A Simply Complicated Love Story [Book 1]

7. New York Talent Is SO Mine!!! ...i hope?

I drove and drove to the address on the application form. I looked at the time. Good. Three thirty. I turned on the radio. Just relax, I told myself. Perfect! Someone Like You was on the radio. I sang and sang like there was nothing to worry about in my life. Just as the song ended, I pulled up to the auditions. Yes, it was all in there. New York Talent, I read the sign. I clutched my guitar and walked into the building that held the possibility of all of my dreams coming true.

It was huge, the place. I walked up to the desk. Wow. How could I expect any different? Margaux, sitting right there behind the computer.

“You work here, too?” I asked.

“Of course! They had notices in the police station, and since I had today off, thought I'd do it for fun” Yes. It was Margaux, all right.

“Okay then, sign me in”

“I hoped you would catch on. Four o’clock?”

“Yeah, that’s my audition time.”

“Okay, just fill out this form and you are all set!” she handed me a clipboard. I filled it out as she talked to me.

“Oh god, you would NOT believe some of these people. I swear, your one of the like, 11 normal people out of the 10,000 that came in here today!”

“Do you know how many people they’re choosing?”

“Um, let me check,” she typed on the keyboard. “Oooh! You need to do better than perfect, girlfriend. They’re only choosing 20!” She was right. I needed to step up my game.

I handed her the form I filled out. She smiled at me.

“You have 15 minutes! I wish you all the luck in the world!”

“Thank you!” and with that I walked to the waiting room.

I sat there for what seemed to be the longest fifteen minutes of my life. My stomach flipped when a man came out and said, “Naomi Duchess? They’re ready for you”

I got up and he led me to the stage entrance. I looked out at the stage. It was enormous! I wonder how big the performance stage was!

I heard a British voice. Why is it that all judges are British?

“Come on out! Lets see your talent”

I took a deep breath and walked out onto the stage.

“Naomi Duchess?” one of the casting directors said.

“That’s me,” I said. I hope I sounded perfect.

“Well don’t just stand there! Do what you’re here for! Perform!”

I sat down on the stool there and with all the strength in me, played that song.

I sang and played what seemed to be the most important  song in my life right now.

I played the last chord and, expecting frowns, got applause!

“Thank you very much Naomi. Have a wonderful week, and I would strongly suggest that you never leave the phone, because you will most certainly be getting a very important call!” Every molecule in me smiled the size of the sun.

“Thank you!” I said as I leaped out of that place feeling like a unicorn that someone had just discovered.

•••

The next day I just sat lazily all day on the kitchen diner stools, staring at the phone. Actually, all the phones in our house, to be precise. I needed to hear one of them ring. I was getting really boring, so I took out my laptop and researched the contest. I really didn’t know what it was! It was a contest for talent scouts to seek new faces. And the winner gets a show in California, and when you're in a show in Californa, there just has to be a recording contract with it, also, right? I stared at the phones. RING!! Ring you stupid phones! Nothing. I sat and waited for what was probably 15 minutes, but seemed like 2 hours!! Then, finally, it rang! My heart skipped a beat when I answered it.

“Hello?” I said hesitantly. “Naomi Duchess speaking”

“Congratulations! You have made it into New York Talent!”

“Really!?” I MADE IT. Those were the only words running through my head.

“You got it, kid! Now, we have made a couple changes to the contest that we would like to inform all the contestants about”

“Changes?”

“Well, we now have permission to broadcast it live on television!”

“TV?” I asked.

“I will see you on Saturday night! Good luck!”

Television……….

The phone rang again. I started breathing again.

“Hey girl,” It was Margaux.

“Hey margaux. What’s going on?”

“Well, to congratulate you I thought id take you to my friends party tomorrow! Want to come?”

“Congratulate? For what?”

“For what? you got in!”

“Oh, yeah, that!”

“Wow, girl! I can’t believe you made it! So, do you want to come?”

“Um…” I hesitated. I felt like I really needed to practice.

“Tonight at six. You can bring drew if you want, but I want you to meet some of my friends”

“Okay, ill be there! See you tonight!”

I hung up. I’ll tell her about TV later, I thought. TV! I can’t believe it!

Great. Now, if I mess up, the whole worlds going to see it. But…. If I do amazing, then the whole world will see it! What am I going to sing, play? I don’t know, but I really need to get working if I want to win this.