--- RHIAN ---
Rhian's old nemesis - stage-fright - was rearing its ugly head again but this time she and the girls were prepared. Amy had taught her a whole bunch of affirmations... "I'm a sensational singing superstar!" being Rhian's favourite. Molly had taken her through a complete yoga relaxation exercise - twice. And now Kat was singing a soothing Polish lullaby that her mum had sung to her when she was a baby. As Rhian listened to the comforting lilt of Kat's tender voice, whilst manically repeating "I'm a sensational singing superstar" over and over in her mind, she tried to believe in herself.
She'd completely freaked out when Lyric had announced he'd got the girls a gig at The Granite Rooms - the scene of his epic fail battle with Psylence. Derren however, had thought it was a great idea and wanted to film the girls and use the footage in the Melody Vibe video.
There was no dressing room so the girls had got changed and done their make up in the toilets, whilst getting jostled by more and more revelers gearing up for a big night out. Every time the door to the ladies opened and Rhian saw the heaving mass of people dancing in the club, Rhian had wanted to tear herself away from the cracked mirrors and dive into a cubicle; but Molly or Amy had talked her through an affirmation or breathing exercise and Rhian had resisted the urge to spew her guts up.
Now she was backstage in a pokey room which the owner had described as a 'green room' but which looked to Rhian more like a 'dirty grey room'. All of a sudden, in stormed Derren.
"Where the hell is Jadine?" he asked for the millionth time. "I thought her and Lyric were popping to her mum's for 20 minutes. That was over an hour ago!"
"Calm down," soothed Amy. "She called. She's on her way."
"The owner thinks we're trying to pull a fast one," added Lena. "So that you go on later and get a bigger crowd."
"I don't think the crowd could get much bigger," said Molly. "It's rammed out there."
Rhian felt her hands tingle and go clammy. "I'm a sensational singing superstar. I'm a sensational singing superstar," she muttered.
"I shouldn't have listened to Lyric," fretted Lena. "This crowd's way too raw for your first gig."
"It isn't our first gig," said Amy. "We did the showcase, remember?"
"It's my first gig," croaked Kat.
"All I'm saying is, you need to be on your game to play a crowd like this," said Lena. "If you don't win them over in the first couple of minutes, it's not gonna be pretty."
Rhian's head started to spin and she muttered even quicker, "I'm a singsational sensing superstar. I'm a singsational sensing superstar! I'm...oh cock!"
Kat took her by the hand and carried on singing the soothing Polish lullaby.
"What was so important for Jadine anyway?" boomed Derren.
"Her mum called. Her baby nephews were being taken into care by the police and social services," said Amy, tartly. "I think that's pretty important, don't you?"
Rhian was half-hoping that Jadine wouldn't make it back and then they wouldn't have to go on. Then she felt terrible for wishing such a thing!
"Oh, great!" said Derren. "She's going to be a total state when she gets here."
"Oh, you're all heart, Derren!" retorted Amy.
"I'm sorry about her nephews," said Derren. "But I've got everything set up to film and..."
"...the show must go on, right?" said Jadine, as she breezed into the green room.
"Are you alright?" asked Molly.
"I've been better," said Jadine. "But I've done all I can at home and I'm not going to let this hold us back. Lena, tell them we'll be ready in five."
"Are you sure?" asked Amy.
"We can always postpone," added Molly.
"What? And have that lot out there think I'm scared to do this gig?" said Jadine. "I'm on my home-turf now, so we've got to be amazing."
Rhian gulped and gripped Kat's hand even tighter. No pressure then.
"You'll never guess who's out there," said Lyric, as he steamed into the room.
"Half of Hackney?" grimaced Jadine, as she quickly tied a knot in the tartan silk scarf holding up her tumbling caramel curls.
"That dickhead - Psylence!" fumed Lyric.
Rhian gulped again. She remembered Psylence coming on to her at the battle and it gave her a small thrill to think that she might see him again tonight. After being taken in and humiliated by Kyle, Rhian reckoned she deserved a bit of decent male attention. And not from some scrawny punk like Kyle, but from a real man like Psylence.
"Rhian," frowned Kat. "You're cutting off the blood to my fingers!"
Rhian looked down and saw poor Kat's fingers were turning blue, she was holding them so tight.
"Sorry," she mumbled, letting go.
"He probably thinks you're gonna fall flat on your arses!" seethed Lyric.
"Which we're not!" said Jadine, firmly.
"Obviously!" added Amy. "Because we're sensational singing superstars!"
"Or should be that be singsational sensing superstars!" giggled Molly.
"Very funny!" snorted Rhian, laughing for the first time that night.
"Did I miss something?" puzzled Jadine.
Derren slapped Lyric on the back. "Come on mate, let's leave them to it!"
Rhian watched Lyric linger for a few seconds, almost as if he was wondering whether to give Jadine a good-luck hug...or kiss; but Jadine was too busy applying a slick of red lipstick to notice and Lyric left without doing anything. Jadine was so lucky to have a guy like Lyric into her. A cool, streetwise, funky guy. Why couldn't she find someone like that?
"Come on, girls," said Lena, ushering them to the side of the stage. "Showtime!"
As they got closer to the stage and heard the frenzied buzz of the packed crowd, Rhian's legs wobbled. She didn't think she could make it onto the stage let alone dance through four songs.
"I'm sorry," she panicked. "I can't do it. I can't do it!"
Molly and Kat grabbed each of her hands, whilst Jadine stood in front of her.
"You can do this!" stressed Jadine.
"Absolutely!" echoed Molly.
"I'm scared too," cried Kat. "But we're in this together, yeah?"
"I suppose," gulped Rhian.
She closed her eyes and imagined the whole club as if it were in slow motion. The dancing crowd gradually slowed down, completely mesmerised by her and girls' performance. Then she imagined Psylence deliberately knocking everyone out of the way to carve a path through the mob to slowly walk towards her. Finally she imagined violently stabbing Kyle in the head with a mascara wand.
Her eyes popped open.
Where had that image come from?
Before she knew it, Molly and Kat were dragging her onto the stage.
"No, no!" she cried, but it was too late.
The music began. The lights dazzled her eyes. They started to sing. And Rhian was fine. More than fine. She stormed it! Like every other time before, as soon as she started singing, her worries and fears left her and she was doing what she was born to do.
The girls performed Melody Vibe and Same Star and the crowd loved it! Then they did a reworked version of Get Lucky as a security blanket, in case their own stuff bombed - which it didn't! Then they ended on their track Fly Girls - which featured an amazing new rap from Lyric and he rocked it when he joined them on stage to deliver it...
You see a bunch of five girls
You'll see a bunch of fives.
I see a crew of five ladies
On the rise and rise.
Some say what do ya mean?
Work with the Melody team?
I say I'm living the dream
So long. Goodbye.
As the girls and Lyric took a bow to rapturous applause and cries of "More! More!" Rhian saw Psylence and his crew at the bar. As he raised his glass to her and gave a sly smile, Rhian felt on top of the world! She'd done it! She'd rocked The Granite Rooms! She felt A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
So amazing, the girls had to drag her off stage. She'd have been quite happy to stay there all night and do it all again!
"We did it!" yelled the girls as they got off-stage and dived together for a group hug.
"Yay!!!" they all cheered.
"Well done, guys!" said Lena as she joined them. "The owner says you can do one song for an encore if you like."
"Oh, yes! Let's!" screeched Rhian. "We can do them all again if he wants!"
Everyone laughed.
"Steady on, Rhian," smiled Jadine. "Let's do Melody Vibe."
"What about Fly Girls?" added Kat. "Then Lyric gets another shot on stage."
"It's not about Lyric tonight," said Jadine.
Even through her post-show buzz, Rhian could see Lyric try not to let Jadine's comment bother him.
"I'm happy to do them both," Rhian said.
"Jadine's right," said Lyric. "Melody Vibe's your signature track. You should do that."
So they headed back out one last time and if it was possible, it was even better than before.
As they came off stage again, they were greeted by Lena, holding a bottle of champagne and five glasses.
"You shouldn't have, Lena," said Amy.
"I wish I had," said Lena. "It's not from me. It's from your first fan. Someone called Psylence?"
"Send it back," said Jadine straight away.
"Awww, come on," said Amy. "I know he's a dick, but I think we deserve a little glass of fizz after what we've just pulled off!"
"Fine," said Jadine. "You all have it. I'll get a lemonade."
Rhian was more than happy to drink Psylence's champagne. It felt like her first taste of sweet success and now she wanted more.