Born to Perform

Chapter 24

I’m walking the streets of Los Angeles at night. It’s cold and dark and I’m completely alone. There are no cars or people, only the orange glow of the streetlights to keep me company. I speed up a little, not knowing where I’m going, only that I’m trying to get away from something. Behind me, I can hear the faint echo of footsteps on the sidewalk and I start to run. I don’t know who it is but I don’t want to see them. The sidewalk gets narrower and narrower, then suddenly bends round the corner into an alleyway. I stop in my tracks and feel the sickening thud of my heart in my chest. 

Slowly, I take a couple of steps into the shadows of the alley but then I freeze at the sight of two dark figures about ten metres away from me. I can’t make out their faces but I back away in fear, my heart slamming in my chest harder and harder. Then I remember the footsteps behind me and turn to find Mario Ferelli looming over me. 

“What are you doing here?” he demands, “You don’t belong out here. Get back home,” he growls. His broad stature blocks the entrance to the alley, so I stumble backwards further into the shadows but find Kassidy and Elisha on either side of me. 

“Go home, mermaid girl,” Kassidy hisses, “No one wants you around here.”

“You were never talented,” Elisha mocks me, “They just felt sorry for you. You’re just some nobody from nowhere.” They circle me like sharks and I am backed against the wall. I breathe heavily and frantically search for somewhere to run, then I see someone on the roof of the building opposite. 

“Melody! Up here!” Sam shouts from above and I run towards him, pushing Kassidy and Elisha away. I start to climb up the brickwork of the building towards the sound of his voice. 

“Come on! You’re almost there!” Sam encourages me but the stones are wet and my feet slip with every step. 

“You can’t get away from us! You know it’s all true!” Elisha screams at me from below. I frantically pull myself up closer to the top of the building but then the bricks beneath my feet give way and I feel my body sink down towards the cackling of the two girls. Sam reaches out his hand and screams my name but it’s too late. I fall to my death. 

“Come on, get up! God, are you dead or something?” Jenna shakes my shoulder to try to wake me. I open my eyes blearily and look around, wondering where I am. I breathe heavily from the shock of the fall and clutch at the duvet for support. Jenna eyes me suspiciously. 

“Are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she comments, more alarmed than concerned. 

“Um, yeah. I’m fine,” I stutter as I try to separate the dream from reality. “Just a bad dream, that’s all.” She looks slightly relieved, then walks to her wardrobe to start picking out an outfit. 

“Well, you’d better get up quickly. We’re filming on location and we’re leaving in twenty minutes,” she says nonchalantly. 

“Filming on location? Where? Nobody told me!” I protest, scrambling out of bed. Why does no one here tell me anything? 

“Venice Beach. There’s a scene with a song and dance routine we have to film. Don’t worry, it’s an hour long journey so there’s plenty of time to warm up and everything and then there’s always hair and make-up,” she tells me while she holds up different outfits in front of the mirror but always seems to discard them on the floor. 

I rush into the bathroom and shower at lightning speed, then complete half of my skincare ritual - a girl’s got to make sacrifices - before desperately searching through my half of the wardrobe for something decent to wear. I glance at Jenna and see that she is wearing fashionable denim shorts and a white crocheted top with strappy heels and retro sunglasses balanced on her head and suddenly everything in my wardrobe seems completely inadequate. She seems to sense my panic and strides over to her side of the wardrobe, plucking out a pale floaty sundress and some heeled sandals and thrusting them into my arms.