I was waiting backstage when the last sentence was said and the curtains closed. The audience started to cheer. I ran on stage with all the others and the curtains opened again. The light in the auditorium slightly went on and we could see everyone’s faces. A wide smile spread on my face, as I took a bow with the others at the same time. We split up to both sides, to get our single applause when we got back on stage. I was the last to go and it felt like it was at least double as loud as before. When I looked back up, waiting for the others to join me for the last planned bow I caught the blonde Mr. Famous looking at me in admiration. I could feel my face getting red as a tomato, but tried to cover it by smiling even wider. The curtain closed and opened many times after, because the audience just wasn’t stoppable. When finally they gave in, I ran off stage into the arms of my mum and dad, who told me I was great, but they always did, no matter how crap I was. But when some other people who acted at this theater came over to me and said I had done a great job, I was absolutely overwhelmed. I was just that little girl, who once acted the part of Red Riding Hood awfully in a play filled with fairytale characters. Or the girl, who played a table, a minor character and later was always just the secondary person in a group of secondary parts. I wasn’t great. At all.
“Hey, uh…, you did an amazing job.” I heard a familiar voice say behind me. I turned around to look at the famous boy. “I’m Ross.” He said.
“I know. I mean, I…I’m Mouna.” I stuttered already face-palming inside of my head.
“Well, it was nice to see you play, Mouna. Maybe we could like…hang out together or something?” Ross asked and made me feel the need to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming.
“Uh…sorry, Ross. I’d like to, but before we talk on, I’d like to get rid of the kilos of stage make up I’m wearing.” I smiled and turned to get backstage again and do as I said.
“Sure, I’ll just wait here.” He said and I just tried to not make him see how amazed he made me with that.
I hurried up so much as soon as I was back in the wardrobe. I undressed and dressed again in record time and had the tons of make-up wiped from my face in just a moment, it seemed. Though with re-doing it my way, I took some time. I didn’t want to look super weird talking to Ross Lynch. How I knew about him? I actually can’t really remember, probably read something about R5 on a blog and checking their music out afterwards. And pretty much falling for Ross, whose show Austin and Ally started about a month after I discovered R5. It has been a dream of mine to meet them one day. And now they just suddenly appeared in my theater and at least Ross thought I was amazing. As much as it seemed to be a dream, I knew it wasn’t. Dreaming felt different.
Slowly I walked back to the auditorium. I pushed a curtain away and saw Ross and Riker talking to some man, who somehow seemed really important to me. I decided not to interrupt their possibly important conversation and went over to my best friend instead, who had been in the same ensemble as me the year before. She congratulated me, because she couldn’t get to me before. She was my best friend and I trusted her. And if she said I was good, I was.
“Mouna?” I hard Ross yelling my name.
“Sorry, but I have someone else to talk to.” I told my friend, Carissa.
“Isn’t that…?”
“Yes.”
“What is he…?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, then go!” Carissa told me and shoved me in Ross’ direction. We never needed to finish each other’s questions. We always knew what the other one wanted to say.
“So? What is it?” I asked Ross, who was still standing with Riker and the important looking man.
“This is Mr. Seifert. He is one of the creators of the show.” Ross told me.
“No way.” I replied, my eyes getting big.
“Yes way.” Mr. Seifert said. “And I thought you were great, just like Ross. You know, we are actually holding auditions for a new part in our show and maybe wanted to invite you to one of them.”
My eyes got even bigger “I know I’m repeating myself, but no way.”
“Yes way.” Mr. Seifert chuckled. “Would you like to be on Austin & Ally?”
“Oh my gosh, yes.” I replied.
“Well, then maybe you could introduce me to your parents and I’ll take care of the business stuff with them.” He said and I did as he said and returned to Ross and Riker, who were now joined by Rydel, Rocky and Ryland.
“Ross just told us about you auditioning for the new part on Austin & Ally” Rydel said “and I have to say, you are possibly the best actress of them.”
“No I’m not.” I murmured.
“Come on, believe in yourself.” Riker told me “Otherwise you’ll always just be on small stages in front of only a hundred people.”
I smiled. “Okay, I’ll do my best. So I’ll see you at my audition?” I asked Ross.
“Probably not. But at the latest at your first day of shooting.” He replied.
I grinned. He was just as amazing as I had always imagined.
“Ross, would you please stop staring at her, we have to go.” Rocky said, punching him in the arm. Ross gave him a withering look to smile at me again, his siblings already starting to walk towards the exit.
“You’re amazing.” He told me and hugged me “You’ll make it.” He whispered and then left.
I took a deep breath and knew I was blushing again. When I felt my head slowly cooling down I went towards the head of the building to get to the after party.
