all the bands have to play. You were like one of the last on the list, which was nice because it gave you a little more time to mentally prepare.
The members of the first band walk up the stage and make everything ready for their performance. They look horrified when they see the audience, and the singer's hands are shaking when he grabs the microphone. This band exists of only boys and they have a very interesting choice of instruments... One plays the drums, another the bass, another plays the saxophone and the last one plays on his flute. As you said: a interesting choice of instruments.
''One, two, three, four,'' the drummer counts out loud and immediately they start playing. It sounds kind of cool, which you didn't expect at all. You have to admit that it would've been better if they were playing this song on some other instruments, but the song is quite catchy and nice.
''I don't know whether I should like this or not,'' Michael hesitantly says, and you laugh. You sat down together with both of your bands since you also ate together at dinner. You can see Calum with his arm wrapped around the girl called Dana. They seem to have a really good time, which is nice. You really hope they'll still be together after this camp, that would be cute.
''It was nice,'' Bethany says when the song's over, ''let's see what the judges say,'' the judges bascially have the same thoughts as you, about the choice of instruments. Mr. Rodriguez tells the boys that they could've chosen better instruments, but that the song was nice and they played with well together. Their banding was really good as well, but they happened to be friends before this camp even started, so yeah.
The next group coming up includes Valery, which surprises you. Her band doesn't really look like they have a bond, which makes you realize they may have been the band that has been fighting all the time. Wow, this isn't going to end very well for them. Rumor had it that they didn't even finish their song yet... Did they tonight?
Valery counts down and the guitars start to play some riff. You can already tell they didn't practice very well since they both look at each other with that what-the-hell-are-you-doing expression. They have a not so weird choice of instruments, just two guitars, a bass and a drummer. The song goes terribly wrong and they don't even make it to the end.
It's plainly embarrassing and you really feel for them. Valery gets up from her safe spot behind the drums and walks to one of the others to yell in his face. ''I thought we discussed this! You wouldn't mess up,'' she tells him while everyone is listening. The boy awkwardly stares at his feet as he holds his guitar. This is where Mr. Smith starts talking, trying to soothe them.
''Well, what can I say about this? I really hoped you all would learn how to deal with certain situations and just do the right thing, but apparently you didn't. Hereby I disqualify you from this contest, because you didn't understand this assignment at all and didn't even finish your song,'' he says the well spoken words everyone was thinking.
The band angrily leaves the stage and plops down on their places in the crowd again, everyone's laughing and you're actually happy, because Valery finally got what she deserved: justice. They messed up their song because they were all too busy ruining others' their lives. The other three persons in the band also were a bunch of bullies, just nasty persons.
--------- • ---------
''Okay, band number thirteen,'' the Andrea says. You know this is Calum and Michael's band, they already got to the stage five minutes ago. Every band has to gather behind the scenes when the band before them is playing. You wonder what it will be like when band number nineteen is playing and you will be getting yourselves ready for your performance.
Every minute you're getting more and more scared, you hope you'll manage.
Calum, Michael, Dana and Faye, the other girl, enter the stage. Calum has his really cool looking bass in his hands, Michael his guitar, Dana sits down behind the drums and Faye grabs the microphone. You heard she can sing very well, which should be interesting. Calum and Michael will be singing some parts to, and you're really curious about the whole song. They get their cue and Dana starts to count down by colliding her sticks.
The song starts and you listen to it with a bright smile. The intro already sounds really good and as soon as Faye starts singing the smile even grows. She could use some tips, but she's a really good singer. It is nice, spicy and has a nice beat in it. They've really done their best and managed to make a good song, which is refreshing. You've heard some good songs from other bands, but also some really bad ones.
There was even a band with only classical instruments that tried to stand out... They messed up in the middle of the song and never got back to the right rhythm, that must have sucked. You felt bad for them, but it would also mean you had more chances to win. Even though they were really small already.
You can't help but feel proud when you see your friends up there. It looks like they're having fun, and the judges also seem really impressed. The chorus just started again and you softly hum along with the melody. Bethany looks at you and smiles. ''This is really nice, isn't it?'' She asks, and you heavily nod. ''Yeah, I love it,
''Me too,'' she says before turning her head back towards the stage and listening to the music as the song slowly comes to an end. When the song's finished they all give each other a big hug, after which Dana and Calum smile at each other. Before you even realize what's happening, his lips are on hers and you 'awe' at the sight of it.
''Young love,'' Bethany sighs and you chuckle. ''They're cute,'' you point out. You look at Luke, who's just sitting there with a blank expression on his face. ''Hey, what's up?'' You ask him. '
''I'm just really nervous,'' he tells you with a shaky voice. ''I feel terrified,'' you smile sympathetically as you take his hand. ''It's going to be okay, you're going to be amazing. I know you can do it Luke, you've showed me so many time this afternoon,'' you say as a grin grows on his face. ''Really?'' He asks.
''Yeah, really. I promise you, you're going to be great,'' you assure him before turning your head back to the crowd as you try t ignore the humongous grin on his face that you can see from the corner of your eye. He takes your hand and you freeze. When he notices you froze he pulls his hand back, and you look at your empty one, feeling so damn stupid. This was you final chance and you ruined it again. You just didn't expect it to happen at all, but now he thinks you didn't want it.
How are you ever going to be able to tell him how you feel about him if you keep ruining the moments? This is so stupid!
You shake it off and think about the performance you have to do in not so long. You shuffle your feet over the ground and fiddle with your fingers. All you can think about is the fact that you're glad that you don't have to sing. Bethany, unlikely, looks like she just saw a ghost. ''Hey, it's going to be okay,'' you tell her. ''I hope,'' she says before looking at her feet and fiddling with her fingers as well.
You all just hope it's going to be okay.
--------- • ---------
''Okay, band number nineteen,'' Mr. Rodriguez recalls when another band steps on the stage. You know this is your cue to actually go backstage with your band. ''Let's go,'' you say and the others follow you to the back side of the stage. Your guitars are there already and there also is a mirror to check your looks before you go up. You look in the mirror at your straight blonde hair that you straightened a bit more to make sure it looks really nice. On your lips you have a cherry color and there's only some mascara and eyeliner on your eyelids.
You pull at the hem of your white tank top with a black cross on it, just to make sure it's wrinkle free. You wipe some dust that comes from the sand off of your black ripped skinny jeans, and shuffle with your feet that are tied into black Vans. You chose this outfit yourself because it was one of the things you like to wear the most.
Bethany is wearing a black Nirvana tank top with some denim light colored ripped jeans. On her feet she's wearing a pair of combat boots which complete the outfit. Her hair falls down her back in curls, like usual, even though you've curled them just a little bit more for a cool effect. The only makeup she's wearing is some mascara and a little bit eyeliner.
You decide to talk to the boy in the red flannel and ripped black skinny jeans, Luke. He looks not that nervous anymore, more ashamed. You know he probably feels ashamed about the thing that happened during Calum and Michael's performance. You wish you could just tell him how you felt, and explain to him why you froze. But you can't, this relationship is too far gone now, not fixable. You've ruined it too many times.
You make a little small talk until he shushes you, you look at him in surprise but he points at something in the corner of the space. You slightly turn, so you can see it.
''You look beautiful,'' Ashton tells Bethany, who immediately blushes. ''Thank you, you don't look so bad either,'' she tells the boy in the Joy Division muscle top and black skinny jeans. A red bandana is draped into his dirty blonde curls and a huge smile is formed on his face, showing off his dimples.
''Are you nervous?'' He asks her and she nods her head. ''Very, I'm so scared,'' she replies in a shaky voice. ''Why?'' He asks her. ''I'm sure I will mess up, I'll forget the lyrics or something,'' she says with frightened eyes.
''No, don't say that, you won't mess up,'' he says while taking her small hands in his. ''How can you be so sure?'' She asks him with a quizzical look in her eyes. ''I might as well just mess up, you don't know,''
''I know, because you're amazing,'' he says. ''You're going to rock this, because you're an amazing girl. You look really pretty, you can sing and play very well and you're also really nice and funny, that's why I like you so much,'' he says.
''You like me?'' She asks, and he nods his head. ''Yeah, I really like you. And I'm sure you're going to be great, because you just are,'' he says before slightly leaning in. He cups her face in his hands and connects their lips.
You have to restrain yourself from making an 'awe' sound and ruining the moment for the two of them. When they pull back Bethany looks in awe as she gasps for breath. ''Well, I like you too,'' she says with a big smile before he smashes his lips on hers once more.
''Please, be my girlfriend?'' He mumbles against her lips. ''I'd love to,'' she replies and that is the moment where you can't control yourself. A high squealing sound escapes from your lips and they both look at you in surprise. ''I'm sorry, that was just really cute,'' you say with a smile, after which they shyly smile back.
''Nice catch mate, I'm happy for you,'' Luke says. Ashton blushes and wraps his arms around Bethany's waist. ''I'm just so glad you said yes,'' he sighs. ''Of course I did, you can't imagine for how long I've been dreaming of this,'' she says while chuckling. We chuckle along with her until we hear the previous band walk off stage. Oh my god, this is it...