curtain call. | kristian kostov

026

"Kyiv, I am in you!" was the first thing Ava yelled up at the sky as the four of us made our way off the plane.

"Could you be any louder?" Alex chuckled, leading the way. Ava, who never turns down a challenge, went to scream louder before Lance rushed to cover her mouth with his hand.

"Ew!" he squealed, quickly withdrawing his hand, "Why'd you lick me?"

"That's not appreciated Ava," I hummed.

"Says the one who decided out of nowhere they'd strip for Kristian," she shoved back.

"What?!" Alex practically screamed, causing me to jump and multiple people to turn and stare at us.

"I did not strip for him!" I argued, "and keep your voice down," I muttered.

"You know, we never got the full story of that," Ava mussed. So I told them, just because I didn't want Alex to think I'd decided I'd flash to everyone and anyone I'm vaguely interested in.

"Excuses, excuses," Lance tutted at me, and my cheeks flushed slightly.

"I swear!" I said, mentally praying for the conversation to change. As if hearing my prayers, Lance decided to place bets on what place I'd come in the Eurovision.

"I say seventh," Alex pipped up, wafting five pounds in our faces.

"I'm going to say fifthtenth," I pulled my fiver out too.

"I'm on eleventh," Lance added.

"Unlike you guys, I have belief in my friend," Ava grinned at me, "so I say first," and she added her money to the collection.

"We know I won't come first," I chuckled. It wasn't that I thought I wasn't good enough, or I didn't have hope. But it was just that I knew that this competition had people like Kris in, and they were simply better, and that was absolutely fine. I didn't enter to win, and to know I'd walk away with my relationship with Kristian was good enough for me.

"You're going to rock that stage, Celine," Ava squeezed my arm encouragingly, "Now, let's go!" she ran ahead of us, full well knowing we had a lot to prepare and do.