As My Memory Rests

Chapter 1

Cassandra's POV:

I sat in my room, lightly strumming my guitar waiting for my nerves to build up to click the 'record' button. You see, today was my audition to get a chance for a recording contract. 3 weeks ago when I was performing at a coffee shop in my hometown of Berkeley, a man approached me and told me I should try to win this competition. I send in videos of myself singing and if I'm in the top four I get to go and have scouts from recording companies listen to me sing. Music has always been my passion and it's the one thing my mom says I got from my father, so I figured, why not? I finally built up the nerves and clicked 'record'.

"Summer has come and passed, the innocent can never last. Wake me up, when September ends."

I sang as I strummed my acoustic guitar. I chose this song for two reasons. The main being this song is I have a connection to it. This song is about Billie Joe Armstrong's dad dying and I've never known my father, but that didn't bother me. I've never really known anything else. Its always just been me and mom. Through the good and the bad, and we've had our share of bad. My mom talks about my dad a lot though, she tells me about how they were best friends all through high school, but never those friends that fall in love like the cliché movies. She loved him but not in the way of a relationship. She tells me about how one night they got drunk at a UC BERKELEY party when my mom went to collage there and ended up hooking up. When she worked up the nerve to tell him she was pregnant with his child, he was head over heals in love with a woman, that he married later that year. My mom didn't need him to take care of us because she knew how much he loved that woman and how neither of them really loved each other. So he promised to stay in touch, but we all know how those 'stay in touch' things work out.

The other reason I chose this song was because Green Day is probably my favorite band, or at least one of them. My mom has been paying it since I was born, it's always helped me through things. Especially my nightmare panic attacks that seem to happen a lot. I finished up the song and clicked 'finish and submit' I took a deep breath.

I did it.

"Cassandra! Dinner!" My mom yelled from down stairs. Ugh, I hated when my mom used my full name. "Cassy!" she called again. Better, I thought and ran down stairs to see my mom standing in our kitchen with a 'Blondie's' pizza box in front of her. My mom is tall with long straight blonde hair and hazel eyes, while I'm short, only 5'3, and I have wavy light brown hair and greenish eyes.

"Wow, pizza, classy." I remarked as I grabbed 2 pieces and poured myself a glass of water.

"You don't seem to be complaining!" My mom smirked and I scrunched up my face and smiled. The thing I love most about my mom is no matter how much we fight we always have this mutual sarcastic love in us. "Did you send in your audition?" She asked. My mom also enjoyed my music passion and always encouraged me.

"Yeah." I sighed.

"How do you feel about it?" My mom asked.

"Good. If I make it to the top 4 I think I'm going to play 'Help' by The Beatles." I said.

"That's a great choice." My mom smiled. We've been really close especially since what happened two years ago, I never bring it up to my friends, but it still haunts me. My mom was stalked by a man she dated in high school. When she told him to leave us alone he came into our house in the middle of the night and stabbed my mom. Luckily she survived, but I still get scared in the night that a psychopath is going to kill me.

"Cassy? You okay?" my mom asked.

"Hmm?"

"You were zoning."

"Oh sorry, I was just thinking about the audition and stuff." I lied.

"When do you find out?" she asked.

"Tomorrow." I said and finished my dinner.

XXX

"Mom!" I yelled from my bedroom. "Mom!" I yelled again.

"What?" she grumble coming into my room.

"I got an email from the competition." My moms eyes lit up and she ran to my room. "What if I didn't make it?" I asked.

"Don't be ridiculous! Open it!" My mom cheered. I slowly clicked open.

'Congratulations Cassandra King! You have made it to the top 4! Please meet at 870 Main Street on Friday at 4:30. Please don't be late as we have many important people here who have to watch you and 3 others perform and we'd like to be done by 6. Your number is 92411 please remember this number as it will get you into your room when you arrive. Thank you.'

I smiled large at what had just happened. I made it. I had a serious chance of getting a recording contract. "Oh my God." I squealed and hugged my mom.

"Damn it. I have work then!" my mom sighed.

"It's okay, it's okay! I can walk down! It's not far! Get out of my room I need to practice!" I squealed and shut the door.

XXX

I walked down the street from my house to the heart of Berkeley in skinny jeans, a blue flowing tank top, leather jacket and black high-tops. I had on more eyeliner than usual and I straightened my hair, but after all this performance could change my life forever. I arrived at the venue and smiled to see 3 other people waiting outside. One guy was hardcore Punk, probably fresh off of Gilman Street, where Berkeley punks are born. The Girl seemed like a total pop singer but she looked very professional, she wanted this just as bad as I did. To my relief there was a guy just like me, he had an acoustic guitar with him and looked confident. They let us in and we all went our separate ways. "Good luck." the acoustic guitar guy said.

"You too!" I yelled before I was thrust into a room with just a stool. Straight ahead of me was a mirror. Okay this was weird.

"Hello Miss King. I'm sure this all seems strange but there is no need to worry. My name is Amelia, I am the coordinator of this whole event. I want you to introduce yourself, please include your name, age, and the name of the song you will be singing. You may use the stool if you would like. The mirror in front of you is a one way mirror so you can't see the scouts, but they can see you. This is so you don't get to nervous. Good luck! Begin when you are ready!" The voice ended I smiled and brought out my guitar. I was happy I couldn't see people. It made me calmer.

"My name is Cassandra King, I'm 15, and I will be singing an acoustic version of Help by The Beatles." I said and I began to strum, "Help! I need somebody, Help! Not just anybody, Help! You know I need someone..." I sang. I ended the song and I could hear claps from the other side of the mirror causing me to smile. Suddenly the door opened,

"Well, that was just amazing, sweetheart!" A voice rang that I would know anywhere, it was Adrienne Armstrong.

A/N: So, I know this chapter is kinda boring, but trust me the story gets better as you keep reading! The first few chapters are kind of filler just so you know the whole story but by Chapter 4, the story picks up!