i suddenly became still as i heard her say my name... i couldn't believe it - my body was frozen, rooted to the ground in disbelief. pinching myself, i thought: no way is this for real. but before i could collect my thoughts, ali, dani, and sabrina roared amidst thunderous applause, exclaiming my name to grasp billie's attention. you could see the excitement in their eyes. i felt my knees buckle beneath me as billie turned my way and beamed a smile at me.
her security started to approach me and i handed my piece of paper to them. i realized that this was the real deal.. this was not just any chance encounter, but a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with the love of my life. her security looked over the piece of paper which they confirmed as correct by giving a thumbs up to billie.
billie's voice boomed across the auditorium, announcing, "everyone, please congratulate aatari!" Despite being surrounded by thousands of people, i felt like i was in a different world altogether.
it was only for a moment that i became conscious of the cheers of the crowd around me, shouting and jumping with excitement for my selection. dani rushed to my side, pulling me in for a congratulatory embrace.
amidst the uproar, billie's words washed over me, "i'm looking forward to seeing you backstage after the show." she mouthed to me and my heart raced with excitement.
to those who weren't selected, billie apologized and promised more opportunities in the future. her words of encouragement, showed her kind and generous nature. she continued to carry on with the show, displaying her talent.
9:30pm
with the show now behind us, me, dani, ali and sabrina stepped outside of the venue into the cool night air. a grin lit up dani's face as she urged me on. "share every last detail with us and just have a blast, girl!" sabrina and ali pulled me into another congratulatory embrace as i offered my thanks. before i could protest, the security team ordered me to follow them backstage. glancing over my shoulder, i bid farewell to dani, sabrina and ali before obediently following my guides.
i could hardly believe it - i was about to meet the one person i had idolized all my life. it had always been a pipe dream, but now it seemed that destiny had intervened.
as we made our way along the winding corridors, i couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety. what if i messed it all up and scared off the one person i cared about more than anything? no i can't think like that.. i pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the moment at hand as the security brought me ever closer her.
as they escorted me through the dimly lit hallway, i couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. i gazed up at the various posters of billie, hanging on the walls, and felt my admiration for her grow even more.
however, my thoughts were soon interrupted when we finally arrived in front of a closed door. the security guard gave me a stern look before opening the door and motioning for me to enter.
i stepped into the room, and the first thing that caught my eye was billie sitting comfortably on a couch, surrounded by her team. my heart rate quickened as i took in the surreal moment, and i felt my palms start to get clammy.
but before i could even process what was happening, billie's warm and welcoming smile put me at ease. as i slowly approached her, she stood up and gave me a hug, making me feel instantly relaxed.
"hello again," she greeted. "you must be the luckiest person in the world," she chuckled, and i joined in. "it's unbelievable that i'm standing in front of you again right now. this is so surreal," i admitted.
