More Than a Moment

One

"Excuse me. Could I borrow you?" A stranger tapped Magnolia on the shoulder, startling her. Magnolia's blank mind was racing for a response, not fully understanding the lady due to the loud environment. The woman was beckoning her, squeezing through the isle, so Magnolia just went-- though not very pleased.

"I'm sorry, what did you need from me?" Magnolia asked once she and the woman were in closer proximity. She didn't really listen for the answer because she was being distracted by the reason she was even in the building.

"You've been chosen to get up on stage! Follow me!" The lady said excitedly, hurrying off before Magnolia could respond-- or rather, retaliate. There is no way she is getting up in front of ten thousand people to share talent she doesn't even have. Magnolia began to regret not carrying a PSA with her, notifying those around her of her fears... like public presentation of herself.

Each step closer to the stage drew new eyes and reminded Magnolia of a new insecurity. I'm not going to remember how to talk; I'm going to trip because I'm a klutz; my hair is probably all messed up; my nail polish is chipped; I almost got in an accident getting here... what if the person I almost hit is in the crowd?? These thoughts swarmed around Magnolia's head, and before she knew it, she was backstage.

"Alright, so once this song is finished, they'll call you out, and you'll just go through this entrance right here. They'll guide you through the rest! Are you excited? Nervous?" The woman, whose name Magnolia learned to be Trixie, smiled widely.

"Yeah," was all Magnolia could manage. The song was almost done, and Magnolia's hands began to shake and sweat. This is it. This is the moment she's been waiting for. She finally gets to meet her favorite people... in front of ten thousand strangers... while making a fool of herself. How much better could it get?

The last few notes of Long Way Home ended. There's five songs left. Magnolia knows this because she memorized the setlist. "You ready?" Trixie's voice scared her out of her daze. Magnolia nodded her head, only just barely hearing the tail end of Luke welcoming her onto the stage.

Her feet began to move without her consent, and soon enough she was visible to the whole audience. The lights were bright-- too bright. She squinted hard and immediately regretted it because she knew she would be on the big screen, and she knew that was not a flattering expression.

Her legs trembling so terribly she was surprised to still be standing, Magnolia had found herself at Luke's side. She needed a minute. Her eyes came to just under Luke's shoulder, so she slowly looked up until she met his gaze. "Hi," she squeaked.

Luke laughed, and the audience rumbled far off in the distance. Magnolia was pleased to realize how little she noticed the audience when all of her attention was turned to Luke. "Hello," Luke returned, smiling happily. "Thanks for coming out to our show tonight. What's your name and where are you from?" He moved the mic toward Magnolia.

"I'm Magnolia and I'm from Michigan, but I go to school in LA," she answered quickly, still awed by her surroundings.

"Magnolia. I like that." Luke replied, turning the mic back to Magnolia.

She had been looking around the stage, taking in Calum's, Michael's, and Ashton's presence as well. "Uh, thank you." She said airily, not knowing how to take a compliment about her name. "Oh, I, uh, can't play any instruments," she said quickly, wanting to clear the air before they tried to strap a guitar to her.

All four boys chuckled, but all Magnolia could think about were the thousands of eyes rolling in the audience. She probably seems like a complete ditz. "Do you sing?" Luke's voice called her back to reality.