𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄, damiano david

━━𝟐𝟒.𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬

Two days before the grand finale, the dress rehearsal took place. The semi-finals were finished, the 26 finalists were determined and the starting order for the performances was set.

I was in ninth place, so rather early, at my dress rehearsal I sat at my piano in the dress my stylists had chosen for me and the lights in the arena were dimmed.

I started to play the first notes and closed my eyes. As there were no spectators apart from the other participants, all of whom I knew quite well by now, I was not very nervous.

I sang the first lines while my fingers continued to glide over the piano keys, I had played the song so often by now that it was a piece of cake.I played through the song, which was consistently quiet, and as the last notes faded away, I received great applause from the other participants.

Vic even cheered loudly, as did Sophia, who was sitting on our sofa, right next to the Italians'.
I walked off the stage, got some last helpful tips from the sound manager and then sat back down on our sofa, "That was great, Cora!" exclaimed Sophia enthusiastically and I grinned, "Thank you," I gave a little curtsy.

My makeup was darker than in everyday life, it was similar to what Vic had done when we first went to party at the club.

Elle patted me on the back, "It's going to be great in the final," she said softly, "We have a really good chance of winning, the experts' analyses say so too."

I smiled gratefully at my manager and squeezed her hand briefly, then I turned my gaze to the future, because now Greece had the dress rehearsal.

The rehearsals went off without any major incidents, each of us knew by now what was expected and so we didn't make any more mistakes.
When Måneskin performed, the hall went wild, as it did for Finland and Ukraine.

I had a lot of fun, it was like we were all one big family united by the same passion for music. Back home in London, I was studying music at a university, so I had already met a lot of people with a passion for music, but this, among artists who were about to fulfil a big dream, was even nicer.

After rehearsals we spent some time in the assembly room, tonight there was a big buffet for everyone in the arena, so I passed the time by letting Sophia beat me at billiards. Damiano and Ethan watched us and laughed every time I slipped with the billiard cue and hit the ball in the completely wrong direction.

"Just do it better," I snapped in a huff when they wouldn't stop laughing.
"Nah, it's more fun watching you lose," Damiano grinned and I gave him the middle finger, my expression angry, but not angry enough because again he and Ethan just laughed. Such idiots.

When the game was finally over with Sophia's clear victory, I put the cue down on the table and walked wordlessly past Damiano and Ethan, pretending to be severely offended, which I was even a little bit.

Damiano was now playing against Ethan and Sophia was raving about her boyfriend,
"It's unbearable," I said annoyed.
"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Sophia asked me and I looked at her, my gaze much softer than before, "I'm not in a bad mood, just tired," I explained.

"And I'm hungry, they should hurry up with the food," Sophia said firmly and rubbed her stomach. I smiled, "You're always hungry"."Maybe," she grinned.

Sophia didn't have to wait much longer, because half an hour later we were all sitting at a long table eating.

Damiano sat opposite me, his eyes roaming over my face, "You look tired" he said softly.
"Thank you," I said.
"I didn't mean it like that," he tried to explain himself, but I just smiled, "It's okay, I know how I look," he took my hand across the table.

By now everyone else in the group knew we were together. It wasn't really inconspicuous either because we were constantly hanging out together and holding hands.

On the way home to the hotel, Elle told me that I had another day off tomorrow, but that I should definitely go to bed early because we were going to the arena early on Saturday, even though the finals didn't officially start until the evening.

I nodded tiredly and yawned, Elle tilted her head, "Can I ask you something, Coraline?"
"Sure, what's up?" I asked, trying to look interested and less tired.
"It's about your father. If you don't want to answer it, then of course you don't have to."
"No it's okay, just ask"

She thought for a moment, then asked, "Damiano knew you when you were in Italy. How come he didn't do anything about what your father did to you then?"

I tilted my head, "We were children," I said expressionlessly, "What was he supposed to do?"
"Well, like stand up to your father, like he did here in Rotterdam."

"He was a child," I repeated, "Just like me. Adults seemed much more respectable to us then, neither of us could do anything about it, we were powerless. Besides, he had sworn to me not to tell anyone about it. I think his parents knew about it, but they only ever had suspicions that were never confirmed. I was good at hiding my bruises, besides, it wasn't unusual in the area where we lived for children to be treated like that by their parents," I explained, trying to make it clear to Elle that there was nothing we could have done about it.
"Hmm, all right. It's just been on my mind, sorry if that was rude."

"It's okay, it's not your fault," I sighed and leaned back in my seat. Sophia eyed us suspiciously.
"Cora, are you going to report Dad from Italy or are you going to do it in England?", Sophia asked me and I shrugged, "I don't even know how to do it yet", I answered honestly.

"From Italy?", Elle asked shocked, "You can't just go to Italy".
"Why not?" asked Sophia snappishly.
"Well because there are all sorts of things waiting for us in England, besides Coraline is still studying, she can't just go to court in Italy to report her father!" it sounded authoritative.
"Bullshit," Sophia said.

"Sophia!" I admonished her, Elle looked shocked, "Nothing is more important than putting that scumbag in his place!" Sophia added, then the bus stopped in front of the hotel and the discussion was over.

"We'll talk about this again, Coraline," Elle said as Sophia and I got off and I nodded.
"We'll talk about this again," Sophia mimicked Elle, "The stupid cow should just stay out of it, she has no right to tell you what you can do."
"She's just trying to help", I sighed, by now I was tired of everyone judging Elle all the time.

Sophia snorted, but said nothing more, walking straight ahead of me through the open door of the hotel, I could tell by the way she walked that she was angry, or at least frustrated.

I walked behind her into the entrance area of the hotel, greeted the receptionist in a friendly way and got into the empty lift behind Sophia.

As the doors closed, I watched my sister through the mirror and I knew she wasn't ready yet.
The thunder started a few seconds later when the lift started moving, "I can't believe you keep defending that woman over and over again, Cora!", Sophia complained loudly and angrily.

I wanted to say something but she interrupted me before I could even start, "No, now I'm talking. Elle has said things over and over again in the last almost three weeks that I find impossible! I didn't really know her before, but this experience here is enough to call her a success-oriented, selfish woman. She's not thinking about how you're doing, she's thinking about how to make you a perfect bill collector. She objectifies you to get money and success through you and you are, excuse my expression, too stupid to realise it. You see something in her that she is not and I no longer want to see her use you. You need to stand up for yourself and tell her to stay out of your business, I'm finding it hard to shut up now when she talks bullshit again!"

Wow. The lift doors opened as Sophia finished her speech and I swallowed hard.
"By the way, I'm not the only one who thinks like that," Sophia said, then she pulled me out into the corridor with her.

"Sophia, I-", I began, but my sister interrupted me.
"No more excuses, don't say anything. Do me a favour and think about what I told you, maybe you'll understand," Sophia asked me more calmly and conciliatorily than before.
I nodded, "Yes, of course, thank you for your honesty," I said in a raspy voice and pushed past her to my room.

"I'll see you at Vic's later," Sophia gave a quick wave, I wondered how she could change moods so quickly.
Just a moment ago she had scolded me like crazy in the lift, now she was grinning again. My sister was really unique.