Welcome to Reefside

Conquering Stage Fright

Normal POV

Kira and Tracy are standing next to the stage as they watch the crowd file into the room.

"You ready to rock?" Kira asks.

"I think so," Tracy answers nervously.

"Remember, you are not alone up there. Try to relax and have fun." She says.

"I will. Thanks, Kira" Tracy says.

Tracy turns around, and the rest of the band gives her a thumbs up. Hayley walks up to the microphone.

"Here they are, Tracy Burlew and Kira Ford," Hayley announces.

The sound of loud applause fills the room as they walk onto the stage. The band starts to play "Brand New Day" by Demi Lovato. Tracy opens her mouth to start singing the first verse but freezes seeing everyone staring at her.

"Hey, I thought this was a concert, not mime show," Grant heckles.

Tracy turns around and runs off stage. The room fills with gasps and murmurs of confusion. Kira chases after Tracy. She nods to the band. They start to play a different song to stall for time. She and Hayley find her leaned up against a wall in the backroom.

"Hey, why didn't you tell me about your stage fright," Kira says calmly.

"I thought that needed to get over it before the concert at school. I was positive that I was going to be able to perform, but I guess I was wrong." Tracy says sadly.

"No you were right, you can do this. All you have to do is get back out there and sing as you did during rehearsal," Kira says reassuringly.

"Rehearsal and the actual concert are two different things. I wasn't even on stage for a minute before I got heckled." Tracy argues.

"There are always going to be one person out there who is going to tell you that you can't do something or tell you just to give up. You can't listen to that person, the only person you should be listening to is - yourself." Kira says.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Kira." Dr. Oliver says, walking in.

"Dr. Oliver, what are you doing here?" Tracy asks.

"I thought I'd come out to cheer on one of my students." Dr. Oliver says.

"You ready to go back out there, and rock?" Kira asks.

Tracy pushes herself off the wall. She stands confidently and nods. Kira smiles. They head back out to the stage. Hayley and sit back down at the bar. Kira walks back on stage. Tracy whispers the songs she wants to play to the drummer. He passes it along to the others. Kira starts to hear them play "Mean" by Taylor Swift. Tracy takes her place back in front of the microphone.

"Hey, choke star, remember to sing this time." Grant heckles again.

Tracy takes a deep breathe and let it out before she starts to sing. Conner looks over at Grant to see his mouth hanging open in shock hearing Tracy confidently singing in the right key and in time with the song.

She reaches the third verse of the song. She hops down off the stage. She walks up to Grant. She smiles and helps him close his mouth. Then confidently steps back up to the stage. Kira helps her climb back up. She gets into her spot to finish singing the song.

When the song ends, the room fills with applause again. The band starts to play the next song, 'Play My Music' by the Jonas Brothers. When the song ends, the room fills with loud cheers.

"Thank you, everyone. I just wanted to say something. Even though I have been in Reefside only a few days, this place has started to grow on me. The truth is, I still miss everyone back in Michigan, so this song is for them."Tracy announces.

The band begins to play the intro to " Wherever I go." She starts to sing with a lot of emotion. When the song ends, she looks into the crowd and sees some of the teenagers all choked up. When the band starts to play "Good Girl" the mood of the room changes in the blink of an eye., A loud applause rings through the room again as the song ends. The band starts to play the last song "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. When the song ends, the room fills with applause and whistling. A few minutes later the crowd starts to file out of the café. She jumps down from the stage and walks over to the gang.

"Tracy, you were amazing," Conner says.

"Thanks, Conner, but I wish Mike could have heard it," Tracy says.

"I did hear it, angel," Mike says.

The group steps to the side. Tracy sees Mike standing in the back of the room. She runs over to him and gives him a big hug.

"I thought you said that you were going to be in the front row," Tracy says.

"Sorry, Angel, I tried but when I got here the room was already packed," Mike says.

Then he makes a dozen roses appear out of thin air. He hands her the roses.

"Your forgiven Mikey. I didn't know you were a magician." Tracy says.

"Everyone has a hidden talent," he says.

"Whatever you say, Mikey. They are beautiful," she says.

"How about I take you out to dinner?" he asks.

"I could eat." she jokes.

Mike chuckles at her last statement, and they leave the café, hand in hand.

"When, did they become an item?" Conner asks.

"Yesterday," Kira says.

After dinner, Mike drives back to the cafe. They kiss goodnight then Tracy gets in her car and drives home. She walks into the kitchen, places the roses on the counter so that she could get a vase out of the cabinet. She fills it with water and puts the flowers inside. She carries it up to her room and places it on the end table next to her bed.

I guess conquering my stage fright was a good thing after all.