Stay Strong (A Script Fanfic) (Slow updates)

Chapter 10 Part 1

Selena's POV

The auditions lasted all day. I couldn't believe that they filmed them in the space of just two days; it looked like such hard work. Although it was brilliant to see the filming firsthand and also hilarious to watch the judges interact and work together, by the end of the day you could tell that everyone was exhausted. Only Danny, Sam and Will seemed to have any energy left, and Jessie seemed to have drunk at least ten coffees by the time the last auditionee of the day walked out onto the stage.
Over the course of the day, about fifty people had auditioned, and about a quarter of them had gotten through. Danny's team had quickly been filled up with a majority of girls, with only a few male singers, as had Tom's, while Jessie and Will had an even mix of male and female artists. The pressing of the buzzers had become almost like a game to Danny and Will, who competed over who could come up with the most creative way to turn their chair. In my opinion, Danny had just pipped Will with the last one; an amazing rock singer who sang Best of You by FooFighters had caught his fancy and somehow the Irishman had ended up balancing between the buzzer and chair, playing air guitar while it turned around. Needless to say, the audience loved it.

Silence fell as the last contestant for the day, a young woman with glasses and soft brown hair, was guided onto the stage by a crew member. Several tense seconds passed and the music started. And then...

"Spend all your time waiting
for that second chance
for a break that would make it okay..."

The most beautiful voice rang throughout the studio, and the entire audience sat stunned as the woman continued, the voice of an angel resonating in the eerie silence. I glanced to Danny and saw him sitting with a look of awe on his face, nodding along to the song. Will gestured for him to turn and he nodded, pointing at the goosebumps that were forming on his arm. The decision was simple and he hit the button, feet up on the desk as the chair turned, just enjoying the beauty and innocence of the woman's voice with the rest of us.
As the song came to a close, the final note echoing throughout the room, silence fell.

Then the room erupted into applause and I cheered along with the crowd, only just noticing the tears running down my cheeks; a quick glance at Sam beside me confirmed that she was just as emotional. I met Danny's eyes as he congratulated the singer on her beautiful performance, and the corners of his lips upturned slightly at my reaction.
As the woman, Andrea, her name was, was guided from the stage, Holly and Reggie appeared to announce that this was the end of the day, and the audience began to filter out. Sam and I both made our way over to Danny's chair, where he was standing waving at the crowd.

"She was amazing, wasn't she?" He smiled as we followed the other judges backstage. I nodded my agreement and allowed myself a smile as he laced his fingers through mine. Danny returned it with a lopsided smirk of his own, and Sam cleared her throat rather pointedly behind us.
"If anyone wanted my opinion, I also thought she was amazing." She commented quietly, inciting a chuckle from Danny and a raised eyebrow from me.

"Well I'm glad of that! At least two people backing my decisions, which is more than usual!" Sam blushed a deep pink and joined in with the laughter with us.

The three of us chatted for a while as the judges made their way around the maze that was backstage, discussing which auditions were our particular favourites and who we thought were going to go far in the competition. Sam seemed very interested by the rock singer, who Danny informed us was named Mitchel.

"Okay, this one's me!" Danny halted in front of a dressing room door, waving goodbye to Jessie and Will as they carried on down the corridor. Danny opened the door with an apprehensive expression on his face, and I realised why as soon as the three of us walked inside.

Glen and Mark had certainly made themselves comfortable while we'd been filming. They'd rearranged the furniture, shoving an armchair into one corner, and the sofa was definitely not supposed to be over by a clothes rail. Instead of a large, orderly space, the dressing room had been turned practically upside down, as had the pouffe which I assumed went with the armchair, but was currently being used as a makeshift drum by Glen. Mark had taken a stool from the makeup table facing the door and was playing a few riffs on his guitar, which was plugged into an amp. An assortment of musical instruments, mainly guitars, but also a keyboard and selection of percussion instruments, were placed beside the door. The tv was on in the corner, somehow linked to the cameras onstage, which were now showing the empty studio.
"Why'd you always have to rearrange the fucking furniture?" Danny cried exasperatedly, crossing the room in several strides and heading straight for the mini fridge beside the tv. He pulled out several bottles of beer, and a diet coke, which he passed to me. Beer wasn't really one of those drinks I enjoyed. Sam accepted her bottle happily however.

"What are you guys even doing?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as Mark tossed Glen the bottle opener.

"We were bored." Glen stated it as though it was obvious. "Normally what happens is that we jam in here while Danny's filming, work out a few melodies and stuff, then we all head straight to the studio, but we both figured we won't have time today because none of us can seem to tell the time." Danny rolled his eyes and took a swig.

"Have you actually done anything though?" He questioned, grabbing a chair of his own from the makeup table and gesturing for me and Sam to make ourselves comfortable on the sofa.

"Of course!" Mark almost looked insulted. He took a final swig of beer and set the bottle down before pulling his guitar into his lap. "Listen to this!"

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Part 2 coming soon! Please vote & comment!