Rise To Stardom

Chapter 20

- This chapter is dedicated to AkornDefalko . Thank you for being there since the beginning of Emory's journey and for showing your support by commenting and voting. Your comments are what motivates me to keep writing <3

Chapter 20

My body was fighting the urge to crawl back to bed and sleep the rest of the day away. The effects of the cup of coffee I'd consumed hours earlier had already worn out, making every activity that followed feel more like exercise.

I wasn't in the state of mind to sing love songs or any upbeat ones so, despite my already pent up guilt for leaving Kayla behind all week, I somehow managed to convince her to sing Dancing In The Sky.

Turmoil glazed over her eyes when I brought it up to her and guilt gnawed at me to the point where I almost laughed it off and pretended like I was joking.

She agreed because she understood how much that song meant to me now that I lost my dad. It only came with one condition: we had to get up to practice at the crack of dawn so we could fit in as much practice as possible.

We set our alarm clocks for four and it was well past eleven by now. Thanks to our occasional honey tea breaks, the continuous aches in our throats were soothed and we didn't have to worry about our voices sounding hoarse or scratchy.

The practice was exactly what I needed to keep my emotions in check. The more I sang with dry eyes and a clear mind, the more confident I knew I'd feel by the time we had to film.

My knees had a mind of their own when they bounced under the table where the hair stylist was curling my hair. My fingers moved on their own accord and speedily spun the ring around my finger. The constant fidgeting went unnoticed by Kayla.

"Are you sure you don't want to withdraw from the show? I'm sure the producers would understand."

The idea was tempting, but I had to be emotionally strong for my mom who I knew was going to watch tonight. "I-I-I'll be fine. I promise." The edges of my lips lifted into a bright smile, one that I felt reach my eyes. Surveying me up and down, she wasn't all convinced. The stuttering and the clearly fake smile gave me away, but she didn't push.

She reacted with a subtle nod and proceeded to tell her hair stylist how she wanted it. We weren't on until the middle of the show which allowed us more time to practice, our voices echoing off the walls of the backstage area.

By the time we sang it enough for the song to be stuck in our head for years, our names were called. I was thankful that the judges' faces were void of pity. They just wanted to hear us sing and had no intention of asking me questions regarding my dad's recent, and may I add, well known death.

"What are you ladies going to sing to us this time?" Brian was the one who asked.

"We'll be singing Dancing In The Sky by Dani and Lizzy," Kayla answered.

Their eyes were then glazed with pity at the mention of the title. Not everyone was familiar with the song, but just hearing the name and what it implied made it clear that it was about someone who passed away.

Brian cleared his throat and ducked his head while Laurie pressed her lips together, preparing her heart for what was about to come. "That sounds like a beautiful song, loves. Good luck."

I nodded and took a seat in front of the grand piano. I adjusted the microphone so that it was facing my lips and positioned my fingers on the keys that were involved in the melody.

The lyrics started five notes in, but sound couldn't leave my lips. My mouth kept opening and closing, getting ready to sing, but only an inhale would come out. I felt Kayla's eyes pierce into me, the judges' too. That did little to encourage me. A myriad of flashbacks swirled around my head.