The unscripted scenario

Final Countdown

The day of the finale was finally here. The girls had come in early to benefit from some hours on stage two hours before the show would go live and public would start to come in. This was their chance to check in placements on stage, fine tuning the lights and music with the technicians, harmonizing their makeup, and practicing a bit the transition with their costumes.

They started off quite well, the girls giddy with excitement. They had agreed to not go two full out during their rehearsal to make sure no one would get injured, and they would save as much energy as possible for the live performance. They only had the time to greet some teams that had also arrived early, but everyone quickly dispersed inthe backstages to rehearse, agreeing on a time slot of so that everyone had their turn to make the final settings on the actual stage.

When it was Jam Republic's turn, the girl went on stage to mark their choreo. Amaia couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something wasn't right. Her palms grew sweaty, and despite having a proper breakfast and some rest, she felt lightheaded. As they marked their choreography on stage, Amaia made a small, inconspicuous mistake that went unnoticed by the others, but made her focus waver and there was a second where she forgot the choreography. She never had forgotten a dance. At least not in years . As she tried to catch up with the girls to complete the choreography, the lights started to feel blinding, and the empty room, devoid of an audience, sent her into a dizzying sensation.

Amaia didn't hear Kirsten giving the green light to the technician for the stage setting they had discussed. The other girls finished and began packing up to leave the stage for a break, but they noticed Amaia hadn't moved.

The panic attack hit Amaia like a freight train. Her chest tightened, and her breaths came in shallow gasps. She felt paralyzed, struggling to breathe. Disoriented, she was clenching her eyes shut so tightly that she saw lights behind her eyelids. She barely registered herself being moved to the backstage area, and time seemed to stretch as she battled to regain control of her breathing.

The girls had swiftly realized what was happening and moved their teammate away from the curious gazes of backstage staff who wondered what was unfolding. Latrice hurried to fetch a bottle of water, hoping it might help Amaia regain her composure. Ling and Audrey attempted to soothe her, guiding her to focus on her breathing by mirroring their own.

"Come on, Amaia. Inhale slowly...and exhale. You've got this," Audrey encouraged.

Amaia tried to follow their instructions in vain. The situation was spiraling, and Audrey realized they needed to act quickly. She turned to Kirsten. "We need to find Bada. "

Kirsten nodded in agreement "Ok, can you go find her ?"

Audrey hurriedly made her way to Bada, who was in the middle of a final rehearsal with her team. Bebe's concentration was momentarily disrupted when Audrey barged into the room, looking out of breath and clearly concerned. The sight of Audrey's distressed expression instantly raised alarm bells in Bada's mind. Without needing any explanation, she knew it was likely about Amaia.

Audrey quickly approached "Bada, it's Amaia. She's... she's not doing well. I think you should come."

Bada's heart sank, and she didn't hesitate for a moment after Lusher send her off, her own concern evident. "What happened?" Bada inquired as they rushed backstage.

Audrey explained, "I don't know what triggered it, but she froze on the spot and went into a full-blown panic attack. We have not been able to calm her down."

Bada sighed. "I should have know something was not right. She was already looking worn out days ago". Audrey did not comment, sharing the guilt of not having been able to help her friend earlier on.

As Bada entered, she saw Amaia sat down, still trembling and gasping for air. She knelt beside her while keeping a safe distance to avoid crowding her too much, and took one of her hands in her own. She had helped friends like that throughout her career, familiar with the stress that could come with the job.

"Amaia, look at me. Look around you and tell me 5 things you can see" She guided her, her heart aching at the sight of the younger girl in such distress.

In hashed words, Amaia managed to utter "The wa-wa-ter the water bott-le. My-my hat."

"Amazing, keep going," Bada said, stroking Amaia's hair.

"Ling shoes. The cur-curtains. The-the fan," Amaia replied, her voice still quivering.

"That's great, sweetheart. Feeling a bit more grounded already? Now, 4 things you can feel." "Your hand. The ventilation."

"You're doing great" Bada kept on stroking her lightly

"The-the water on my-my hands. The floor" Amaia said, her breathing less shallow.

"Ok keep going, now tell me 3 things you can hear"

"Your voice. The AC. The lights spots being moved". Bada smiled, leaning in closer. "Almost there, now 2 things you can smell"

"Your perfume. My sweatiness" Amaia finally managed to say in a steadier voice, almost choking on a small laugh.

"There you are. 1 last thing that feels reassuring" Bada smiled, reassured to see the other slightly better

"Your presence". Amaia replied, her voice still hoarse

"Back with me ?". Amaia could only nod, still shaken and recovering her respiration. The grip of panic that was constricted her was losing its hold, and the fear was quickly being replaced by shame. Audrey and Kirsten who had stepped out to give them some privacy were immediately back, as Bada gestured them to gather. She had to return to her team as they had limited time to rehearse, but regretted not being able to help the other for a bit longer.

"Don't worry we got it from here. Thanks, really" Audrey said to Bada, who left, not without casting a last look at Amaia.

The latest was trying to stand up, looking embarrassed.

"Urgh, I'm sorry, guys. I-"

Kirsten interrupted her self-blame with a gentle touch on the shoulder. "Don't even go there. We were done with our rehearsing time anyway. You've been overworking yourself lately, and I should have known better, paid more attention. If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry."

Amaia attempted to protest, but Kirsten silenced her with a knowing look. "Amaia, I don't care. Yes, this is the final, but let's be honest – we've already won. We've come so far, and this performance tonight is about having fun, showing one last time who we are, making a statement, but above all, making memories as a team. There's really no pressure for tonight." She looked at everyone before continuing:

"Girls, honestly, we discussed it last week, and the winner will likely be a Korean team. So, let's forget about the pressure and truly savor this moment. I should have said that earlier and not let you build up so much pressure, Amaia. Again, I'm really sorry."

Amaia acknowledged Kirsten's words, her voice still quivering. "You're right, and I know all of this rationally. I think it's just the accumulated lack of sleep that got the best of my nerves."

All the girls rallied around Amaia, reassured to see their dynamics falling back in place.

"Are we good now?"

"We are," nodded Amaia.

"Alright then, I suggest we head to the make-up and hair, so we can film some last TikTok to let go of any stress. We don't need any more rehearsal, we've got this."

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wooopppsss it took a turnnnn, but as promised, the second part! By now you know I always love to take detours and write too much.  I'm currently writing the third and last onechapter (covering the timeline of the show dw) so I'll update soon. And after that fluff onlyyyy I swear !